Raheem Sterling

ShadesOfTomato

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There’s definitely a media agenda against him and there has been since he signed for City.

Read this thread, it’s ridiculous.

Not sure if people have short memories or what, but it's been from well before he signed for City. Remember the media propagated myth about him having four kids from four different mums at 18/19?
 

AlecHDR

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I was shocked to read that the Sun and Daily Mail are actually the two most popular newspapers in the UK?!

Is it a a sampling bias issue? (i.e. only certain segments of the population still buy newspapers?) Or are they genuinely that popular?

Also, kudos to Sterling for his post.
 

JSArsenal

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Besides the obvious racial abuse, one very very small and annoying aspect about this entire thing is the fact that these guys will interact and might even be friends with black people.

Yet you see their true nature come out here and every black person that they know now knows what they really think about them and black people in general deep down. I'd wager they probably felt emboldened to racially abuse Sterling because "its football and they lost their temper but that isn't who they are deep down".

The annoying part is that the above isn't all that uncommon. People will pretend to be cool with minority groups and play the polite ally role out in public but deep down they're just racists.

(Or they could be outright racists who spout racist abuse at every black person they meet)
 

Nogbadthebad

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Besides the obvious racial abuse, one very very small and annoying aspect about this entire thing is the fact that these guys will interact and might even be friends with black people.
Not just that. You can bet they were cheering on Kante as he scored for Chelsea.
 

Rhyme Animal

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Nonchalantly scoring the winner...
To those who are puzzled by Raheem, the other black Chelsea fan, or the black Chelsea steward not reacting violently or choosing to laugh in response to what was said - I can only presume that you have gone through life without experiencing racism regularly.
At some point, and mainly in public when you are mostly isolated - you are left frozen and unable to react properly, so laughing it off is usually the most productive reaction because you recognise that you have no power in the situation, and it’s best not to lower yourself to their level.
Raheem says as much in his Instagram post, and I’m glad he pointed this out.
Exactly this, you have to laugh or shake your head because it’s not the first time, won’t be the last time and if you react negatively then the benefit of doubt won’t be given to you.
Very well said. Beautiful, eloquent posts as usual from Villain on topics that don't really deserve such patience anymore.

Sterling is easily my favourite non-United player. He gets so much shit but always conducts himself in a professional manner; not many people like that.
I'm glad his response is calm. Glad he pointed out the double standards applied to him when he bought his mom a home - it was exactly my thought as well. Coming from their poverty stricken background, of course the lad is proud he's able to give his mom a nice life. Yet the papers mocked him for this.
Completely agree.

As Gareth Southgate said - Sterling is actually a great role model to young people, and instead he's treated as some sort of 'bad-guy'.

I've always been very, very uncomfortable with the amount of venom he gets from Liverpool fans, as opposed to Suarez - he stayed longer than Suarez, conducted himself better while at the club, yet one is treated like an actual hero who had the 'right' to move on to win trophies and the other is spoken of with genuine hatred by a large portion of the Liverpool fanbase...

It's transparent, and it's fecking disgraceful.
 

Don Alfredo

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There’s definitely a media agenda against him and there has been since he signed for City.

Read this thread, it’s ridiculous.

That's just disgusting. You don't expect better from vile papers like the Sun and DM, but what Sky Sports did was very dickish. Sterling just did an emotional explanation with a personal story to defend himself for his tattoo, but they make it sound like Raheem himself was a gang member or something, like all blacks with tattoos are in the eyes of some people.

Sadly, these things are not limited to the UK.

After Germany's group stage exit at the world cup, Ozil has been made the scapegoat and after the last match against South Korea, he got verbally attacked in a racist way by a fan in the stands (near the tunnel). This is what the media made out of it: "After the embarrassing exit, Ozil is going after German fans!"
 

Sauldogba

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Oppo fans regularly direct homophobic slurs like rent boys or renties at Chelsea players and fans.

You have no idea what the fan is saying to sterling, if it was racist the fan should be banned. There is no way to tell what the fan is saying.

You cite a group of racist Chelsea fans to label all Chelsea fans as racist, yet in 2017 when at least hundreds of Spurs fans where chanting "Chelsea rent boys we're coming for you", No one cared.

The double standard angers me, when anyone can direct homophobic slurs at Chelsea, and no one cares, but a video comes out, where we don't know what is being said. The media and oppo fans, just decide there is racist language.[/QUOTE

Think you need to google the definition of homophobia.
Calling someone a male prostitute is not homophobic.
Calling someone a black cnut is racist.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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How do you draw that line in the sand to be a selective racist when, as a Chelsea fan attending the game, there's a Didier Drogba banner hanging somewhere near you? How can you hurl that at Sterling when some of your club's beloved players are black? It makes no sense for racism to still exist in football when you are actively supporting your own black players yet abusing opposing players with words specific to their race.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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Watch the slowed down video below. Two secs in the guy on the far right in the specs clearly calls him an f'in black c.

Wow I thought it would be some low life punk but that person looks too old to be pulling this kind of shit.
 

villain

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How do you draw that line in the sand to be a selective racist when, as a Chelsea fan attending the game, there's a Didier Drogba banner hanging somewhere near you? How can you hurl that at Sterling when some of your club's beloved players are black? It makes no sense for racism to still exist in football when you are actively supporting your own black players yet abusing opposing players with words specific to their race.
Because they don't value minorities, unless it benefits them on a personal level - in this case, their football club doing well.
 

villain

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Very well said. Beautiful, eloquent posts as usual from Villain on topics that don't really deserve such patience anymore.





Completely agree.

As Gareth Southgate said - Sterling is actually a great role model to young people, and instead he's treated as some sort of 'bad-guy'.

I've always been very, very uncomfortable with the amount of venom he gets from Liverpool fans, as opposed to Suarez - he stayed longer than Suarez, conducted himself better while at the club, yet one is treated like an actual hero who had the 'right' to move on to win trophies and the other is spoken of with genuine hatred by a large portion of the Liverpool fanbase...

It's transparent, and it's fecking disgraceful.
Thank you, and I agree with what you said about Liverpool fans also.
 

red4ever 79

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Can be no tolerance of racist abuse of any kind. Unfortunately you will never get rid of it completely. However a 6 month jail term for that individual would set an example and perhaps act as a deterrent for others
 

Pagh Wraith

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How do you draw that line in the sand to be a selective racist when, as a Chelsea fan attending the game, there's a Didier Drogba banner hanging somewhere near you? How can you hurl that at Sterling when some of your club's beloved players are black? It makes no sense for racism to still exist in football when you are actively supporting your own black players yet abusing opposing players with words specific to their race.
It makes plenty of sense if he's just looking to wind-up the opposition. He might call an opposing German player "a fecking Nazi" or an opposing Asian player a "fecking slit eye". Whatever is most likely to get under the player's skin. And with a black player it is obviously a reference to his skin colour. These people are not going to care if their own team features such players. It's possible of course he's indeed a full-blown racist but as you say that is hard to comprehend when your own team has had so many (important) black players.
 

Raees

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Chelsea match-going fans are generally vile, obnoxious ignorant cnuts.
 

GiddyUp

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The only ex liverpool or city player I would welcome with open arms at OT. The football community need to rally around him and start calling out these media shitheads as well as condemning that behavior from the fans.
I can still never understand how grown men start foaming at the mouth climbing over each other just to abuse someone who is playing a football match. fecking bizarre and downright embarrassing.
 

sullydnl

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Off the top of my head I can't think of any footballer who has been treated more unfairly in recent years. It is genuinely quite disgraceful.
 

SteveJ

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Off the top of my head I can't think of any footballer who has been treated more unfairly in recent years. It is genuinely quite disgraceful.
And, I suspect, The Sun & co are feeding off the backlash against them in a 'no publicity is bad publicity' manner.
 
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What are the PL/FA going to do about it? First it was banana skin being thrown at Auba now this. Honestly it makes sick.
 

Donk87

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I've always been very, very uncomfortable with the amount of venom he gets from Liverpool fans, as opposed to Suarez - he stayed longer than Suarez, conducted himself better while at the club, yet one is treated like an actual hero who had the 'right' to move on to win trophies and the other is spoken of with genuine hatred by a large portion of the Liverpool fanbase...

It's transparent, and it's fecking disgraceful.
Not sure I agree with this. I always figured the fierce level of vitriol aimed at Sterling from Pool fans was more to do with them viewing him as one of their own. He might have joined them at 15/16 from QPR but from their perspective he was a youth player who made the breakthrough and had become one of the brightest talents in the league at only 18.

It hurts a lot when one of your better players wants to leave for a rival (hi robin!) but even more so when they're one of "yours". I suspect if he'd moved abroad he wouldn't get half the stick he does. Of course I might be very wrong and you very right but I hope not.

As a side note I just saw his post on instagram (somehow missed that earlier) and he's absolutely spot on. Very well said.
 

Rhyme Animal

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Nonchalantly scoring the winner...
Not sure I agree with this. I always figured the fierce level of vitriol aimed at Sterling from Pool fans was more to do with them viewing him as one of their own. He might have joined them at 15/16 from QPR but from their perspective he was a youth player who made the breakthrough and had become one of the brightest talents in the league at only 18.

It hurts a lot when one of your better players wants to leave for a rival (hi robin!) but even more so when they're one of "yours". I suspect if he'd moved abroad he wouldn't get half the stick he does. Of course I might be very wrong and you very right but I hope not.

As a side note I just saw his post on instagram (somehow missed that earlier) and he's absolutely spot on. Very well said.
The vitriol started when he was still at the club (before he was confirmed to be joining a 'rival').

He's a Londoner, not even from the North.

Compare that with Coutinho, left them totally in the lurch - still nowhere near the same venom.

Or Ronaldo leaving us.

Sterling hasn't been treated fairly, or anywhere close to it by Liverpool fans.
 

villain

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It makes plenty of sense if he's just looking to wind-up the opposition. He might call an opposing German player "a fecking Nazi" or an opposing Asian player a "fecking slit eye". Whatever is most likely to get under the player's skin. And with a black player it is obviously a reference to his skin colour. These people are not going to care if their own team features such players. It's possible of course he's indeed a full-blown racist but as you say that is hard to comprehend when your own team has had so many (important) black players.
This doesn't make sense, if the only way you can wind-up the opposition is by being racist - then you're rightfully going to be called racist.
It's not something you do on a whim, and I fail to see how its 'obvious' to dehumanise someone's skin colour as a wind-up tactic, unless you are racist.

We need to move away from this idea that racists are EDL-supporting skin heads.
Racists are normal everyday people who can be pleasant and friendly. Racists aren't always rude or in your face about their racism.
 

Infestissumam

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kudos to Sterling, it's about time the likes of Sun and Mail get called out publicly by a player for their despicable "journalism".
 

SteveJ

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The black supporter (bottom-right) is the only person applauding.
 

Donk87

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The vitriol started when he was still at the club (before he was confirmed to be joining a 'rival').

He's a Londoner, not even from the North.

Compare that with Coutinho, left them totally in the lurch - still nowhere near the same venom.

Or Ronaldo leaving us.

Sterling hasn't been treated fairly, or anywhere close to it by Liverpool fans.
Pretty sure Pool fans turned on him after his agent came out saying he wouldn't sign for a million a week or whatever it was. But fair point I guess, they tuned on him before his new club was confirmed. Doesn't change the substance of what I was trying to say.

I addressed your other points in my previous post but to be clear I'm not saying you're wrong. I just personally don't feel all Pool fans who spit venom at him are doing so as a result of their inherent racism. Some sure but I think the majority are more like jilted lovers unable to get over their ex.
 

ShadesOfTomato

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I've always been very, very uncomfortable with the amount of venom he gets from Liverpool fans, as opposed to Suarez - he stayed longer than Suarez, conducted himself better while at the club, yet one is treated like an actual hero who had the 'right' to move on to win trophies and the other is spoken of with genuine hatred by a large portion of the Liverpool fanbase...

It's transparent, and it's fecking disgraceful.
So what are you implying?

I wouldn't say Sterling is that hated by LFC fans at all - certainly not compared to someone like Torres when he left. He receives stick when he comes to Anfield, but which young player that runs down their contract then joins rivals wouldn't? Racism has absolutely nothing to do with it.
 

Random Task

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Wow I thought it would be some low life punk but that person looks too old to be pulling this kind of shit.
Age is no substitute for blind ignorance.

I wonder if this 'ard man would have been quite so vocal had he met Raheem face to face in the street. I suspect not.
 

Random Task

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So what are you implying?

I wouldn't say Sterling is that hated by LFC fans at all - certainly not compared to someone like Torres when he left. He receives stick when he comes to Anfield, but which young player that runs down their contract then joins rivals wouldn't? Racism has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Evra would contest your statement.
 

SteveJ

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This is also about class, age and political expediency: the media have long promoted a narrative that young people - especially working class people - are lazy and often overpaid...which would be hilariously ironic if it weren't so bloody sad and malicious.

And Raheem makes for a convenient 'good' target in the Age of Brexit: being black, born abroad, and earning big money ('stealing our jobs') makes him ripe to be wrongly cast as an outsider/foreigner. We are encouraged to hate or, at least, resent innocent people like Raheem.
 

Reddy Rederson

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I was listening to talk sport earlier (3 white guys talking about racism) and they got a black guy on to explain racism to them. The line was shit, and the guy wasn’t very good at getting his point across at first. To the point where one of the talk sport guys said he “didn’t condone” racism. The black guy had to explain to him for a second time that when the media asks “what has he done to deserve this” it’s a big part of the problem, because it shifts the conversation away from the racist and on to the victim of racism. Who gives a shit what sterling(or any black player) did(buying his mum house, getting a stupid tattoo, a post on social media, etc), it’s not the point.

The media as a whole does this regularly. Pointing the finger in such a sneaky way that we never really address the issue. Racism in football has been a problem longer than I’ve been alive, and while there’s been some things done about it it’s still a huge problem. And you’ll forgive me but the white men who have been a part of it for however many years aren’t the ones to stamp it out. I remember a commentator referring to Andy Cole and Dwight York as “the twins” upfront for united. I’m sure he meant nothing by it, but considering they look nothing alike except for their skin colour it showcases an attitude that’s never really went away.

One of the problems I see is that people don’t agree with what other people find offensive, and so dismiss people who claim to be offended. We all know the classic examples of racism, but a lot of us ignore the more insidious things that are said. It’s important that we all takes steps to educate and to listen in equal measure. Maybe then we can hope to make progress. That and we all need to start ignoring tabloid bullshit.