Good evening.
I read this article run in the Guardian written by Peter Honkyslayer Herbert and my first thought was to blog an open letter to him. But just about all I wanted to say had been said on here. And in the some 150 plus comments that responded to him on the paper’s website at the footer of his piece.
So I got his email from his website and sent a request to interview him. The email bounced back a day later with the message, ‘The recipient server did not accept our requests…’
What I wanted to address with Mr Herbert specifically one particular wild assertion (of many) that he made.
The link between the appalling incidents in Rome and the “Y” word chanting is obvious. The chanting of the word simply legitimises antisemitic abuse by other fans.
The abysmal truth is not as simple and as cartoon like you imply Mr Herbert. It is grim, bloody and revolting. Football fans were drinking the night before a game in a civilised manner. The patrons of the bar they were in were not exclusively football fans. The Drunken Ship is situated in a popular area attracting tourists and locals alike.
Prior to the attack neither the owner or the staff had cause for complaint, no unruly behaviour reported.
What happened next was an unquestionably premeditated, well organised and quite sinister an attack on people who were guilty of no more than ‘having a beer’.
The men that stormed The Drunken Ship bar were armed to the teeth. Baseball bats, sticks and knives. They were wearing helmets and had scarves wrapped about their faces to partially obscure their identity and were pumped up to do physical harm to those in the bar.
The result of the attack hospitalised several people. It seems safe to say at this stage that at least a couple will carry the physical scars of that night for the rest of their lives.
You say the link is obvious yet crucially fail to explain how so. I want you to explain to me how the use of the Y word, in the context of ownership, identity and pride is responsible for a men being scarred for life?
You also mention Mr Baddiel in your piece. I heard him interviewed when he launched his ‘Y Word’ campaign some time ago. He said that was specifically inspired by an incident at Stamford Bridge where a man in the Chelsea end sat behind Mr Baddiel stood up and violently screamed, ‘F___ off you Yid C___!’ towards the Tottenham supporters.
What both these incidents establish beyond any doubt is that the problem is racist scum are frequently incapable of controlling themselves.
It is no great extension of your logic that those seeking align themselves with anything racists don’t like ought to try to ‘blend in’ and not provoke trouble. I read about people being asked to ‘blend in’ during the 1940’s. My grandfather’s response was to repeatedly drop bombs on the ones doing the asking and thanks to his efforts and millions of like minded others that ‘blending in’ idea was cancelled.
You have been accused relentlessly of being a self publicist. You have been widely perceived as a conspiracy theorist. Your email doesn’t work and judging by the pictures on your typo ridden website you only own one suit and one sports jacket. I would suggest to you that while you might have decent ideals at heart, all people are seeing is a man desperately looking for a career springboard but you cannot see that this is not it, Mr Herbert.
A CCTV image football fan singing racist songs on a train was published today in the Evening Standard. Another football fan has been identified from a picture taken a game this weekend of posturing like a monkey towards a black player. The investigation into fans singing about Hitler on Sunday continues.
What is tragic is that whilst it would be unfair to assert that football is inherently racist it absolutely does have a racist element that nevertheless need urgently tackling. But you seem woefully incapable of spotting the bad guys.
It seems Mr Herbert has never studied the arguments against him.
My response to Ed 2.32 When and if he wakes up
How dare you accuse me of playing the same game as the racists.
Not only did members of my family end up in Auschwitz several were in the resistance in Belgium and one of them was brutally tortured by the Gestapo then beheaded. In the 1930s other family members fought Mosley’s black shirts and I am currently involved in a campaign to have the suspicious death of a young Jewish student who had inadvertently got involved with a far right movement in Germany properly investigated. So I think I have a little understanding not to mention experience of racism. You also cannot compare one society or country to another.
Truth is you do not know what you are talking about and have no right to lecture any of us on something you are plainly completely out of touch with.
i wondered how long it would be before someone played the holocust card. sorry mate, might work with obama & co re israel and palestine but doesn’t wash with me. argue on the basis of what happened last sunday and your response to it or shut up. and don’t dare tar critics of your stupidity with the holocaust. using that argument only reveals your intellectual poverty.
You have just confirmed you don’t know what your talking about.
You are pontificating on things you obviously don’t understand and you rhetoric sounds like you are the racist.
and actually as an irish person i think we have a history of relations with england that eminently qualifies me to talk about racism, in fact 700 years of a history which includes a manipulated famine that cost the lives of millions of our people. but you don’t hear me trotting that out in arguments like this as you do with the holocaust. you should be ashamed of yourself.
Ed I have to tell you.That you are looking at the situation as per Sunday through a single lens
I dont see the situation one way.It is a long long conversation and not one that can be discussed in one post here.
The Holocaust is a seperate issue but shouldnt be taken lightly.
The discussion about the Israeli/Palestinian situation should be taken in all the context,not part.
Partitions of lands should be understood in all the situations,not just this one with Israel.Many lands were partitioned. Including for instance Jordan. But in the case of Israel for the arab side,because Mohamed went there is is deemed to be Muslim land. In the case of Saudi/Jordan/pakistan these lands were also partitioned,but not a word out of anyone about those even though the Jordanians killed thousands of Palestinians.
Iraqis and Syrians are killing thousands of muslims.
Its just about Israel and Jews isnt it?
Ed are you Irish or from NYC.
I am from London and I have been persecuted by the irish more than new york Irish have by the English. Nearly got wiped out by Irish explosives in west Hampstead and Tottenham court road. It is a rediculous turn to your argument. Box clever? You dont know the meaning. You have no substance or consistency to your argument but answer with meaningless comments like box clever ( commonly used by those that are not and I am Irish (or american?).
Odm makes valid comments by way of debate you make inane replies he responds in anger you belittle the holocaust by comparing the Irish situation with the Jewish. Typical ignorant american. Cricklewood and Kilburn is not belsen
The famine was out of order but it was no holocaust you fool. Similar things happened to peasants in England and across europe throughout history as a result of aristocracy. The complicated situation in Ireland including religious differences, absentee indigenous upper classes led to atrocious conditions starvation and eventually independence.
A million Irish emigrated (somehow multiplied and became 30 million american Irish by the early 20th centuary) including to England, Scotland, Wales but they were not rounded up and ethnically cleansed. Idiot!!!!!
The trouble with much of this is the confusion between semantics and racism
Kick semantics out of football!
Lets kick Scrabble out of football.
Im thinking of making a new Footie game called Scramble and its where you can only use racist,semantic and semitic language.
Harry’s gonna put his arm round em :sick:
Gordon fuckin Bennett
I have been pro Jewish since seeing my first Yo! Semite Sam cartoon. Schmuel was a gun slinging Ashkenazi Jew that had traveled from Eastern Europe to the US to prospect for gold amongst other things. Yes he was short and often bad tempered, but he was also principled and determined and always full of fight.
If I have any reservation’s concerning him, they would stem from my own love of animals. His intense and somewhat irrational hatred of rabbits is certainly a mark against him, but cannot in all fairness I think, be attributed to his Semitic origins.
If it were not for Looney Tunes Semite Schmuel I may not be a Spurs supporter and honourary Yid today. That’s how significant he is I believe in the ongoing and ever developing understanding and acceptance of all things Jewish.
Stick that down your faggot hole Herbie.
Love that.
I AM SPURSTACUS
You’ll have Jonathan Ross on your case now Spurstacus! ;-)
There are 3 things which I know of that can be describedby using the word faggot, which ilk do you mean or is it a one word fits all situ?
I can only think of 2-the meatnbally thing and the US term for homosexual-what’s the other Melc?
In Norwegian, a bassoon (the instrument, not the former Spurs CB) is called a faggott.
4 things!
faggots were called faggots long before faggots became fashionable- Commonly,a faggot consists of pork liver and heart minced, wrapped in bacon, with onion and breadcrumbs- yum!
Spurstacus we all payed 20 quid to join
Please send your donation….
What Looney Tunes? I’da thought they’da let you in for free Ron. :kissing:
No nothing is free.
Communism,Fascism even Democracy costs.
For me I get a commission when I sign up ahderents.
Do you want the lifetime membership or just the Saturday morning matinee type???????
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