Racism and Collingwood supporters

MagpieDean · Joined: 30 Oct 2002

Hello, this is my first post here. Please hear me out....

I went to the Carlton and Hawthorn games at Telstra Dome and sat behind the cheer squad. While the cheer squad was content to sing and chant (as a good cheer squad and group of supporters should), there were others in the crowd nearby that I was not so impressed with.

Calling Justin Murphy from Carlton a "coconut" is not on. I do not regard Murphy as a good footballer - in fact he would be in my least favourite top 10 (along with David King, Wayne Carey, Jason Hackermanis, etc) - but this sort of remark does nothing for our great game.

We have on of the best Aboriginal footballers running around at present in our number 1 jumper. Why should he be regarded so highly and Murphy insulted, simply because of the colour of his skin?

If you're going to have a go at Murphy, please be more clever than resorting to such racial taunts.

Go Pies

Dean

P.S. I reiterate that I'm not having a go at the CFC cheer squad.

Joel · Joined: 23 Mar 1999 Location: Mornington Peninsula

Racism is not a good thing. However, it is a minority that subscribe to calling people these sorts of things.

I doubt this sort of behaivour would be tolerated in the Cheer Squad (and I know you said it probably wasn't them) and I tend to think it would have been people not associated to the Cheer Squad, at least I would certainly hope so.

MagpieDean · Joined: 30 Oct 2002

Definitely wasn't the cheer squad.

Can we as a group of supporters try and stop this behaviour? It is 2003, not 1788.

Eddie has been big on cleaning up our list - it might be time for the club to include something in one of the regular mailings to members saying you will be thrown out by the police/security if heard.

Joel · Joined: 23 Mar 1999 Location: Mornington Peninsula

Times are already changing mate.

JLC · Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:59 pm

Can someone please explain the meaning of coconut when used as a racist comment ??

jlc

Black_White · Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:33 pm

JLC, I've Pm'd you with an explanation.
Sorry, but I think it's innapropriate to repeat these definitions on a public board.

-Craig

creedymagpie · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Location: Berwick

Bloody Do-gooders i get sick of people who complain about little things like this.

If they were out calling them other names that a genuinely offensive then that is different but i think the Justin Murphy case is a bit weak. Justin Murphy also has very short hair which is like the treads on a coconut which could be the reason why that word was used.

I do believe that we cant have racism in Footy but what about Free speech.
If we are going to cramp down that much then dont go calling us English 'poms' as we will all count that as racism and put a topic about it on this forum if it happens!

Just because this person called Murphy a Coconut i dont think it means that he will treat Murphy differently if he met him because he was an Aboriginal. Now that to me is real Racism.

Lorelei · Joined: 17 Jul 2000 Location: Ryder Stand/Ponsford Stand

I think my main problem with this thread is the subject line.

It should read 'Racism and football supporters'

It is important to note though, that in any mass of people there is always going to be someone that can create a bad impression or upset someone with a word or action.

This is a part of life. And while that isn't an excuse it is simply a fact. I think things have changed dramatically over the past few years, but at the same time - you cannot control what comes out of some peoples mouths.

People are aware, in general of these things happening, and I don't think a thread of this nature really does anything positive at all to help the situation at all.

Jen

Dr Alf Andrews · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2003 3:33 am

I've got another name for Murphy ...

... jawbreaker.

Round 3, 1999 I think it was.

When we played them again later in the season they were warming up in front of us ... and I yelled out, "Who's jaw are you gunna break today, Murphy?"

He heard me, too.

Rohan · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:59 am

JLC · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2003 12:12 pm

I think the word that goes with the term black or white is the key

There is a big difference between Black Magic and Black with a negative conotation.

I have heaps or friends who are Sri Lankan, Indian etc and they refer to themselves as being black all the time and are proud of it as they should be.

Its so funny how when Cathy Freeman got the ambassodor for the Commonwealth games (i think thats the title) People rang up on the radio and before they said they didnt think she was the right person for the role as their were others they believed were more appropriate they had to clarify themselves as saing "before i start please know that im not a racist"
Thats a pretty sad reflection on society if people have to clarify that before they speak.

jlc

creedymagpie · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Location: Berwick

I think society is going over the top now.
I think that nearly all people in this country treat all people the same no matter where they are from.

Though now it seems that if people even shorten the word Aboriginal it is thought to be racist! I think this is going over the top!

Im all for cutting racism out of society but we have to draw the line somewhere dont we or do we get called a racist if we say that Kenyan people are black!

That is not racist, that is truth. And i think that all of them are proud to be, and so they should.

We live in a free country that has probably the most amounts of diferent races living in it.

THE D.O.C. · Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Location: melbourne

it is ok 2 call a white man a white c^&t but its not ok 2 call a black man a black c$%^t im not saying that i say it at all but i hearit been said so much . im not trying 2 start any crap cheers

fan4collingwood · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2003 12:04 am

Unfortunately, we have all witnessed the demise of a truly wonderful site, solely due to the smallminded predudice of a couple of immature and outdated minds.
We cannot change the way some people think, but we can let people know that the racist or predudice behaviour is totally unacceptable.
The trouble is working out just what is unacceptable....aussies get called skips, aussies etc....but seem to have broad shoulders and take the attitude of "sticks and stones", while calling someone a pom, or dago is considered racist.

lsdswooper · Joined: 10 Mar 2003

Things have improved at the AFL with regards to racism. From the sad day of nicki winmar to now, collingwood alone has made a huge leap of faith. Everyone should pat themselves on the back for this.

We are angels compared to european soccer, where players of minorty groups such as africans are taunted with racist slurs.
The racism seems quite uniform in european football. In the a large porportion of the crowd sing or yell racist taunts or throw bananas at african footballers (and no not at every game) but it does go on.

As for the AFL (and yes the thread should read) afl not collingwood. We will continue to make further inroads. testimony to the relative level of tolerance in Australia.

I usually go with my first or gut reaction. ie Someone calling murphy a coconut to me implies black person. (Perhaps coconuts grow in in 3rd world tropical areas where a majority of black peoples live)

If this is bullshit, then please tell me what was the first image or ward that come into your mind when in mentioned bananas being thrown at black soccer players. To me it implied ape or monkey.
It must be a generic gesture of racism because fifa are looking to ban such supporters for life.

So don't fool yourself if your beleive coconut anything other than a slant against black, because your sadly mistaken.