Anyone know exactly what happened? Kent 999s @Kent_999s · 2h ago GILLINGHAM: 3 men have been arrested for allegedly chanting racist abuse at Rotherham football manager Steve Evans RETWEETED 3H AGO LKOLondonSE @LKOLondonSE · 3h ago Kent Police say 3 men were arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and released on bail until 7 May #gillingham http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...at-rotherham-manager-steve-evans-9241842.html I can't wait for Evans to ever come back to Priestfield again, he is going to get so much abuse.
Excuse my ignorance here but I don't fully understand how you can be racist to someone of the same ethnic origin as yourself? I assume the men who were arrested were white males who another white male? Is scottish really a race?! If an Australian called me a (insert naughty word) pom does that count as a racial incident? Maybe I'm just ignorant and if that is the case I do apologise but I cant see how this can be considered a RACIAL incident. In all honesty I want them to go up because I cant stand the idea of having to put up with that 'gentleman' being in the same league as us.
gfclukey - I must admit I have struggled to understand this myself. The police have used the term 'racist' - so that surely rules out hate crime, ie fat, and pleasuring ones self. The only other assumption I can make is if a derogatory Scottish term has been used. I have no idea of any wordy terms of an alternative in a derogatory sense instead of the word 'Scottish' - but there surely has to be more to this for the police to get involved and arrest three supporters. If some other derogatory term has been used and it is deemed as offensive to Scottish people then fair enough but the only words i heard used yesterday were Fat, Scottish & W but you could arrest at least 30% of the stadium for that. ps. previous history with Evans...http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/hess-racist-abuse-complaint-with-a68593/
With this type of offence, anyone can take 'offence' and register a complaint…..it does not have to be the recipient of the insult…….nor does the recipient have any right to attempt to negate the 'offence'. Strange old world nowadays. Can't even call a 'digging implement' a 'digging implement' anymore for fear of the undercover PC and thought police.
The fact that 'Scottish' was included in the chanting is (in these days pf political correctness ) sufficient to constitute a 'race' crime. Without the term 'Scottish' the chanting would 'merely' be an offence relating to Public Order. Evans does little to endear himself to football fans - and is not high on my Christmas card list - but it will be difficult to take the moral high ground if we stoop to a torrent of foul abuse ( just because our team were not good enough to beat his ). ....... I suppose some hack will dig up the McCammon fiasco in relation to raciism and Gillingham Football Club
Sorry I'm failing to see the race crime. Evans was born in Glasgow, he is Scottish, although technically speaking his passport will tell him he is British! Scottish is a nationality not a race. The charge has been related as 'racist' - so unless a derogatory term was used I'm failing to see the racism in 'Scottish' followed by abusive language which could be more deemed as a hate crime against 'fat' people, although not sure if that has been legislated against yet. The response I got from Kent Police was; KentPolice Football ‏@kentpolicefooty 36m @brb_gfc sorry we're unable to comment due to the ongoing investigation. Hope you understand.
brb If you look into the statute of the law you will see that that if any insult ( i.e 'Fat' and the W word ) is accompanied with any term relating to a specific race or nation (Scottish) and which is derogatory to the nationals of the nation in question - then the incident is automatically upgraded by the police to be a race hate crime rather than any 'breach of the peace'. The police are obliged to take this course of action and report it to the Crown Prosecution Service for their consideration. Quite simply - you cannot insult, by association, a nation when you speak insultingly towards anyone - regardless of their race, colour or creed - and as Windyrog has stated - ANYONE can report the offence ( not necessarily the target of the insult - who does not need to be in a position to even know of the commission of the crime. ) ----- you may not think that this state of affairs is 'right' - but the laws are made by the MPs that 'we' have elected to do our bidding.
alwaysright - thanks for the explanation mate. So basically because and IF they used the word 'Scottish' with accompanied insults it becomes racist. ps. just seen this on twitter, its become quite a big topic of discussion; STAND ‏@STANDfanzine 1m @FSF_FairCop does the Steve Evans arrests now mean that all regional descriptions of a person in a chant are considered 'racist'? ps. just a polite reminder to members to be careful how they word their posts.
I think the world has become a poorer home because of the whole misplaced racism laws. If someone dislikes you because you are from Scotland they are racist, if someone dislikes you for personal reasons that isn't racist. I don't believe any comment from Gills supporters was aimed at anyone who comes from Scotland apart from the recipient, had he been English, Welsh, French people would still dislike him exactly the same, the dislike is not aimed at all people from Scotland just one. Nothing I have said excuses the abuse that was metered out toward the individual and if prosecutions are brought for this behaviour I would be in full support, but please lets keep racist prosecutions for the bigots who truly believe that your race determines your worth and the type of person you are.
When our 'old enemy' north of the border vote for independence from the UK, perhaps the new Scottish PM will send the Flying Scotsman to bring Steve back home to lead the Tartan Army to Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Which of course means, we will never see or hear of him again! What a shame.....
He does what he wants....Steve Evans he does what he wants....., regardless what you think of the man results are everything, his record is superb, going for his 4 promotion in 4 years..wow..will enjoy while we've got him Utm good luck rest of the season x x
Just have to sing You Fat British Wnkr next season then - they could be an independent nation by then, therbye doubling the insult
Does no one think that the abuse some section of fans give players and managers is a little too far? Ok Steve Evans maybe an unlikeable character but to have 1000s of people telling me, in no uncertain terms their collective feelings towards me whilst I am at work would be considered abuse, You can't get away with it in any other walk of life so why it is acceptable in football stadia? Ps before anybody who has witnessed my antics at football yes this does make me a hypocrite but doesn't undermine my point
BSG - It is a very good point you raise. To me it is the undertones and methods of authority that causes me more concern than the quelling of abuse. After all let us look at the situation, Evans started the hot air with his motor mouth back at Crawley, harmless comments about celebrating as though we won the world cup but more importantly a verbal message about our bench...according to the media at the time. Hence he chose to step in to the lions den. I noticed when they scored their fourth goal on Saturday, Evans made a point of running on to the pitch in ecstatic celebration and fair enough to him, but my thoughts were if that was a supporter it would be encroachment of the playing surface. We cannot have one rule them and another rule for us. If you spout hot air expect an exchange from the opposition in return. But back to my original point, do we really want the 'thought' police getting involved in every situation. Where do we draw the line. I find the use of the C word offensive, so can we start arresting people for that. I find people spitting offensive, so can we arrest people for that. I find cheating offensive but players do it every game, that's fraud, can we arrest them for that. There is a lot that goes on in a football stadium that might not be acceptable in human behaviour, how far do we want to go with all this. I could go on with this debate forever but i will rest my case there.
Has anyone ever heard the verbal diatribe that Bayo has to contend with from opposition supporters, he just gets on with it and lets his football do the talking.
brb It is acceptable to find anything offensive and / or to hate anyone( if you think you have good reason ) - as long as it doesn't incorporate any element of racism. Evans may well deserve all the hate that he receives - he could be abused for his size or any solo sexual orientation - but a group of people ( the Scots ) may NOT be insulted (by association) with words or writing or images that offends that group rather than the individual. I do not particularly like the characteristics of Evans, but I have no axe to grind with Scottish people. I would not be afraid to speak my mind with Mr.Evans - but why should the rest of the inhabitants of a country have to suffer insult on his behalf ? -- and THAT is why the law states that the abuse is a 'race hate' crime.
but two wrongs do not make one right. There should be no room for racial discrimination in society - we're all God's children regardless of race, colour or creed.
Not suitable for work but an article that I have just come across in relation to the Steve Evans incident by a Non-Gills supporter. If you are easily offended do not click the link. It contains swearing and reference to racist terms. However, an alternative view just the same... http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/fat-scottish-w**ker-its-just-banter/14923#.U0wtFlVdWSo ps. not sure the if the link is working?
