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Original poster

The Spanish are Cheap

26 replies

Davros · 17/11/2004 20:55

At least that's what I always think when a national team doesn't have the players' names on their shirts. Maybe their names are too long or their mums refused to iron on those jumbo name tapes!

OP posts:
Uhu · 18/11/2004 12:34

I think they need to do something about elements of their supporters. Alas, I can't see the toothless, spineless football authorities doing anything.

spacemonkey · 18/11/2004 12:38

Never noticed that, but I did think the racist taunts from Spanish supporters were a disgrace

Marina · 18/11/2004 12:44

I've never heard anything like it (and I live in an area "popular with Millwall supporters"). Completely disgusting.

GeorginaA · 18/11/2004 12:44

I'm surprised the english team didn't walk off the pitch actually

spacemonkey · 18/11/2004 12:45

I went to see Ipswich play Wolves in about 1979 and there were terrible racist taunts going on then, but tbh I thought it was a thing of the past. Shocking isn't it

JoolsToo · 18/11/2004 12:46

Football supporters (SOME supporters) all over the world are just the same - such sad lives.

Marina · 18/11/2004 12:46

You know, I was thinking just the same thing GeorginaA. Aragones didn't help matters any.
Senorapostrophe, are you around? Does this often happen at Spanish football matches where black players are fielded, do you know? Or was this just a hideous one-off?

Thomcat · 18/11/2004 12:49

A spanish woman living in London was on LBC this morning and said that sadly she would say that the this sort of behaviour is not a one off in Spain. Game should have stopped play. Diusgusting that racist taunts are still going on, anywhere in the world.

zubb · 18/11/2004 12:56

Beckham was quoted as saying he's not heard anything like this at Madrid all year, but there was someone on the radio saying that it is sadly quite common.

carla · 18/11/2004 13:00

Could someone do a link to the story? TIA

cockle · 18/11/2004 13:14

Here carla.

As the aunt of a black footballer and the mum of a mixed-race baby I was deeply dismayed by the reports about the Spanish fans. The title of this thread, however, is in danger of being just as offensive as it makes a derogatory generalisation about an entire nation.

zubb · 18/11/2004 13:16

here

and
here

Marina · 18/11/2004 15:20

Fair point cockle. It started out as a different discussion I guess and swiftly moved on to last night's events.
I have mailed FIFA and UAFA to complain about it all.

carla · 18/11/2004 15:32

Thank you. Disgusting.

Chandra · 18/11/2004 15:34

I think that what the Spanish have done is terrible, but comments like Spanish being cheap as "At least that's what I always think when a national team doesn't have the players' names on their shirts. Maybe their names are too long or their mums refused to iron on those jumbo name tapes!" Is not as well a bit of minimising stereotyping? I have a long name but sadly that's part of my culture heritage and after some, practice you learn that having an extra couple of words in your name doesn't make the world stop

C'mon Davros, I have always respected you a lot and enjoy your poetry suggestions, don't do that to us!

winnie1 · 18/11/2004 15:36

cockle, I agree with you about the title of this thread and stayed away but not having noticed any other threads on the subject felt compelled to take a look.
The supporters behaviour was disgusting.
Good for you Marina. I think I will do the same.

Chandra · 18/11/2004 15:45

PS. Though I have been "victim" of Spanish racism in some occasions I can tell you that just a small minority is like that. I think they will learn their lesson, chances of hosting the next champiionship are going to be reduced by this..

Marina · 18/11/2004 15:51

Why not go HERE for e-mail links kindly provided by Cha, and a more representative thread title?

cockle · 18/11/2004 20:01

Thanks Marina, that's very constructive.

And while condemning the Spanish fans' actions (and remembering that they do not necessarily represent their entire nation), let's not kid ourselves that we've eradicated racism on these shores.

cockle · 19/11/2004 09:26

PS And if the world starts judging nations by the behaviour of their football fans, the English had better look out ...

Stones, glass houses, etc.

zubb · 19/11/2004 09:34

Cockle, I think the difference here is that the english at least admit that there is a problem and have in some ways tried to sort it out - the kick racism out of football campaign has been going for many years for example, and orders stopping pople travelling and from attending matches are quite widely used. It seems from reading reports that the Spanish press don't think that this is a big problem at all. But agree that the english shouldn't be quite so ready to jump onto the moral high ground.

cockle · 19/11/2004 09:40

Agreed, zubb!

Marina · 19/11/2004 09:44

You're right cockle, but Zubb also has a point. I live in SE London where racism generally and in one of the local football grounds has been a headline issue for several years. The local papers report very positively on how effective "Kick Racism Out of Football" has been at both Charlton (which has a really good record on encouraging positive attitudes etc) and Millwall(which started from a very bad reputation for racism in the stands, and has improved hugely).
Racists do still cause problems in football grounds and elsewhere, here and all over Europe (Netherlands, Germany, for example ) but I honestly cannot remember the last time I heard chants like that coming from an English ground.

Marina · 19/11/2004 09:44

posts crossed!

cockle · 19/11/2004 09:46

I think we're all on the same wavelength here. We just need to beware of (a) complacency and (b) national generalisations that verge on racism themselves.