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| We thought antisemitism in football was long gone. How wrong we were | We thought antisemitism in football was long gone. How wrong we were |
| (2 days later) | |
| It was 81 years yesterday that a swastika flew over White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur’s home ground. On 4 December 1935, England hosted Germany in a friendly. The away team’s pre-match Sieg Heil salute, at a ground that served a large, football-obsessed Jewish community, failed to cause a media stir. | It was 81 years yesterday that a swastika flew over White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur’s home ground. On 4 December 1935, England hosted Germany in a friendly. The away team’s pre-match Sieg Heil salute, at a ground that served a large, football-obsessed Jewish community, failed to cause a media stir. |
| Even the Jewish Chronicle ignored the lone Spurs protester who bravely climbed on to the West Stand roof and tore down the Nazi flag. This was an era when the community’s leaders adopted a “keep schtum” policy – heads down, don’t cause a fuss, don’t rock the boat. | |
| Seven decades on, football still has an antisemitism problem. Two weeks ago footage emerged of Chelsea supporters chanting anti-Jewish songs on London Underground after their side’s 2-1 defeat of Spurs. Earlier this year, a group of Blues fans forced an orthodox Jewish rail passenger to move carriages after targeting him for abuse. Last month a Chelsea season ticket-holder was banned for three years after making 13 Nazi salutes at Tottenham fans. At north London derbies, Arsenal fans have been heard singing: “I’ve got a foreskin, haven’t you: fucking Jew.” And so on. | Seven decades on, football still has an antisemitism problem. Two weeks ago footage emerged of Chelsea supporters chanting anti-Jewish songs on London Underground after their side’s 2-1 defeat of Spurs. Earlier this year, a group of Blues fans forced an orthodox Jewish rail passenger to move carriages after targeting him for abuse. Last month a Chelsea season ticket-holder was banned for three years after making 13 Nazi salutes at Tottenham fans. At north London derbies, Arsenal fans have been heard singing: “I’ve got a foreskin, haven’t you: fucking Jew.” And so on. |
| I have to admit that this upsurge in racial hatred has taken me my surprise. My book, Does Your Rabbi Know You’re Here?, published in 2013, charted the Jewish community’s journey from alienated and often persecuted east European outsiders, to more-or-less accepted, Anglicised football insiders. For 120 years Jews have been involved in the people’s game as players, fans, managers, directors, writers, administrators and owners. Theirs is a model story of integration, showing how a once-demonised group of immigrants could, after a long struggle, find acceptance and a sense of belonging through an obsessive participation in sport. As a football reporter employed by a national newspaper for 15 years, I really thought I had seen the back of antisemitism. | I have to admit that this upsurge in racial hatred has taken me my surprise. My book, Does Your Rabbi Know You’re Here?, published in 2013, charted the Jewish community’s journey from alienated and often persecuted east European outsiders, to more-or-less accepted, Anglicised football insiders. For 120 years Jews have been involved in the people’s game as players, fans, managers, directors, writers, administrators and owners. Theirs is a model story of integration, showing how a once-demonised group of immigrants could, after a long struggle, find acceptance and a sense of belonging through an obsessive participation in sport. As a football reporter employed by a national newspaper for 15 years, I really thought I had seen the back of antisemitism. |
| It is at this point that sceptics usually point out these are isolated incidents. Some argue for contextualisation, arguing that they are the product of tribal rivalries between fans who will stop at nothing to rile their sworn enemies. They don’t mean to be beastly to Jewish people. | It is at this point that sceptics usually point out these are isolated incidents. Some argue for contextualisation, arguing that they are the product of tribal rivalries between fans who will stop at nothing to rile their sworn enemies. They don’t mean to be beastly to Jewish people. |
| The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it’s becoming an ever-increasing problem | The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it’s becoming an ever-increasing problem |
| According to football’s anti-discrimination organisation, Kick It Out, however, such vile behaviour has been steadily increasing in recent years. During the 2013-14 season 57 incidents were reported. The following term there were 63. And for the last season the figure had risen to 83. “I think we’re going to see more of it,” Roisin Wood, the organisation’s director, recently told a 200-strong audience at the JW3 London Jewish cultural centre. “I would be surprised if we didn’t.” | According to football’s anti-discrimination organisation, Kick It Out, however, such vile behaviour has been steadily increasing in recent years. During the 2013-14 season 57 incidents were reported. The following term there were 63. And for the last season the figure had risen to 83. “I think we’re going to see more of it,” Roisin Wood, the organisation’s director, recently told a 200-strong audience at the JW3 London Jewish cultural centre. “I would be surprised if we didn’t.” |
| I was sitting next to her when she made this bleak prediction. The Times’ chief football writer, Henry Winter, revealed that he had called the Football Association to ask for statistics about antisemitism. “They reckoned there was a decrease,” he said. “I go to so many games a year – and I think that’s rubbish.” | I was sitting next to her when she made this bleak prediction. The Times’ chief football writer, Henry Winter, revealed that he had called the Football Association to ask for statistics about antisemitism. “They reckoned there was a decrease,” he said. “I go to so many games a year – and I think that’s rubbish.” |
| The audience wasn’t too surprised to hear this. Kick It Out, in conjunction with Jewish groups, does sterling work, but there is a feeling in the community that the FA, like the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and indeed the government, don’t take it seriously enough. “For us, there is still a problem of antisemitism in football,” said Wood. “One of the biggest problems is social media. The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it’s becoming an ever-increasing problem, and it’s an issue we all have to grasp.” When I publicised the event, one of the first tweets I received was from an organisation calling itself Hitler Was Right. | The audience wasn’t too surprised to hear this. Kick It Out, in conjunction with Jewish groups, does sterling work, but there is a feeling in the community that the FA, like the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and indeed the government, don’t take it seriously enough. “For us, there is still a problem of antisemitism in football,” said Wood. “One of the biggest problems is social media. The anonymity that exists from behind a keyboard means it’s becoming an ever-increasing problem, and it’s an issue we all have to grasp.” When I publicised the event, one of the first tweets I received was from an organisation calling itself Hitler Was Right. |
| This, of course, is a global issue, and there are fears it might tarnish the 2018 World Cup. That tournament is taking place in Russia, where there have been hundreds of cases of football-related discrimination in recent years. | This, of course, is a global issue, and there are fears it might tarnish the 2018 World Cup. That tournament is taking place in Russia, where there have been hundreds of cases of football-related discrimination in recent years. |
| From Bosnians in Vienna shouting “Kill the Jews” to West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio proudly revealing his fascist tattoo on Sky Sport Italia, footballing antisemitism is the new normal in Europe. This normalisation has even infected the world of soccer simulation. Players of the Fifa series of video games refer online to tap-ins, and other easy ways of scoring, as “Jew goals” – a cheap way to get on the scoresheet. | From Bosnians in Vienna shouting “Kill the Jews” to West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio proudly revealing his fascist tattoo on Sky Sport Italia, footballing antisemitism is the new normal in Europe. This normalisation has even infected the world of soccer simulation. Players of the Fifa series of video games refer online to tap-ins, and other easy ways of scoring, as “Jew goals” – a cheap way to get on the scoresheet. |
| A cursory glance at Jewish newspapers, reinforced by anecdotal evidence provided at the JW3 event, reveals that grassroots football is peppered with abuse. “My son played for London Lions,” said Martin Berliner, who heads the Jewish football organisation Maccabi GB. “They have the star of David on their shirts. They experienced it from time to time. There are clubs with a reputation for being intimidating. It’s not unusual for parents and kids to use antisemitic language. You’ve got a generation of 14 to 15 year olds who are growing up right now who think it’s acceptable.” | A cursory glance at Jewish newspapers, reinforced by anecdotal evidence provided at the JW3 event, reveals that grassroots football is peppered with abuse. “My son played for London Lions,” said Martin Berliner, who heads the Jewish football organisation Maccabi GB. “They have the star of David on their shirts. They experienced it from time to time. There are clubs with a reputation for being intimidating. It’s not unusual for parents and kids to use antisemitic language. You’ve got a generation of 14 to 15 year olds who are growing up right now who think it’s acceptable.” |
| • Anthony Clavane’s latest book, A Yorkshire Tragedy, is published by Riverrun. A seminar, Antisemitism in Football: How Serious Is It Now? is taking place on 12 December at Birkbeck Sport Business Centre |