Every True Football Fan Should Stand With Spurs’ Yid Army: Sing What We Want To
GARY Whybrow, 31, of west London, Sam Parsons, 24, of Amersham, and Peter Ditchman, 52, of Bishop’s Stortford, have been arrested and charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words at football matches. Well, not so much words as a word. That word is “yid”.
The BBC explains it’s meaning to those of you interested in language:
The word, meaning Jew, was allegedly used at Tottenham Hotspur matches against FC Sheriff and West Ham United.
Yid does mean Jew. It can also mean Les Ferdinand, who is not a Jew but who has played for Spurs. To many Spurs fans, Glenn Hoddle is also a Yid, and he’s a born against Christian, one hailed by Arsenal fans – and look out for evidence of homophobic abuse, readers – as “The Queen of Golders Green”. Other notable people who have been regaled with the chant “Yiddo” are: Terry Venables, Michael Kritharis (Anorak’s man at the Lane who makes a terrific Greek coffee) Paulo Lopez (Spanish-speaking mod who went to my school), Garth Crooks, Schnorbitz and Ossie Ardiles.
For using the term “Yid”, the Tottenham three are obliged to appear at Hendon Magistrates’ Court on 4 February.
Oh, and take care. So toxic is the word Yid that the BBC calls it “the Y-Word”. The BBC wonders:
The Y-word: Should Tottenham fans be allowed to use it?
Got that? The BBC wants to know if people should be allowed to call themselves names. It’s asking that question because some numbskulls think the answers should be “no” and the Beeb prefers genuine anti-Semitism to be more subtle.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust (THST) is “saddened, but certainly not surprised, at today’s decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to deem the use of the Y-word in any context as a prosecutable offence. Since the first Spurs fan was arrested at White Hart Lane on 6 October, THST has worked closely with our legal team to establish a defence to these charges, which will now be tested in a court of law. It remains our firm belief that, when used in a footballing context by Tottenham Hotspur supporters, there is no intent or desire to offend any member of the Jewish community.”
Of course it doesn’t. Anorak stands firmly with Spurs fans who chant “We Sing What We Want”. Fans of all other clubs should join in.
We’ve spoke in favour of the Yid Army here, here and here. The only bigotry we can see is that coming from the police and their sponsors who seek out racism in dust and want to sterilise football. The grounds have become gentrified and anaesthetised, and the fans softened up by searches and heavy policing to such a degree that they are supposed to accept this latest affront to their liberty.
Enough is enough. From policing your body and what goes into it (the police remove lids from your bottle of water and pop), the censorious authoritarian State has moved onto policing words and thoughts. They see fans as a problem to solve, not sensible, sentient people who chose to spend money on a leisure pursuit.
All football fans should stand with Spurs supporters. We should be outraged that they are being singled out – get this – for subverting the abuse directed at them for having a large Jewish fanbase. When a non-Jew is arrested for claiming to be Yiddo, a more sane reaction would be to be pleased not upset. Get a load of that inter-racial understanding and camaraderie. Football fans, eh, they really are a more enlightened bunch than the rest of us…
“Yid Army!”
(And I’m a Gooner).
Posted: 21st, January 2014 | In: Key Posts, Sports, Spurs Comments (4) | TrackBack | Permalink
