Male (footballer) privilege *trigger warning*

[wennlock]

This behaviour seems to be typical of modern day footballers. Can't stand the bastards!

SoupDragon
Sheer anger and frustration.

I don't know why I was shocked considering the head of the FA refers to us as 'Gash' and gets away with it. And then there's that corrupt lizard Sepp Blatter and the deep rooted sexism - just look at the response to women being included in the latest FIFA game. I'm now done with the beautiful ugly game and will discourage my children from participating.

#notallfootballers will be trending soon.

the whole 'hate the sport, wouldn't want any child of mine involved in it' sentiment is a bit off.

There's nothing wrong with kicking a ball, but there does seem to be a particular kind of culture associated with this sport.

It attracts aresholes not because this kind of sport is especially arseholeish, but because they see the preessionals getting away with this kind of behavur and think I want to be like that.

And perhaps because the teenagers who don't aspire to behave in this way don't "fit in".

(Most) Footballers come from a completely different demographic to (most) Tennis Players, Athletes or Rugby players and there are therefore, higher than average numbers of people who don't know how to behave in a decent fashion. It's not fashionable to admit it, but there are large communities in this country where what we consider a normal moral code does not exist. They have suddenly been given great privilege very early in life without being equipped to deal with it.

Tennis and Rugby stars have usually been used to privilege, even if not on the scale that comes after thier success and their upbringing equips them better to deal with it.

I'm afraid very large numbers of young men from the same side of the tracks as some of these footballers would behave in the same way given the chance. And yes, it is due to the parenting.

That said, the vast majority of footballers are decent young men who have worked hard for their success, do their charity work and support their families.

I would like to see the cubs take a harder line when their stars let them(selves) down though, but fully understand the financial reasons why they don't. It's a business after all. Where I work, drink driving is a sackable offence, but the top performing salesmen never get sacked for it, only those the company wants to get rid of anyway. Same thing.

This is why I was so uncomfortable with the recent thread about a poster who didn't want to give a child a lift to football matches because she was being pressured into it and the child's father was rude to her. The number of posters saying she should be giving lifts without even thinking about it because Football Team !!1! and that the dad was totally justified in his rude response because he was Coaching Football!!! was really surprising and worrying. I couldn't imagine a thread with the same circumstances surrounding a drama club or scout meeting for eg exploding like that. Really has a cult like effect on some people.

My best friend is married to a footballer. They've been together over a decade, have two boys, are incredibly happy.

He doesn't drink because he has t get up every morning and do hours of intense exercise, whether he's in the mood or not.

They have a nice lifestyle, but it also puts demands on their family time in a way that a normal job wouldn't.

I think if someone is a misogynistic arsehole, then that's who they are, and having a job where they earn loads and get treated like gods give them licence to play that up. However, if you're not inherently a misogynistic arsehole, then that's who you are too, and you won't be tempted to go over to the dark side.

Believe me, drunken Rugby players can be equally obnoxious when they get together!

Haven't you heard some of their songs?

"Dinah, Dinah, show us your leg
A yard above your knee!"

The focus of the papers story seems to be on the racist esp as the club is on an off season tour to Thailand to promote themselves there as they are sponsored by the Thailand Tourist Board and have Thai owners. The racism is disgusting but the sexism and degrading treatment of the girls because they are girls seems to be forgotten. Is this how girls are treated now? Or do I just not know men like this? Is it generational or are mobiles just making it easier to prove?

I think a pp was right about some young men who aren't footballers do behave like this. A long time ago I worked with someone who went to Thailand with some friends and they weren't seeing the sights. I felt disgusted then, is it worse now? Or are footballers often in the news because they stupidly film it and send it to friends who pass it on and someone realises it is newsworthy and sends it to a newspaper. They are the ones caught because they are newsworthy. As a rule it is usually footballers who are caught out, with the exception of famous tennis players and financiers.

It's interesting (IMO) that these aren't actually "footballers". They are from the development squad and have only one game for the first team between them. How to stuff up your career before it starts.

The one who has played happens to be the son of the manager, Nigel Pearson. That has to be embarrassing, especially as Pearson senior has been a vocal campaigner against racism in football (perhaps racism against women is ok though?) . However, he himself has been involved in at least two unsavoury events this season . In the first he refused to apologise after telling fans to F* Off and die, although I think I remember he did apologise in the end after the FA got involved. In the other he had to apologise for a rant at a journalist. Like I said, down to the parenting...?

Read about this in the Metro this morning, felt absolutely sick. Turned the page to see a picture of Sam Cam in a bikini as if it is somehow newsworthy how our PM's wife's body looks. And we wonder why women are still fucked in our society?!

It's their treatment of women that is pathetic. They don't even seem to be enjoying themselves that much to be honest. Unfortunately, the world is full of misogynists and these boys are part of the woman-hating club. And they wanted to show off because at least one of those morons let someone see and use the footage. The trouble is, to be a footballer you don't need any cultural/intellectual/societal awareness. You just need to kick a ball about well. The ones who are ignorant do this sort of thing with the stupid amounts of money they get paid. I wonder if they feel pride or shame?

Everything I think has already been said, regarding their sexism and racism, totally abhorrent. But another thing that makes me ill is the fact that they're watching each other engage in sex acts. Hope on top of everything else they get laughed at for effectively having an orgy with each other

"But another thing that makes me ill is the fact that they're watching each other engage in sex acts"

I agree with you YourKids, but that is definitely not exclusive to footballers, there's loads of mobile footage doing the rounds of "ordinary" young people doing the same.

Obviously the racism is disgusting and unacceptable but as others have said their treatment of women is horrendous in itself. I do wonder if there was no racist element to this story whether they would get chastised for their behaviour towards women quite as much.

All the coverage I have seen focuses on the racism and just mentions their otherwise degrading treatment of them as women in passing

The difference between these boys and many others who want to do this sort of thing, is opportunity. You give dim morons the opportunity to travel in packs, and pay them to do so and you'll likely end up with behaviour like this.

My son (who loves football) has friends who play for the Liverpool academy. Both well brought up lads with a strong work ethic, who I honestly couldn't see speaking to any woman in this way. There will undoubtably be other boys in this team who have had their credibility tarnished because of the behaviour of a few. Those few should be dismissed now.

One of them was doing his hair for the camera... who on earth did he think was going to watch it?!

Idiots... utter idiots.

They neither boys nor ordinary young men, they knowingly gave up both statuses when they signed for a Premiership side.

The fans aren't happy Fan club forum

And I bet the (Thai) owners aren't happy either.

Hopefully they'll be gone within a week.

I think they might actually get sacked Motortrader, as they're not big names with a huge value attached, easier to make an example of these three than established names. Although one is the manager's son, so that could be an interesting discussion.

TBH, whenever there's an incident like this, the vast majority of fans are outraged. There's a huge disparity between what football is actually like and what those who really love the game would like it to be - see Prince William's speech re FIFA.

Here we go again.....

Whilst this is nothing short of abhorrent, it's not about football. This is society, it's just newsworthy that its a footballer.

The reason you don't see rugby players exposed like this is there simply isn't the interest in it from the press.

Last week an international, England, rugby player pleaded guilty to assaulting a female police officer.

If that had been john terry (who I'm no fan of), we would have seen wall to wall coverage in the press and they would still be talking about it today. Chelsea would be under pressure to sack him.

Rugby player does it....small story inside back page, not another word.

I am pretty sure they will be sacked (and I hope that would be the case even if they were 1st team regulars).

Hopefully Pearson won't be bullied for the behaviour of his adult son.

Further to that above. Not to say the press wouldnt be interested in a rugby player, but the finances wouldn't work.

I'd be stunned if whoever leaked that video wasn't at least five figures better off, even though these are squad players that have not and probably will never play a premier league game. Six or seven figures if it was a big name.

Rugby player, meh.....there isn't the interest from readers, £1-£2k and the video doesn't get sold and never gets into public domain.

They will be sacked, no question.

I'm split over Nigel Pearson being "got at" over this. It's his son, if my 21yo behaved like that id have to take some responsibility, but maybe that's just me.

Agree with everything Institution Code has posted.

Look at the demographics. Tennis and rugby, certainly in my part of the UK, are elite sports, stuffed with the wealthy and privileged. Who may also behave in this way and have it massively covered up by Uncle Cornelius of the Press Association.

"Hopefully Pearson won't be bullied for the behaviour of his adult son."

I'm sorry, that did make me laugh, seeing as Pearson has been known to be something of a bully himself.

Hideous excuses for men.

My view is that it is more prevalent in footballers than other sports (FWIW my experience is limited to a couple of professional footballers, a couple of rugby players and 1 tennis player - so not a large sample group!).

The arrogance of the individuals who play football is supported by the way that they are treated by the club, media and fans - it is all about them as (z-list IMHO) celebrities, whereas the other professional sports people I know it is all about the sport.

I am so pleased that my kids aren't into football, if they want to play or watch it I won't stop them but inside a little bit of me would die

I also think the stuff with FIFA shows the sport up for what it is, a corrupt money making machine.