Marc Bola charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post

[SilentWitness]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58435485

Marc Bola: Middlesbrough defender charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post


He was 14 when he made the post.

 

[Sandikan]

Who digs these posts from a decade or so ago!?

It can't all be bitter Liverpool fans angry someone scored against their team can it?

It's fooling no-one when the FA get after someone for something they did as an idiot kid, instead of dealing with massive racist chants in international games and suchlike.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Bonkers

 

[Judas]

The world is a safer and better place for punishing remarks made by adults when they were literal children.

 

[mu4c_20le]

If he made them when he was 14 then he should be charged as a 14 year old

 

[Lay]

Ban all kids from ever saying something.

 

[2 man midfield]

What did he even say? Couldn’t see it in the article.

 

[WeePat]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58435485

Marc Bola: Middlesbrough defender charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post


He was 14 when he made the post.

What was the tweet? Either way, what a waste of time. This stuff getting out of control. I can barely muster any fecks about something someone said a decade ago while they were adults, who fecking gives a flying feck about what some 14 year old said 9 years ago.

 

[Adisa]

This is ridiculous

 

[Tom Cato]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58435485

Marc Bola: Middlesbrough defender charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post


He was 14 when he made the post.

Another "How to turn people off from caring about the issue" Masterclass by the old white men at FA.

Curiously, actual racism has a window of 6 months before its too late to pursue it in a criminal court in the UK. I just can't take it seriously when someone accuses a teenager of having said something racist NINE years ago.

Maybe it's time FA looks into textmessages sent by Graeme Souness in 1996 and fine him for something, anything.

 

[cyberman]

Honestly, can they do anyone not a professional? Can I be banned? He was 14

 

[horsechoker]

Ban all kids from ever saying something.

I'm OK with this

 

[GBBQ]

In fairness to the FA I doubt they’re the ones trawling through old tweets. It gets reported to them and given the content they can’t just ignore it.

 

[Grylte]

What did he even say? Couldn’t see it in the article.

Didn't read the article, but i guess it's the one in the OP?

 

[WeePat]

In fairness to the FA I doubt they’re the ones trawling through old tweets. It gets reported to them and given the content they can’t just ignore it.

Why not?

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58435485

Marc Bola: Middlesbrough defender charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post


He was 14 when he made the post.

3 match ban for Cavani incoming

 

[Dan_F]

Who digs these posts from a decade or so ago!?

It can't all be bitter Liverpool fans angry someone scored against their team can it?

It's fooling no-one when the FA get after someone for something they did as an idiot kid, instead of dealing with massive racist chants in international games and suchlike.

Absolutely. Also, a 14 year child is exposed to whatever (insert form of discrimination) shit they see on Twitter, with no repercussions to those people posting it on social media, let alone for them in the real world.

 

[Herman Toothrot]

This does seem silly and it's the kind of case which has the potential to do more harm than good, empowering finger-pointing idiots to cry 'cancel culture' in a tone that suggests they know what they're talking about.

You know what though? Save me your faux outrage, zero tolerance should be zero tolerance. I'm happy for Bola to take one for the team.

 

[2 man midfield]

Didn't read the article, but i guess it's the one in the OP?

That’s another case, the one with Jarrod Bowen.

 

[Still ill]

2 weeks pocket money? No XBox this weekend?

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

One of the replies on Twitter.

Stupid reply… as if the FA would charge an English Intl player

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[GBBQ]

Why not?

Well it would undermine their campaigns against Racism and Homophobia in football if they ignore it. The FA can’t come out and say racism or homophobia is ok up to a certain age.

And let’s be honest, it’s not like the players are being fired or banned from ever playing football, it’s a small fine, attend a course and an apology. It’s a public show to prove their commitment to stamping out intolerance. I don’t see that they have any option but to do this.

 

[sullydnl]

In fairness to the FA I doubt they’re the ones trawling through old tweets. It gets reported to them and given the content they can’t just ignore it.

Indeed. Given how many kid and teen football fans are on social media, I'm not sure it's such a great idea for them to be seen letting racist or homophobic comments slide just because the person making them was a teen at the time.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Another "How to turn people off from caring about the issue" Masterclass by the old white men at FA.

Curiously, actual racism has a window of 6 months before its too late to pursue it in a criminal court in the UK. I just can't take it seriously when someone accuses a teenager of having said something racist NINE years ago.

Quite.

It’s as if they do it on purpose.

It’s as if the pot is being purposely stirred with the narrative of trying to fix things, yet all that’s being done is the opposite.

Same on a governmental level with Johnson / Patel etc.

 

[largelyworried]

I’ll hold the criticism till I see the outcome of the investigation. After all the rule probably doesn’t specify when a tweet can be made, it’s either offensive or it’s not. If it is, it’s a charge. The context gets taken into account when they investigate. If they take into account when he made it, and assuming he distances himself from it now, then he needs nothing more than a reminder of appropriate behaviour.

 

[big rons sovereign]

Who digs these posts from a decade or so ago!?

It can't all be bitter Liverpool fans angry someone scored against their team can it?

It's fooling no-one when the FA get after someone for something they did as an idiot kid, instead of dealing with massive racist chants in international games and suchlike.

The same miserable people who email the BBC when they see something they don't like rather than just change the channel.

I'm willing to bet they're the type who don't hold the lift or doors open for people with their hands full.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Another "How to turn people off from caring about the issue" Masterclass by the old white men at FA.

Curiously, actual racism has a window of 6 months before its too late to pursue it in a criminal court in the UK. I just can't take it seriously when someone accuses a teenager of having said something racist NINE years ago.

Maybe it's time FA looks into textmessages sent by Graeme Souness in 1996 and fine him for something, anything.

The accused player is black, and the article implies its a homophobic comment he made. Nothing to do with racism.

While I don't agree with digging up posts that people said when they were younger, if they're going to do it for remarks deemed racist, sexist or homophobic then that has to apply to all players regardless of their race or sex. If they're going to charge Bowen for a racist remark at 15, then the same (ridiculous) interpretation needs to be applied to Bola if his remarks at 14 are deemed homophobic.

 

[NotThatSoph]

Another "How to turn people off from caring about the issue" Masterclass by the old white men at FA.

Curiously, actual racism has a window of 6 months before its too late to pursue it in a criminal court in the UK. I just can't take it seriously when someone accuses a teenager of having said something racist NINE years ago.

Maybe it's time FA looks into textmessages sent by Graeme Souness in 1996 and fine him for something, anything.

Did you stop caring about the issue right now?

 

[TrustInOle]

Wow! Do the FA think this makes it look like they have a firm grip on the "fight" against racism? I am truly lost for words.

 

[Tom Cato]

Did you stop caring about the issue right now?

Yes I no longer care about racism and bigotry.

Of course I do, there's no way I dare to leave this comment without white text.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Why do people keep posting about 'the fight against racism' in respect of this news? It's a black player accused of a comment referencing 'sexual orientation'. The story / accusation is about homophobia, not racism.

 

[NotThatSoph]

Yes I no longer care about racism and bigotry.

Of course I do, there's no way I dare to leave this comment without white text.

Alright, so if not you then who stopped caring about homophobia because the FA charged Marc Bola?

 

[Withnail]

In fairness to the FA I doubt they’re the ones trawling through old tweets. It gets reported to them and given the content they can’t just ignore it.

Not ignore it but they have to 'be seen to take action' which let's face is all the care about. It's self-serving nonsense. They could say he was a child or have a statute of limitations of some kind. This is just getting ridiculous.

EDIT: He was made attend a re-neducation course? That takes the feckin biscuit

 

[I'm David Moyes damnit]

The FA treat actual racism on the pitch from fans and players like a joke, yet seem to like patting themselves on the back by punishing players for ignorant statements from their formative years.

It’s almost like they’re more concerned with not interrupting a 90 minute match when there has been shocking racist abuse as “the show must go on” at all costs, but try to look like they care by punishing old tweets as it’s easier and doesn’t entail any real “disruption” to the sport (especially when it’s lower league players involved, who are definitely considered more dispensable).

*I know the latest incident was regarding historical homophobia, but have just caught up on the OP and discussion that generated.

 

[Tom Cato]

Alright, so if not you then who stopped caring about homophobia because the FA charged Marc Bola?

Ok since you insist:

No one stops "caring about" something after an isolated case. That's also not what I wrote. What I wrote was "How to turn people off from caring about the issue". Now we have FA who in two turns have taken one incident of alleged racim and one incident of alleged homophobia and taken action. Going by most reactions, its reasonable to assume that most people find this concept of digging up decade old tweets from children and punishing them at an adult age as a massive waste of everyones time and attention. And what I'm alluding to is attention.

I wrote a longer paragraph, but I deleted it and I'll just leave it like this: The boy who cried wolf.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Not ignore it but they have to 'be seen to take action' which let's face is all the care about. It's self serving nonsense. They could say he was a child or have a statute of limitations of some kind. This is just getting ridiculous.

I agree but, the trouble with that theory is that, once the story is out there, there's no allowance in society or the media for 'context' or 'common sense' to be applied in these allegations.

If they did let the players off because they were young, or, in Cavani's case, it was acknowledged as an unintentional offence based on not speaking the language, then there would be far more of an outcry of them not taking racism or homophobia serious - and setting a terrible example for what's acceptable for teenagers to post, say and think - and far more validity and media coverage given to those complaints.

Whereas, if they act on them, it gets received positively and the only grumbles seen or heard in the media are on social media like this.

We're stuck in a betwixt and between stage at the moment, with a lot of inconsistencies and very little room for context and common sense to be applied, and I agree some of it is getting a bit relentless and ridiculous - such as the digging up of all these old posts. But once they are out there, the authorities simply have to act on them to some degree.

 

[Gerald G]

Seriously, who the hell cares about what he said when he was 14??? It's just getting more and more ridiculous

 

[NotThatSoph]

Ok since you insist:

No one stops "caring about" something after an isolated case. That's also not what I wrote. What I wrote was "How to turn people off from caring about the issue". Now we have FA who in two turns have taken one incident of alleged racim and one incident of alleged homophobia and taken action. Going by most reactions, its reasonable to assume that most people find this concept of digging up decade old tweets from children and punishing them at an adult age as a massive waste of everyones time and attention. And what I'm alluding to is attention.

I wrote a longer paragraph, but I deleted it and I'll just leave it like this: The boy who cried wolf.

This seems extremely contradictory.

1) You say that people won't stop caring, but you cite The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In that fairy tale people stopped caring. That's why the sheep died. They were warned that the wolf was coming, they didn't care, the wolf came, the sheep died. In this analogy the reasonable interpretation would be that FA cries homophobia, people don't care, homophobia comes, people don't care.
2) You say that people won't stop caring, but you say that people will turned off from caring. If you're turned off, what are you?

Did you mean to say that that unlike the villagers in the fairy tale, society will stay vigilant even though the FA is doing what it's doing? And did you mean to say that even though people are turned off from caring they'll still care just as much?

 

[Withnail]

The trouble with that theory is that, once the story is out there, there's no allowance for 'context' or 'common sense' to be applied in these allegations.

If they did let the players off because they were young, or, in Cavani's case, it was acknowledged as an unintentional offence based on not speaking the language, then there would be far more of an outcry of them not taking racism or homophobia serious - and setting a terrible example for what it's acceptable for teenagers to post, say and think - and far more validity and media coverage given to those complaints.

Whereas, if they act on them, it gets received positively and the only grumbles seen or heard in the media are on social media like this.

We're stuck in a betwixt and between time at the moment, with a lot of inconsistencies and very little room for context and common sense to be applied, and some of it is getting a bit relentless and ridiculous - such as the digging up of all these old posts.

I know what you mean but they seem clueless and to be obsessed with being seen to do the right thing rather than actually bothering to do the hard work of doing the right and probably nuanced thing.

And it's not necessarily about his age at the time, although that plays into it given the tweet is so old. Obviously if a 14 year old footballer posted something homophobic now, it should be addressed but if the only tweet of that nature they can find is that one and he's not tweeted anything like that since then the horse has well and truly bolted.

Although I am surprised anyone in the public eye even has tweets to be dug up. I'd have wiped everything just to be on the safe side quite some time ago.

 

[Withnail]

This seems extremely contradictory.

1) You say that people won't stop caring, but you cite The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In that fairy tale people stopped caring. That's why the sheep died. They were warned that the wolf was coming, they didn't care, the wolf came, the sheep died. In this analogy the reasonable interpretation would be that FA cries homophobia, people don't care, homophobia comes, people don't care.
2) You say that people won't stop caring, but you say that people will turned off from caring. If you're turned off, what are you?

Did you mean to say that that unlike the villagers in the fairy tale, society will stay vigilant even though the FA is doing what it's doing? And did you mean to say that even though people are turned off from caring they'll still care just as much?

I feel you've missed the point and are being extremely pedantic with it.

My reading of what he said was that people won't stop caring after an isolated incident, however if seemingly ridiculous cases like this start to pile up then it could turn some people off.