Articles

PFA Scotland: Where Was Your Statement Supporting Celtic’s Japanese Bhoy?

|
Image for PFA Scotland: Where Was Your Statement Supporting Celtic’s Japanese Bhoy?

Tonight, PFA Scotland has leaped into the latest Kamara incident feet first with a statement condemning the alleged racist booing of the player last night.

Let’s remember, this was booing. By schoolchildren.

This was a player who’s been at the centre of high profile smears against an entire country being booed by kids in that country.

That’s what we’re talking about here.

The reaction to his being booed is beyond hysterical.

It has, as I said earlier, already provoked an international incident wherein the British ambassador is being summoned to discuss why the media here and certain others are judging an entire country based on the actions of one footballer and some goons in the stands at previous games.

Now the PFA is standing by the player.

Which they should if they think this represented racism, which is, if you’ll pardon me for using the phrase, a grey area issues more than a black and white one. The charge of racism is an allegation, and I think quite an unreasonable one given that it was kids who were in the ground. People around this need to get a grip.

But I find PFA Scotland’s sudden jump into life interesting for another reason; they did not utter a single word in support of Kyogo Furuhashi when he was the subject of racist chanting by Ibrox fans, who were subsequently banned by the club for it.

I named them at the time, amongst a number of other organisations – including the SFA – who remained mute throughout. In that case there was not the slightest doubt that racist chanting had happened.

Show Racism The Red Card Scotland were quick to condemn it.

By neither the Scottish Football Association or the players union uttered a word.

The SFA, by the way, has jumped into this in the person of Marvin Bartley, their diversity officer who apparently takes an interest in what bands can play at private functions in his spare time … tonight he’s been accused, correctly, of slandering the whole of the Czech Republic.

This has led senior politicians in that country to condemn him and demand that this is further explained by the ambassador … and the SFA should be asked to weigh in on it as well.

But tonight I want to ask this instead; if the PFA has a definition of racism which doesn’t include anti-Asian slurs.

Or perhaps it simply has a definition which doesn’t cover Celtic players.

I am glad that they have told Kamara, for the second time, that he has their support if he feels he’s been racially abused.

That’s as it should be.

But where was the support for our player when he suffered the same?

We got silence, and it was as deafening then as their condemnation is tonight.

And Celtic, and Kyogo Furuhashi, deserve an explanation for why there’s an obvious double standard here.

Share this article

0 comments

  • Geoff says:

    Gerrard said he wasn’t aware at the time obviously because it was booing which happens at every ground without it being deemed racist.
    It’s on a par with Porto making a complaint about Hulk being singled out with a chant saying he wasn’t so Incredible.
    He must have selective hearing as he isn’t aware of anti Irish and Catholic chanting at every game by his teams own supporters.

  • Jim Duffy says:

    Yes because this is orange ,wee free masonic protestant Scotland ,the best wee country in the world ,aye right.

  • Kevin Owens says:

    Yep,

    When I heard the lunchtime broadcast on BBC Scotland I anticipated you would write on this and glad you have. The hypocrisy is (h)unbelievable! There may well be aspects of racism here for Kamara or anger at the accusation which objectively speaking would have been very difficult to prove. With reference to Kyogo’s booing at Ibrox days after known footage of racism those boos are likely to be linked to racist abuse and NOT the ol adage used by SMSM (in the case of Lennon) a disliked player due to combatative playing style. Kyogo had played a few games and crucially never played against RIFC or their predecessor Rangers. The boos towards Kyogo was most likely rooted in racism. It is possible the booing of Kamara was too.
    Our society needs and demands consistency from our so called journalists

  • Seán McManus says:

    Just sent an email to PFA scotland regarding this issue.
    I won’t hold my breath on a reply though.

  • John says:

    Imagine Sevco having the audacity to criticise fans of any club for racism with the shower that fills Ibrox with their bigoted,sectarian bile. What a joke!
    Playing the victim card again. Another deflection tactic from Slippy on the back of a poor result.

  • CC says:

    I can remember when football was about football. It’s now nothing more than a vehicle for every snowflake and his/her/zis/zer/fla/bla/gla/tra, non binary carbon based canine life form to “me too” absolutely everything.
    I’ve lived outside of that island for 18 years now and I am so very happy about that these days.
    Only my love for Celtic keeps me checking in.
    The answer to this crippling madness is for adults to refuse to be treated like children by their perceived “leaders”.
    Jeezus. It’s not hard.

  • REBELLIOUS says:

    Oh the irony pains me?

    Another Euro tie another opportunity fr sevco to be find something/anything to be offended over, by FUQ Irvine Welsh named that lot correctly when he described them as ‘the professionally offended’

    NAILED IT ?

  • Ryan says:

    Perhaps the people of Prague should have a closer look at Ibrox the most Racist club in the uk. Or maybe watch Kamara sing Racist anti Catholic songs at the end of last season

  • John S says:

    I didn’t see or hear anything in the booing that could be deemed racist. The people of Prague dislike the player because they consider he made a false allegation of racism. It is common for disliked opposition players to be jeered. The Ibrox position is sheer hypocrisy given the racism of their own fans.

  • Joe Lafferty says:

    So the Celtic support is culpable of racism for booing Jeremy last night. Kamara was booed for previous, not racism.

  • SSMPM says:

    I think his assault on a player in the tunnel for which he was found guilty and punished is also a reason for the booing.

    Can anyone post the PFA email address so that I/we can post our displeasure at their selective racism stances. The PFA stands accused of racism by not supporting Fyogo. PFA should follow the maxim –
    If your not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. They were silent, they are part of the problem. HH

  • Tony D says:

    But James, the Kyoto incident was nice, homegrown racism – none of your nasty foreign muck.

    (Irony, in case anybody out there in internet world doesn’t get it…)

Comments are closed.