Updated forum rules and attitude at matches

[Shabby Yellow]

Like the updated rules for our forum, the items included are those that you would expect to be included. Why is it different when it comes to attending a match - why don't these rules apply? I've been to many matches where I've been embarrassed by the vile abusive language and posturing that is aimed at opposing players, staff, supporters, match officials and our own players and management.

I'm ready for the usual response of 'get a life mate it's football that's what happens', 'nothing wrong with letting of a bit of steam mate', etc (I also get fed up with being called mate by someone I definitely do not see as 'a mate' but maybe that's just me).

We all come from very different walks of life and it is said that football supporters mirror society. I believe that is true but when you have all those different parts coming together the basic acceptable level shouldn't be at the lowest point. Men and women of any age shouting out every kind of obscenity (I'm not going down the road of selective letters and symbols to display such words). Why? Are they totally ignorant of their behaviour, is it to provoke those around them, to impress or fit in with their group or to try and show how macho they are? And no, I don't take they've had a few beers as an excuse.

The family away day at Coventry (and the usual antics of some) coupled with the Montenegro racism and the forum rules just raised the immense hypocrisy within football. Why is it acceptable to be abusive to anyone at football? There are the main areas of racism, LGBT that generally are respected but why is it OK to abuse any individual.

I love our club and I'm passionate about being inclusive to all; not limited to those that think they can do and act as they like. But be inclusive and aware of all the different walks of life that want to come along.

Final point from me, to those that say it's how it is at football - why can't we be different?

 

[Essexyellows]

The changes in society where "everyone has to be included" have lurched to far the other way.
The majority now have to pander to the minority for whatever reason and "positive discrimination" is now being forced upon us.
The arena of a football ground is one of the few places left where the individual is lost in a crowd and can release such frustration.
I`m not saying it is right or wrong but surely their right to call the referee whatever they see fit is as important as any "inclusive campaign" ?
Education about racism etc should take place outside of a football ground, within society, and the behaviour then naturally changes.
Don`t expect miracles overnight............. but compare & contrast the sterility of grounds now compared to the 1980`s.
Things are changing, whether that is for the better or not is an individual view.

 

[Emilio]

I think it's easy to forget that not everyone on here is a full-grown adult, and that people have differing opinions on the severity of swearing - "Oh for [enter expletive] sake", "Today's performance was [expletive]", etc. may be considered as harmless by some, while unnecessary and offensive by others. Similarly, there is also a varying opinion as to which words are considered actual "swear words"; "That was an utter balls-up" is on the whole considered less severe than if it contained the f-word, but some may find it an equally unacceptable choice of words.

People come from different cultures, classes and communities, where expressions may be seen as more offensive than others, so to impose a blanket no-swearing ban is going to be near-on impossible - if the forum is programmed to censor pre-recognised words, then the mods will have to decide exactly which words fall within that bracket and people will just find a way around it by spelling those words incorrectly (not to mention we'll be unable to spell the name of a club from the North-East playing within our own league).

I think the problem comes when insults are directed to a specific person/group. Whether it be part of our community (race/gender/creed), someone working at our club, or even a fellow poster, threatening and vulgar abuse shout not be tolerated - neither on this forum nor at matches. That said, this forum exists for people to discuss and express their opinions on the happenings at the club, so statements such as "x player was rubbish today", "x member of the board is just here to make money from us and leave us dry" are surely part-and-parcel? At what point does criticism become lack of respect, or even abuse? Just through the restrained choice of wording, even though the sentiment is the same?

I'm entirely disgusted by the fact that racism, sexism, and discrimination of any kind still exist within society as a whole, let alone in football, but I think it's important to understand and accept the difference between freedom of expression and abuse.

 

[Sarge]

Getting caught up in the emotion and passion of watching your team, and at times vocally chipping in with encouragement, disbelief and frustration (depending on how the game is progressing) is an integral part of supporting your team .... or at least it has been for as long as I've been going to watch the U's..... I personally have no interest, affiliation or links to any other football club, nationally or internationally.... Oxford United fc and England national team and that it for me..... times change , not always for the better either, ditto watching football. Since the advent of all-seater stadiums and the 90s arrival of prawn sarnie types , who blanch if the referee is called so much as a rascal, bounder or scoundrel (or similar! ), or even report a fellow supporter to stewards for offending their delicate ears .... we have family areas where good old anglo saxon words are a no-no, which is where to go if individuals feel offended or even threatened by the general language used in an everyday manner elsewhere in the ground.' Industrial language 'is in common usage everyday and every night in Britain, Oxford, outside of the academic areas of the city centre, provides a large amount employment in the car factories , and related industries in the area, where, so Im led to believe, anyone who manages to articulate a sentence without including an anglo saxon word or five in their workplace is in line for some sort of award !

Awaydays invariably attract a number of groups of predominately males on a day out, with mates, few drinks, few laughs,support their team at the match, and maybe a few more drinks after the match, celebrating or commiserating depending on the match result.

Football, supporting your team in person, is an emotional rollercoaster of 90 mins or so duration .... where at times individuals do get caught up in the moment & vocalise their views at the time. Live football in England has slowly been sanitsed by corporate types with no understanding.... look at Wembley stadium, rubbish attempts to orchestrate the crowd with cheerleaders prancing about and really cringeworthy loud 'music', most of which is truly dire, played to 'get the crowd going'. Demonstrating the powers that be haven't a clue. football supporters have been quite witty with various popular chants n songs, yet at the national stadium not a snowball (or snowflake's) in hells chance of football supporters at any match there building an atmosphere naturally, its all drowned out by glitz and naff music. has nobody told the Wembley plc company that we are not Americans?

If any supporters of OUFC going to away games are easily offended snowflake like delicate souls perhaps if they lobby OUFC, EFL etc for travelling away support to be provided with a family area at grounds visited for away games? if successful then they wouldnt have to hear or mingle with those nasty, working class individuals who use elements of the English language that are currently deemed 'offensive'... albeit not always the case!

Lets not forget that ALL English language words have been, in different times, in common everyday usage over the centuries, EG - during Shakespeare's time calling someone 'naughty' was regarded as rather risque, not so today (well, not until a snowflake is 'offended' though?).... right here in Oxford the first documented use of a certain currently regarded by some/many as offensive was first in written usage .... during 1230 a thoroughfare off High street in Oxford city centre, which was frequented by ladies of the night, was called Gropecunt lane, during the latter end of 13th Century its name was shortened to Grope lane, then in 17th Century it was renamed Magpie lane. Documented history that cant be conveniently airbrushed away to suit the intolerant, uneducated or very easily outraged. Isn't there an old adage that goes ' sticks n stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me' ? why then the offence at what are only words? ...In the pre sanitised all seater stadium eras of football, the good old days of terraces, it was easy to move away from others who were not behaving in a manner that some of those close by wernt comfortable with, it was easy to move elsewhere . Unless an away section is totally sold out, if it's unreserved ticked, it's equally as easy to changes seats to move away instead of attempting to impose narrow views and standards on others. Live and let live, it seems, has been outdated?

I can remember when going to watch my team was a fun, enjoyable way to spend a saturday afternoon, where the frustrations of the week could be dispensed with through singing, chanting and vocalising of opinions for the 90 min duration. Preferably on the London Road terrace.
Like the old London Road end favourite from late 60s - mid 70s goes ( Mary Hopkins and Sandi Shaw both had chart hits with the song too)' those were the days' (my friend)

Im sure other posters of a similar vintage as me (@amershamdave for certain) can recall tongue in cheek mock chanting , with pseudo , posho accents, 'Oxford, Oxford rah, rah , rah' at away fans who wrongly decided Oxford United fans were all University graduate academics.

Perhaps only permitting 'Oxford, Oxford, Rah , Rah Rah' to be exclusively sung at OUFC games excluding absolutely everything else song n chantwise will suffice.... I doubt it though. 'Rah -rah' being chanted might offend as it gender sterotypes, as in being reminicent of an 80s skirt fashion, and we can't have any of that can we?!

Watching my team play, as mentioned earlier, used to be fun... all seater stadiums, bully boy stewarding, ott rules n regulations imposed only on football supporters & not supporters of other spectator sports, gentrification of football in general in England, have all contributed considerably to, certainly for me, making supporting my team, home or away, more than a bit of a chore. If I hadnt grown up supporting OUFC from an early age (easter monday, first season after changing names from Headington United to Oxford United v Bath at the Manor was my first game- we lost!), and instead was a youngster today, I really dont think Id particularly be wanting to pay to be treated like a third class citizen while watching my local team very often certainly not every match, its not much fun anymore generally speaking, gentrification has one hell of a lot to answer for to football supporters of certain generations. Supporting Oxford United is what I do, Im far to old n long in the tooth to change that habit now. I just wish some fellow OUFC supporters would perhaps show a bit of tolerance & understanding that all football supporters are not identikit emotion & passionless clones.

 

[Scotchegg]

Football is a passionate game, and that leads to passionate views in the stands. But there is a difference between shouting "for f's sake" when a chance is missed and those who I have witnessed shout "c***" constantly to any one who they take a dislike to. More often now I will take one or both of the kids with me, and whilst I want them to experience some of what I loved about going to games as a kid in the 80's, I shudder at some of the things shouted in pretty much all areas of the ground.

There is no place for racism. And I will not hesitate in challenging and reporting any incidents I witness. Ignorance in the 70's and 80's can't be used as an excuse anymore, and anyone who has to reference the colour of someone's skin or origin as a way of abuse has no place in a civilised society. Homophobia/gender issues are tricky as it is often less obvious and more school boy humour "she fell over" for example. But if a player was openly homosexual then any abuse should also be openly challenged in the same way racism is. Challenging what someone does is one thing, challenging who they are is something else.

So keep the passion in football, swearing occasionally and proportionately is ok - kids probably hear worse at school, but let's not condone the hateful stuff that has no place in modern society.

 

[Sarge]

Football is a passionate game, and that leads to passionate views in the stands. But there is a difference between shouting "for f's sake" when a chance is missed and those who I have witnessed shout "c***" constantly to any one who they take a dislike to. More often now I will take one or both of the kids with me, and whilst I want them to experience some of what I loved about going to games as a kid in the 80's, I shudder at some of the things shouted in pretty much all areas of the ground.

There is no place for racism. And I will not hesitate in challenging and reporting any incidents I witness. Ignorance in the 70's and 80's can't be used as an excuse anymore, and anyone who has to reference the colour of someone's skin or origin as a way of abuse has no place in a civilised society. Homophobia/gender issues are tricky as it is often less obvious and more school boy humour "she fell over" for example. But if a player was openly homosexual then any abuse should also be openly challenged in the same way racism is. Challenging what someone does is one thing, challenging who they are is something else.

So keep the passion in football, swearing occasionally and proportionately is ok - kids probably hear worse at school, but let's not condone the hateful stuff that has no place in modern society.

fair comments and well put too @Scotchegg

 

[amershamdave]

Like the updated rules for our forum, the items included are those that you would expect to be included. Why is it different when it comes to attending a match - why don't these rules apply? I've been to many matches where I've been embarrassed by the vile abusive language and posturing that is aimed at opposing players, staff, supporters, match officials and our own players and management.

I'm ready for the usual response of 'get a life mate it's football that's what happens', 'nothing wrong with letting of a bit of steam mate', etc (I also get fed up with being called mate by someone I definitely do not see as 'a mate' but maybe that's just me).

We all come from very different walks of life and it is said that football supporters mirror society. I believe that is true but when you have all those different parts coming together the basic acceptable level shouldn't be at the lowest point. Men and women of any age shouting out every kind of obscenity (I'm not going down the road of selective letters and symbols to display such words). Why? Are they totally ignorant of their behaviour, is it to provoke those around them, to impress or fit in with their group or to try and show how macho they are? And no, I don't take they've had a few beers as an excuse.

The family away day at Coventry (and the usual antics of some) coupled with the Montenegro racism and the forum rules just raised the immense hypocrisy within football. Why is it acceptable to be abusive to anyone at football? There are the main areas of racism, LGBT that generally are respected but why is it OK to abuse any individual.

I love our club and I'm passionate about being inclusive to all; not limited to those that think they can do and act as they like. But be inclusive and aware of all the different walks of life that want to come along.

Final point from me, to those that say it's how it is at football - why can't we be different?

Shabby Yellow. I do not know you and I should imagine you don't know me. I don't know how old you are, either.
An interesting, heart-felt post you wrote there.
I don't know how long you've been a football (and United fan), but I feel that I should explain, on behalf of all supporters of this (what used to be working-class, but has now attracted many greedy, oportunistic bastards) game.
Do you like rugby union, shabby? You know, the game where players go: "ok yah!" and set fire to their farts. They do other 'manly' things which are weird and disgusting. Do you condemn that type of posh behaviour?
Cycling. You know, the sport that has caught quite a few out, for taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Snooker, where only yesterday it was reported that a female snooker player has withdrawn, because she wasn't allowed to play with men in certain competitions. Does being a man make you a better player than a woman.............in snooker?!
Golf. How many golf clubs do or did ban women as members?
Fox hunting. Do you agree with the ethics of this posh-people scumbag 'sport' ok yah!
Darts. Beer-bellies, burping and farting on stage.
Tennis, with the brat-like behaviour of its participants (oh, I say, Mr. McEnroe!) You need a mortgage to buy strawberries and cream. Ok yah! Talking of f*****g tennis, I really hate the sexist attitude of the game, when they call men players by their surname and women players by 'Miss' or 'Mrs'.
After reading that little list, I've come to the conclusion that if anyone ever comes up to me and calls me a c**t for following Oxford United....................I'll buy them a pint and we'll just laugh it off. Its only posh bastards, who should stick to rugger, hockey or stamp-collecting who have a problem. So there.

 

[Manorlounger]

That's all really marvelous but, is the ref still a w****r?

 

[amershamdave]

To be a w****r, you actually have to have a dick. Since most referees' bodies are completely dickish, I would say its rather hard to w**k themselves!

 

[Shabby Yellow]

My post was in part to express my frustration and in part to cause a debate. I appreciate the posters and the variety of views and the spirit in which they are written. Amersham Dave I recognise your right to your opinion but take issue with your assumptions and your grandiose opinion of yourself that you should 'explain to me on behalf of all supporters of this game'.

I don't subscribe to the I've supported OUFC for 50 years therefore my opinion is more valued than yours. Similar to someone saying they have worked in a company for 40 years - doesn't make them good at their job. I personally would much prefer to talk to someone who has followed the game for a short period of time who does not need to shout profanities randomly and has to do the tribal arms up in the air posturing to the nearest rival supporter.

We did meet, I put a donation in your bucket back in the days of The Prior, I've actively supported OUFC for over twenty years and been a season ticket hold for most of those years. For my trade I started as an apprentice toolmaker and was briefly a shop steward for the AUEW. I like all sports but only actively follow OUFC. I'm a regular away supporter, either driving or getting the supporters coach. At 55 I believe I have a fairly rounded view of matters and certainly wouldn't make any assumptions of others regardless of their background, affiliations or beliefs.

To Manor Lounger I would say - haven't we all at some point in our lives.

 

[Sarge]

My post was in part to express my frustration and in part to cause a debate. I appreciate the posters and the variety of views and the spirit in which they are written. Amersham Dave I recognise your right to your opinion but take issue with your assumptions and your grandiose opinion of yourself that you should 'explain to me on behalf of all supporters of this game'.

I don't subscribe to the I've supported OUFC for 50 years therefore my opinion is more valued than yours. Similar to someone saying they have worked in a company for 40 years - doesn't make them good at their job. I personally would much prefer to talk to someone who has followed the game for a short period of time who does not need to shout profanities randomly and has to do the tribal arms up in the air posturing to the nearest rival supporter.

We did meet, I put a donation in your bucket back in the days of The Prior, I've actively supported OUFC for over twenty years and been a season ticket hold for most of those years. For my trade I started as an apprentice toolmaker and was briefly a shop steward for the AUEW. I like all sports but only actively follow OUFC. I'm a regular away supporter, either driving or getting the supporters coach. At 55 I believe I have a fairly rounded view of matters and certainly wouldn't make any assumptions of others regardless of their background, affiliations or beliefs.

To Manor Lounger I would say - haven't we all at some point in our lives.

Auew shop steward...blimey that was a while back! Aeuw ran from 1971-1986 then it changed to Aeu, later, in 1992 merged with Eetpu to become Aeeu....during my time as Engineering union shop steward and Union convenor, engineering union was Auew, Aeu, Aeeu..... when I was an apprentice engineers union had not long changed from Aeu to Aef(which was in 1968)

 

[Colin B]

Getting caught up in the emotion and passion of watching your team, and at times vocally chipping in with encouragement, disbelief and frustration (depending on how the game is progressing) is an integral part of supporting your team .... or at least it has been for as long as I've been going to watch the U's..... I personally have no interest, affiliation or links to any other football club, nationally or internationally.... Oxford United fc and England national team and that it for me..... times change , not always for the better either, ditto watching football. Since the advent of all-seater stadiums and the 90s arrival of prawn sarnie types , who blanch if the referee is called so much as a rascal, bounder or scoundrel (or similar! ), or even report a fellow supporter to stewards for offending their delicate ears .... we have family areas where good old anglo saxon words are a no-no, which is where to go if individuals feel offended or even threatened by the general language used in an everyday manner elsewhere in the ground.' Industrial language 'is in common usage everyday and every night in Britain, Oxford, outside of the academic areas of the city centre, provides a large amount employment in the car factories , and related industries in the area, where, so Im led to believe, anyone who manages to articulate a sentence without including an anglo saxon word or five in their workplace is in line for some sort of award !

Awaydays invariably attract a number of groups of predominately males on a day out, with mates, few drinks, few laughs,support their team at the match, and maybe a few more drinks after the match, celebrating or commiserating depending on the match result.

Football, supporting your team in person, is an emotional rollercoaster of 90 mins or so duration .... where at times individuals do get caught up in the moment & vocalise their views at the time. Live football in England has slowly been sanitsed by corporate types with no understanding.... look at Wembley stadium, rubbish attempts to orchestrate the crowd with cheerleaders prancing about and really cringeworthy loud 'music', most of which is truly dire, played to 'get the crowd going'. Demonstrating the powers that be haven't a clue. football supporters have been quite witty with various popular chants n songs, yet at the national stadium not a snowball (or snowflake's) in hells chance of football supporters at any match there building an atmosphere naturally, its all drowned out by glitz and naff music. has nobody told the Wembley plc company that we are not Americans?

If any supporters of OUFC going to away games are easily offended snowflake like delicate souls perhaps if they lobby OUFC, EFL etc for travelling away support to be provided with a family area at grounds visited for away games? if successful then they wouldnt have to hear or mingle with those nasty, working class individuals who use elements of the English language that are currently deemed 'offensive'... albeit not always the case!

Lets not forget that ALL English language words have been, in different times, in common everyday usage over the centuries, EG - during Shakespeare's time calling someone 'naughty' was regarded as rather risque, not so today (well, not until a snowflake is 'offended' though?).... right here in Oxford the first documented use of a certain currently regarded by some/many as offensive was first in written usage .... during 1230 a thoroughfare off High street in Oxford city centre, which was frequented by ladies of the night, was called Gropecunt lane, during the latter end of 13th Century its name was shortened to Grope lane, then in 17th Century it was renamed Magpie lane. Documented history that cant be conveniently airbrushed away to suit the intolerant, uneducated or very easily outraged. Isn't there an old adage that goes ' sticks n stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me' ? why then the offence at what are only words? ...In the pre sanitised all seater stadium eras of football, the good old days of terraces, it was easy to move away from others who were not behaving in a manner that some of those close by wernt comfortable with, it was easy to move elsewhere . Unless an away section is totally sold out, if it's unreserved ticked, it's equally as easy to changes seats to move away instead of attempting to impose narrow views and standards on others. Live and let live, it seems, has been outdated?

I can remember when going to watch my team was a fun, enjoyable way to spend a saturday afternoon, where the frustrations of the week could be dispensed with through singing, chanting and vocalising of opinions for the 90 min duration. Preferably on the London Road terrace.
Like the old London Road end favourite from late 60s - mid 70s goes ( Mary Hopkins and Sandi Shaw both had chart hits with the song too)' those were the days' (my friend)

Im sure other posters of a similar vintage as me (@amershamdave for certain) can recall tongue in cheek mock chanting , with pseudo , posho accents, 'Oxford, Oxford rah, rah , rah' at away fans who wrongly decided Oxford United fans were all University graduate academics.

Perhaps only permitting 'Oxford, Oxford, Rah , Rah Rah' to be exclusively sung at OUFC games excluding absolutely everything else song n chantwise will suffice.... I doubt it though. 'Rah -rah' being chanted might offend as it gender sterotypes, as in being reminicent of an 80s skirt fashion, and we can't have any of that can we?!

Watching my team play, as mentioned earlier, used to be fun... all seater stadiums, bully boy stewarding, ott rules n regulations imposed only on football supporters & not supporters of other spectator sports, gentrification of football in general in England, have all contributed considerably to, certainly for me, making supporting my team, home or away, more than a bit of a chore. If I hadnt grown up supporting OUFC from an early age (easter monday, first season after changing names from Headington United to Oxford United v Bath at the Manor was my first game- we lost!), and instead was a youngster today, I really dont think Id particularly be wanting to pay to be treated like a third class citizen while watching my local team very often certainly not every match, its not much fun anymore generally speaking, gentrification has one hell of a lot to answer for to football supporters of certain generations. Supporting Oxford United is what I do, Im far to old n long in the tooth to change that habit now. I just wish some fellow OUFC supporters would perhaps show a bit of tolerance & understanding that all football supporters are not identikit emotion & passionless clones.

I feel your pain Sarge!

I fear that the world we grew up in, and the OUFC match day we grew up with, have sadly gone for ever. And that is a great pity indeed. I'm glad we had the days we did, and wouldn't swap them for anything. They were fun, edgy, raucous, exciting, and unforgettable.

I formed lifetime friendships with great people (such as yourself!) as a result of those experiences and today's sanitised football experience will never provide its participants with that. The last thing we need is for that experience to be sanitised even further.

I cannot stand the current generation of people (not necessarily football fans, but all sectors of society) who spend most of their life being offended on behalf of others. This country is fucked!

 

[amershamdave]

Shabby, First, thank you for supporting the thing I was doing with the buckets at the Priory, back then.
Second: Me and the word 'grandiose' do not normally go in the same sentence, except to say that I'm Not grandiose. Pantyhose, maybe.
Thirdly: I do agree that singing songs that belittle someone's ethnic background is totally wrong. I'm married to a foreigner, by the way.
Fourthly: I say I'm speaking on behalf or all football fans, because I'm so pissed off about the way we've been portrayed by the press, over the years. Yes, of course, there have been outrageously bad times, regarding hooligans, in the past. As a young fan, I used to Love watching the fans outdoing each other. As did many other youngsters. They might say it was bad then, but many of these do-gooders now, joined in the 'fun'.
Fifthly; when Erica Roe got her knockers out during that rugby match, did you go: "Whoar!", or did you go: "Tut tut tut!". I went: "Whoar!". But when football fans did a streak across the pitch, all the Tory-turd papers used to have a field-day, slagging the fans off as 'ruffians' or 'thugs'.
Sixthly: Do you eat pie and chips or prawn sandwiches at games? Just asking.
Seventhly: You're an Oxford fan, so I love you like every other buggar who comes on here.
Ninthly: What happened to number eight?
Lastly: You're right about bad language being used in front of kids. I just wish teachers would stop doing it.

 

[Shabby Yellow]

Sixth - nice meat pie at Coventry, but nothing can touch Cumberland sausage,onions and gravy at Morecambe's Christie Park (Though Kiddie Sheppard's pie runs a close second). Always remember the Morecambe game we won and their steward said to me that we wouldn't be playing in the same league next season - he was right they got promoted!

 

[Blox21]

Like the updated rules for our forum, the items included are those that you would expect to be included. Why is it different when it comes to attending a match - why don't these rules apply? I've been to many matches where I've been embarrassed by the vile abusive language and posturing that is aimed at opposing players, staff, supporters, match officials and our own players and management.

I'm ready for the usual response of 'get a life mate it's football that's what happens', 'nothing wrong with letting of a bit of steam mate', etc (I also get fed up with being called mate by someone I definitely do not see as 'a mate' but maybe that's just me).

We all come from very different walks of life and it is said that football supporters mirror society. I believe that is true but when you have all those different parts coming together the basic acceptable level shouldn't be at the lowest point. Men and women of any age shouting out every kind of obscenity (I'm not going down the road of selective letters and symbols to display such words). Why? Are they totally ignorant of their behaviour, is it to provoke those around them, to impress or fit in with their group or to try and show how macho they are? And no, I don't take they've had a few beers as an excuse.

The family away day at Coventry (and the usual antics of some) coupled with the Montenegro racism and the forum rules just raised the immense hypocrisy within football. Why is it acceptable to be abusive to anyone at football? There are the main areas of racism, LGBT that generally are respected but why is it OK to abuse any individual.

I love our club and I'm passionate about being inclusive to all; not limited to those that think they can do and act as they like. But be inclusive and aware of all the different walks of life that want to come along.

Final point from me, to those that say it's how it is at football - why can't we be different?

Not for me , I like my football experience “ on the edge “

 

[Marked Ox]

To be a w****r, you actually have to have a dick. Since most referees' bodies are completely dickish, I would say its rather hard to w**k themselves!

How about a female Ref?

 

[stokeu]

what about a lady ref?

 

[bazzer9461]

Getting caught up in the emotion and passion of watching your team, and at times vocally chipping in with encouragement, disbelief and frustration (depending on how the game is progressing) is an integral part of supporting your team .... or at least it has been for as long as I've been going to watch the U's..... I personally have no interest, affiliation or links to any other football club, nationally or internationally.... Oxford United fc and England national team and that it for me..... times change , not always for the better either, ditto watching football. Since the advent of all-seater stadiums and the 90s arrival of prawn sarnie types , who blanch if the referee is called so much as a rascal, bounder or scoundrel (or similar! ), or even report a fellow supporter to stewards for offending their delicate ears .... we have family areas where good old anglo saxon words are a no-no, which is where to go if individuals feel offended or even threatened by the general language used in an everyday manner elsewhere in the ground.' Industrial language 'is in common usage everyday and every night in Britain, Oxford, outside of the academic areas of the city centre, provides a large amount employment in the car factories , and related industries in the area, where, so Im led to believe, anyone who manages to articulate a sentence without including an anglo saxon word or five in their workplace is in line for some sort of award !

Awaydays invariably attract a number of groups of predominately males on a day out, with mates, few drinks, few laughs,support their team at the match, and maybe a few more drinks after the match, celebrating or commiserating depending on the match result.

Football, supporting your team in person, is an emotional rollercoaster of 90 mins or so duration .... where at times individuals do get caught up in the moment & vocalise their views at the time. Live football in England has slowly been sanitsed by corporate types with no understanding.... look at Wembley stadium, rubbish attempts to orchestrate the crowd with cheerleaders prancing about and really cringeworthy loud 'music', most of which is truly dire, played to 'get the crowd going'. Demonstrating the powers that be haven't a clue. football supporters have been quite witty with various popular chants n songs, yet at the national stadium not a snowball (or snowflake's) in hells chance of football supporters at any match there building an atmosphere naturally, its all drowned out by glitz and naff music. has nobody told the Wembley plc company that we are not Americans?

If any supporters of OUFC going to away games are easily offended snowflake like delicate souls perhaps if they lobby OUFC, EFL etc for travelling away support to be provided with a family area at grounds visited for away games? if successful then they wouldnt have to hear or mingle with those nasty, working class individuals who use elements of the English language that are currently deemed 'offensive'... albeit not always the case!

Lets not forget that ALL English language words have been, in different times, in common everyday usage over the centuries, EG - during Shakespeare's time calling someone 'naughty' was regarded as rather risque, not so today (well, not until a snowflake is 'offended' though?).... right here in Oxford the first documented use of a certain currently regarded by some/many as offensive was first in written usage .... during 1230 a thoroughfare off High street in Oxford city centre, which was frequented by ladies of the night, was called Gropecunt lane, during the latter end of 13th Century its name was shortened to Grope lane, then in 17th Century it was renamed Magpie lane. Documented history that cant be conveniently airbrushed away to suit the intolerant, uneducated or very easily outraged. Isn't there an old adage that goes ' sticks n stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me' ? why then the offence at what are only words? ...In the pre sanitised all seater stadium eras of football, the good old days of terraces, it was easy to move away from others who were not behaving in a manner that some of those close by wernt comfortable with, it was easy to move elsewhere . Unless an away section is totally sold out, if it's unreserved ticked, it's equally as easy to changes seats to move away instead of attempting to impose narrow views and standards on others. Live and let live, it seems, has been outdated?

I can remember when going to watch my team was a fun, enjoyable way to spend a saturday afternoon, where the frustrations of the week could be dispensed with through singing, chanting and vocalising of opinions for the 90 min duration. Preferably on the London Road terrace.
Like the old London Road end favourite from late 60s - mid 70s goes ( Mary Hopkins and Sandi Shaw both had chart hits with the song too)' those were the days' (my friend)

Im sure other posters of a similar vintage as me (@amershamdave for certain) can recall tongue in cheek mock chanting , with pseudo , posho accents, 'Oxford, Oxford rah, rah , rah' at away fans who wrongly decided Oxford United fans were all University graduate academics.

Perhaps only permitting 'Oxford, Oxford, Rah , Rah Rah' to be exclusively sung at OUFC games excluding absolutely everything else song n chantwise will suffice.... I doubt it though. 'Rah -rah' being chanted might offend as it gender sterotypes, as in being reminicent of an 80s skirt fashion, and we can't have any of that can we?!

Watching my team play, as mentioned earlier, used to be fun... all seater stadiums, bully boy stewarding, ott rules n regulations imposed only on football supporters & not supporters of other spectator sports, gentrification of football in general in England, have all contributed considerably to, certainly for me, making supporting my team, home or away, more than a bit of a chore. If I hadnt grown up supporting OUFC from an early age (easter monday, first season after changing names from Headington United to Oxford United v Bath at the Manor was my first game- we lost!), and instead was a youngster today, I really dont think Id particularly be wanting to pay to be treated like a third class citizen while watching my local team very often certainly not every match, its not much fun anymore generally speaking, gentrification has one hell of a lot to answer for to football supporters of certain generations. Supporting Oxford United is what I do, Im far to old n long in the tooth to change that habit now. I just wish some fellow OUFC supporters would perhaps show a bit of tolerance & understanding that all football supporters are not identikit emotion & passionless clones.

Bloody hell sarge ?

 

[bazzer9461]

Me, I’m an Oxford fan have been since the late 60’s, no I’m not after a medal but for my sins I went to watch football through the reasonable, to the ok, and the back to the reasonable, then to the good times,then the great times, then the good times, the ok times, the reasonable times, the bad times, the real bad times, then to hopefully the start of decent times, but back to the bad times with what has happened these last 2 seasons and boy have I used expletives during those times apart from maybe the late 60’s to through to the early 70’s when being a young lad I was worried my parents would find out and I would have my backside thrashed ( although to some nowadays that’s quite a pleasurable thing).
I’m ashamed to admit but I still swear but not in a racist, homophobic or any other form other than to use it in a manner with a moan ie “ oh FFS ref you w****r sort it out “ to say that’s ok it’s not it’s not an excuse it’s a thing called PASSION sad as it may seem it’s something that is shared by many in the east stand. As I have said it’s not an excuse but I can’t help it, it’s PASSION.

Suffice to say when i leave the passion has gone the swearing stops. But that’s no excuse for when I’m in the ground.

 

[Oxford Aesthete]

Shabby, have you tried rugger it might be more to your liking?