An honest assessment of myself

Scaramanga said:
Yeah mate I long for the days where racism could brushed off as a nothing incident too and we didn’t have to put up with the victims whinging about their feelings. The glory days!

Honest tae %^*&
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On Sunday, when Rangers play celtic, after this post you'll be singing for the Irish to go home Mr righteous no doubt, I'll be singing the same song, only with a clear conscience.
 
I’ll admit in the past to showing apathy to the movement, and when it comes to football a lot of these issues are used to point score. And completely get how tempting it can be to say exaggeration when lefty’s make a big deal of small things.

But having a women I know tell me about her experiences in England and Scotland as she went about her business, and seeing a black guy attacked in Cyprus on a night out both affected me greatly and opened my eyes.

Last night again outraged me and many others, how dare that player try and belittle our player like that and make him feel like a piece of sh*t for the colour of his skin. Can only imagine how it’d feel to be a victim of that.
 
Its-Sebo said:
Don’t shïte out of your terrible opinion now :))
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I wonder if he’s read Kamara’s statement or watched Goldson’s interview, or seen that footage of Gerrard and Kamara on the touchline. Absolutely no clue how anyone could watch/read those and chalk that incident up to just a bit of name calling blown out of proportion....
 
Never been anywhere near racist in my life to anyone. Never understood why people can be against other humans no matter if it’s colour or religion.

I was nearly in tears watching that Goldson interview especially as we all see him as a big hard defender. It’s about time we see every other human as equals.

it should also be a huge wake up call for anyone that sings all these songs against Catholics in our support. If you want to spread that shite just %^*& off
 
I'll admit that last season I should have called out racist behaviour by our own fans aimed at our own players but i didnt.
It has wracked me ever since.
Scenario was I was with my daughter in BR1 and these 3 guys that arent normally there sat behind us. Became evident they had a skin full but hey its football and we've all enjoyed a drink before a game. Now as the game went on creeping into their language was 'pass it to the black boy' or give it to the wee 'black boy' and finally with a stray pass 'useless black b@stard'.
I sat cringing and trying to talk to my daughter so as to distract her from it. All the while thinking do I say something? My problem was there were 3 of them and I was with my young daughter. Getting into a fight wasnt an option. I could have reported them to the stewards but the fear of being labelled a grass and the fact that the steward was black put me off. I could only imagine the abuse he would have got from them.
To this day I am ashamed I didnt say something. However after witnessing the pain and hearing the brave words of both Glen and Conor any backlash I receive for calling out this behaviour in future will be nothing to what these guys have suffered in their lives.
 
Gibraltar Loyal said:
I'll admit that last season I should have called out racist behaviour by our own fans aimed at our own players but i didnt.
It has wracked me ever since.
Scenario was I was with my daughter in BR1 and these 3 guys that arent normally there sat behind us. Became evident they had a skin full but hey its football and we've all enjoyed a drink before a game. Now as the game went on creeping into their language was 'pass it to the black boy' or give it to the wee 'black boy' and finally with a stray pass 'useless black b@stard'.
I sat cringing and trying to talk to my daughter so as to distract her from it. All the while thinking do I say something? My problem was there were 3 of them and I was with my young daughter. Getting into a fight wasnt an option. I could have reported them to the stewards but the fear of being labelled a grass and the fact that the steward was black put me off. I could only imagine the abuse he would have got from them.
To this day I am ashamed I didnt say something. However after witnessing the pain and hearing the brave words of both Glen and Conor any backlash I receive for calling out this behaviour in future will be nothing to what these guys have suffered in their lives.
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Still an opportunity to do something. If you know the game it was, I’m sure given the circumstances the club would be able to check back to who was sat behind you.
 
JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
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Brilliant post
 
Gibraltar Loyal said:
I'll admit that last season I should have called out racist behaviour by our own fans aimed at our own players but i didnt.
It has wracked me ever since.
Scenario was I was with my daughter in BR1 and these 3 guys that arent normally there sat behind us. Became evident they had a skin full but hey its football and we've all enjoyed a drink before a game. Now as the game went on creeping into their language was 'pass it to the black boy' or give it to the wee 'black boy' and finally with a stray pass 'useless black b@stard'.
I sat cringing and trying to talk to my daughter so as to distract her from it. All the while thinking do I say something? My problem was there were 3 of them and I was with my young daughter. Getting into a fight wasnt an option. I could have reported them to the stewards but the fear of being labelled a grass and the fact that the steward was black put me off. I could only imagine the abuse he would have got from them.
To this day I am ashamed I didnt say something. However after witnessing the pain and hearing the brave words of both Glen and Conor any backlash I receive for calling out this behaviour in future will be nothing to what these guys have suffered in their lives.
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You can and should still do something about this. Contact Robin Howe Rangers. I reported a guy for a racist comment at the Braga game last year, and and the club dealt with it brilliantly.
 
bob1873 said:
I agree with the OP. However I cannot support the BLM organisation it stands against democracy capitalism etc. I fully agree with the BLM statement it’s 2021 all people are equal and should be treated as such.

I’m afraid it is mate it’s based in Ca USA and it aims to do away with the ‘nuclear family’ democratic elections and capitalism. Please google it for yourself. Sadly it uses the BLM narrative for very different outcomes.

No one with any ounce of intelligence is against the statement BLM indeed all lives matter equally no matter ethnicity but that’s not what BLM the organisation only stands for it also stands for what I’ve detailed above. Google them and see.
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BLM? I think before you jump to conclusions you should check up. The easiest for us is Companies House where there are a number of BLMs, many set up, apparently, to cash in on the name. BLM is a movement not an organisation so please don’t try and confuse the two. By disseminating falsehoods you are buying into the racists agenda.
 
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JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
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No we can’t understand, nor should we. Let’s not tell our players how to behave.
 
Stoorie said:
My own encounter with racism (if you can call it that) was getting into an argument over food at a barbecue, many years ago.
The guy was an English, Leeds fan and I grabbed the last bit of chicken. He then went on a rant about how I shouldn’t be there with all the English people.
I was “nothing but a FRISP”, and while some of his mates laughed, I had no idea what he had called me and my other friends told me not to react, but I had no idea what he had said.
I was then told that “FRISP” was an acronym for “fucking repulsive ignorant Scottish prick”.
Angry? I wanted blood.

That wee (cool) story has lived with me for all my life, and is the reason I hate Leeds fans. This is not an anti-English rant as my best man and god father to my children is a scoucer, so let’s not go there.

My wee rant is only a drop in the ocean compared to what other minorities suffer, on a day to day basis in this country. It sickens me.
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Well You did take the last bit of chicken :cool:

I know what you mean though I've experienced anti Scottish abuse in England and I'm sure vice versa for some, I never knew what that would have meant either, horrible
 
Good post OP.

What I've been pleased to hear through this Goldson highlighting tokenism, and I couldn't agree more. I see tokenism all the time, and it makes me uneasy.
 
artificialintoleranz said:
My misses isn't white, my kids are mixed face.

The fist time i was confronted by racism was in a restaurant in Paris. It hurt me to see my misses have to basically ignore such behaviour to not cause a scene.

I am a very placid person, never been a fighter in my life and never will be but i was ready to go to town that evening.

Maybe things have got better or maybe i just ignore it now as well but i can imagine how much it must hurt an individual having witnessed the person i love so much that night having to swallow her pride and carry on quietly head down for the sake of a peaceful meal for two.

It really shouldn't be acceptable in this day and age and gladly it becomes less so every day.

I can turn that right on it's head and say i am not sure i fully agree with all this taking the knee patter, really not sure what that is meant to mean or what it accomplishes.

It is such a tricky argument, such a nuanced issue, one that means different things for different people living in different countries where standards could or can differ greatly.

It is a blight though, can be no doubt about that.
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What actually happened in the restaurant?
 
This is a great thread. A lot of soul searching and understanding.

These players have took us on a journey in more ways than one this season. From the outset and during all the initial BLM stuff the team showed a unity and strength in their anti-racism message.

That togetherness has helped drive one of our finest ever seasons.

We can all have opinions on different things but I genuinely believe guys like Kamara, Goldson, Tav and Aribo have broken down huge barriers this season and hopefully have united the Rangers support like never before.

We're All Behind You Boys.
 
I have to be honest, if this hadn't happened at Ibrox I wouldn't ever have paused to think about this, but that probably says something about me.
Spent yesterday having a good think about this and realised that I have to do a bit of growing up. I would never have thought myself a racist. I imagine racists as having skinheads and 14 eye doc martins screaming zieg heil. However on reflection it's the wee things that I think I am guilty of. An easy attempt at humour, unconscious bias, etc. I have never done or said anything with the intent to hurt someone; I've just said things without pause for thought about how it will affect others. It's racism. Not intentionally, but racism.
This sorry mess has highlighted my own ignorance. The sight of the Rangers players on Thursday night made me really consider what it must be like not to be a white man, something Ive had the chance over 30years as an adult to do, but only started yesterday
Im pretty ashamed of myself
 
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Stoorie said:
Wrong.

”mentally challenged pedophilia” as you put it, should have every light shone on it. Whether that be at football matches or social media or courts.
Crimes which are being covered up should have every light pointed at them.
If my voice is amplified by others shouting the same message, then the message is amplified.
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Wrong
 
Southernlion said:
BLM? I think before you jump to conclusions you should check up. The easiest for us is Companies House where there are a number of BLMs, many set up, apparently, to cash in on the name. BLM is a movement not an organisation so please don’t try and confuse the two. By disseminating falsehoods you are buying into the racists agenda.
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I most definitely am not mate.
 
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JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
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There's absolutely nothing to disagree with statement above! Why can't people understand under the skin we all have the same mechanism operating the body.
We should have to time for organisations that attempt to segregate society ,I thought that's what we fought a 2nd World War for or has society forgot about that!

As society we need to do more!!
We need to be better
 
JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
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Thanks for starting the thread and for your comments. I have a feeling that this could be a watershed moment. We can see the depth of pain that this has caused our black players.

I’ve never been in a black persons shoes, I’ve never experienced the off hand comments. I’ve had the occasional Scottish insult living in England, which made extremely mad. But, I’ve never had an ongoing battle against ignorance in my daily life. I can’t imagine how angry this must make you feel.

I’ve been lucky that I’ve travelled to many places and lived in quite a few. They say travel opens the mind, it really does, but it also starts at home. What are the cultural norms that we experience? Are we exposed to people from different places, with different accents and different backgrounds? How do we react towards these people? Racism is a trait we learn, we are not born with it.

Reading this board it has been amazing to see the reaction that we as a support have taken to the shocking scenes in Thursday. But, even here, we still see a couple of people demonstrating unintended casual racism (using the phrase coloured for example). I am sure that people making these comments no longer will.

Let’s continue to fight for Glen and our black community. UEFA being what they are, I’ve got a feeling that they will not provide the appropriate justice from this...what should that be? My initial thoughts were to lay the justice on the player, but, in the reaction since, I have changed my mind. We should fight for this horrible club to be kicked out of Europe.

I read a phrase which I completely agree with - “racism is about the colour of the mind, not your skin” It’s time to make a stand. We can do this Rangers.
 
JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
Click to expand...

Brilliant post, pretty much sums up my feelings as well.
 
JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
Click to expand...
Well said mate.
 
Armchair flautist said:
On Sunday, when Rangers play celtic, after this post you'll be singing for the Irish to go home Mr righteous no doubt, I'll be singing the same song, only with a clear conscience.
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You are quite obviously trolling.

On a thread about a Rangers player being racially abused.

Good for you, you come across as a grade A prime wanker.

At least you are one with a clear conscience
 
I'm still unable to get the thought of Kamara respectively leaning in to hear what a fellow professional has to say only to hear the words he did.

That will never leave his mind.

If it's haunting me then God knows hoe Glen and his fellow black players are feeling about it.

I hope he can quickly put the incident behind him but I struggle to think how that's possible.
 
Ive been really angry the last few days , had to take myself off twitter as i was getting into arguements with celtic fans ,im even more angry because i know and everybody else knows UEFA will do f**k all about this , they come out with all these no to racism campaigns but its just a box ticking exercise they never deal with the issues .
 
Honest assessment and one that I'm sure will resonate with a number of posters.

I was similar until the day I heard the boy Tess on a H&H podcast during the BLM stuff. It was powerful listening, and genuinely from that day in my understanding of the issues is night and day. He's a black rangers fan from Derby and sounds like a real top lad. But his hurt from his experiences was heartbreaking, similar to what we're seeing with our players just now.

I don't know how to find it but it's well worth a listen.
 
artificialintoleranz said:
My misses isn't white, my kids are mixed face.

The fist time i was confronted by racism was in a restaurant in Paris. It hurt me to see my misses have to basically ignore such behaviour to not cause a scene.

I am a very placid person, never been a fighter in my life and never will be but i was ready to go to town that evening.

Maybe things have got better or maybe i just ignore it now as well but i can imagine how much it must hurt an individual having witnessed the person i love so much that night having to swallow her pride and carry on quietly head down for the sake of a peaceful meal for two.

It really shouldn't be acceptable in this day and age and gladly it becomes less so every day.

I can turn that right on it's head and say i am not sure i fully agree with all this taking the knee patter, really not sure what that is meant to mean or what it accomplishes.

It is such a tricky argument, such a nuanced issue, one that means different things for different people living in different countries where standards could or can differ greatly.

It is a blight though, can be no doubt about that.
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Same story with me and my first wife. Had to stand up to a few arseholes in my time with her.

All backed down. You could see the humiliation on their faces when called out in front of other people.
I have no doubt in my mind it could have turned out badly at some point and will have done for others.
 
Thommo2006 said:
There will be a worldwide audience on Sunday what would be a massive statement is none of our players or celtic players taking the knee. Then in the interview after the game they can all say why and bring it front and centre
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thought the exact same thing this morning but just do it don't announce it and then have a statement put out by the club at KO to say why highlighting " empty gestures "
 
Great post OP. I think we can all learn from this poor experience this week - hopefully it can make us all better people.
 
Through traveling for work I can say I've been racially abused in London
And Wolverhampton
Sickend
Frightened
Bewildered
Degraded
And I am white
I couldn't give a toss about anyone's colour or religion it's the person inside the skin that's the problem
I have been threatend for being British in Tralee
That was one of the most fearfull moments in my life
 
Just got round to watching his interview there (I rarely watch player interviews) & you couldn't be more spot on OP. I've always been of the mind sticks & stones etc. as most of us have been the victim of some sort of abuse over the years but this is clearly a different level all together.
 
Dolphin said:
I have to be honest, if this hadn't happened at Ibrox I wouldn't ever have paused to think about this, but that probably says something about me.
Spent yesterday having a good think about this and realised that I have to do a bit of growing up. I would never have thought myself a racist. I imagine racists as having skinheads and 14 eye doc martins screaming zieg heil. However on reflection it's the wee things that I think I am guilty of. An easy attempt at humour, unconscious bias, etc. I have never done or said anything with the intent to hurt someone; I've just said things without pause for thought about how it will affect others. It's racism. Not intentionally, but racism.
This sorry mess has highlighted my own ignorance. The sight of the Rangers players on Thursday night made me really consider what it must be like not to be a white man, something Ive had the chance over 30years as an adult to do, but only started yesterday
Im pretty ashamed of myself
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I had a moment like that around 20 years ago. Not about race, about sexuality.

When I was growing up in the 80s, I was basically taught that the worst things you could be were 'a darkie', 'a poof' or 'a catholic' (admin, I've intentionally not censored this, but happy to do so if you feel it is necessary). Being a wee guy, I remember thinking it was the peak of humour to sing 'he's gay, he's bent, his arse is up for rent', and this carried on as I grew up - generally making jokes about 'poofs' and 'up the arse' stuff.

Went to uni, had a group of mates who we all had a right good laugh, out on the piss etc. Til one night one of the guys didn't show up. Then we didn't see or hear from him for a couple of weeks. Mobiles were brand new at the time so we didn't all have one (he didn't) and nobody really knew where he lived, beyond the town but he had a very common name so couldn't just look up a phone book.

Anyway, a bit more time passes and we get concerned so report it to the uni, giving our phone numbers etc if they were able to update us. Don't hear anything then months later, he just shows up again and says he hadn't been well.

A few weeks pass, and I remember this bit so vividly it's like it was yesterday. We were sitting in a particular spot in Strathclyde students Union (the same spot where we watched the game v Bayern where Mols career was basically ended) waiting for the rest of the lads to come and join between classes and he says to me 'I tried to kill myself'.

After the initial 'fućk off, dont take the piss' etc, he then proceeds to tell me how the night he was supposed to meet us, he'd gone to Delmonica's for a drink first, then left there to come meet us and got a kicking for 'coming out of a poof pub'. He was on his own, and was now putting it down to bad luck. I was in shock. First of all, we had no idea he was gay. He was always right involved with the 'banter' but that night had said he felt so alone because of the banter and that he had thought we would ditch him as a mate if he told us he was gay that he just went home and tried to hang himself. He'd been admitted to hospital for a while after that which is why he hadn't been about.

And that was the moment that I truly realised that it doesn't matter a single fućk what your colour, sexuality, religion etc is. It doesn't affect anyone else, but what you say about someone else's colour, sexuality, religion etc can have an affect on them. Just don't be a dick.
 
TinyRick said:
I had a moment like that around 20 years ago. Not about race, about sexuality.

When I was growing up in the 80s, I was basically taught that the worst things you could be were 'a darkie', 'a poof' or 'a catholic' (admin, I've intentionally not censored this, but happy to do so if you feel it is necessary). Being a wee guy, I remember thinking it was the peak of humour to sing 'he's gay, he's bent, his arse is up for rent', and this carried on as I grew up - generally making jokes about 'poofs' and 'up the arse' stuff.

Went to uni, had a group of mates who we all had a right good laugh, out on the piss etc. Til one night one of the guys didn't show up. Then we didn't see or hear from him for a couple of weeks. Mobiles were brand new at the time so we didn't all have one (he didn't) and nobody really knew where he lived, beyond the town but he had a very common name so couldn't just look up a phone book.

Anyway, a bit more time passes and we get concerned so report it to the uni, giving our phone numbers etc if they were able to update us. Don't hear anything then months later, he just shows up again and says he hadn't been well.

A few weeks pass, and I remember this bit so vividly it's like it was yesterday. We were sitting in a particular spot in Strathclyde students Union (the same spot where we watched the game v Bayern where Mols career was basically ended) waiting for the rest of the lads to come and join between classes and he says to me 'I tried to kill myself'.

After the initial 'fućk off, dont take the piss' etc, he then proceeds to tell me how the night he was supposed to meet us, he'd gone to Delmonica's for a drink first, then left there to come meet us and got a kicking for 'coming out of a poof pub'. He was on his own, and was now putting it down to bad luck. I was in shock. First of all, we had no idea he was gay. He was always right involved with the 'banter' but that night had said he felt so alone because of the banter and that he had thought we would ditch him as a mate if he told us he was gay that he just went home and tried to hang himself. He'd been admitted to hospital for a while after that which is why he hadn't been about.

And that was the moment that I truly realised that it doesn't matter a single fućk what your colour, sexuality, religion etc is. It doesn't affect anyone else, but what you say about someone else's colour, sexuality, religion etc can have an affect on them. Just don't be a dick.
Click to expand...
Great post.
 
Dolphin said:
I have to be honest, if this hadn't happened at Ibrox I wouldn't ever have paused to think about this, but that probably says something about me.
Spent yesterday having a good think about this and realised that I have to do a bit of growing up. I would never have thought myself a racist. I imagine racists as having skinheads and 14 eye doc martins screaming zieg heil. However on reflection it's the wee things that I think I am guilty of. An easy attempt at humour, unconscious bias, etc. I have never done or said anything with the intent to hurt someone; I've just said things without pause for thought about how it will affect others. It's racism. Not intentionally, but racism.
This sorry mess has highlighted my own ignorance. The sight of the Rangers players on Thursday night made me really consider what it must be like not to be a white man, something Ive had the chance over 30years as an adult to do, but only started yesterday
Im pretty ashamed of myself
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Don't be ashamed.

I read a great article a few months ago that explained how our brains work in reference to unconscious bias. It basically said that the first thought you have is conditioning, it's what you've been taught/learned to think. Once you recognise that it might not be right, which you now have, you can change how you respond.

You've taken a big step in your post. We can all be better.
 
Gibraltar Loyal said:
I'll admit that last season I should have called out racist behaviour by our own fans aimed at our own players but i didnt.
It has wracked me ever since.
Scenario was I was with my daughter in BR1 and these 3 guys that arent normally there sat behind us. Became evident they had a skin full but hey its football and we've all enjoyed a drink before a game. Now as the game went on creeping into their language was 'pass it to the black boy' or give it to the wee 'black boy' and finally with a stray pass 'useless black b@stard'.
I sat cringing and trying to talk to my daughter so as to distract her from it. All the while thinking do I say something? My problem was there were 3 of them and I was with my young daughter. Getting into a fight wasnt an option. I could have reported them to the stewards but the fear of being labelled a grass and the fact that the steward was black put me off. I could only imagine the abuse he would have got from them.
To this day I am ashamed I didnt say something. However after witnessing the pain and hearing the brave words of both Glen and Conor any backlash I receive for calling out this behaviour in future will be nothing to what these guys have suffered in their lives.
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I think a lot of people, reading that, would have sympathy for you. I used to sit in the Govan, when it was called that, and within earshot, there were 3 different chaps who I occasionally heard giving monkey chants to opposition players. Obviously everybody else heard it as well. These were ST holders, not randoms like in your case. I could quite easily have contacted the club with their seat details, suggesting they keep an eye out for this type of behaviour. I'm sure a warning to the culprits would have shut them up. But, for whatever reason, cowardice, apathy, laziness, not wanting to grass, I didn't. We are both guilty of complicity in this matter, along with everybody else who heard them, which would have been a lot of people. The main thing I guess, is that if it happened again - and that seems slightly less likely nowadays - we Should do something.
 
JW1988 said:
I thought before last night that I kind of understood racism, couldn’t understand how it felt to be a victim, but thought I had an idea.
After seeing the reaction of Kamara, Zungu and Goldson and more so Goldson’s interview today, it hit me.
I don’t have a clue.
The hurt in his voice today is still haunting me all these hours later.

I’m angry. I’ve spent all night and day angry and I don’t even know Glen. I can’t imagine what Glen, his family and his team mates are going through. How they showed the restraint they did is beyond me.

I disliked the taking of the knee, not because I’m a racist, but for me because it represented the ugly BLM scenes we saw. Again, it’s struck me, I don’t have a clue.

When the likes of the Man U players and Zaha were abused online I thought that’s terrible, but never really gave it much thought.
This has to stop. Our club has to take it all the way. If (when) UEFA don’t deal with it I hope we take it further.

As society we need to do more
We need to be better
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That’s a great post. Well done mate.

I’ve been bullied at school and at work but I’ve never felt dehumanised by it. I may not have a clue either tbh but I’ve always seen racism as a dehumanisation of a human being. It’s a devaluation of that person’s existence and a belief that the colour of their skin means they don’t count like others do.

it’s hideous. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like Glan Kamara, or Mark Walters or anyone else whose been dehumanised like that. And I’ll never know why ‘people’ think that view correct.
 
Godrup99 said:
Sadly I'm not shocked, it's actually something if you expected to come would be from backwards pricks like Eastern Europeans. "He's a nice guy, he wouldn't do that, Kamara lied". Aye OK slavia, so he wasn't mocking him from 6 yards away and when that didn't work he acted like a rat, that didn't happen? People need opinions, and I still don't like the knee taking. It's just a kick off routine, it's not working. Just smacks to me for a long time and what goldson said, an upper decision in football to make folk think they care when literally they don't give a stuff. Whilst I don't like it, I respect any player who feels they do or don't want to do it. As a club on Sunday, I'd rather we didn't do the knee, however I'd be glad to see us do something else in unity accross the players and manager pre kick off with a message on t shirts or something. We couldn't get a bigger game where people will see it far and wide and make sure everyone knows why and if they don't questions will be asked why we had t
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Godrup99 said:
Sadly I'm not shocked, it's actually something if you expected to come would be from backwards pricks like Eastern Europeans. "He's a nice guy, he wouldn't do that, Kamara lied". Aye OK slavia, so he wasn't mocking him from 6 yards away and when that didn't work he acted like a rat, that didn't happen? People need opinions, and I still don't like the knee taking. It's just a kick off routine, it's not working. Just smacks to me for a long time and what goldson said, an upper decision in football to make folk think they care when literally they don't give a stuff. Whilst I don't like it, I respect any player who feels they do or don't want to do it. As a club on Sunday, I'd rather we didn't do the knee, however I'd be glad to see us do something else in unity accross the players and manager pre kick off with a message on t shirts or something. We couldn't get a bigger game where people will see it far and wide and make sure everyone knows why and if they don't questions will be asked why we had to.
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"Backwards pricks like Eastern Europeans"
Very inclusive and unifying. Seems like this thread is too much for you to grasp.
Think you may have to up your self awareness game.
 
Great OP and I completely agree.

However, I honestly believe that it is such a complex issue and that at times it is actually clouded by some of the campaigns as opposed to highlighted, explained, thought provoking...whichever way you would want to describe it.

My brother in law, has suffered racism as has my sister, and as a mixed race couple it is sometimes hard to work out which suffers the most from what I must say are isolated incidents. they are in US so other than on visits and seeing some strange looks I can’t claim to have any first hand experience.

I did spend 8 weeks working in Japan with approx 150 folk from all over the world, and being so far away with a group whom I only knew one other of beforehand. It makes you observe people in a different way, like the guy I sat next to on shift (designated seats I may add) American from the Deep South who’d never left US previously and was a complete ignoramus, if you weren’t American then you weren’t worthy of his attention. There were also 3 Israeli’s, all very decent on first impressions. One was deeply religious, so a bit difficult to find any true common ground with. Another was so full of hate that despite being a great guy sober he was somebody that you didn’t want to be around when he had a drink. Third guy didn‘t give a F*** and just wanted to have a bevvy. On meeting either one I would have formed a view, but the view is obviously skewed. Meeting all three at the same time in exactly the same circumstances showed that regardless of race, colour or whatever we are all the same, but at the same time different.
 
22ndBB said:
GOlden rule mate....treat people as you would like to be treated. It’s simple.
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I think it is so sad that it has to be spelt out. My goddaughter is Ugandan and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to treat her or her family differently.
JW1988 said:
If you’re referring to Billy boys etc

I got past that when I was 14.

I hate Celtic, not catholics.
There’s a lot about Catholicism I don’t agree with, but that’s nothing to do with football.
Hope I’ve caught your point correctly
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What a great post OP.

My only real first hand experience of racism was on holiday in Indonesia. Wife and I (both white) were in a bar chatting to the waiter (a local) and he asked us "there's lots of black people in the UK, do you like them?". We were a bit shocked and just said "of course we do" and moved the conversation on.

That was 7-8 years ago now and I guess what I've learnt is we shouldn't have moved the conversation on. We should've stopped him and educated him. That's all of our responsibility and events like what happened to Glen Kamara have really hit it home.
 
I don’t think I can understand it really either but I want to try. You make many excellent points but I still think taking the knee is the worst type of woke Americanism bullshit which serves no purpose but perpetuate a victim narrative that drags everyone down.

We don’t even play a national anthem before our sports do there is LITERALLY no symbolism in it.

Football has a long road ahead to eradicate racism but the first thing should be changing the narrative. ‘Get off your knees and stand proud‘ would better encapsulate the united movement I imagine is required to beat racism.
 
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