Being, literally, a b'stard myself

Jun 16, 2015 20:35:08 GMT @chewbacca said:

Jun 16, 2015 20:33:16 GMT Rex said:

Did he?

"Being, literally, a b******, can I say I remember very similar sentiments being uttered when some of us claimed that racist chants and monkey noises were disfiguring footbal"

But he wasn't comparing the banner to racism when he said that, he was commenting on the post regarding the gentrification of football.

Jun 17, 2015 4:37:18 GMT Gregory Stevens said:

Jun 16, 2015 20:48:25 GMT oldie said:

What, precisely, is the gentrification of football?
Some utopian vision of a time which actually never existed?

Liberal, predominantly middle class values being imposed on football via the media, led by the BBC:

1. Focussing incessantly on issues of race in football.  It was never a serious problem in my lifetime save the odd comment from random angry idiot.  Racism is a key bee in bonnet for those who have the time to clasp their hands and worry whilst others worry about their mortgage and job.  Plus it's usually poorer folks with lass education who are the culprits, hence graduate man wants angry idiot removed.

2. Sexism.  You WILL have women's football broadcasted at you regardless.  Lad culture is despised in the gentrys dinner parties.  Critical theory is massively popular amongst the better off these days, universally accepted and football remains an institution of the old ways, a male centric institution which must be changed.

3. Swearing and aggression.  You've not needed to be aggressive to get on if you've been raised in a good school, and a wealthy household.  Coming from a slum or estate, where resources are more scarce, aggression or physical dominance is a far more important part of life.  The chatterati don't get this, but they like football now, and they want any form of anger banned in a football match. So no swearing for you.

Gentrification isnt the right word, it's a particular sort of the gentry who hold identikit beliefs....the liberal chatterati, Guardian readers from north London who are ruining it.  These lot infest the  media ergo hold massive influence.  Listen to Radio 5 live and they cannot talk about football for 5 minutes without introducing a racism or sexism slant.  They are utterly obsessed with any type of ism and see it everywhere.  

What about us Guardian readers who were raised in Oldbury Court, despise racism, are bored by women's football but love rugby.

Maybe I should start reading the Daily Mail every other day and start listening to Talksport

Jun 17, 2015 4:37:18 GMT Gregory Stevens said:

Jun 16, 2015 20:48:25 GMT oldie said:

What, precisely, is the gentrification of football?
Some utopian vision of a time which actually never existed?

Liberal, predominantly middle class values being imposed on football via the media, led by the BBC:

Could be a good debate, and as the core is football I hope the mods let it go

I don't know how old you are but racism has been a terrible problem in mine (I am 63). I am not going to list historical examples, they many and continuous. If you feel that being concerned about the kind of society your kids grow up in is only the domain of some wealthy liberal elite, well what can I say. And your slur on less well off people is outrageous. The thing about racism, its like stupidity, it does not recognise creed, colour nor levels of education.

I don't watch much football on TV these days, including womans football. I don't think that makes me sexist. I don't know what dinner parties you go to (I thought that was a bit "old hat" to be honest), but if you define "lad" culture as boorish men getting pissed and loud in public places, then are we not all bored with that (very different from a mass social event like football, but even then is it hard to consider those who don't like football?

I am sorry, but that is just nonsense. Coming from an "estate" most of my peers worked their way to a better life style, not fought their way to it. Mind you being a gashead in Knowle West presented its own challenges.

Emmm.

I think what has happened is that media moguls have stolen our game for their own ends. In so doing it they have rebranded the top level from a domestic game where teams represented their local communities to an international game where teams are owned by political and economic charlatans who have, in the main, ripped off their own countries and completely distorted the game itself.

The vast majority of these people are the antithesis of liberal.

The result is the game at the top level is only available, live, to the wealthiest in their catchment area and the rest of us are ripped off through TV subscriptions or pub prices whose owners have to pay extortionate prices to show games live.

These moguls have to play the political game though to ensure they stay on the right side of the politics. Hence the "right on" activities such as the Premier League's Community Activities for example, pushed endlessly on BBC trying to pretend that ripping us off is justified because a "star" player earning a weekly income that the families of the kids featured could only accumulate over a number of years, shows up at this or that school trying to pretend they are interested and reciting the same script as the last player featured.

Parliament, The BBC and local authorities are in awe of the money and do as the moguls want and demand.

I think you are targeting the wrong people in your anger.