November 3 2005

Play-off final at Cardiff

Is it mindless and cretinous to call opposing fans 'scum' or does it merely reflect a passion for the game? Jamesey sticks his oar in

Passion - a strong enthusiasm for an object, concept, etc (Collins English dictionary).

With a bit of a hiatus after the cancellation of the Southampton away game last night (Nov 2), I took the opportunity to have a little look at the posting boards to see what was occupying the minds of our members.

I found one posting in Palace Talk most interesting. Entitled 'scum' by 'lifelongeagle', the posting basically stated that the author was fed up to the back teeth with 'morons and cretins' who call the other team's fan 'scum' or worse and he was giving football a miss.

The author also quoted the Man City mocking reference to the Munich air crash where young men lost their lives and the 'let him die' chants when an honest player is down with an injury.

Predictably the posting drew some quite strong replies and the gist of quite a few seemed to be that unless you go along with screaming abuse and obscenity at rival fans, you are technically dead and have no passion for the game.

Well, let's nail my colours to the mast, I am speaking fom the other end of the age spectrum to the majority of HOL members so my views will almost inevitably be mellow compared to the strong emotions of youth.

And having been a supporter through the hooligan years of the '70s and '80s, I am all too familiar with the horrible physical fighting in and outside grounds that defaced our game in those times.

I used to meet people in those days who were genuinely amazed that I still went to football matches. 'I used to go, but you wouldn't catch me anywhere near football now,' was common sentiment.

Yes, a combination of all-seater stadia and, I suppose, the return of women and children to games, and possibly a more sensible culture, do mean that for most of the time, at least, violence is quite unusual these days.

But I tend to agree with 'lifelongeagle' that disappearing physical violence has certainly been replaced by a sociopathic verbal violence and I don't just mean calling someone scum but much worse.

Several opponents of 'lifelongeagle's views urged him to sit in a different part of the ground or go and watch tennis.

Well if anyone seriously thinks that tennis enthusiasts lack passion or golf followers too for that matter, they should go and watch some Wimbledon or Davis Cup games or take a day out to the British Open golf championship.

Supporters of most other sports certainly do not lack passion but that so-called passion does not take the form of wishing cancer on players you don't like, gloating over a tragic air crash or waving a hangman's noose because a player got sent off in an important World Cup game.

And, to me, it just doesn't wash, saying that it's all a bit of fun really and we shouldn't take it too seriously. People who shout the most appalling abuse at players and officials are all nice blokes really and just go home and walk the dog and hug their children.

Racist abuse is illegal these days and some of the chants I have heard aren't much better either.

Words are very serious indeed and malevolence and evil ones can be as damaging, in a different way, as physical threats.

I know we will all beg to differ on this one till the cows come home, so I'll just pop out and renew my membership of the Stripey Nigels Association.

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

In Depth Jamesey's Veteran View Index