Chelsea Football Club ban a supporter for racial abuse- the view of an ethnic minority Liverpool F.C. supporter

Yesterday it came out on the news that Chelsea FC had banned a supporter for giving racial abuse to Raheem Sterling the Manchester City player (1.)

Whilst that is to be commended it must be balanced against the right to tell a joke. For example my favourite joke is why must India and Pakistan be banned from playing in the World cup? Because every time they get a corner they’ll build a shop!

Sterling was interviewed on this (2).

However there is another side effect of this.

I was at the 1989–90 Merseyside Derby where Everton hosted Liverpool. In those days they didn’t segregate supporters at Merseyside derbies.

I was in the Gwlady’s street end and there was an Everton supporter giving John Barnes a tirade of racial abuse. Even some of the Everton supporters didn’t like it. Sometime during the 1st half Barnes equalised for Liverpool and this guy started throwing bananas at the pitch. I thought “Is that really necesssary?”

At half time I said to my friends “Do you want me to shut him up?” They all said yes.

I tapped him on the shoulder and said “You are giving Barnes stick about his colour aren’t you?”
“Yes you f*****g p**i.”

I then said “Well why is it people like you go to countries like Spain, spending a fortune to get a tan like mine which will only last 2 weeks and give you skin cancer when mine is free, permanent and protects me from skin cancer?”

People were in hysterics.

However there was another side to it. Barnes obviously heard this man and in the 2nd half put on a magnificent performance. He tore the Everton defence apart. Liverpool won 3–1. Now had it not been for the brilliance of Neville Southall in goal for Everton Liverpool would have won by at least 10–1.

This is the real danger of giving a player racial abuse. This video shows a part of it.

In conclusion never give a footballer racial abuse- you are just going to get that player to play above themselves and tear your team apart.

(1) Raheem Sterling: Chelsea fan banned for life for ‘racially abusive language’ in Man City game https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49161781

(2) Raheem Sterling calls for stricter punishment on racial abuse from fans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCyh7QFvz3k

(3) Everton 1–3 Liverpool 1989–90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCyh7QFvz3k