Breaking news: John Terry Charged

[Stephen_G]

with racial abuse...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...gland-london-16284813

Be interesting to see what happens to JT, especially as Luis Suarez got eight games for abusing Patrice Evra.

[mccfluff]

so being racist is acceptable to you is it?

[ichkeria]

"Surely a young burly footballer is made of stronger stuff than to be physically or mentally disturbed by a bit of name calling, I am certain he can give as good has he receives. "

He maybe can, but this is about more than this particular instance. It's making a stand against the sort of violent verbal abuse, often backed up by more sinister activity, which has been seen to plague football and outside it.
John Terry may not even be a "racist" in the BNP sense, I don't know, but the language allegedly used was of a nature that is now unacceptable in our society. I'm actually quite glad that it's unacceptable. (I never thought I'd be offended by Bernard Manning, for example, until I actually saw him "performing" and I'm not even black.)
As I said elsewhere, John Terry's defence is not very convincing, although I can't obviously say for definite that he isn't telling the truth, but if if turns out that he isn't it'll be a lot worse for him than for the Liverpool player Suarez, who at least admitted it.

[sp1814]

Also - I have a question...let's say that John Terry wasn't disciplined - would that be sending the wrong message to football supporters? I remember there were certain clubs that as a black man, you'd be advised to steer clear of, because of the number of racists supporters they had (Millwall, I'm looking at you).

However, through the efforts of the FA, and the 'Kick racism out of football' campaign, that's largely in the past.

Are people saying that we should be returning to the days of monkey chants and banana-throwing?

...because if we overlook racism on the pitch, we really have to overlook it on the stands...and it would be a disappointly retrograde step to allow that to happen - surely?

[smurfchops]

The mother and mother in law are lovely people too.

http://www.thesun.co....ws/article2344512.ece

[sp1814]

Lord_Elpus

I can say hand on heart that your post from 16:47 is a little misleading. I will say this very slowly:

No...black...person...in...the...UK...in...20
11...uses...the....term...snowflake...or...wh
ite...honky...none.


I will make a guess, and I want you to prove me right or wrong:

1. You are over 40
2. You don't have any really close black friends.

Am I right or wrong?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Does anyone know what Suarez and Terry actually said? Have not been following the cases too closely. ///

Sqarez used the word "Negrito"

And some amateur lip-readers alleged online that Terry called the QPR defender an effing black c-word.

[ichkeria]

"And some amateur lip-readers alleged online that Terry called the QPR defender an effing black c-word. "

Which the man himself has not denied (he can't really), but he claims it was the last part of the sentence ("I didn't call you a ...."). I may be being harsh, but I find that a hard one to believe. You would be unlikely to word a response by repeating the words, although I admit it isn't impossible.

[Teddy_boy]

Hope he feels the full force of the law. Its about time footballers realised they aren't gods but ordinary people who just happen to be able to kick a football.It doesn't make them above the law and they must obey the law.
Its as simple as that really.

[Kromovaracun]

"abuse is part of football "

I'm sorry, but this not an argument.

Just because football as a sport appears to have institutionalised thuggery, bigotry and ignorance, there is absolutely no reason why we as a society should not be interested in challenging that. And I'd suggest that pulling up offenders where we find them appears to be one ofthe ways we have of doing that. Given how central football appears to be to modern British culture, this is something that anyone who claims to love the sport ought to care about this (and I admit I make no such claim - quite the opposite, actually).

[Kromovaracun]

"Its about time footballers realised they aren't gods but ordinary people who just happen to be able to kick a football.It doesn't make them above the law and they must obey the law. "

Here here.

[sp1814]

Something else that this story now makes me question - why was racism so evident in football, but not rugby, cricket etc?

How comes we don't get the same number of stories concerning incidents of racist name-calling say, in athletics?

[ummmm]

So people have to be careful when they type 'snowflake' now?

That is so funny....I'm trying to imagine any of my black friends calling someone a 'snowflake'

[joeluke]

What has the world come to when someone ends up on a criminal charge for calling someone an offensive name?

When I went to school if someone called you an offensive name you simply called them an equally offensive name back.......sorted

Sticks and stones etc

[mightyWBA]

Suarez called Evra "negrito" which is in fact a term of endearment in Uruguay for a black friend.
They even have a "Negrito" chocolate bar with a cartoon black man on the wrapper,it's not an offensive term in South America.
Terry allegedly called Ferdinand a "Black C..." which is offensive but seems to be more offensive depending on the adjective.

If Ferdinand had called him a "White C..." Terry probably would have just laughed at him and got on with the game.

[sp1814]

Lord_Elpus

Being black myself and having spent the first 45 years of my life in South London, I can assure you that there is literally no black people who use those phrases. They were last used in 1970s sitcoms. No-one uses 'white honky'.

No-one.

There are much more offensive terms such a 'white trash' or 'cracker'...I could imagine these terms being used, but 'white honky'?

I assure you, you are mistaken. That term, as well as 'snowflake' are anachronisms, consigned to the dustbin off pejorative history (in there with the word 'coloured' and 'half caste').

[sp1814]

mightyWBA

"If Ferdinand had called him a "White C..." Terry probably would have just laughed at him and got on with the game."

Does John Terry's previously reported strength of character lead you to that conclusion?

[mightyWBA]

Yes Sp..I believe some people are more sensitive than others about what they are.
I was called an "English C..." when I went into the "wrong" pub in Wales once but just laughed,left and found another one.
Terry should be charged with using an offensive termbutit should be a two way street that's all.

[sp1814]

mightyWBA

Interesting - do you think that because John Terry might not have had to face done racists in the past, he might not be 'sensitive' to it?

Who knows - maybe race isn't one of his 'button topics'? I'm sure there are things that wold make him lash out - stuff that we all know about his private life...?