The Great Rainbow Laces Blast-o-rama

When I read a post from Fearless Leader Legend Pete on the RMB’s Facebook page I made the surprised “Ooooh!” sound. It wasn’t a choice to make that sound, it just happened. Chelsea were going to use rainbow laces against Man Utd. Nice touch, I thought.

Then a little while later I was perusing FB looking for posts from family and friends when I came across this:

Exhibit A

Dave is usually a good read. He’s one of those fans who not only went to games, but went to training sessions, too, so when he posts it’s normally either a lovely slice of nostalgia or a post claiming player A as the best player in the world, then useless a few weeks after. Always good for a laugh in my book. This post, however, got under my skin.

My brows raised and I tried to blow it off as banter, but then I read some of the replies. They really got under my skin. It’s almost like this section of fans doesn’t just revel in nostalgia and the good old days, but would rather actually turn back time and segregate themselves and the club from foreign fans and those who support the notion that everyone, regardless of their creed, colour or sexual orientation.

Exhibit B

Shocking Newsflash: People aren’t just gay for pride month, folks, and if it offends you so much that you can’t bear to see anything other than red laces in your Doc Martens (Inside barb for those in the know.) for ONE DAY? It reminds of the time when a couple of Chelsea fans told me “Black goals don’t count.” back in ’84 or ’85. Sorry Canners. I look forward to the day when a Chelsea player comes out and scores the winner in a Champions League final, like Didier Drogba did in 2012 to the dismay of every racist piece of shit wielding the temerity to call themselves a Chelsea fan.

Then we have this clownshoe:

Exhibit C

I just know this guy still smells of Brut cologne and probably has a tattoo of a Bulldog sat in front of a Union Flag on his arm. I know you thought it, too. It’s Innnnnstinct (Thanks, Al!). If Mr McGrath can’t cope with the amazing RMBs showing up to home and away games every now and then, I imagine he’ll have a nervous breakdown in a few years when a male Chelsea player finally comes out and I hope it’s your favourite player. The rest of us will give our undivided support to the team while… and this is a stab in the dark …the two Daves are swept aside and forgotten like the sons, brothers and cousins in their family who were disowned for being gay. Tout fucking suite, no less.

Exhibit D

That shit, Mark, is the future.

Improvise, adapt and overcome, old boy, or be remembered as that guy who needs a double vodka at 11am to cope with the thought of rainbow laces showing up in public. Thank fuck that the core Chelsea fans I grew up with would be comfortable enough in their own sexuality that they’d absofuckinglutely wear rainbow laces for someone else for a day. They’d also cheer on players who do not have the courage to come out yet. It’s also the smallest token of respect and support we can give to those who sit in the stands and have to present a completely different person just to avoid getting a beating after the match. Yet here we are.

This next one is my favourite.

Exhibit E

Anyone want to wager against this fuck knuckle not being in the wrong side of the Shed in the 80’s singing racist songs to Canners, Dubs and Jones while sporting Combat18 and Totenkopf badges on his denim jacket? I mean I was there on the other side of the Shed in the 80’s up to ’93 and I did see them. A lot.

(My daughter, who is 12, read some of this and says you’re stupid idiots and you need to reset your priorities.)

Then followed a chorus of gold chokers and sovereign coin rings clanking against each other:

Dear Robin. ALL of our players wore them.

I will take a moment to be serious and address Danny Tanner’s statement:

Statistically speaking there’s at least a couple of the lads in the squad who are gay and do not have the strength or conviction of belief to come out because of the people exhibited above. That’s not even going into the deeper ranks of the u23’s and academy, who are much more forward thinking and honest with themselves. And Chelsea is just one club. There 72 professional teams in the English leagues (3 of them are Welsh and we thank Wrexham for Joey Jones and Mickey Thomas.). Instead of 150-220 openly gay players in the professional tiers there’s ONE openly gay professional footballer. Not one per year, but one in 30 odd years. Why do you think no one has come out after seeing what Justin Fashanu went through when he came out in 1990?

Frankly, if I was in such a privileged position to play for Chelsea I’d wear them in support of Jake Daniels alone. I’d probably pop his name on the back of my shirt from time to time to boot.

Jake Daniels: The bravest man in English football.

More so it’s not just for the players on the pitch. It’s for the fans who can’t be themselves on match day and the others who are and still get abused for it. Brighton and Arsenal spring to mind as examples of supporters who have a brilliant section of fans that wear their orientation on their sleeves, and good for them. Maybe it’s even for the Chelsea fans who went to Brighton, sing rent boy songs to the opposition only to wind up getting well deserved jail time for it (yes, that happened). Maybe it’s for the Man Utd fans who sang it today.

Once being gay in the men’s game is as normalised as the women’s game is, maybe there’ll be a few less kids hanging themselves every year because they can’t cope with having to be different people depending on who they are with. And that’s what Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign is really about. Read more here: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/why-do-we-need-rainbow-laces-campaign

I called you all out so you know how it feels to be shamed, and I pray to all the gods that don’t exist that you do feel shame, too. Within that prayer I hold a sliver of hope that this will be the kick up the arse you need to join everyone else in the 21st Century and know truly, madly and deeply that IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU.

Lastly I sincerely hope that none of the people I called out support our amazing women’s team because if you do, none of those diamonds like Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Jess Carter and Beth England need your two faced shithousery.

Racism in football: FIFA adopts the Dr. Sammy Plan

A couple of weeks ago I went off on FIFA and its president, Sepp Blatter, over the issue of racism in world football. The impetus for that post was the racist abuse of AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli by AS Roma fans in a Serie A match. If you recall, Blatter was appalled!

I noted that racism in European football was certainly nothing new and that the sports governing bodies had done pretty much nothing about it. Specifically, I wrote:

Blatter “appalled” by racist abuse of Balotelli: hey Sepp – less talk, more action

Racist abuse of AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli by AS Roma fans in yesterday’s Serie A match caused the official to briefly suspend play. After an PA announcement warning the offending supporters to cease and desist, the game was resumed.

While these things are hardly uncommon in Italian football (or throughout the rest of Europe, for that matter), FIFA dictator-for-life president Sepp Blatter is appalled! 

“Appalled to read about racist abuse in Serie A last night,” Blatter tweeted Monday.

And End to the Affair?

There’s no denying this one happened!

John Terry has decided not to appeal against the FA’s ruling on the Great-Anton-Ferdinand-Blast-o-Rama.

The FA has also fined Ashley Cole £90,000 for his tweet which accused the FA of labeling him a liar, whilst calling them a “#BUNCHOFTWATS.” (I’ll point out here that both Julian Bravo and I predicted this result in our most recent Vodcast.)

JT gave a statement today apologising for the language used and looks to be wanting to put the whole thing behind him.

Irony, Thy Name is Ferdinand

You couldn’t possibly have seen this one coming. For years, Manchester United and English national team defender Rio Ferdinand has dedicated himself to ridding soccer of its ugly and pervasive racism. Recently, he has seen his brother, Queens Park Rangers defender Anton, embroiled in an ugly did-he-or-didn’t-he case involving Chelsea (and England) star John Terry. Terry was ultimately acquitted of racially abusing Ferdinand the Lesser, although he is now being hauled up on charges by the FA, whose authority apparently supersedes that of the Crown.

Racism – the serious side

The original geezer!

I wrote a piece last week on the case John Terry had to answer for against allegations of racism where I used crude humour to make light of a situation I thought was a waste of taxpayer’s money. If the verdict is to be believed then I would say I am justified in that choice. But let me be clear – racism is something I have abhorred since I learned what it was.

I don’t consider myself a Chelsea fan. It’s more important than that. I am Chelsea. It’s in my blood. I was born a fan and have been wearing royal blue since before memory serves.

John Terry racial abuse trial under way: what does Chelsea do if he’s convicted?

The long-anticipated (or long-dreaded, depending on your perspective) racial abuse trial of Chelsea center back John Terry commenced in London this morning, and already my ambivalence is mounting. For those unfamiliar with the case, Terry stands accused of calling Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand a … brace yourselves here, tender American reader … “fucking black cunt” in a match last season. In the US such behavior, if proven, would get you fined, ostracized and probably suspended. In the UK, however, it’s actually illegal, and while Terry faces nothing more than a fine if convicted, it certainly won’t do his reputation any good.