The non-Watford football thread

I very much hope so...

and glad to see leeds falter....

 

Very interesting debate on racism on NBCSN with Robbie Earle regarding racism in football grounds. He made a lot of sense to me. Very strong action needs taking, not just against individuals - they’ll be replaced by the next racist pric k. Empty sections of the ground. Play behind closed doors. I would kick out the section responsible during the game, those responsible should feel the threat of the unhappy hundreds/thousands kicked out with them.

 

There is a very thin dividing line between nationalism and racism. In the same way there is a very fine line between supporting your country or club v another country or club. When it becomes unacceptable is when you believe that you are superior to players from another club or country simply because they are not the same as you. Some of the abuse that Man Utd are getting tonight from Liverpool fans is really nasty, and goes way beyond friendly banter. Although football is today big business it is after all a game, one where kids who haven't been corrupted still put down their coats to make goals.

 

Hopefully these people won't get away with it and delt with strongly.

 

The bit that interested me was the opening up of the responsibility wider than the individual. There are 10s of thousands attending football matches. One ignorant baboon doing it one week, followed by another the week after and so on; the world is not short of ignorant baboons (definitely not at WHL and certain other venues) and it continues. The question is what should be done. Something that makes it a problem whereby people take a collective approach to removing it, not just wait for the ‘baddie’ authorities to deal with an individual. As I’m sure most, if not all, Watford fans know, we have a duty as decent human beings to call out anyone’s prejudices. The extent to which punishment includes those around incidents interests me, because that way the perpetrators quickly realise they are the minority.

 

I did post a peice the other day about a club owner who sued the racists for damages to the reputation of his club, and that seemed to have worked well. This incident has created a storm of comment on social media, especially about Gary Neville's views on how you cannot distinguish between inside a football ground and outside it. Today we have seen the football authorities asking for government help, and the government passing it back to them. I am afraid that if as an elderly person, me, you call for a steward to sort out an idiot, you are not really sure what the steward will do, then you tend to keep quiet. Sad to say I think that Gary was right. This is not just a football problem, but a society problem.

 

Close that part of the ground for 6 home games .Ban any fan for life .Everyone allway passes the buck Once clubs are hit in there pocket then they will do something about the problem Once fans know that the club will have to pay then they will turn on the morons

 

It has been said that if no fans turned up for games then a football club in the PL could survive. Take WFC which is small fry compared to some clubs, their income from fans amounted to just under £8M, while their income from TV rights was almost £109M in 2018. You could close part of a ground and ruin the atmosphere, but it wouldn't stop a club from operating.

 

But wouldn't empty stadiums be bad for TV as well.

 

Quite so. And society is not owning up to it. Let alone its responsibility to do something about it.

 

It would look bad, but if you watch French Ligue2 as I do on a Friday night most of the grounds are at least half empty, yet it doesn't stop the TV companies from showing it. They have plenty of noise, but that is from mics near the most populated areas of the ground, or they could even provide recorded crowd noise I suppose.

 

But if you’ve paid for your seat and some idiot gets you a temporary ban, you are more likely to do something about them rather than relying on authorities to ban that one individual. Majority rule would have greater power. These bozos chanting believe those around them will just keep quiet because “it is the authorities’ problem”, but if they are surrounded by thousands of disapproving fans they might think twice.

 

My personal solution would be to bring back the stocks. No matter how high or low a person might be let them spend a couple of hours in them with a ready supply of rotten fruit and veg that anyone passing by would be encouraged to use. For fifty years we have had race relations law, that some don't think apply to them and although some things have improved we are slipping backwards. Let us go back much further and try humiliating them and see if that works.

 

Yes. In fact I think the fans shouldn’t have to pay- we are only there to create atmosphere for the TV. If our presence helps the team, then maybe we should be paid to attend! Would certainly fill the ground!

 

I’m quite loud at the ground. I expect to be more highly rewarded.

 

I am certainly one of the more vociferous in the UGT, sometimes overdoing it! I was certainly out of my seat a lot at the Man U game during the last ten minutes or so, cajoling the fans to "sing 'em home"...

 

Right. So that’s thee and me on higher wages, then. I hope Gerry Deulofeu doesn’t take it badly when I park my Bugatti next to his Ferrari.

 

Wolves were very good - strong comeback against Man City and some might argue VAR!

Hopefully that and their next game against Liverpool will knacker them for New Year's Day.

 

My seat is way above my paygrade, I'll have you know!

 

No surprise to see Pellegrini go - Moyes favoured to take over .