When You Feel Like Giving Up
totally disgusted............part 2
Jag har sett många matcher i England och har älskat dem. Det har varit kul. Man hejar fram sitt lag, skriker sig hes, och om laget lyckas vinna är det en underbar, underbar känsla. Jag är inte ensam om detta, det vet jag. Tusentals människor gör detta varje vecka. Inte alla hejar på samma lag eller har samma uppfattning, men att heja på ett fotbollslag för människor närmare varandra. Men när jag såg Fulham – Stoke blev jag grymt ledsen och besviken.
Jag skrev ett brev när jag kom hem om upplevelsen och väntade 2 veckor i fall jag skulle ångra mig. Men i söndags skickade det till Stoke City supportrar forum (The Oatcake) och idag har jag bestämt mig för att lägga ut brevet här.
Man skriver mycket om fotboll; vad är underbart, härligt etc. men jag tycker att det är bara rättvist att skriva när något uppenbarligen är fel med det.
Jag måste erkänna att jag har fått en fantastisk respons från Stoke supportrar på forumet och det är jag och min familj tacksam för.
Här kommer brevet (på engelska) jag skrev;
I am a Stoke City supporter living in Sweden.
2 weeks ago I was in London. Saw the Fulham – Stoke game with my brother, 2 daughters and daughter’s Swedish friend (who was watching a game for the first time in her life). We arrived rather late to the game and found our seats close to the pitch behind the goal.
Irrespective of the result/performance, I (along with others) personally experienced an awful and uncomfortable experience throughout the game. So-called Stoke supporters (all with London accents, but not bearing colours) decided to ruin many people’s day-out. They were several in numbers and all they did the whole game was insult, threaten and provoke innocent bystanders, whether it be Stoke supporters, Fulham supporters, neutral supporters or stewards.
They racially abused the stewards throughout the game as well as the Fulham players with a different colour of skin or of Irish descent. When my frightened/shocked daughters moved a few seats away, I joined them. The oldest of the “clan” (ringleader?) then turned to me and hurled abuse at me. All forms of normal conversation explaining our dislike to their threatening behaviour were impossible. We were then informed that as this man had only missed 7 Stoke matches in many years, this apparently gave him the right to do/say whatever he wanted.
Apparently, we didn’t sound like Stoke fans, so it was best I shut up or move far away (obviously not stated in just those words). Quite amazingly this man’s wife/partner was sitting next to him.
During the second half, they stood up blocking our view, often with their back to the pitch, pointing to Fulham supporters giving threatening gestures. If tourists were spotted, they would be also picked-on, claiming they had no right to be in a football ground, etc. etc.
I can continue and continue but I´m sure you get the picture. I am a huge Stoke fan and put a lot of time and effort running the Swedish website, but after the events we experienced on that Saturday I just feel like giving up.
I have never hated watching a football game so much, I longed for the end; in fact I can´t remember much about it as I was so upset/disappointed.
I don’t consider myself a prude or a snob. I can swear and show passion with the best of them. I really appreciate the British passion and humour at football matches, but the experiences I saw and heard on Saturday we ridiculous. I realise these events aren’t only an English or a Stoke problem.
There were many tourists in the stand and I just wonder what they thought; in fact 2 New Zealanders behind me whispered in my ear, “Is this the best of British mate?”
When we walked out, my oldest daughters said, “Because of them, I’m glad they lost”. I said I totally agree with you. But perhaps the saddest thing was that at the end of the game, the ringleader ran down to the edge of the pitch, whereupon Jermaine Pennant came up to him and gave him his shirt/bib. We were amazed; this was a man who had racially abused person´s of darker skins the whole game. Is Jermaine aware of what these people think about people of mixed race?
I spoke to my daughters and their friend (19, 19 and 21) at length after the game and they were amazed that such behaviour can be tolerated. These guys were not young; how do they bring-up their own offspring? If this behaviour is not tolerated in other forms of life, why should it be tolerated at football matches?
I read later on the night, quite rightly, how the British commentators were suspended after sexist remarks concerning a female linesman. Surely if this is highlighted for the better of the game so should the people who ruin other people’s enjoyment. It has to be remembered; the whole experience cost me and others a fair amount of money.
Quite ironically as my brother said; now with the development of football we sit in seats and you are stuck, before we could have just walked somewhere else.
It is sad that this element is around in football, my family are for sure not the first and I’m sure not the last to experience such events, but I would love to know what are clubs doing to get rid of them. Surely 99.9% of the football world would welcome it.
