Racism in sport

[Beezerk]

Really? I can see why you thought it might be "tricky"?

Go on, I’ll stick my neck out.
In a non sporting situation, I was called a white b@***** by a group of Asian lads back when I lived in Rotherham.

I currently play for a Saturday morning football team and we have an Iranian fella play for us, he’s absolute legend at the club and we all love him to bits. He calls us white b@*****s as well along with other stuff every weekend in the changing room. Whether right of wrong it is 100% meant as banter and we take it as such.

 

[GB72]

My son is 21 now but he played club rugby, football, cricket, basketball and golf as a junior. I was with him for most games, training sessions etc. There was no formal meeting, education etc on the matter of racism but equally there was none on sexism, homophobia or other issues. It was left to coaches to deal with any unacceptable comment or behaviour. There were general behavioural standards, Respect programmes etc. but no specific sit down talks

Whilst players sometimes made daft or unpleasant comments about opposition players I never heard any that could come into the categories above and those comments were always picked up on quickly and squashed. Had a racist comment been made I have no doubt that the coaches would have descended on the individual very quickly and heavily. In answer to your question though, no, governing bodies do not go into grass roots clubs and talk about these subjects as a matter of course. That is not to say that is does not happen in some areas or clubs but my own experience suggests it is not standard practice.

Guess this is my point. From many sides you hear the 'deal with it through education' standpoint (not just on here, seems to be the standard reply on Talksport) but I am yet to see evidence that any such education, any meaningful courses, even sitting a team in a room whilst a victim of racism explaining how it feels, what it means how barbed those little jokes feel. Basically we seem to have people arguing for a solution that does not exist.

 

[Grizzly]

I currently play for a Saturday morning football team and we have an Iranian fella play for us, he’s absolute legend at the club and we all love him to bits. He calls us white b@*****s as well along with other stuff every weekend in the changing room. Whether right of wrong it is 100% meant as banter and we take it as such.

But none of you know whether there's one guy there who is secretly chewed up about it...

I guess this is the point though - people quite rightly think of racism in the first instance as the big ticket stuff - hate crimes, BNP marches, turning someone down for a job because they're from the wrong ethnic background etc. and assume that because they don't hold "those" views they're fine. I would imagine many of the people accused of things in this series of events comes into that category - in effect thinking that a bit of banter is okay because it is not done with malice.

And no, its not alright in either direction.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Go on, I’ll stick my neck out.
In a non sporting situation, I was called a white b@***** by a group of Asian lads back when I lived in Rotherham.

I currently play for a Saturday morning football team and we have an Iranian fella play for us, he’s absolute legend at the club and we all love him to bits. He calls us white b@*****s as well along with other stuff every weekend in the changing room. Whether right of wrong it is 100% meant as banter and we take it as such.

The reality is that someone in the club should take him to one side and tell him to stop it. If he doesn't understand why then ask him if it would be okay if the statement was altered and used against him. You get into the cricket territory at that point. I get that there is no malice meant, nor any taken, but that doesn't mean it is right.

Tell him he needs to find a new insult. Can't be that hard, I've met you

 

[RichA]

I've worked for 25 years in an occupation where there have been many, many education sessions on various forms of bigotry. It's better than it used to be but it still exists.
I'm my own, narrow experience, the only way to suppress racism, sexism, homophobia and any other type of bigotry is to challenge it every time. It doesn't have to be a formal report - just make sure the perpetrator knows they haven't got a supportive audience. You'll never change some people, but you can make them feel uncomfortable and shut them up.

 

[Stuart_C]

Until society changes its view on racism, it will continue in every walk of life unfortunately

Hopefully this recent incident will be a line in the sand. Sadly, i think it will be the end of certain peoples careers which is wrong imo.

 

[Piece]

Go on, I’ll stick my neck out.
In a non sporting situation, I was called a white b@***** by a group of Asian lads back when I lived in Rotherham.

I currently play for a Saturday morning football team and we have an Iranian fella play for us, he’s absolute legend at the club and we all love him to bits. He calls us white b@*****s as well along with other stuff every weekend in the changing room. Whether right of wrong it is 100% meant as banter and we take it as such.

I've been in those type of changing rooms and it was banter, or our definition of banter. Similar to the Yorkshire CC dressing room those years ago with Rafiq, with those doing it thinking it was just banter. As Rafiq said in his powerful testimony this morning, (paraphrasing), "of course they don't remember it, because it meant nothing to them but it meant everything to me. I accepted it as the norm, until I realised it wasn't, and shouldn't ever be, the norm". Left unchallenged, the Yorkshire 'banter' grew and became even more obvious racism.

 

[Beezerk]

The reality is that someone in the club should take him to one side and tell him to stop it. If he doesn't understand why then ask him if it would be okay if the statement was altered and used against him. You get into the cricket territory at that point. I get that there is no malice meant, nor any taken, but that doesn't mean it is right.

Tell him he needs to find a new insult. Can't be that hard, I've met you

Ha ha, thanks mate 😂

I don’t think pulling him to one side is going to happen, we’re a tight knit team and feels almost like an extended family at times. Like I said we are all really good friends on and off the pitch and non of it has any malice.
Saying that though I don’t partake in this banter, doesn’t sit right with me if I’m honest, it does make you giggle at times but maybe for the wrong reasons 🤔

 

[doublebogey7]

Ha ha, thanks mate 😂

I don’t think pulling him to one side is going to happen, we’re a tight knit team and feels almost like an extended family at times. Like I said we are all really good friends on and off the pitch and non of it has any malice.
Saying that though I don’t partake in this banter, doesn’t sit right with me if I’m honest, it does make you giggle at times but maybe for the wrong reasons 🤔

LIke any form of discrimination it is about power. Assuming your team is mainly made up of white males, then the power balance lies there in which case the name calling at worst can only be described as a poor attempt at redressing the balance and in no way racist. I agree though with the comments suggesting he would be best adviced to cease the practise.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The "You Guys Are History" documentary series about the black players that played cricket for England is very insightful and sometimes uncomfy viewing especially in light of the Rafiq evidence. It has clearly happened throughout sport and while racism is a hot topic are we naive in saying it doesn't go on at the top level?

 

[drdel]

Using the morals and principles of today on the activities of the past when the context is long gone is very dangerous and can lead to trial by media.

 

[RichA]

Using the morals and principles of today on the activities of the past when the context is long gone is very dangerous and can lead to trial by media.

The OP started the thread after listening to the inquiry into racism at Yorkshire CC that's alleged to have taken place within the last 5 years. That hardly qualifies as the past.

 

[2blue]

The OP started the thread after listening to the inquiry into racism at Yorkshire CC that's alleged to have taken place within the last 5 years. That hardly qualifies as the past.

Mind you the anti-woke warriors will look for any reason to excuse it, as we are beginning to see. 🙄🙄

 

[PNWokingham]

Mind you the anti-woke warriors will look for any reason to excuse it, as we are beginning to see. 🙄🙄

Second try at baiting the anti-woke in this thread Dave! By the way being anti woke is nothing to do with racism, which is deplorable on levels

 

[2blue]

Second try at baiting the anti-woke in this thread Dave! By the way being anti woke is nothing to do with racism, which is deplorable on levels

Hello... got you out in the end... Not baiting just a matter of exposing old fashioned attitudes. 👍👍

 

[PNWokingham]

Hello... got you out in the end... Not baiting just a matter of exposing old fashioned attitudes. 👍👍

I have not expressed an attitude or view. Best dangle your spratt for someone else to have a nibble on!

 

[2blue]

I have not expressed an attitude or view. Best dangle your spratt for someone else to have a nibble on!

Wriggle, wriggle....... Ooophs..... swallowed whole.

 

[Fade and Die]

Mind you the anti-woke warriors will look for any reason to excuse it, as we are beginning to see. 🙄🙄

Why are you trying to derail this thread and turn it into the usual slanging match?

Probably through your prism I am Anti-Woke. I think BLM is a racist and dangerous group. I think taking a knee is an empty virtue signalling gesture, however listening to Azeem Rafiq yesterday giving evidence was horrendous, what he had to suffer on a daily basis was disgusting, and i found the bit where he was pinned down and had wine poured down his throat particularly upsetting. I hate bullying. Always have done.

I think he has been incredibly brave to speak up and i hope this is a watershed moment for Cricket, It needs to sort its self out and be seen doing so. We need complete openness on the subject, Joe Root needs to stop giving cringey interviews like he did last week when he played the old Arsene Wenger "didn't see it" card and have the guts to say what went on. The time to bury it or even damage limitation is long gone.

And I do not think Cricket is alone in this, I can imagine the RFU is feeling a little uncomfortable right now. Football I'm not so sure about, its always been a working class sport played in the inner cities and plenty of black lads have made it to the highest levels.

 

[stefanovic]

Was the interviewer non-white and was it for a position in Sport you thought you had the perfect skills for as I don’t see were you can claim as a white male it works both ways in the instance you’ve mentioned in relation to the thread.

No matter that the interviewer was male and white English, I was referring to the instant assessment some people take.

In the past I have been physically assaulted and robbed on several occasions by whites but more so by non whites. I'm an easier target than most because I'm a 9 stone weakling. This is sickening when it happens I can assure you. I was even sent right out of school when one day after being bullied mercilessly both both students and teachers (not kidding there) a boy was attempting to strangle me with my own tie when severely asthmatic. That turned out to be my last day at school so I never completed my formal education.
So, yeah I do understand how victims of racism feel.

I can also understand how some people get excluded from the tribe.
In the case of Asian cricketers who are taught to avoid alcohol, they can never participate in the bonding at the drinking club.
I was told at one cricket club that if you didn't drink at a certain pub you wouldn't get into the first team.
If you want to know more about this then read The Soccer Tribe by Desmond Morris (zoologist).

There's a saying that if you are white, male and 'English' you have won the lottery of life.
Implying that if you aren't you may well be treated as a lesser mortal.
This crazy and incorrect attitude has to change.

BTW, Mark Ramprakash mentioned this as a 'difficult subject' yesterday, so I don't know why 'tricky subject' should be incorrect.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

No matter that the interviewer was male and white English, I was referring to the instant assessment some people take.

In the past I have been physically assaulted and robbed on several occasions by whites but more so by non whites. I'm an easier target than most because I'm a 9 stone weakling. This is sickening when it happens I can assure you. I was even sent right out of school when one day after being bullied mercilessly both both students and teachers (not kidding there) a boy was attempting to strangle me with my own tie when severely asthmatic. That turned out to be my last day at school so I never completed my formal education.
So, yeah I do understand how victims of racism feel.

I can also understand how some people get excluded from the tribe.
In the case of Asian cricketers who are taught to avoid alcohol, they can never participate in the bonding at the drinking club.
I was told at one cricket club that if you didn't drink at a certain pub you wouldn't get into the first team.
If you want to know more about this then read The Soccer Tribe by Desmond Morris (zoologist).

There's a saying that if you are white, male and 'English' you have won the lottery of life.
Implying that if you aren't you may well be treated as a lesser mortal.
This crazy and incorrect attitude has to change.

BTW, Mark Ramprakash mentioned this as a 'difficult subject' yesterday, so I don't know why 'tricky subject' should be incorrect.

I “get” the bullying and totally agree it is wrong and been on both sides of it if I’m honest, although we called it an “initiation ceremony” in the Army.

But I’m sorry, I’d never try and say I know how a victim of racism feels, that’s a massive leap from being bullied or turned down for a job.