Clean The Stands

 Earlier this week I read something a politician had said, 'it's not just racist abuse in football, it's all kinds of abuse aimed at players, managers and other supporters, we wouldn't tolerate it in our streets so why should we tolerate it in our stadiums?'. I may be ever so slightly misquoting but the main parts and certainly the sentiment is accurate, I'm just annoyed at myself for not taking note of who said it as me agreeing with a politician is rare to say the least. Anyways, it got me thinking.

 I want to say right now that this is NOT a piece aimed at making out Manchester United fans to all be sub human morons, but I do want to point out that the last football match I watched was Man Utd v Liverpool at Old Trafford so the freshest memories I have to back up my opinions are from that game. The aim of this article is to highlight the need for clubs and their supporters to take responsibility for what happens in their stadiums, despite recent events it is true to say racist abuse within the English game is not the norm, it hardly ever happens. This does not mean we should pat ourselves on the back, say 'that problem is dealt with' and wrap up the 'kick it out' campaign, I'm saying that there are games I would not want to take a child to because I fear they will hear things they shouldn't, not because I fear they will hear racist abuse. Quick example - from the rumours I've read (and I stress only rumours) John Terry is alleged to have called Anton Ferdinand a 'black c**t' which if true is an appalling thing to say but why is the 'black' part the only part causing all the uproar? Even if you take the word black out of the sentence should it really be acceptable to use that kind of language in what is essentially a workplace? I know if I called somebody that with anger at work it would not be tolerated.

 There is all kinds of abuse thrown around at football matches between sets of fans and who polices that when it crosses the line? Nobody. Who can? The clubs and the fans. After the game on Saturday Alex Ferguson came out and said Suarez 'could have caused a riot and was a disgrace and should never play for Liverpool again'. Now ask yourself what effect those remarks will have on the crowd the next time the two teams meet, talking about Suarez causing a riot and then coming out with such an inflammatory statement is irresponsible, especially with relations between the two sets of supporters being at an all time low. If Ferguson had instead condemned his own fans for the KKK masks in their fanzine and 'the sun was right, you're murderers' chants very audible throughout the game it would maybe go alot further in diffusing tensions before the next game between the two sides. I'm not saying all supporters are like this, in fact I'd say it's a minority, I know people who regularly go to Old Trafford and certainly wouldn't be part of any of that and I also know people who would. But I think what most reasonable people would agree on is that these incidents cross the line.

 I'm certainly not suggesting we attempt to take rivalry out of football, where would Barcelona be without Real Madrid, Liverpool be without Man Utd, Celtic be without Rangers? We need that rivalry and we need games with a real edge to them, it keeps us all enthralled and it's why certain games are watched worldwide by people who support neither team, we want to see that rivalry and the interaction between two traditional enemies. But where does rivalry spill over into hatred, who can control it, and SHOULD we keep a lid on it? Manchester United fans singing 'Steven Gerrard kisses the badge on his chest and hands in a transfer request' is banter, Everton fans singing 'Steven Gerrard, the baby's not yours' isn't banter, it's personal, offensive and out of order. Liverpool fans chanting 'once a blue, always a manc' at Wayne Rooney is banter, chanting 'the elephant man' at Joleon Lescott is not banter, it's too far and I hope Liverpool fans realise this and don't sing it again. Players get in trouble if they make a gesture towards the crowd but in the face of some ridiculous abuse who can blame them? The only way to stop chants like this is for the supporters in the stands to take responsibility for their own actions and the actions of those around them, not always easy but if the decent among us want football to be football and not a venue for the venting of hatred then it must be done.

 The newspapers made a big deal of the booing at Anfield during the FA Cup 4th round game last month and this was very poor sensationalised reporting by experienced journalists with a responsibility to act in a better way than that. Booing at football isn't abuse, plain and simple. Anybody who has been to a game knows booing is a way to voice your disapproval but it is not a bile filled chant that crosses the line, it's not always used when appropriate but it's not vile. Supporters boo their own side and their own manager regularly but still come back the next week, booing is not a sign of hatred. There are times when football turns into pantomime, there are heroes and villains and we are taught to boo the baddies at primary school age, it's part of our culture and is not offensive. I personally chose not to boo the Man Utd left back at Anfield (it's hypocritical, how can you support Suarez on the grounds of lack of evidence and yet vilify his accuser when the same levels of evidence exist there?) but at the end of the recent Premier League fixture he chose to play the pantomime hero so when he next comes to Anfield I will boo him as the pantomime villain he has set himself up to be. No doubt the tabloids will report the booing as Liverpool fans supporting racism but as long as I know my reasons then my conscience will be clear.

 Bottom line to all of this is that none of us want the sport we love to take any more criticism from the moral watchdogs out there. We can prevent this by simply not giving them any more ammunition to fire at us, the supporters of the beautiful game. Players and managers talking to the press, supporters with fanzines and websites, journalists with sizeable audiences all need to start highlighting what isn't acceptable and shaming people into stopping, even if that means pointing out the failings of your own. will anybody be brave enough to start this? I don't know, but I'd like to think so.