Extremists among Manchester United and Liverpool fans have obscured racism issue

This written by a United fan that writes for United We Stand fanzine.

Andy Mitten: Extremists among Manchester United and Liverpool fans have obscured racism issue

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/man-utd-fc/2012/02/15/andy-mitten-extremists-among-manchester-united-and-liverpool-fans-have-obscured-racism-issue-55578-30332694/

OLD Trafford’s best atmosphere of the season began to subside as the remaining home fans left the stadium. Near the travelling supporters, a steward gave a teen United fan one last warning.

“Leave the ground now,” he shouted, pointing to the exit after Saturday’s game. He’d seen enough goading. On the forecourt outside, a policeman marched another teenager away. He was drunk and was told to “stop making a nuisance of your yourself or you’re getting nicked.”

The lad slowly stumbled down Sir Matt Busby Way cursing the police and Liverpool FC. Luis Suarez’s latest mistake had given him something to hang his hatred on, a chance to claim the moral high ground.

There will always be extremists who thrive on hate. I’ve seen United fans delight in self-righteousness after viewing an online video of some Liverpool fans singing Munich songs. They were not upset, but pleased because in their warped minds, it proved that all Liverpool fans were scum. That, in turn, justified songs about Hillsborough. It’s playground politics with a pathetic twist.

I’ve heard Liverpool fans spread false rumours about United fans urinating on the Hillsborough memorial, proof in their tiny minds that all United fans are scum. These empty vessels make a lot of noise – and they have more opportunities to with the proliferation of social media.

Twitter and Facebook has given them a place to vent their spleen, often anonymously. They pass on baseless rumours and invent stories. How very brave, how commendable, of them.

In 1999, I read Powder by the Scouse writer Kevin Sampson. It was sublime, the best book of the year. We requested an interview for the fanzine United We Stand. Sampson wasn’t expecting that and it was a first for us. A one-hour interview in a Lime Street bar turned into 16 hours in Liverpool, where I was prodded by his mates and questioned like I was an alien.

We had our biggest ever mailbag a month later. Not everyone liked it, but the overwhelming gist was: “We don’t like them and they don’t like us, but we have much in common and there’s a grudging respect.”

I’ve met many decent Liverpool fans since. Normal people who support their football team, have pride in their city, like music, clothes and can’t pronounce “chicken” correctly.

When it came to football, we didn’t find agreement because we weren’t looking for it. Liverpool hated Gary Neville, while Luis Suarez now gives United followers reasons to criticise.

They followed their team, we followed ours. They got shafted by ridiculous ticket prices, games being switched to suit foreign audiences and American owners who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. So did we.

Sometimes they won, sometimes we won, them and us. I got a text off one, Peter Hooton, of The Farm and The End fame, after that match in Istanbul in 2005. It read: “I know how you felt in Barcelona.” He was right.

In a Manchester pub packed with United’s hardcore after Saturday’s game, some lads had seen Hooton on Soccer AM earlier and opined that he was miles sharper than every other guest. Which, judging by the usual cast, is a smarty head from an indie band who discovered football when he was 22. The United fans had more in common with Hooton. He got it.

I didn’t see the programme because I was at the BBC’s new home in Salford to do an interview for Five Live with another Liverpool fan, Andrew Heaton. He spoke more sense about the Suarez/Evra situation than anyone I’d heard.

He wasn’t point-scoring and he certainly wasn’t sticking up for Suarez or Kenny Dalglish, a man he held in the highest regard, but not a man free from errors of judgement. And that was before the game.

And that should be what comes of this sorry affair – no longer giving the time of day to the posturing, bile and paranoia of the far too vocal, extremist minorities on both sides who have had a field day, and who have obscured the central issue of what constitutes racism on the field of play and how it should be dealt with.

I thought that was a brilliant piece, the only thing he missed out in my opinion was the media fuelling the issue.

This written by a United fan that writes for United We Stand fanzine.

Andy Mitten: Extremists among Manchester United and Liverpool fans have obscured racism issue

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/man-utd-fc/2012/02/15/andy-mitten-extremists-among-manchester-united-and-liverpool-fans-have-obscured-racism-issue-55578-30332694/

OLD Trafford’s best atmosphere of the season began to subside as the remaining home fans left the stadium. Near the travelling supporters, a steward gave a teen United fan one last warning.

“Leave the ground now,” he shouted, pointing to the exit after Saturday’s game. He’d seen enough goading. On the forecourt outside, a policeman marched another teenager away. He was drunk and was told to “stop making a nuisance of your yourself or you’re getting nicked.”

The lad slowly stumbled down Sir Matt Busby Way cursing the police and Liverpool FC. Luis Suarez’s latest mistake had given him something to hang his hatred on, a chance to claim the moral high ground.

There will always be extremists who thrive on hate. I’ve seen United fans delight in self-righteousness after viewing an online video of some Liverpool fans singing Munich songs. They were not upset, but pleased because in their warped minds, it proved that all Liverpool fans were scum. That, in turn, justified songs about Hillsborough. It’s playground politics with a pathetic twist.

I’ve heard Liverpool fans spread false rumours about United fans urinating on the Hillsborough memorial, proof in their tiny minds that all United fans are scum. These empty vessels make a lot of noise – and they have more opportunities to with the proliferation of social media.

Twitter and Facebook has given them a place to vent their spleen, often anonymously. They pass on baseless rumours and invent stories. How very brave, how commendable, of them.

In 1999, I read Powder by the Scouse writer Kevin Sampson. It was sublime, the best book of the year. We requested an interview for the fanzine United We Stand. Sampson wasn’t expecting that and it was a first for us. A one-hour interview in a Lime Street bar turned into 16 hours in Liverpool, where I was prodded by his mates and questioned like I was an alien.

OLD Trafford’s best atmosphere of the season began to subside as the remaining home fans left the stadium. Near the travelling supporters, a steward gave a teen United fan one last warning.

“Leave the ground now,” he shouted, pointing to the exit after Saturday’s game. He’d seen enough goading. On the forecourt outside, a policeman marched another teenager away. He was drunk and was told to “stop making a nuisance of your yourself or you’re getting nicked.”

The lad slowly stumbled down Sir Matt Busby Way cursing the police and Liverpool FC. Luis Suarez’s latest mistake had given him something to hang his hatred on, a chance to claim the moral high ground.

There will always be extremists who thrive on hate. I’ve seen United fans delight in self-righteousness after viewing an online video of some Liverpool fans singing Munich songs. They were not upset, but pleased because in their warped minds, it proved that all Liverpool fans were scum. That, in turn, justified songs about Hillsborough. It’s playground politics with a pathetic twist.

I’ve heard Liverpool fans spread false rumours about United fans urinating on the Hillsborough memorial, proof in their tiny minds that all United fans are scum. These empty vessels make a lot of noise – and they have more opportunities to with the proliferation of social media.

Twitter and Facebook has given them a place to vent their spleen, often anonymously. They pass on baseless rumours and invent stories. How very brave, how commendable, of them.

In 1999, I read Powder by the Scouse writer Kevin Sampson. It was sublime, the best book of the year. We requested an interview for the fanzine United We Stand. Sampson wasn’t expecting that and it was a first for us. A one-hour interview in a Lime Street bar turned into 16 hours in Liverpool, where I was prodded by his mates and questioned like I was an alien.

We had our biggest ever mailbag a month later. Not everyone liked it, but the overwhelming gist was: “We don’t like them and they don’t like us, but we have much in common and there’s a grudging respect.”

I’ve met many decent Liverpool fans since. Normal people who support their football team, have pride in their city, like music, clothes and can’t pronounce “chicken” correctly.

When it came to football, we didn’t find agreement because we weren’t looking for it. Liverpool hated Gary Neville, while Luis Suarez now gives United followers reasons to criticise.

They followed their team, we followed ours. They got shafted by ridiculous ticket prices, games being switched to suit foreign audiences and American owners who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. So did we.

Sometimes they won, sometimes we won, them and us. I got a text off one, Peter Hooton, of The Farm and The End fame, after that match in Istanbul in 2005. It read: “I know how you felt in Barcelona.” He was right.

In a Manchester pub packed with United’s hardcore after Saturday’s game, some lads had seen Hooton on Soccer AM earlier and opined that he was miles sharper than every other guest. Which, judging by the usual cast, is a smarty head from an indie band who discovered football when he was 22. The United fans had more in common with Hooton. He got it.

I didn’t see the programme because I was at the BBC’s new home in Salford to do an interview for Five Live with another Liverpool fan, Andrew Heaton. He spoke more sense about the Suarez/Evra situation than anyone I’d heard.

He wasn’t point-scoring and he certainly wasn’t sticking up for Suarez or Kenny Dalglish, a man he held in the highest regard, but not a man free from errors of judgement. And that was before the game.

And that should be what comes of this sorry affair – no longer giving the time of day to the posturing, bile and paranoia of the far too vocal, extremist minorities on both sides who have had a field day, and who have obscured the central issue of what constitutes racism on the field of play and how it should be dealt with.

I thought that was a brilliant piece, the only thing he missed out in my opinion was the media fuelling the issue.

Spot on Daz, good peice of writting.

He doesnt delve too much into the detail of this individual case, but gives perspective on what the rivalry should be, not hate.

Good piece. Bit of a glitch with the copy and paste though, mate, a large portion is repeated, making it look a much bigger article than it is and possibly putting some people off reading it.

I think the media is to blame for this. Journalists like holt and barclay have being doing their best to incite hatred towards Liverpool and the fans. I think the media has being disgraceful in all this.

No doubt in my mind the media have created this moral panic over Luis Suarez. And on what basis? A middled finger gesture, a highly subjective FA case and a none-handshake.

Their scene was already set. Here is a man who incurred the wrath of the whole of Africa for a handball off the line in the World Cup and a man who has bitten an opponent. It only takes a leap of faith like which the FA took to charge Luis of racially abusing Patrice Evra in the first place and they then have their villain, disgrace, racist, embarrassment, scum bag etc...

It was a sad indictment of the news rags that the day after Zambia won the African Cup of Nations against all the odds yet it was Liverpool and Man Utd who made the back pages when neither of us played the day before. All this sh*te they spout about wanting to "move on" and "concentrate on football" is just pure lies. They revel in controversy. Who's fault is that though? A lot of the blame has to go to the people that actually want to read about scandal rather than news.

It is all well and good for articles like this to blame the extremist fans for distorting the issue, however these people wouldn't be given the opportunity if the press were even half interested in representing a balanced view on this entire affair lets face it this isn't the first time they have failed in their duty to remain impartial and it probably won't be the last.

Andy Mitten: Extremists among Manchester United and Liverpool fans have obscured racism issue

 can’t pronounce “chicken” correctly.

This made me chuckle.

I thought it was a very good piece.
And fields of anny road is right if the pres realy wanted to move on and talk football they would have reported the Zambia win, which in my opinion is more of an achievement than our 05 European Cup win (balanced head on there), instead the focused on a handshake.

Very interesting read, supporters from both clubs starting to get lost in the " hate between clubs".

Very interesting read, supporters from both clubs starting to get lost in the " hate between clubs".

Yes we are. Facts are we will never like each other but that does not mean every manc is bastar*. There are clowns on both sides no doubt. But the media has a hell of a lot to answer for with how much the hate level has risen they really have

This written by a United fan that writes for United We Stand fanzine.

Andy Mitten: Extremists among Manchester United and Liverpool fans have obscured racism issue

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/man-utd-fc/2012/02/15/andy-mitten-extremists-among-manchester-united-and-liverpool-fans-have-obscured-racism-issue-55578-30332694/

OLD Trafford’s best atmosphere of the season began to subside as the remaining home fans left the stadium. Near the travelling supporters, a steward gave a teen United fan one last warning.

“Leave the ground now,” he shouted, pointing to the exit after Saturday’s game. He’d seen enough goading. On the forecourt outside, a policeman marched another teenager away. He was drunk and was told to “stop making a nuisance of your yourself or you’re getting nicked.”

The lad slowly stumbled down Sir Matt Busby Way cursing the police and Liverpool FC. Luis Suarez’s latest mistake had given him something to hang his hatred on, a chance to claim the moral high ground.

There will always be extremists who thrive on hate. I’ve seen United fans delight in self-righteousness after viewing an online video of some Liverpool fans singing Munich songs. They were not upset, but pleased because in their warped minds, it proved that all Liverpool fans were scum. That, in turn, justified songs about Hillsborough. It’s playground politics with a pathetic twist.

I’ve heard Liverpool fans spread false rumours about United fans urinating on the Hillsborough memorial, proof in their tiny minds that all United fans are scum. These empty vessels make a lot of noise – and they have more opportunities to with the proliferation of social media.

Twitter and Facebook has given them a place to vent their spleen, often anonymously. They pass on baseless rumours and invent stories. How very brave, how commendable, of them.

In 1999, I read Powder by the Scouse writer Kevin Sampson. It was sublime, the best book of the year. We requested an interview for the fanzine United We Stand. Sampson wasn’t expecting that and it was a first for us. A one-hour interview in a Lime Street bar turned into 16 hours in Liverpool, where I was prodded by his mates and questioned like I was an alien.

We had our biggest ever mailbag a month later. Not everyone liked it, but the overwhelming gist was: “We don’t like them and they don’t like us, but we have much in common and there’s a grudging respect.”

I’ve met many decent Liverpool fans since. Normal people who support their football team, have pride in their city, like music, clothes and can’t pronounce “chicken” correctly.

When it came to football, we didn’t find agreement because we weren’t looking for it. Liverpool hated Gary Neville, while Luis Suarez now gives United followers reasons to criticise.

They followed their team, we followed ours. They got shafted by ridiculous ticket prices, games being switched to suit foreign audiences and American owners who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. So did we.

Sometimes they won, sometimes we won, them and us. I got a text off one, Peter Hooton, of The Farm and The End fame, after that match in Istanbul in 2005. It read: “I know how you felt in Barcelona.” He was right.

In a Manchester pub packed with United’s hardcore after Saturday’s game, some lads had seen Hooton on Soccer AM earlier and opined that he was miles sharper than every other guest. Which, judging by the usual cast, is a smarty head from an indie band who discovered football when he was 22. The United fans had more in common with Hooton. He got it.

I didn’t see the programme because I was at the BBC’s new home in Salford to do an interview for Five Live with another Liverpool fan, Andrew Heaton. He spoke more sense about the Suarez/Evra situation than anyone I’d heard.

He wasn’t point-scoring and he certainly wasn’t sticking up for Suarez or Kenny Dalglish, a man he held in the highest regard, but not a man free from errors of judgement. And that was before the game.

And that should be what comes of this sorry affair – no longer giving the time of day to the posturing, bile and paranoia of the far too vocal, extremist minorities on both sides who have had a field day, and who have obscured the central issue of what constitutes racism on the field of play and how it should be dealt with.

I thought that was a brilliant piece, the only thing he missed out in my opinion was the media fuelling the issue.

I'm in full agreement about the piece and also about the media being missed out.

I had the pleasure of listening to Andy Heaton speaking sense on this week's Anfield Wrap podcast, as did all of the other lads on it. They weren't shy on their thoughts about the media circus that has swamped the Suarez and Evra affair.