Ethnic flare-up no good for the game

[The Hitman]

My thoughts on Sunday night's South v Preston debacle are here. You cannot seriously defend what happened on Sunday night - it just sets a game that deserves more respect in this country right back.

I haven't seen to many defending the stuff that went on here, but there has been one or two at Hawk Headquarters that have tried to, and it prompted me to write this piece.

 

[Supermercado]

It's hard to defend what happened BUT if you were there you have to realise that the clubs and police need to take a bit of blame for their handling of a fixture that was always going to run wild. While we're plugging things, my dissection of the night's events is here

 

[toulairene]

Great stuff mercs.

 

[Swifty_446]

This is exactly what turns me away from soccer in this country. It's all about race, and for that reason, I never want to see soccer succeed in Australia.

The racial aspect of clubs will never diminish.

 

[Ray Nolan]

"The Anglo League"

"No Wogs"

Pfft.

PATHETIC.

Drivel like that spoiled an otherwise fine piece, you aren't half bitter are you!

 

[David Votoupal]

This is exactly what turns me away from soccer in this country. It's all about race, and for that reason, I never want to see soccer succeed in Australia.

The racial aspect of clubs will never diminish.

Well someone like me who deeply loves the game has nothing but dismay for the ethnic aspect of the domestic game, which is why I feel action is needed to reform the game not just at its highest level here but at all levels.

It goes well beyond sport, and into society because the policy of official multiculturalism, if anything, has encouraged separation of ethnic groups rather than integration. It's divisive and doesn't work- it's not working anywhere else and it won't work here. The problem is that people feel a need to identify themselves with something other than mainstream Australia, and that's something I never understood- my parents came here because they wanted to enjoy what this country has to offer and are grateful for it. So they embraced Australian identity and brought up the kids to do the same.

The other problem is that many of these groups have a feeling of insecurity about their ethnic identity. Pride in your identity and feeling quietly confident about it is a good thing. But obsessing over it, shoving it down everyone's throat, and resorting to saying and doing stupid things to reassure themselves is NOT ON. Carrying on old hatreds in another place is not the way to go.

 

[Supermercado]

"The Anglo League"

"No Wogs"

Pfft.

PATHETIC.

Drivel like that spoiled an otherwise fine piece, you aren't half bitter are you!

To avoid the usual twenty page thread that your final statement would usually start - yes I am. No apologies. Might have something to do with the way that our entire squad was raped to fill the rosters of the A-League clubs with no compensation. Might also have something to do with having to hear people who have never been to a South game in their life climb up on a soapbox and declare that our club should be put to death and, as as some peanut wrote in the Herald Sun this week, a "new V-League should be started with no ethnic clubs".

Imagine if I were actually Greek? I'd probably lose the plot.

 

[DB10]

"The Anglo League"

*thumps chest*

FORZA ENGLAND.

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

To avoid the usual twenty page thread that your final statement would usually start - yes I am. No apologies. Might have something to do with the way that our entire squad was raped to fill the rosters of the A-League clubs with no compensation. Might also have something to do with having to hear people who have never been to a South game in their life climb up on a soapbox and declare that our club should be put to death and, as as some peanut wrote in the Herald Sun this week, a "new V-League should be started with no ethnic clubs".

Imagine if I were actually Greek? I'd probably lose the plot.

Listen they hadnt played Preston in 10 years, but South Melbourne has been involved in other crowd troubles many a time in between that time so to try and make some excuse is bollocks.

I for one say Good ridance to South Melbourne and the Melbourne Knights i for one won't miss their bull******** antics.

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

*thumps chest*

FORZA ENGLAND.

Sod the Anglos

 

[Supermercado]

Listen they hadnt played Preston in 10 years, but South Melbourne has been involved in other crowd troubles many a time in between that time so to try and make some excuse is bollocks.

I for one say Good ridance to South Melbourne and the Melbourne Knights i for one won't miss their bull******** antics.

a) Try three years
b) I'd love a list of the "many" times. Can't seem to remember too many scenes that got any wilder than the kind of ********heads pushing and shoving scenario you see at every AFL game. Remember the Port Adelaide fan getting beaten into a coma after the Grand Final or the guy with his daughter copping a kicking after an Essendon game last season? Luckily there's no sexy footage of either of those for the media to show, but instead you get orange smoke flying everywhere and some 15-year-olds squaring up to horses in a football game and it's the biggest scandal in the history of sport. I'm not condoning what happened but I was there to see what happened in person and it was, in the grand scheme of things, fairly pi$$weak. Ugly, but a great day for everyone who wants to push their own agendas on the game.

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

This is the PM I sent Dyertribe in relation to concerns raised by Sexano Ronaldo. He deemed them racist. i disagree vehemently. And replied as such.

I am not villifiying people of Greek or Macedonian background par say mate. I am casting the utmost scorn possibly on the sad misguided individuals in those communities who use the notion of their ethnic difference and present day politics to to incite serious disturbances at state league matches mate.

It is typical, you criticize supporters of these clubs and they instantly cry victim. Yianni actualy showed his class is expressing his dismay at it all. He loves his club and still LOVES THE GAME to be aware of the damage these morons are doing.

Hope this clarifies things mate. I am NOT a racist. But as an australian i am FED UP with groups like this found within several mono-cultural clubs) disgracing the game in this country because they have ethnic and sordid political scores to settle.

Enough is enough, I say. this ******** has been going on for way too long!

cheers

JF

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

This is the PM I sent Dyertribe in relation to concerns raised by Sexano Ronaldo. He deemed them racist. i disagree vehemently. And replied as such.

I am not villifiying people of Greek or Macedonian background par say mate. I am casting the utmost scorn possibly on the sad misguided individuals in those communities who use the notion of their ethnic difference and present day politics to to incite serious disturbances at state league matches mate.

It is typical, you criticize supporters of these clubs and they instantly cry victim. Yianni actualy showed his class is expressing his dismay at it all. He loves his club and still LOVES THE GAME to be aware of the damage these morons are doing.

Hope this clarifies things mate. I am NOT a racist. But as an australian i am FED UP with groups like this found within several mono-cultural clubs) disgracing the game in this country because they have ethnic and sordid political scores to settle.

Enough is enough, I say. this ******** has been going on for way too long!

cheers

JF

a) Posting PMs is a bannable offence

b) The Balkans is larger than just Macedonia

c) Encouraging Croatians and Englishmen to stab each other is hardly what I'd call "casting the utmost scorn possibly on the sad misguided individuals in those communities". But of course you are not "villifiying people.. par say"

d) You are a hypocrite and a racist. Good day.

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

"The Anglo League"

"No Wogs"

Pfft.

PATHETIC.

Drivel like that spoiled an otherwise fine piece, you aren't half bitter are you!

I was thinking that this was a great post, until I got to the latter drivel. There is no stopping people of Greek OR Macedonian background getting behind Melbourne Victory. They might be standing next to (heaven forbid) a skip who has only watched the Premier league in the past and wants to see what all the fuss is about. Or maybe between a "Turk" or "Macedonian". so what, you'd all be supporting the SAME team. With the only "tribe' to speak of being that of the everyday victorian people combining together to defeat teams from interstate. people bringing sensitive flags will be told to ******** off quick smart. and people there to watch the football AND support their teams will be there instead.

All I can say is thank god the game has finally moved on from when clubs like this represented the pinnacle of the game in this country. as Supermercado alluded to, it rankles that Hellas Melbourne Knights and Preston are seen as the small fry they really are. Complain as much as you like SM; it only makes you are your club look all the more pathetic, churlish, small-minded, recalcitrant

You have a choice, to support the growth of the game by supporting an A-League club. Or to support this kind of crap continuing. Thank God we now have a tier above all this crap. Stuff like this only makes me all the more determined to get behind Sydney FC. I dearly dearly dearly want to prove your lot very very very wrong.

JF

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

a) Posting PMs is a bannable offence

The Balkans is larger than just Macedonia

You are a hypocrite and a racist. Good day.

For God's sake, how old are you?

It was MY PM to the list Mods; I deleted the message I received from the mod. I have nothing to hide.

Neither South Melbourne or Preston supporters are realy "Greek" or "Macedonian" in any case. None of them are Balkanites to be honest. Calling them such is actually an insult to be honest. They are all AUSTRALIAN, whether they like it or not.

As a fellow Australian I have a right to pass comment on this. It is NOT the hooliganism I find abhorant; it is the use of ethnicity between several hard core idiots in both camps to incite violence. Even if it is a small percentage within each supporter base, as Supermercado alluded to. i mean what sort of drop kick goes to the trouble to have a Greek flag made in red and yellow!? This is my beef

I will NOT be shut up by the apologists on this issue. Because NONE of the people involved in proceedings seems to think of the damage they are doing to the game in this country. All that is important to them is getting one up on their bitter ethnic rivals. That leaves me completely cold.

All I can re-iterate is thank God for the A League. It gives the game a chance, finally, to move beyond all this ********.

JF

 

[Supermercado]

For the sake of people wondering after reading my dissection of the events on Sunday night - I AM NOT GREEK. Not in the slightest. Not my mother, father, grandparents, aunties or uncles. The only connection I have to any 'ethnic' community is that I watch South Melbourne FC.

Despite this I still have no interest in following any other side in this country. If they Anglo League represents the future for you then congratulations - if it works I'll be the first to put my hand up and admit I was wrong - but the constant attempt to convert the rest of us by belittling our clubs and the heritages that they were built on is insulting.

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

Blah blah blah...JF

Encouraging Croatians and Englishmen to stab each other is hardly what I'd call "casting the utmost scorn possibly on the sad misguided individuals in those communities". But of course you are not "villifiying people.. par say"

You are a hypocrite and a racist, and one in serious need of an atlas.

That is all.

 

[David Votoupal]

JF's comments are NOT in any way intended to be racist. He only stated that he, like a lot of us (myself included), is sick to death of seeing the club game in this country being used by some idiots as a means for settling conflicts thousands of miles away which have NOTHING to do with Australia at all. We are not taring every supporter or group with the same brush, but only pointing out that a lot of damage to the game's image in this country is being done by these yobbos.

Pointing out that this sort of hatred has no place in Australian society, and pointing out that these people should think of themselves as Australians first rather than over-emphasise their ethnicity- even if many of them have never set foot in the countries they attatch themselves to- is NOT racist.

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

Encouraging Croatians and Englishmen to stab each other is hardly what I'd call "casting the utmost scorn possibly on the sad misguided individuals in those communities". But of course you are not "villifiying people.. par say"

You are a hypocrite and a racist, and one in serious need of an atlas.

That is all.

As I said that comment is one I do openly now regret. But again even here, my lack of regard from supporters of both national teams has stemmed from oafish cocky obnoxious behaviour I have seen from people supporting both teams IN THIS COUNTRY. (Of course in many instances Australia has copped a massive slagging from both supporter groups as wel, for no appaent reason apart from people wanting to get up your nose. They have BOTH succeded I can tel you!)

I speak 4 languages, have lived in 3 countries, like to follow sport around the world. Have travelled in 11 countries in Europe alone. I still refuse to accept that tryhards brandishing the flag of Vergina etc etc and looking for brawls in the name of the countries of their background does ANYONE any favours.

As much as you like SR, you will NOT silence me on this issue!

JF

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

JF's comments are NOT in any way intended to be racist. He only stated that he, like a lot of us (myself included), is sick to death of seeing the club game in this country being used by some idiots as a means for settling conflicts thousands of miles away which have NOTHING to do with Australia at all. We are not taring every supporter or group with the same brush, but only pointing out that a lot of damage to the game's image in this country is being done by these yobbos.

Pointing out that this sort of hatred has no place in Australian society, and pointing out that these people should think of themselves as Australians first rather than over-emphasise their ethnicity- even if many of them have never set foot in the countries they attatch themselves to- is NOT racist.

Simpleton, please tell me how comments such as "encouraging Croatians and Englishmen to stab each other" and other highly derogatory and pathetically sterotypical comments against "balkanites" (which you must have conveniently missed) is not racist?

JF will reap what he sows whilst he continues to plant seeds of xenophobia and racial hate.

 

[David Votoupal]

He's said he regretted that England/Croatia comment and no I'm not going to defend that comment because I did not find that to be in good taste either. But regarding the issue of Balkan politics and Australian soccer, however, it wouldn't be considered villification to criticise those who continue to sully the name of the game we love with their behaviour.

 

[djgk53]

I have been following Victorian Soccer for years and have been bought up to enjoy the game in all its forms.

I have been a regular to Victorian soccer matches. I have followed Heidelberg United all my life. To those not in the know this is a "mono-ethnic club" as some would say. Let me raise a few points here.

1. What happened last week will never be condoned by any footballing authority not any supporter that will support their club. Any rational supporter will realise what the effects of throwing flares on the ground will have. I know many a South supporter who is really embarresed and dirty about what happened. I agree with anyone it is a disgrace on the game, but don't think for a minute, the true supporters who follow their team around the state will condone these actions.

2. These issues are stemmed from political issues overseas, and no they do not have ANY place at a soccer game. The game for a lot of these people is used an outlet for their anger. Can't this be done any other way? Organise a protest?

3. The reason these issues are highlighted are due to the fact are struggling seperate themselves from their heritage. This is in no way bad at all. I am personally of Greek decent and I have great respect for my heritage. Same as most. And it really does hurt, even though thousands of km away, political issues like these are raging. For someone that doesn't know it is not east to comment. Even if you haven't "set foot on your countiries soil" it affects you if you pride your heritage.

4. I can understand why some people have been disuaded from attending Victorian games with teams like Heidelberg because they think they will be attending riots. 99.99% this isn't the case. I have never seen a riot occur at a game I haven't been to. I love to see non-Greeks origins supporters supporting Heidelberg. I would be the first to welcome it. While yes, some ethnic issues are not always pleasent, I cannot see from the games I have attended that it should dissuade anyone.

5. That said it is probably good that the A-League will come about. It is sad that we have to segregate everyone to have fun watching soccer. I understand at this time it may not be a bad idea to break away, to say however that it is good that we "can finally get rid of those ethnics", remember who started soccer in this country. The greatest Australian teams have had ethnic backing. Teams such as South Melbourne, Marconi, APIA Leicehart, Brunswick Juvents, Adelaide City, Marconi, Heidelberg United, Sydney Olympic, Melbourne Knights etc have all had ethnic backing.

6. The media. Always highligting the bad. Always. They won't tell you who won the championship in the Premier League, but they will tell you when something bad happens, before, during or after a game. In no way is this sour grapes about clubs getting busted, you just have to consider what the media is presenting you about soccer in Australia. I think with th encoming A-League they are getting better, but they are still on the back of Victorian clubs.

 

[Borgsta]

All this talk about the true supporters is completely irrelevant. We all know that a large section of the South supporters are not only passionate about soccer but wouldnt do anything as stupid as what happened last week. However as long as they have that connection to Greece (and this goes for every club with their ********ty connections to Europe) they will always breed trouble. Coming from a Maltese background my father started taking me to Sunshine George Cross games about 15 years ago. After about 4 weeks and 2 fights we stopped going and he told me that he wouldnt take me to see that crap again. That isnt what football is about and it certainly shouldnt be what being an Australian with a Maltese heritage is about. Havent been anywhere near the place since.

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

Despite this I still have no interest in following any other side in this country. If they Anglo League represents the future for you then congratulations - if it works I'll be the first to put my hand up and admit I was wrong - but the constant attempt to convert the rest of us by belittling our clubs and the heritages that they were built on is insulting.

What is this utter gob********e about an "anglo league"?

Have you even bothered to look at the players and coaches of the teams?

Last time i looked there was a healthy mixture of surnames from all parts of the world.

To call it a "Anglo League" incinuates it's for Anglo's only.

 

[djgk53]

All this talk about the true supporters is completely irrelevant. We all know that a large section of the South supporters are not only passionate about soccer but wouldnt do anything as stupid as what happened last week. However as long as they have that connection to Greece (and this goes for every club with their ********ty connections to Europe) they will always breed trouble

I haven't heard of any Victorian club that wants to "breed violence".

I'm sorry about your experiences with George Cross but if that's what you are judging Victorian Soccer by that experience, your a far way from the mainstream.

Jump back on the Georgies bandwagon, they are playing well and have Aussie U21 Marino Gasparis.