I am in no way a football fan. But it's hard to avoid the World Cup, no matter how much you detest football. In all honesty I would rather watch my dog chase a ball than a team of supposedly evolved men. I have to admit, when my blokey watches a game on the telly I cant help but get a little involved, afterall I do like a bit of gaming competition. But what I cant stand is the racial abuse thrown all over the place whenever there is a big match. I raised this issue a few times on facebook, and my god, I have never recieved such a mixed responce! So many people that responded to my comments agreed that whenever there is a world cup extreme racial comments get thrown all over the place and for this they hate the game! Others got annoyed that it was taken so 'personally' and that its all just harmless banter. But I had to disagree, perhaps because I am german, although born and raised in England. I have recieved a lot of stick throughout my life for my race and I am really in quite a interesting postition. Perhaps, because of this, I pick up on all the 'football banter' more than most. I don't take it personally, But I do know when comments are going a little too far, probably from my own experience of what I felt to be racial abuse. It makes no difference to me if the comment is aimed at me or other German people, football fans or not, If banter is thrown about in a negative racial matter then I will find it offensive. I am not talking about the actual team members, more the general public, the fans and the media. During the last world cup four years ago a certain newspaper titled a article about the up coming Germany vs England game ''LETS FIGHT THOSE WAR MACHINES!''... Now what on earth does that mean?! Unless we are still living in the fourties and fighting a war I am completely unaware of, how does that comment have any relevance to Germany and football in this day and age?! It can be easily ignored and seen as harmless, but in Germany they took it very offensively. My uncle wrote to the newspaper saying he found it completely inapropriate, and what do you know, in the next issue of the newspaper they had written a article of apology saying they never meant to offend anyone and take back their comment.
On my facebook status I wrote ''is football just a excuse for people to be racial and excuse it as being patriotic?'' I had such a mixed bag of replies. Alot of people replied saying they hate football purely for how racist people get and how extremely mindless comments get thrown around that are completely racial and offensive. Others said we need to get over it, its just football banter and nothing is meant personally! Well, what I would like to know is, How is it not offensive when two crazed british football fans are shouting racial abuse mixed with comments of football and the war, thrown at two old people driving a car with a German number plate who are simply going about their own business trying to enjoy their holiday?! This is what I witnessed on the day of the Germany vs England game. Along with sick comments all over the internet and racial verbal diaoreah over heard In pubs. Even my boyfriend, who was watching the game in a pub, Overheard fans being a little too offensive for his liking, and I have to say, what a man! He didn't stand for it at all, although he is a football fan through and through, he also has morals and doesnt go out verbally abusing people of another race! Why cant we just enjoy the big game without bringing up Hitler and the war and using any mistakes made in the past as a excuse to totally hammer german people with disgusting remarks and comments. Obviously I am not saying everyone does this, but I was shocked at the incredibly large number of people who were. My mum happened to be over in Germany while the world cup was on, and what she saw was the oposite of what goes on here. In Germany they are treading on egg shells, trying not to step on any ones toes or offend anybody. I am not saying there is no such thing as racism there, as it is around everywhere, but German people don't rant and rave obsceneties towards the british like the british do towards them, they also don't fill their tabloids or anything in the media with innapropriate and offensive comments. The German Priminister even invited our British priminister over to watch the game, make peace and see there is no need for all the racial hatred thrown towards them by british citizeons. So why all this hatred? I really don't understand it! I don't mind a bit of banter, it makes a game all the more fun and competitive, but why take it a step too far and start actually deeply offending people, ruining their holidays and taking the game to a whole new inapropriate level!
I have to say though, I am really greatful for the people who do understand where I am coming from, far more people commented on my facebook status with positive replys in agreement that the game can be taken too far when it comes to the verbal abuse that gets thrown around than people who believe it to be harmless banter. Lets hope we can all see a bit more sence and realise there is just no need to bring up the war, make racist remarks and offensive comments that have nothing to do with the game and that there is just no need to upset a whole nation for the sake of kicking a ball around.
I can go into this a whole lot more, but for now I will leave it here. I enjoy a bit of competition as everyone does, but lets just keep it as a game! Fun and harmless.
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