Most liked posts in thread: Racist Bulgarian Fans

When UEFA were asked about the game the answer was "no comment" .

 

Highly unlikely that the racists only come out for internationals, it’s rife in Eastern Europe.

 

But let's be careful not to hold the moral high ground. Its still here, it's still a problem here.

 

As I stated in my first post on this thread, unfortunately it’s British citizens who’ve been the subject of racist abuse on a vile scale tonight, especially after the speech their manager gave before hand. Totally ridiculous.

 

Is it or is that just stereotyping people from Eastern Europe?

 

Sorry, it wasn't a slur on you. I was making a generalised comment.

 

No it definitely is rife in Eastern European football. Our players were racially abused on our last visits to Montenegro, Serbia and now Bulgaria. A daily big sample size. Black players often talk about racist abuse when coming out of the Russian league as well.

 

No need to apologise mate, never took it as one.

 

I must also add, when I said Eastern European I meant in footballing terms not as countries. Although the ones I’ve been to I’ve seen a few problems. But in this thread I’m trying to stick solely to racism in football, how anyone could question there are major issues among the European countries I don’t know. Monkey chants are a regular thing, yet UEFA do little.

 

Reading this thread i have seen some good points but some are a bit naive, these people being racist and they know its a bad thing. During the game around 50 fans were ejected for nazi salutes and monkey chanting. I would say 80% werent being racist.

For me i think expulsions from tournaments are required if this carries on. Fines are not harsh enough.

 

How does having racist fanbases in tournaments help?

 

Like i said previously its nievity thats the problem. It sounds like you think these people need to be coached in how to behave or that they dont know any better and i strongly disagree. In the UK hooliganism had incredibly harsh sentences for being involved and after some decades its reduced dramatically.

In both situations they know EXACTLY what they are doing.

There is no current real incentive to change the behaviour.

 

How is it fair on the vast majority of fans to be kicked out of a tournament for the behaviour of the minority?

 

I agree but bring that scenario back to our club Bradford City, someone posted ( I think they said Crawley) charge more to clubs that have an element of fans who take more policing, that will impinge on all traveling City fans if that is the case.

 

I don't know the answer to resolve what happens sometimes in places like Bulgaria but it would seem to me that banning them from international competition only reduces exposure to black athletes and role models even further which surely can only help certain sections to retain the current mentality.

Integration and exposure is the key and as young Eastern Europeans grow up idolising the black footballers they are watching from the stands it begins to help stamp out racism from the inside.

Clearly a much more instant impact should also be targeted but isolating countries will, imo, only have the opposite effect to the target FIFA are trying to achieve.

 

Of course not but nor should a non-rich ones either. So my point was, a much worse case of racism, upfront, close up, could turn actually physical event, in England, gets a bit of publicity then is forgotten. When an entirely predictable, given the prior days stupid "Make our day" media coverage, gets wildy disproportionate coverage and will achieve not very much at all.

 

You're very quick to criticise the actions but extremely slow to suggest an alternative course of action. What do you think should have happened?

 

You mentioned rich bubble. Of course nobody should have to suffer abuse, wealth doesn’t need to come into it. Also worth nothing that plenty of black footballers came from poorer backgrounds, and I’m sure some suffered racist abuse back then as well.

I agree on the publicity front, both incidents should get coverage it’s the only chance of spreading the message that abuse shouldn’t be tolerated.

 

To quote a certain Mr J McEnroe...
"YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!"

 

Fair play, but what i keep coming back to is that racism isnt the norm in the Bulgaria or as prolific as found in international games. They do frequently see people of ethic minorities. We are assuming they dont