Racist Abuse From Arsenal Fans
From minute 1 to minute 95 of today’s Arsenal v Spurs match I was subjected to racist and homophobic abuse from Arsenal fans. Why is this brushed under the carpet? Stuff about the gas chambers and being a “yid faggot”. It goes on all the time and is seen as just banter, but it is not acceptable. It’s abuse and is very unpleasant for the people it’s directed at.
Racism. Homophobia. Hate.
Repeated experiences like this from Arsenal fans in a range of different venues across the globe have led me to link those words to that football club. Unless you’ve experienced it I doubt you will understand. This is why you won’t see me posing for a photograph outside the Emirates when my running crew run there. It’s like when Chelsea asked Souleymane Sylla, the French man who was abused by their fans, to go to Stamford Bridge for a match. Hell no.
What sort of a disconnect is going on in people when they think it’s OK to abuse strangers in this way?
And why can’t we just sit down and watch a football match without resorting to personal, abusive comments?
Very sad.