East Lothian journalist 'in tears' after racial abuse at Rangers game

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RoboProd said:
Maybe the words fail to capture what happened but that doesn’t strike me as racist at all, why would you leave a game of football because someone said they didn’t understand you?
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I lived in England and was told nearly every day for years by someone i dont under understand you was it racist by the english saying it?
 
Stubo said:
The players reaction around Kamara was pretty damming evidence if you ask me.

I'm not saying this didn't happen, I don't just take one persons word at something, especially a journalist that does work for the BBC or any of the SMSM.
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Fckn hell....:D that takes paranoia to another level. He's maybe making it up as he works for the BBC.
 
ICA_86 said:
It’s a race thread on FF.

The same outcome every single time. Too many right wing wank fantasy dreamers on here at times, an absolute embarrassment.
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There's a modern day phenomenon where a lot of people can't bring themselves to oppose racism because they have to be seen to be Anti-Woke at all times.

Not being able to separate blatant racism from OTT PC gone mad Woke stuff is baffling.

Sure some people thought Marcus Rashford's campaign for School Meals for all kids was something to do with BLM ffs...which meant they couldn't support him.
 
Redcoat said:
He speaks quite quickly in a strong Edinburgh accent, when you factor in crowd noise there is a chance the guy at Ibrox genuinely couldn't understand what he was saying.
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Why did he need to understand what he was saying when he wasn't in their company and just overheard them talking?
 
Stubo said:
The players reaction around Kamara was pretty damming evidence if you ask me.

I'm not saying this didn't happen, I don't just take one persons word at something, especially a journalist that does work for the BBC or any of the SMSM.
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Does this go for everything or is it only when the person saying something doesn’t make Rangers fans look good?
 
Stubo said:
Yeah cos all journalists are as pure as the driven snow.

You must be very gullible if you believe everything you read in the papers.
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What makes you think I read papers, am gullible or think journalists are as pure as the driven snow? Because I'm not dismissing what the guy is saying out of hand or feel he has an ulterior motive for his claim?
 
JAC_1966 said:
It's so when the WRC look up footage and prove he wasn't even in there he can just say "oh must have been somewhere else then"

Absolute media sting this - and influencer boy gets his likes and looks brave for calling out racism.
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He can have a wee look at Google maps and tell us which pub at was then. This works both ways, if he has made this up then he needs called out on it and if it's true then the perpetrators need identified and dealt with. Still struggling to believe it's true mind you.
 
If that happened to him it’s a disgrace.

Although I still think there’s racial double standards in what he says. If a white person said they support a football team because of the amount of white players in the team, that would be called racist.

‘Why I like Rangers is that the team is relatable to me. In the past the squad was not overly diverse but when you look at the team now that has completely changed. The captain Tavernier is black as is Bassey, Balogun, Aribo, Morelos, Sakala, Bacuna and Kamara. So for me I identify with them.’

Just imagine that the other way around ‘in the past there weren’t many white players in the team, but now there are white players, I identify with them and support that club.’
 
Manhattan_Loyalist said:
I've read the article in full but have I understood this correctly? because someone said they couldn't understand him and because someone was calling him Fashion Sakala - this is racism?

That said, I do feel bad for the guy because regardless he clearly feels he's been picked on and bullied because of his skin colour and it has reduced him to tears which isn't nice or acceptable.

The thought of a grown man being reduced to tears whether it's other folks ignorance or if they meant it in a racist way (only they know) is unacceptable.

Heart goes out to him and I hope it doesn't put him off coming back to support the team.
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100% yes. What if the lad in question returned that comment by calling the guy Davie Dodds?
 
It doesn't sound to me like typical "abuse" as such, but it's still fucking cretinous racist behaviour and it shames our support. Sadly I don't think there's an awful lot Rangers or the WRC will be able to do about it, even if they do get in touch with the guy. Hard to stop arseholes being arseholes.
 
GR6Ger said:
Does this go for everything or is it only when the person saying something doesn’t make Rangers fans look good?
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It's how the law works. You need evidence for a conviction.

How many times have people posted on here when they see an incident in or around the stadium. I'm sure if this happened someone will be along soon to confirm it. Until then I'm not going to vilify our support.
 
Disgraceful. Very sad that he had to go through this experience and we need to do better as a fan base to be more inclusive. Moronic minority ruining it for the rest of us. Poor.
 
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GarMckin said:
If that happened to him it’s a disgrace.

Although I still think there’s racial double standards in what he says. If a white person said they support a football team because of the amount of white players in the team, that would be called racist.

‘Why I like Rangers is that the team is relatable to me. In the past the squad was not overly diverse but when you look at the team now that has completely changed. The captain Tavernier is black as is Bassey, Balogun, Aribo, Morelos, Sakala, Bacuna and Kamara. So for me I identify with them.’

Just imagine that the other way around ‘in the past there weren’t many white players in the team, but now there are white players, I identify with them and support that club.’
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Something is fishy. Him standing there with his BBC mic.
I don’t believe it. If it’s true I condemn it completely but I don’t believe it. Why would you get abused at the Rangers game, leave, then think I’ll go to the wee Rangers club, get abused again. Did he do anything about any of this before running to the papers with his BBC mic. The story doesn’t ring true to me.
 
That's a bit of a crazy story is it not? All these things happened to the poor guy but no one at any point stuck up for him, nor did him or any of his mates think to record any of this or report it to the police or nothing?

He's literally said in that story he's been victimized from Gers fans form the moment he got to the stadium to the moment he left the pub to get home.

There's no fucking chance.

And the part about someone putting his hand on his leg and calling him big boy? How is any of this believable? It's fabricated pish, at least most of it :))

Love how the boy had such a bad time he wants to let everyone and anyone know about it yet he still wants to come back to Ibrox.
 
The more I think about this the stranger it becomes.

Idealy we need the SLO to talk with the chap and find out the details.

I really dont want to be sceptical but an incident as such would have been witnessed by quite a few in the ground and also in the wee club.
 
Absolutely back any Rangers supporter who's been made to feel unwelcome or subject to abuse at Ibrox on the basis of their race. 100% out of order. Goes without saying surely ?


Was it the lad himself who decided to take the story to the media ? I know nothing about him but i'm assuming if he has an east coast accent, and involved in media here (especially football), that he'd know exactly how the story would be received and used against the club/support. It's a pity he didn't try to initiate some sort of dialogue with the support or the club first, if he felt it necessary to raise awareness and effect change.
 
exiled bluenose said:
The man is a bear ffs. Who gives a toss what colour he is? He is one of our own and any idiot that thinks otherwise is no fan of Rangers.
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Although this should not be happening anywhere at any level, what I find strange if he was going to go to the media why would it not be recorded for example on a phone as proof instead of his word against everyone. If he had that there would be no arguments and to an extent it would out the people that were doing it, this is not some silly we boy he seems experienced and knows how things work
 
RaskolnikovBear said:
Something is fishy. Him standing there with his BBC mic.
I don’t believe it. If it’s true I condemn it completely but I don’t believe it. Why would you get abused at the Rangers game, leave, then think I’ll go to the wee Rangers club, get abused again. Did he do anything about any of this before running to the papers with his BBC mic. The story doesn’t ring true to me.
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Not to mention the quite ridiculous prospect that a journalist never recorded the multiple racist incidents that he was subjected too.
 
Manhattan_Loyalist said:
That's not racism.

Has racism been redefined or something in the past 2-years?

You don't need to answer that - it's rhetorical.

So because you say to a black person you look like another black person - that's racist? seriously?

Go look up the definition of racism.
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It is if they look nothing alike and they look nothing alike. It's almost the very definition of racism ffs!?!?
 
Chap has a less than optimal (but unsubstantiated) experience at the football and there's now 9 pages of civil war on it.

I'd suggest it's social posturing that's the problem in our society.

I'm led to believe that someone may have gotten a sore face at the football this weekend as well...I await developments.
 
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From the article in the DR:

He said: "The Rangers team is relatable to me. In the past the squad was not overly diverse but when you look at the team now that has completely changed.

"The captain Tavernier is black as is Bassey, Balogun, Aribo, Morelos, Sakala, Bacuna and Kamara. So for me I identify with them.
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So we weren't relatable to him until we had a more, mixed, diverse squad?

Can you imagine the outcry if someone claimed to relate to a team as they were white :rolleyes:

In my opinion (for what it's worth) is that he has become offended over nothing. I don't believe for a minute he was racially abused.

Never a Rangers fan in a million years.
 
Manhattan_Loyalist said:
Referencing a skin colour isn't racist. There has to be a negative connotation or intent to offend.

As I think I said in my first post both this guy talking about Sakala and the guy who said he couldn't understand him, only they will know if they've been racist or if they're racist - I'm not saying they aren't - there's a lot of racists out there I'm just saying the story isn't proof of racism based on the definition of the term.

I hate these threads because they never end well - even having to justify myself to you makes me look like some kind of apologist or racism denier - which I'm not. I'm saying there's no proof of racism there unless the term has been redefined.
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So on my original point, it would be fine to call the guy Davie Dodds? He wouldn't have been confused or even a little bit annoyed?
 
Wang said:
Why did he need to understand what he was saying when he wasn't in their company and just overheard them talking?
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As per the below quote he said that he was talking to random people sitting around him, he doesn't say he didn't talk to the guy who said he couldn't understand him.


“Around 25 minutes into the game, I’m doing my usual and talking football with fans around me, having a good time. But then I see an older man waving his arms at me, he looks at me and says ‘I can’t understand a word you are saying, are you even speaking English?’
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I have a father and son of Chinese descent and another chap of Sri Lankan descent that sit near me and have so for years without incident, so the account given is a surprise to me and sounds like an uncommon experience for BAME visitors to Ibrox.
So I doubt this story but question why would Bobby lie and go to the Daily Record with his story?
I think this paragraph near the end of the article provides some clues:

"Bobby currently works as a property assistant at Edinburgh City Council but hopes to secure a full-time career in sport producing in the near future."
 
In the past the squad was not overly diverse but when you look at the team now that has completely changed.

This comment stood out at strange to me, it doesn't seem like someone would actually use those words. It also doesn't make sense, we were the first Scottish team to sign a black player and I would imagine we have had far more than other teams.

We sign players because they are (mostly) good, who cares what race they are and following a team because players have the same skin colour as you is a bit weird. The whole BBC thing as well makes it all a bit hmm.
 
RaskolnikovBear said:
Something is fishy. Him standing there with his BBC mic.
I don’t believe it. If it’s true I condemn it completely but I don’t believe it. Why would you get abused at the Rangers game, leave, then think I’ll go to the wee Rangers club, get abused again. Did he do anything about any of this before running to the papers with his BBC mic. The story doesn’t ring true to me.
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You could be forgiven for arriving at this conclusion. Sounds like it could be a planted story to me.
 
JAC_1966 said:
It's so when the WRC look up footage and prove he wasn't even in there he can just say "oh must have been somewhere else then"

Absolute media sting this - and influencer boy gets his likes and looks brave for calling out racism.
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Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

Left the game early because of abuse.
Went into the wee Rangers and claimed to have been abused again by different people

If he was in the wee Rangers club - surely he would have remembered?

The £3 match day entry fee alone would stick in your memory
 
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Wang said:
There's a modern day phenomenon where a lot of people can't bring themselves to oppose racism because they have to be seen to be Anti-Woke at all times.

Not being able to separate blatant racism from OTT PC gone mad Woke stuff is baffling.

Sure some people thought Marcus Rashford's campaign for School Meals for all kids was something to do with BLM ffs...which meant they couldn't support him.
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Bingo.
 


This guy is a Man U fan, go back in his videos and you can see his room is draped in Man U memorabilia, no Rangers.

He claims he only goes to ‘family friendly games’ yet his only Rangers game vlog is his pal taking him to an away day, not very family friendly.


Or when he’s going to Celtic games, it’s fine for him to refer to a white person as ‘my little fairskin brother’, why does he feel the need to characterise someone by their race? Is that any different than someone characterising him by his race?

You’ll need to point out those other Rangers fans who go to Celtic games and show the joy he does.

Go watch any of his videos, if you can understand what he’s saying for more than a few sentences, then well done. Getting asked if he’s speaking English, if it happened, is much more likely because he’s got a broad east coast accent and mumbles every sentence. He’s got videos there where he makes Si Ferry look well spoken.

Then you’ve just got to wonder why a sports journalist, who vlogs even junior games, didn’t record a single bit of it. I wonder why a struggling YouTuber, who even a year ago was trying to bring race into his channel, would feel the need to draw attention to himself?
 
joseph said:
Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

Left the game early because of abuse.
Went into the wee Rangers and claimed to have been abused again by different people

If he was in the wee Rangers club - surely he would have remembered?

The £3 match day entry fee alone would stick in your memory
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I would say you have a slight duty of care to specifically name a location when going to the media TBF, gives the location a chance to rectify it, as it is this is just sh*t being thrown at would could be a few locations with little chance to resolve it.
 
Wang said:
There's a modern day phenomenon where a lot of people can't bring themselves to oppose racism because they have to be seen to be Anti-Woke at all times.

Not being able to separate blatant racism from OTT PC gone mad Woke stuff is baffling.

Sure some people thought Marcus Rashford's campaign for School Meals for all kids was something to do with BLM ffs...which meant they couldn't support him.
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Some people suspect that there’s an element of clickbait racketeering to contextless stories like this and they feel some people are over eager to seize them as an excuse to perform their empty virtue.

The actual issue of the true extent of anti-black racism in Scotland is a bit of a bystander
 
GarMckin said:


This guy is a Man U fan, go back in his videos and you can see his room is draped in Man U memorabilia, no Rangers.

He claims he only goes to ‘family friendly games’ yet his only Rangers game vlog is his pal taking him to an away day, not very family friendly.


Or when he’s going to Celtic games, it’s fine for him to refer to a white person as ‘my little fairskin brother’, why does he feel the need to characterise someone by their race? Is that any different than someone characterising him by his race?

You’ll need to point out those other Rangers fans who go to Celtic games and show the joy he does.

Go watch any of his videos, if you can understand what he’s saying for more than a few sentences, then well done. Getting asked if he’s speaking English, if it happened, is much more likely because he’s got a broad east coast accent and mumbles every sentence. He’s got videos there where he makes Si Ferry look well spoken.

Then you’ve just got to wonder why a sports journalist, who vlogs even junior games, didn’t record a single bit of it. I wonder why a struggling YouTuber, who even a year ago was trying to bring race into his channel, would feel the need to draw attention to himself?
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A lesson on why we should take a breath before wading in. Seems a bit fishy to me now and he’s guilty of a bit of casual racism himself
 
GarMckin said:
If that happened to him it’s a disgrace.

Although I still think there’s racial double standards in what he says. If a white person said they support a football team because of the amount of white players in the team, that would be called racist.

‘Why I like Rangers is that the team is relatable to me. In the past the squad was not overly diverse but when you look at the team now that has completely changed. The captain Tavernier is black as is Bassey, Balogun, Aribo, Morelos, Sakala, Bacuna and Kamara. So for me I identify with them.’

Just imagine that the other way around ‘in the past there weren’t many white players in the team, but now there are white players, I identify with them and support that club.’
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I don’t think you’re allowed to make that point.
 
I don't think this is a 'Rangers fan' in the same way that most/all of us on this forum are. I think he's recently begun to follow the team because of the amount of black players we have. At least that was the gist I got from the article in the OP.

In regards to the incident within the stadium. 'I can't understand you' (sic) depends on context. If it's polite then of course it isn't a problem but if it's taking the piss then yes, it's at best, discrimination and at worst, racism.

In regards to being constantly called Fashion Sakala - this is definitely racism. The song isn't racist, no but pestering someone and constantly calling him Fashion isn't okay. I am sure the guy meant no harm and was trying to compliment him/refer to him as a player he is fond of but to that... I say this to you:

I was born in England, I speak with an English accent. I can 100% guarantee you that I would not get someone pestering me by singing a song about one of our English players... why's that?
 
if you can’t understand someone when they speak and you comment that you cannot understand a word they are saying , it doesn’t make you a racist. It might suggest that You are a poor listener, with poor concentration but not a racist. It also could be construed as simply bad manners.

However The guy in the pub is a moron who thinks he’s funny and a smart arse. We’ve all come across guys like that. The type you smile and nod at and hope they go away. It seems that guy is acting in a racist manner and should have been thrown out the pub for his racist behaviour.

It’s really regrettable that this rangers fan had a negative experience going to Ibrox and I hope that never happens again to him.
 
If I had travelled all the way from East Lothian with 2 friends and spent the amount of cash on tickets for the game , I certainly wouldn't be leaving after 25 minutes.

I would have spoken to a steward and asked if we could have seats elsewhere and explain why and if I felt that strongly about the abuse I would have spoken to a police officer.

In all my years of watching Rangers I've never heard or saw anyone wanting to talk to "all the people round about" him/her about the match. Certainly speak with your mates or the guys you normally sit with , but not total strangers if you get what I mean?
 
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