6 Comments

Cottee should have condemned the foul mouthed abuse

cummingsFormer Hammers striker Tony Cottee recently tried to explain on Sky Sports the frustrations West Ham fans are experiencing right now – citing the move from the Boleyn and the board’s claims to move us on to bigger and better things at the LS as part of the reason.

Here ClaretandHugh Faceboook group member Allen Cummings  takes issue with TC on a couple of things he didn’t say! 

Tony Cottee is a typical favourite son of West Ham and West Ham fans.

He’s a local lad who came up through the ranks to make it big! (And he scored on his debut against the Spuds).No wonder he’s still a big favourite. He was a player. He’s now a pundit. And he’s still clearly very much a fan.

cottee-442007But I have to take issue with his attempt on Sky Sports to explain why some so called fans are reacting the way they are. TC says we’re all frustrated. We are. He says we’re angry. He’s not wrong.

But we’re not all acting like the vile, foul-mouthed morons who are spitting out their abuse at games and peddling it across social media.

In his role as a pundit, Cottee must be fully aware of what’s being put about in the name of West Ham. And in my opinion he should be condemning it out of hand. Not seeking to justify it. He had to opportunity to state emphatically the kind of vile, vicious personal abuse being bandied about has no part in the game. But he didn’t.

He chose to ignore it. He didn’t seize the opportunity to differentiate between justified criticism, of which there is plenty to say, and disgusting, derogatory personal attacks. In choosing not to make that divide clear by condemning it, he has left himself open to being accused of doing the opposite, and condoning it.

Challenged directly, I’m sure he would claim that isn’t the case at all. But if that’s true then why didn’t he make that crystal clear? He had an opportunity to establish a line between what’s acceptable and what’s not. I’m hugely disappointed he chose not to take it!

The views expressed here are solely those of the blogger and are not necessarily shared by ClaretandHugh

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

6 comments on “Cottee should have condemned the foul mouthed abuse

  1. I did think the same, as much as the team are embarrassing I’m still a West Ham fan to anyone who asks, I can take the ribbing, the smirks and the apologies but the way some so called fans are behaving makes me want to keep my addiction quiet, and it is an addiction, foul and abusive language, direct attacks at people and now phoning 999 to complain about the team, I know the way we are playing is downright criminal but please stop embarrassing me and the team I love

  2. I was going to comment but rang 999 to complain about the complaints about the complaints of abuse that’s evidently doing the rounds but as if Russia was to blame theres nobody saying what was actually said and on what scale ?
    Please enlighten us if anybody knows or I’m going to ask the NSA and GCHQ for the exact amount of verbal obscene attacks and posted or chanted by people p∆ssed of paying hard earned money to watch them live the life of Riley !! P.c gonenutts ? That’s not a copper its a quote 😉 , someone give up the info please as most haven’t got a clue what their talking about ! Freedom of speech is OK in england isn’t it ! So if its getting to the stage of if we don’t like what you’re saying we will put you on a list is the first stages of Nazi totalitarian and very dangerous to implement ! Were not there yet but its raising its head !!
    So what’s been said Mr Cummins ? I would love to know what ?

  3. ” vile, vicious personal abuse.. and disgusting, derogatory personal attacks”

    Difficult to comment without knowing what you’re talking about – what personal attacks are being made and how are they being made? Is this shouting at matches or posting on twitter? Is this a few individuals or large groups?

    I’m all for condemning bad behaviour but, you might be assuming a little too much if you think all West Ham fans are aware of it.

  4. Very clever thing that. Understanding what he meant by what he didn’t say. Perhaps Cottee doesn’t think in the devious ways you assume. Perhaps he just meant what he said.

  5. Would people prefer a name check when someone mentions fans? How can you take offence at what he says? I’m pretty sure that everyone realises that Cottee didn’t mean every fan when making that comment

  6. Or maybe the board don’t like the attention they’ve started to receive from far and wide !
    Criticism enterprited as abuse to sway it as to being victims ?everyone elses fault , maybe he should have started with , i like the board ! And then said his piece ? Been eight hours since asking what’s been said and on what scale ? Anybody !!! Must be a smokescreen ! A deflection ? A criticism not welcome by west ham !! Its getting hot under the collar for the players and hierarchy ! Get used to it ! Its probably going to get heated in the coming weeks with no one else to blame but you’re self ! Deflecting it onto pundits and supporters will fail !
    Whoever does the blogs their only personal views with their own agenda ? Dig deep sully ! The natives are restless .

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