Furman weighs into Spurs racism 'row'

[Stainrod]

There seems to me to be far too many people (media and within the game) that want to make racism an issue. To my mind there is no finer example of blacks being accepted into a profession than football. With so much money involved all players have to prove themselves on merit. Any given Saturday in the Premiership can see up to 40 percent of first team players are black and are there because they are deemed to be the best for the job. On the basis that say only up to 10percent of the population is black then it could be argued that the sector is over represented. The Rooney law then seems to insinuate that circa 40 percent of coaches should be black/coloured which to me doesn't make sense as again coaches are and must be appointed purely on merit regardless of colour.

I acknowledge that racist name calling has no place in the game but it is difficult to argue the much wider issue that the game has a culture of racism when so many black footballers have made a very positive impact on the game and reap considerable rewards for dong so, how can the game be racist?

[eclaire]

I've just finished reading Soccernomics...it's a really good read...anyway, one chapter works out that football clubs stopped being racist in the nineties. The maths was about equal ability getting equal wages. Unfortunately there are still, in 2012, racist fans and racist footballers who think it's acceptable to make other people feel uncomfortable with nasty language. There are also the oversensitive who see racism that isn't there and various individauls and media outlets are enjoying the fuss.

 

Regardless of my personal beliefs about what words and phrases are and aren't racist and/or offensive, I think anything that could put off any group of people from paying to watch football and therefore keep clubs like us going needs stamping out.

 

I've always thought of "yid" as a derogoratory term, some people haven't, and with the current sniff of media attention Furman's had it's perfectly acceptable for him to speak up and give his thoughts. He has more right than me to argue for or against. I'm an atheist. Except when Latics are playing.

[leeslover]

I've always thought of "yid" as a derogoratory term, some people haven't, and with the current sniff of media attention Furman's had it's perfectly acceptable for him to speak up and give his thoughts. He has more right than me to argue for or against. I'm an atheist. Except when Latics are playing.

Whilst I agree with much of what you say, I'm not sure about this point - so far as I know he isn't a Spurs fan and certainly must never have been a regular fan even if he was. The people who are being protected from abuse are Jews, and Gentiles, who are offended by the use of the term Yid at Spurs games. Everyone has a valid take on it I think.

[leeslover]

Interesting article on Herbert, although I think going a little too far out of the way to tolerate his motives, which I suspect to be purely self serving

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9681860/Society-of-Black-Lawyers-blast-against-FA-is-a-huge-own-goal.html

[Roger Ritchie]

Racism towards travellers seems to be the nations only acceptable form of racism these days.

[HarryBosch]

Racism towards travellers seems to be the nations only acceptable form of racism these days.

 

Towards white Anglo Saxons doesn't seem to bother anybody either.