Politics in football

Shiggy

Shiggy

Well-known member
A few weeks ago I wrote a thread about how I was starting to despise the premier league. I got a few responses about politicisation etc and understood where they were coming from but it didn’t really seem to bother me. However when I come to think about it, you can barely go a week without a new message being forced down your throat, and I think it is seriously contributing to my dwindling affection for the elite level of our game.

It’s not exactly that I disagree with most of the messages. It’s more the incessant ‘look at how good we are’ etc. Germany last night wearing human rights t shirts while walking out for the game, taking the knee (I know that seriously divides opinion), the lgbt laces campaign. I find myself longing for a time where it was just football.

I know we’ve always had minutes silence and charity sponsor events etc but it seems like it’s non stop now and issues that aren’t even related to football. Even when a player gets injured you have the team walking out in t shirts of support. Like I said, for the most parts the messages are admirable, but the frequency in which clubs are now insisting on being political advocates for something leads it to come across as performative nonsense.

For example, why have Germany started a campaign against human rights issues in relation to Qatar 2022 now? The human rights issues have been evident from the beginning. Why wait until most of the stadiums have already been built in horrid conditions? It comes across as though they know it won’t achieve anything, but they’re also aware it’s good PR.

I welcome people to disagree with me if I’m be been slightly ignorant. I just think my main gripe stems from a longing for simpler times, where football is football. Not a game that is trying just as hard to be politically correct as it is to improve standards on the pitch.
 
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I mean I understand your longing for simpler times... I just think condemning slavery is a little bit more important, personally 🤷‍♂️
 
If Ze Germans are that bothered about Human Rights violations linked to the Qatar World Cup, the biggest message they could send would be to refuse to play and pull out of the tournament..... can't see that happening so they're obviously not that bothered and what they've done is simply a token gesture.
 
Shiggy said:
A few weeks ago I wrote a thread about how I was starting to despise the premier league. I got a few responses about politicisation etc and understood where they were coming from but it didn’t really seem to bother me. However when I come to think about it, you can barely go a week without a new message being forced down your throat, and I think it is seriously contributing to my dwindling affection for the elite level of our game.

It’s not exactly that I disagree with most of the messages. It’s more the incessant ‘look at how good we are’ etc. Germany last night wearing human rights t shirts while walking out for the game, taking the knee (I know that seriously divides opinion), the lgbt laces campaign. I find myself longing for a time where it was just football.

I know we’ve always had minutes silence and charity sponsor events etc but it seems like it’s non stop now and issues that aren’t even related to football. Even when a player gets injured you have the team walking out in t shirts of support. Like I said, for the most parts the messages are admirable, but the frequency in which clubs are now insisting on being political advocates for something leads it to come across as performative nonsense.

For example, why have Germany started a campaign against human rights issues in relation to Qatar 2022 now? The human rights issues have been evident from the beginning. Why wait until most of the stadiums have already been built in horrid conditions? It comes across as though they know it won’t achieve anything, but they’re also aware it’s good PR.

I welcome people to disagree with me if I’m be been slightly ignorant. I just think my main gripe stems from a longing for simpler times, where football is football. Not a game that is trying just as hard to be politically correct as it is to improve standards.
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Some decent points, especially the Qatar stuff, we know and they know we know that it's all just PR, it's not like Tamim Bin Hamad is suddenly going to think 'you know what, watching Leroy Sane walk out with that T shirt on has opened my eyes to our human rights record'.

Governments need to act, but that would mean closing off a lucrative market, so they won't.
 
Shiggy said:
I think this is missing the point of my post slightly.
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I don’t think so at all, I think the truth is you don’t really have a point at all, just a gut reaction. I don’t see any moral argument in your post other than the fact it’s getting a bit boring for you. All I’m saying is, I don’t really care what t shirts they wear or whether they stand or kneel or whatever, the game will still kick off at 3pm and they will still play football regardless the colour of their laces.
I agree it’s a bit disingenuous when the sport is inherently corrupt and probably a huge force for bad in the world, but still it just makes no difference to my Saturday. They can come out in tu-tus singing Free Nelson Mandela I’ll still be just waiting for the kick off as usual. To be honest if it shuts Tony Parr up for 60 seconds it’s not all bad.
 
Alf said:
I don’t think so at all, I think the truth is you don’t really have a point at all, just a gut reaction. I don’t see any moral argument in your post other than the fact it’s getting a bit boring for you. All I’m saying is, I don’t really care what t shirts they wear or whether they stand or kneel or whatever, the game will still kick off at 3pm and they will still play football regardless the colour of their laces.
I agree it’s a bit disingenuous when the sport is inherently corrupt and probably a huge force for bad in the world, but still it just makes no difference to my Saturday. They can come out in tu-tus singing Free Nelson Mandela I’ll still be just waiting for the kick off as usual. To be honest if it shuts Tony Parr up for 60 seconds it’s not all bad.
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It’s not boredom, it’s a genuine discussion surrounding the extent of politics in football these days. EVERYTHING is, in a way, censored. And your point about it being disingenuous is my point. Fair enough if it doesn’t bother you, that’s fine. Was just wondering what people’s thoughts on the matter were.
 
You are right about German players taking the knee. As Highfield said, it is gesture politics, and far too little, far too late. Had their FA refused to take part in qualifying for the tournament - that would have been powerful.

Whatever happened to the FBI investigation of FIFA? It's high time some of these people were brought to book, in my view. Awarding a major tournament to Russia was shameful enough, but this is equally bad.

I actually think that there is some merit in all the major tournaments that operate on a four year cycle (whatever the sport) having a permanent designated home. It would remove a lot of the scope for corruption immediately.
 
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basilrobbie said:
You are right about German players taking the knee. As Highfield said, it is gesture politics, and far too little, far too late. Had their FA refused to take part in qualifying for the tournament - that would have been powerful.

Whatever happened to the FBI investigation of FIFA? It's high time some of these people were brought to book, in my view. Awarding a major tournament to Russia was shameful enough, but this is equally bad.

I actually think that there is some merit in all the major tournaments that operate on a four year cycle (whatever the sport) having a permanent designated home. It would remove a lot of the scope for corruption immediately.
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Other than the corruption in getting the permanent venue in their own country 😉
 
The governing bodies of the major footballing nations should all threaten to refuse in taking part with what is an absolute farce of a tournament. Various human rights issues AND its being hosted in Winter due to the climate, so what are the benefits of actually hosting a tournament in this country?

Of course the governing bodies would never do something like that, so it is a bit bizarre to wear t-shirts and all that whilst taking part in it. It would almost be like wearing an animal rights t-shirt on your way into KFC.
 
Shiggy said:
It’s not boredom, it’s a genuine discussion surrounding the extent of politics in football these days. EVERYTHING is, in a way, censored. And your point about it being disingenuous is my point. Fair enough if it doesn’t bother you, that’s fine. Was just wondering what people’s thoughts on the matter were.
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That’s simply not true that everything is censored. You make a lot of points without really explaining what you mean. I’m saying what is your actual problem with the extent of politics in football? What does it change or make worse?
 
Well done the German and Norwegian players for making an ethical stand. Too few of the English players have a spine. If you don't know what has been happening in terms of slave labour and deaths on building sites in Qatar then check it out. It's appalling. These are human lives in the name of football. I couldn't give a f@@@ I am not watching the World Cup. Its corrupt.
 
There are thousands of gay players afraid to be themselves because of the abuse they would get. THAT’S politics in football. Women being subject to sexist comments is politics in football. Lower income people being priced out of watching is politics in football. Money flooding into the game from murderous oil barons is politics in football.

The problem with saying to get rid of slogans and t-shirts is that might take away what you see at the surface level - but that’s it. You wipe away the stuff actually trying to make a difference and leave all the other stuff that’s actually harmful. Or more harmful than ‘I’m sick of seeing it’
 
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