Good article, well written. I do however think that changing attitudes towards abusive chants will be difficult. Afterall, the home fans like to make an intimidating atmosphere for the opposition and often resort to personal insults.

I went as a neutral to Portsmouth vs Westham, where the WestHam fans for 90minutes taunted Sol Campbell with gay jibes….I didnt understand. He didnt seem in the slightest bothered by it, but why should it be accepted as an occupational hazard? What bugs me about it, is that the people who chant these things would not dream of approaching Sol one-on-one and say the same things. It’s not accepted in society, so why is it accepted in a football ground? Its as if as soon as some fans pass through the turnstiles they regress and become cavemen.

Dont get me wrong, I dont want rid of all abuse in football games. Harry Redknapp was fair game, as is Ashley Cole, afterall the fans pay their money But racist and homophobic chants are a step too far.

If we’re not careful we’ll have another Johnathon Fashanu. Will the fans think that is funny?

Excuse me, I meant Justin Fashanu.

I never knew reading the Guardian was a sign of intelligence.

Good article but I really think there should be a distinction between Sol Campbell and other players. General abuse of players - “Cashley” Cole, “Fat” Lampard is simply there to upset the player and try to put him off his game. The players do it to each other and while it is not nice and better if the fans didn’t act like this, the players really should learn to ignore it or defuse it (like Beckham or Robbie Keane do with a little smile or wink).
Sol Campbell however is the last person to be championing a crackdown on fan-led abuse. The Spurs fans idolised him, he in turn robbed the club of a huge transfer fee and left for their most fierce rivals.
The fans who gave him nothing by complete adoration have no other recourse but to vent their frustration and hatred. This serves not only as their only means of showing how they feel but also to current players that if they really want to leave then they can go - but not to their most hated rivals.
Years on, with several vast contracts in the bank and medals in the cupboard, all the abuse in the world - and it is only talk, not pigs heads or mobile phones being thrown - the losers in the original transfer are still the Spurs fans who pay 800GBP+ to give their adoration to players who may one day break their hearts.

For more, please read my article over here: http://cwoff.com/blog/sport/football/2007-12-19/sol-campbells-bleeding-heart/

It has always been like this at football, the abuse we City fans hurled at the rags in the 60s would have turned the modern day players to quivering wrecks.

What has changed since then is: players have become so removed from the fans, isolated in their luxury world surrounded by yes men agents, and the middle classes have moved en masse into football, marginalising the traditional, working class fan, and tut-tutting at what they perceive as Neanderthal behaviour. If they don’t like it, they should stick to watching egg chasing.

Fans will always try to exploit any weakness in the opposition, if they believe it helps their team. They won’t neccassarily abuse the player in a one on one situation in the street, because it is outside the context of the stadium.

I think the problem for fans will be that footballers think they can get upset at being shouted at yet they will quite happily swear at refs, intimidate refs and abuse them every game. If they cant take it then they shouldnt dish it out. They should look at themselves first before they start throwing stones.

From a Man City fan:

Oh his name is Georgie Best and he’s a terrible disgrace,
With his bright red handbag and his panties trimmed with lace,
And when he runs along the wing, he gives a little twirl,
And curtsies by the corner flag just like a little girl

Diddle ee daa…..

What’s wrong with that? We hate them. They hate us. Live with it!

Cashley deserved the abuse. If a player is going to go behind his clubs back to talk to a rival, write a book slagging off the club, its players and its fans, and complain that “the club he loved” ONLY offered him £55,000 a week - a sum which cashley said nearly made him crash his car and make him physically sick - why should i not be able to give him stick?
that £55k a week would pay or my season ticket for the rest of my life.
Cashley is an example of the overpaid, pampered, selfish and greedy player that is becoming too common in our game. Sadly it seems to be more common with English players too.

Chelsea rent boy is not a gay slur it is referance to Cashley and others going to Chelsea for no other reason than money.

I doesn’t bother me that Cashly flicked the Vs at us nor do i think he should be fined.

Players show no respect so don’t expect fans to show them respect. It’s we who pay vast amounts to go to games and it is those who are paid vast amounts but continue to act as they due. John Terry - England captain is a prime example.

Isn’t this what stewards are there for?

“Good article but I really think there should be a distinction between Sol Campbell and other players. General abuse of players - “Cashley” Cole, “Fat” Lampard is simply there to upset the player and try to put him off his game. The players do it to each other and while it is not nice and better if the fans didn’t act like this, the players really should learn to ignore it or defuse it (like Beckham or Robbie Keane do with a little smile or wink).”

Congratulations. You read the whole article, and completely missed the point.

To the author: nice piece well written.

Sorry, but I’ve just read the other comments and have to add another one in response to this:

“Dont get me wrong, I dont want rid of all abuse in football games. Harry Redknapp was fair game, as is Ashley Cole, afterall the fans pay their money But racist and homophobic chants are a step too far. If we’re not careful we’ll have another Johnathon Fashanu. Will the fans think that is funny?”

What are you: some sort of knuckle-dragging cretin? One form of bigotry is “a step too far”, the other kind is “fair game”.

Moron.

Good well timed article.
Good point about A Cole and money being ok, A Cole and some of the other suggestions being beyond the line.

The Sun has a lot to answer for there.

Rob, I think you’re missing the point…wildly. Being predjustice about someone’s race or sexuality is wrong. This is part of a person’s makeup, its who they are.

Giving someone abuse because they are greedy and backstab their club is entirely different. If you cannot see the distinction then I think that you are the Moron.

You’re insinuating that there should be either no abuse where everyone claps each other politely, or a free for all where anything goes?

Pay me 50 grand a week and I’ll gladly let you call me a fat faggot. Even if I’m not!!

lol….do you remember the fast show sketch with the fat git out of cold feet shouting “cmon football” with a fortnum and mason hamper on his knee?….thats you that is…..lol…you fell in to the trap,its just entertainment,and yes, especially for this time of the year…hiss the baddie, cheer the good guy…oh, and woodys got it right…the ffin and jeffin that comes from the granny “lover”…and were supposed to say “rooney your not really that good are you? and i dont like the scent your wife sells either”?…you sir, are a phallus of the highest order..

Bob Marley wrote of a time when a man’s skin was of no more significance than than the colour of his eyes.

Well in football it’s a man’s shirt.

The animalistic response of abusing that which you fear is commonplace throughout the world. Its called patriotism to those that abuse and something else (eg ageism, racism, imperialism) to everyone else.

I was privileged to be at Liverpool for the 5th Anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. I witnessed something unique, not seen by me before or since.

Prior to and after the game, opposing fans singing the same tunes together - to celebrate football.

There is a light in football. It’s at the end of a dark tunnel right now.