Abusing Anton Ferdinand Embarrasses Everyone Involved
by Graham MacAree on Jan 27, 2012 7:40 PM GMT
in Chelsea FC: News
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The FA Cup match between Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers tomorrow was always going to be contentious, but with the racism dispute between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, the insanity has reached something of a fever pitch. The police have already moved the fixture to lunchtime in order to reduce crowd trouble, the two clubs have released a joint statement calling for calm and there's been a bizarre push to force Ferdinand to shake Terry's hand, which seems pretty silly if you ask me (Ferdinand isn't my favourite man in the world, but if he feels that he's been offended by Terry, he's well within his rights to show it).
Has the nicey-nicey sentiment worked? Has it [fun]:
We can confirm we are investigating an allegation of malicious communication received today at Queens Park Rangers football club. Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham are investigating.
-Metropolitan Police statement. Source: ESPN Soccernet.
The malicious package is widely reported as being a bullet mailed to Anton Ferdinand, presumably from a Chelsea fan. It's disgusting behaviour, and while it's a particularly awful example of the abuse the defender's getting it's by no means the only one. Chanting 'Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are' is racist abuse. Some of the postings to Ferdinand's Facebook page are horrifying (most of them are being deleted, however). Too many Chelsea fans are taking club allegiance as more important than acting like decent people.
Blaming the victim, no matter what you think of the parties involved, is an atrocious means of dealing with allegations of this kind. I was going to make a crack about how our fans shouldn't act like Liverpool's, but the more I think about that the stupider it sounds. Liverpool fans aren't racist for defending Luis Suarez and condemning Patrice Evra in that incident - it was a very vocal minority that managed to shame the club. And now it's happening to Chelsea. Wonderful. I hope the idiots are proud of themselves, because this is making us all look like racists by association.
I don't know who's wrong and who's right in the Ferdinand situation. Virtually nobody does. The folks acting like idiots because they believe something that may or may not be true are embarrassing the club and everyone connected to it. Can we as human beings not just agree that racism is bad without turning every incident into one team vs. another? Is that really so [fun]ing much to ask?
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The stupidest thing
… if this is being done by Chelsea fans (a fair assumption, but by no means a certainty), it doesn’t help the club at all. In fact, it’s probably a net negative.
From the point of view of Chelsea, this match should be about (a) revenge after a controversial 1-0 win by QPR over 9-man Chelsea, (b) a chance for Torres and others to shine while Drogba and Kalou are away, and © a chance to get a step closer to winning the FA Cup after no trophies last season. All thing the players would probably liek to focus on in the locker room.
Instead, they’re being asked about whether Terry is a racist, how the fans will be acting, and now about this threatening package. It’s just another distraction that the club doesn’t need.
People get really stupid and cowardly when they can do things anonymously, or when they think they can.
The sad part is, a lot of the people who been a part of abusing Ferdinand aren't...
…racists. That makes them far worse in my opinion. They’ve been using racist abuse just to be contrary or shocking. Racist idiots generally don’t know any better, or don’t see their ideas as wrong. The people who’ve been chanting the Anton Ferdinand chants, and aren’t racist idiots, know better and know it’s wrong, but do it anyway. I really don’t want those people to exist any more.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:05 PM GMT reply actions 1 recs
A large part of that is not just "mob mentality" but also doing it for attention
Of course, the tricky part is trying to find where you draw the line between just simply ignoring the dregs (and thus not validating their attempts at attention) or risking the situation getting way out of hand.
Basically I meant idiots like "Famous" in the comments on Dan Levene's article.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:25 PM GMT up reply actions
The guys point is that he's singing because he hates the Chelsea management...
…and they’ve been telling him not to. That’s the sort of person I find most despicable. I imagine the bullet-in-the-post wanker is another one of that type. I wish they’d all jump in the river.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:29 PM GMT up reply actions
Very true
I also don’t see how you can hate ‘The Chelsea Management’ – they’re doing a pretty stirling job as far as I’m concerned.
They want to steal my shares in the CPO, and sell it to paedophiles!
If I don’t racially abuse Anton, it’s like fingerb***ing a teenager! /sarcasm.
[I really wish that logic was more hyperbolic than it is. : ( ]
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:49 PM GMT up reply actions
I really wish all the people who subscribe to insane conspiracy theories...
…involving the board would just [fun] off, or at least explain why they have such large chips on their shoulders.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:58 PM GMT up reply actions
On a lighter note...
When I was a kid I used to think people meant potato chips when they said that…
Idiots, for sure
I wonder how they’d react if the victim was a black player from Chelsea. Would they threat the abuser too?
1970 - 1984 - 2010
"Vamos Fluzão, vamos ganhar
Eu sou do clube tantas vezes campeão!
Vim pra torcer, vim pra gritar
E por você a vida inteira vou cantar!"
Probably
Whilst this is obviously deplorable behaviour from a minority of Chelsea fans, I think we can expect Terry to get a fair amount of grief from the QPR fans tomorrow as well.
I'm sure JT wants to be out there
But I’m hard pressed to think of a more perfect opportunity to “give him a rest” and blood Cahill with Sideshow in the central defense.
Agreed
Maybe AVB will do that to avoid backlash, even though I don’t think Chelsea fans will like it. They’re more likely to call for JT just to “kick Anton’s black ass”.
1970 - 1984 - 2010
"Vamos Fluzão, vamos ganhar
Eu sou do clube tantas vezes campeão!
Vim pra torcer, vim pra gritar
E por você a vida inteira vou cantar!"
YES
I am sincerely hoping they dont put him out. It isn’t a sign of weakness.. it’s helpful in keeping the crowd under control and we have a backup that we ought to check out (lest we have to find out how and if he can perform when we may actually be without Terry). It seems the all-around smart thing to do.
OT: I find it funny that FSC is using American commentators for the "American Civil War" FA Cup match!
I like JP though, so it’s cool…but I can’t stand Wynalda.
That's because
Wynalda is actually an idiot. I am not sure he offers anything that could ever be considered a thoughtful or intelligent remark. That may be harsh sounding, but whatever your opinion of Blatter, you don’t go into a one on one interview and continuously look for loopholes that could somehow cause the US to get another WC (by basically wishfully thinking aloud that Qatar somehow fails to meet their requirements). What a douchebag representation of US soccer to the world.
Damn
Tootsies goal
1970 - 1984 - 2010
"Vamos Fluzão, vamos ganhar
Eu sou do clube tantas vezes campeão!
Vim pra torcer, vim pra gritar
E por você a vida inteira vou cantar!"
What a mess!
With JT going to court next week this is really unwanted. Now that there seems to be so much grief associated with the case I feel that the club will be forced to take decisive action against our captain. We do have a history of making examples of players who’ve done wrong.
by MrMoreton on Jan 27, 2012 8:39 PM GMT via mobile reply actions
To be honest...
…If he’s found guilty, I’m not sure I care if we make an example of him.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 8:51 PM GMT up reply actions
I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if the wage bill became 160k a week lighter. If anything I’ll be very uncomfortable to see a player stay if found guilty of what JT has been accused. I’m disappointed in Liverpool for their level of blind support to Suarez. Chelsea would be torn to pieces by the British media had we acted as Liverpool have.
by MrMoreton on Jan 27, 2012 9:05 PM GMT via mobile up reply actions
I don't think we'll sack him, but I think he could easily be stripped of his captaincy.
Then again, I don’t know if he would be able to continue at Chelsea not being captain.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 9:07 PM GMT up reply actions
We have an amount of history.
We’ve sacked 2 first team players in recent history for picking up 6 month bans following failed drugs tests. Rio Ferdinand dodged a test was banned for 9 months and was welcomed back to the United first team when so lacking fitness he spent his short appearance eating Jaffa Cakes. WE ARE NOT LIKE OTHER CLUBS. We may not have their history but we have class.
by MrMoreton on Jan 27, 2012 9:17 PM GMT via mobile up reply actions
I'm not sure he'd get that long a ban.
Not sure there’d be enough to justify sacking him, but as I said, I’m not sure he’d be able to deal with not being captain, and I’m not sure we would be able to keep in that role.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 27, 2012 9:41 PM GMT up reply actions
Truth told
I am not sure he’d have much choice in the matter. He could squawk and say he wanted out, but what club that is challenging would say “You know what? I’ll take your racist over here!” If he is found guilty he can probably count himself lucky if he maintains his job, never mind the captaincy. And if he didn’t he could go leave to whatever mid-table to lower-table club might want him. (That, or he’d end up in Spain or something, where racial abuse is par for the course).
I hear it's bad in Russia, and Anzhi will throw money at him.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Jan 28, 2012 2:05 PM GMT up reply actions
In that event
we go to court as we did with Mutu. Although the thought of that happening feels awful in the circumstances it would have to happen.
by MrMoreton on Jan 28, 2012 10:01 PM GMT via mobile up reply actions
If Terry is found guilty, not only should the club remove his captaincy but he should be banned for the rest of the season.
The Nigerian Perspective!
by Iced O on Jan 27, 2012 9:11 PM GMT via mobile reply actions
Oops pretend this isn't here
shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
by Sabrina Dessipe on Jan 27, 2012 9:17 PM GMT up reply actions
Shame
I don’t understand in what way people think these sorts of actions makes anything better. It does nothing beneficial for the club, for Terry, for Ferdinand, for the sport, nor for themselves as human beings. That is what hurts my head more than anything… what part of their thinking process (if they even think at all) do they go “You know what will be awesome? This!” I know I am wasting my time trying to understand people that do such dumb and malicious things, but really, fan psychology is intriguing and these people just make no sense. I’m a fool for a mystery.
All that said, I hope this sick asswad with the alleged bullet package gets arrested, as should anyone else that breaks the law over there regarding outwardly racist comments during the match. Give them all what they know they’ve got comin’.
At least I can commend the reaction of Chelsea as a club. I appreciate their not taking bullshit approach (hoping it didnt require Liverpool as an example, but even if it did, I hope they stay on the better side of PR know-how).
What are the chances that we got QPR, while United got Liverpool. Maybe the FA should've
rigged the poll so that WOULDN’T have happened.
Anyways, you’re completely right Graham. This bullet sending idiot is making us all look bad. Some are saying that maybe it wasn’t a Chelsea fan, but would a rival fan risk jail time just to screw with us?
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