daodao said:

AlastairMeeks said:

MarqueeMark said:

AlastairMeeks said:

Already this morning we've seen Angela Merkel compared with Robert Mugabe and Remainers called quislings. All in a day's work for the WTW Leavers.

You seem a little miffed that your own output is being overtaken?

If you think that Angela Merkel is comparable to a brutal dictator, you are deranged.

If you think that wanting Britain to remain in the EU is comparable to being a treacherous Nazi sympathiser, you are deranged.

Sadly, it is apparent that many Leavers sincerely believe this lunacy.

The current German agenda is to achieve by peaceful means via the EU what the militarism of the German imperialists and the brutality of the Nazis failed to achieve on a permanent basis, namely a Großdeutsches Reich from Brest (-Litewsk) to Brest (Llydaw).

The majority of the British people didn't want to be ruled from Berlin in 1914 or 1939, and the Brexit vote was heavily influenced by those who remembered, or whose parents recalled, these previous eras. The death of the "German" Empress Victoria in 1901 and the Entente Cordiale of 1904 led to a radical re-alignment of the previous pro-German British foreign policy dating back to the days of Louis XIV of France.

JosiasJessop said:

MarqueeMark said:

JosiasJessop said:

MarqueeMark said:

Of course it doesn't go over my head. Nincompoop.

Don't be hard on yourself. You're not a nincompoop, even if you sometimes act like one.

For those that were worried the world's supplies of patronising guff might be running low, they can take heart from your postings today....

LOL. I'm trying to make some serious points, and you're trolling them. Why not try to add something meaningful to the conversation?

FF43 said:

Jonathan said:

Farages Britain would be much like Cuba. Isolated, stuck in the 50s and lots of cigars.

Funny and not totally untrue.

MaxPB said:

TOPPING said:

MaxPB said:

foxinsoxuk said:

tlg86 said:

AlastairMeeks said:

So what is it that differentiates the current sexual abuse scandal in football from that in, say, Rotherham? That one had rightwingers passionate about the protection of children and the failures of the authorities, but this one doesn't seem to worry them so much. I don't know, could someone explain what the difference might be?

Sorry Alastair, I didn't realise there was a requirement for us to signal our virtue in a prompt manner. Let's put that right.

I fear what's gone on in football is the tip of the iceberg. I doubt it's confined to football either. The reason why Rotherham is so toxic is that girls went to the authorities and were ignored and the suspicion is that this was because people wanted to protect Asian men. That doesn't make their crimes worse than other paedophiles, but the anger is directed at the authorities for not acting when they knew what was going on.

Whether kids went to the authorities with information about what was going on at Crewe and possibly other clubs is not known. However, as with Saville at the BBC, I bet people knew. The fact that Crewe sacked this man without explanation would suggest they knew what had gone on. Crewe's academy is very famous and it will be very sad if the Dario Gradi years are tarred by this scandal. However, the truth needs to come out and hopefully other victims come forward.

When you look at tbe players who came through the Crewe Alexandra youth system there are some vey well known names. Crewe got rid, but seemto have not found enough evidence to prosecute.

Sports teams, theatre groups, model agencies etc are going to be where paedophiles groom their targets, now that more formal agencies tighten procedures.

Modelling agencies will turn out to be a huge scandal just like football is about to be. 13-18 year old aspiring models vs a 50 year old photographer.

Rock groups?

Sort of different, but I dread to think how many underage girls have sent those one direction lads sexual pictures on twitter.

With modelling agencies it will be more a case of grooming and abusing a position of power which is arguably worse.

CD13 said:

There probably would be some homophobic abuse from football crowds if players came out. You have to remember they regard themselves as the extra man for the team. Any perceived weakness in opposition players will be ruthlessly seized upon - personal, mental or physical.

In other sports, there's not the same level of adversarial competition.

NEW AV THREAD

tlg86 said:

Pulpstar said:

Football is properly murky with a massive culture of secrecy (Look at how many gay footballers there are about publicly) - even boxing and rugby are better.

It is very little surprise to me that rampant child abuse could go on in such a festering culture.

On the topic of a lack of openly gay footballers, it really angers me that it is the fans who get the blame. Would a player get abuse from the stands if they came out? Perhaps, but I think it's far from certain. I suspect the attitude of the changing room is what prevents it. You only have to hear what Antonio Cassano said when he was asked if he thought there were any gay players in the Italy squad at Euro 2012 - "I hope not."

kle4 said:

JosiasJessop said:

kle4 said:

tlg86 said:

Pulpstar said:

Football is properly murky with a massive culture of secrecy (Look at how many gay footballers there are about publicly) - even boxing and rugby are better.

It is very little surprise to me that rampant child abuse could go on in such a festering culture.

On the topic of a lack of openly gay footballers, it really angers me that it is the fans who get the blame. Would a player get abuse from the stands if they came out? Perhaps, but I think it's far from certain. I suspect the attitude of the changing room is what prevents it. You only have to hear what Antonio Cassano said when he was asked if he thought there were any gay players in the Italy squad at Euro 2012 - "I hope not."

I think it's pretty certain a gay player would get some abuse from the stands, but I suspect it woukd be far less than sone think. You'll never get rid of idiots 100%, but even as Neanderthal as the stereotype of the terraces is, I find it hard to see that many woukd care, they want the team to do well, who cares what else the players getbuo to personally.

But the opposing fans wouldn't. And even then, home fans can be brutal.

An old mate of mine was a Millwall Fan; he was educated, with a good (lefty) job and a degree. At the time their goalkeeper was Kasey Keller. He said it was fine to use a racist term against a black player because they also called Keller "A Yank *****"

I was including that sort of thing within the idiots you cannot erase. Home fans barracking a player doing poorly, or away fans trying to find a way to unsettle, they would target a gay player for being gay, undoubtedly. It woukd still probably be less than feared, racism is an issue but not as much as it was and when it emerges everyone knows it would be cracked down on, which tempers it.

CD13 said:

There probably would be some homophobic abuse from football crowds if players came out. You have to remember they regard themselves as the extra man for the team. Any perceived weakness in opposition players will be ruthlessly seized upon - personal, mental or physical.

In other sports, there's not the same level of adversarial competition.

foxinsoxuk said:

tlg86 said:

Pulpstar said:

Football is properly murky with a massive culture of secrecy (Look at how many gay footballers there are about publicly) - even boxing and rugby are better.

It is very little surprise to me that rampant child abuse could go on in such a festering culture.

On the topic of a lack of openly gay footballers, it really angers me that it is the fans who get the blame. Would a player get abuse from the stands if they came out? Perhaps, but I think it's far from certain. I suspect the attitude of the changing room is what prevents it. You only have to hear what Antonio Cassano said when he was asked if he thought there were any gay players in the Italy squad at Euro 2012 - "I hope not."

At tbe Kop end at Leicester there has been a Rainbow Foxes flag for years amongst the others on display. Not only has there been no homophobia about it, there have been no remarks about it at all. The closest that I can recall to any interest in the sexuality of footballers was when part of the crowd were singing at Brighton "Does your boyfriend know you are here?", more teasing banter than anything derogatory in my opinion.

I think players coming out would get quite a positive reception by crowds. In my experience football crowds and similar WWC millieu are nowhere near as "socially conservative" as some right wing PBers seem to think.

kle4 said:

tlg86 said:

Pulpstar said:

Football is properly murky with a massive culture of secrecy (Look at how many gay footballers there are about publicly) - even boxing and rugby are better.

It is very little surprise to me that rampant child abuse could go on in such a festering culture.

On the topic of a lack of openly gay footballers, it really angers me that it is the fans who get the blame. Would a player get abuse from the stands if they came out? Perhaps, but I think it's far from certain. I suspect the attitude of the changing room is what prevents it. You only have to hear what Antonio Cassano said when he was asked if he thought there were any gay players in the Italy squad at Euro 2012 - "I hope not."

I think it's pretty certain a gay player would get some abuse from the stands, but I suspect it woukd be far less than sone think. You'll never get rid of idiots 100%, but even as Neanderthal as the stereotype of the terraces is, I find it hard to see that many woukd care, they want the team to do well, who cares what else the players getbuo to personally.