Chelsea fans booing Rio

WeasteDevil

I sort of think what he might be getting at is should we have supported Cantona in the way that we did? Slightly different of course because it wasn't player on player. Should we have supported Roy Keane so vigorously after what he did? He should have got a life ban for that.

Redlambs

I think you are giving bjred far too much credit.

I mean here's a poster who so often tries to convince us he's not like the dribblers on Rawk, yet just can't stop belying his true nature. It's like he sometimes forgets who he's trying to convince.

As for the rest of your post, it's true of course. People may argue that those occurences aren't on the level of racism, or some such other 'excuses', but the fact is they happened and the majority of us supported those players.

What isn't fact though, is how the majority of us would behave when faced with the issue of racism like the Liverpool and Chelsea fans. Yes I believe we'd have support who want to act like mindless fools, but would it really be at the level of those two sets? I mean it's quite clearly the majority in both those cases (and I don't buy into the minority bollocks that always gets peddled to make ourselves feel better that the problem is never as big as it actually is), are we so sure that we would to a man be the same? Boing the victims? Or even the victim's brother? I hope we never find that out.

Moriarty

It does seem like the dirties are closing ranks doesn't it? It's a bloody shame considering that Liverpool is probably one of the most ethnically-diverse cities in the country and has been for years.

WeasteDevil

So intent to commit GBH (Keane basically admitted this) is less of an offence to calling someone what is seen to be a naughty word?

I'm just pointing out that if we want to go on a moral crusade, we also do need to look at our own fan base, who in general are no angels either.

Redlambs

Indeed, it's a travesty. I think the most shocking thing about it all though is that in this day and age are we really surprised?

Racism hasn't gone away, but focus on it has never been stronger. This was bound to happen. What has followed though and the way both occurences have been dealt with has been nothing short of a disgrace in one way or another.

Lets hope we learn from this, but somehow I really doubt it.

Redlambs

I think you need to re-read what I wrote from a fresh perspective.

We agree. What I'm pointing out though, is that we don't 'know' for a fact that we'd boo the brother of a player our captain is accused of racially abusing. What we are talking about are things that HAVE happened, not things that might.

In no way am I saying we wouldn't for sure, and I don't see it as taking the moral high ground to rightfully criticise the things that have gone on. We'd be criticised the same, and we'd deserve it.

finneh

I think it is pretty unquestionable that United fans would boo. The thing that I also have no doubt however is that there would be a lot of people on here lambasting the people who did boo, whether that is true on the Chelsea forums I am unsure, it certainly wasn't on the Liverpool ones.

madhed

Re-quoted for affirmation !

Waltraute

Cut the crap?

I've seen and heard a lot at OT and at aways: 'Eat blue steel!', '96 were not enough!', racism and gratuitous violence.
The fact that some of my fellow supporters are absolute arseheads does not in any way, shape or form render my condemnation of their shite invalid.

Neither does it mean that I can't condemn Chelsea supporters booing Rio or Liverpool supporters booing Evra. It's absolutely immaterial.
I abhor racism, and I'll condemn it be it from our own or from opposition supporters, and I'm sure that's the attitude from most of the posters in this thread.

Great climate for a discussion of racism if you're branded a liar just for reporting an incident, and branded a hypocrite for voicing your disgust given the fact that there might be racists in your support.

Redlambs

Very good point.

Saying we can't comment on this sort of thing based on pure speculation that our fellow United fans may boo themselves, is just plain wrong. As I keep saying, lets deal in facts. Those facts are Chelsea fans did boo Rio, United fans didn't.

If we are ever doing the same, then it's worth talking about it. Until then guessing we might is totally pointless.