Manuel Pellegrini has commented on the racism row that has engulfed Spurs after their supporters’ who allegedly made monkey noises at a Chelsea player during Sunday’s game.
Yesterday it emerged that a Chelsea supporter was also arrested for allegedly racially abusing Spur’s player Son Heung-min during the Premier League match that had to be paused because a monkey chant was aimed at Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger by members of the home crowd.
Anthony Taylor, the referee, stopped play after Rüdiger claimed he had heard racist taunts during the second half of Chelsea’s victory over their London rivals. An announcement on the public address system informed the crowd at the Spurs stadium that “racist behaviour from spectators is interfering with the game”. The announcement was made on two further occasions, in line with Premier League protocols.
Pellegrini told reporters at his pre-match press conference at Rush Green on Monday
“Really, I just read about it, I didn’t see at that moment.
Everyone must condemn anything to do with racism. But also I think that maybe at Tottenham, there are 60,000 people watching the game and there is no more than 100 or 150 people maybe doing that. They must be punished.
Most part of the fans are going to enjoy the game and not shouting or doing stupid things.
I think that the small number of people must be punished, they must be out of the stadium. It is just a couple of people that must be condemned immediately.”
Mr Pellegrini has respect for his football knowledge given his past success. Though the same can’t be said for his comments on racism in English football in 2019, which lack any novel or critical insight. All players, and this would avoid putting players of colour in a position of double jeopardy,should walk off the field if they hear racist comments from any source. The Club’s Board, management team and supporters club should back this action to the hilt. In fact an ethical statement on rac ism should endporse such an action. Penalising clubs and players through points reduction for actions of individual racism lacks any kind of logic, fairness. It’s a ridiculous injunction. When the English Prime Minister can make racist remarks – and rather be penalised for them, achieves the endorsement of the majority of the UK’s electorate – it seems that Stromzy, Lilly Allan and Gary Neville are intelligently, if sadly, on point. Racism is rife, endemic even, in England in 2019. The problem is social and societal. It is both institutional and individual. Until the majority of white people acknowledge this, and “feel” its repugnance, nothing will change. Messing about with points reductions is like putting sandbags against your door when the river has broken its banks and surging through your living room. My relative Jimmy Ruffell played for West Ham United and I’m a lifelong supporter. But when a few years ago in the Boleyn shop I was approached by a white guy to join the supporters club and gave him my email to follow up. I mentioned that my son had been a pro-footballer, and he asked to be intoduced, though his face fell through floor when he saw he was mixed race. He walked off, blanked me, and I never did get an email inviotation to join this supporters group. Racism is rife and endemic in the UK. Deal with the spource at the societal level…dealing with the symptoms, and agonising about those is nothing short of pathetic.
Sorry – here’s the typo’s free version
Mr Pellegrini has respect for his football knowledge given his past success. Though the same can’t be said for his comments on racism in English football in 2019, which lack any novel or critical insight. All players, and this would avoid putting players of colour in a position of double jeopardy,should walk off the field if they hear racist comments from any source: fans and players alike. The Club’s Board, management team and supporters club should back this action to the hilt. In fact an ethical statement on racism should endorse such an action, and all clubs ought to comply. It is a moral stand, devoid of any commercial concerns. Penalising clubs and players through points reductions for actions of individual racism lacks any kind of logic, fairness. It’s a ridiculous injunction. When the English Prime Minister can make racist remarks – and rather than being penalised for them, actually achieves the endorsement of the majority of the UK’s electorate – it seems that Stormzy, Lilly Allan and Gary Neville are intelligently, if sadly, on point. Racism is rife, endemic even in England in 2019. The problem is social and societal. It is both institutional and individual. Until the majority of white people acknowledge this, and “feel” its repugnance, nothing will change. Messing about with points reductions is like putting sandbags against your door when the river has broken its banks and surging through your living room. My relative Jimmy Ruffell played for West Ham United. I’m a lifelong supporter. A few years ago in the Boleyn shop I was approached by a white guy to join the supporters club and gave him my email to follow up, I mentioned that my son had been a pro-footballer. He asked to be intoduced,though his face fell through floor when he saw my son was mixed race. He walked off, blanked me, and I never did get an email invitation to join this supporters group: gratefully. Racism is rife and endemic in the UK. Deal with its source at the societal level…focusing on the symptoms, and agonising about them despite the pain they cause, is nothing short of pathetic. Racism is a social and societal problem; attack it at that level.