http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/last- ... -1.1207674


You would of thought Pools might of asked them before publicly backing it!

It just shows how publicity can look really bad, regardless that no offence was intended.

Someone somewhere will think the town is full of rabid racists.

In what is meant to be a fun day out.

I am staggered that the offcials at Pools didnt think about this.

Actually, no I am not. Nothing staggers me what those two do.

http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co. ... 1&posts=13

And its not just the bunker that sees this as a daft idea.

Blues manager Keith Curle was asked if he would be offended by this at a club press conference.

“My first thought is no,” he said. “I’ve been to fancy dress parties when white people have dressed up as Bob Marley. I haven’t been offended.”

Like has been said all along dressing up as Bob Marley isn't offensive to anyone. We might be perceived as a bit odd at worst.

We all know what could make things kick off and cause a media shit storm (not a Bunker one, but you watch how the club and town are portrayed if it happens)fingers crossed none of the idiots who've said they're gone to do it follow it through.

Glad Carlisle United are seeking clarification on this matter, once they hear back from kick it out we can hopefully put this issue to bed and all enjoy the last game of the season (if all goes to plan tomorrow).

There Is Such A Thing As White Rasterfarians

"There is nothing so far to suggest this would include “blacking up” among fans.

But Carlisle United officials said they would be taking advice on the situation.

Andy Hall, United media officer, said: “We could be in a situation where we might be asking people not to black up.

“We may not have any action to take whatsoever. We are waiting for guidance from Kick It Out.”"

Here are some quotes from Carlisle fans.
Unbelievable. Was thinking of travelling up for the game from Leeds with my son (Carlisle fans) been to 1 game in 3 years - having second thoughts now after reading this article.
The attraction being 2,500 Hartlepool fans in fancy dress & party atmosphere for the vast majority.
Political correctness gone crazy

Posted by A Thompson on 24 April 2015 at 11:46

Is it April Fools Day?? The world is going mad if this is true

Posted by Peter Parker on 24 April 2015 at 11:32

Jeez is this what the world has come to when you can't even go to the match and have a laugh wid your mates, Its probably just as well Bob Marley is dead cos if he wanted to go to the match he would'nt be allowed in .... Can we not stop all this P.C madness

Posted by petethegreet on 24 April 2015 at 10:19


CUFC get a life. Please don't let leftish political correctness get a foothold in our national game.

Posted by John Stitch on 24 April 2015 at 09:46

I'm going as Barry White, I don't see what the problem is?

CALM DOWN!


Posted by Den H on 24 April 2015 at 09:37

Get a grip,its only a bit of fun

Posted by pat on 24 April 2015 at 09:36

Get a grip. Never heard owt so daft. This is what's wrong with our country. No offence ment, just people having fun.

Posted by Matt Handley on 24 April 2015 at 09:19

This is ridiculous! It's called 'fancy dress' for a very good reason. It's dressing up as someone else. Is Widow Twankey sexist? For goodness sake, Football organisers, grow up and let the fans have their fun on the last away match. This world has just gone too far with it's fear of 'upsetting' minorities. It's got nothing to do with racism, so let it be!!

Posted by Against Stupidity on 24 April 2015 at 09:09

Point completely lost on you I see.

Errrrr .... I don't believe she gave a view. They were all quotes attributed to Carlisle fans!

I believe she did. The last paragraph.

Like I said. The whole point people are making has been completely lost on her. And most others that cant see the point as well.

God Help Us If We Go Dressed Up As Monkeys

Why?

I think you'll find that people have been offended by blacking up long before political correctness even entered the national lexicon.

My mate is going as a white rastafarian miner who has just got home after a shift down the pit. Sorted.

What a crock of crap! Hope I don't, get a riot inducing suntan when I go abroad.

Great stuff, made it onto the BBC Sport main page. Top idea this. At least we now have an anti-racism organisation stating what shouldn't really needed to be stated for anyone who'd even put an ounce of thought into why it could be seen as racist.

The theme is fine, by all means dress in Rastafarian/reggae attire, but surely to god no one will actually go through with "blacking up" now*.

*Many definitely still will.

Full article on Carlisle official site.

Common sense at last.

Sorry but this is shambolic from the club.

My understanding is people who had heard rumours of the fancy dress wrote to the club before it was announced warning them that it was a potential PR disaster. Indeed I believe some of the press was all over it. From the moment the announcement was made the club received more people writing to the club warning them it was a PR disaster and worried of the implications

Dressing up as Bob Marley in itself is not offensive but it was obvious some were going to black up and indeed the posts followed on the HUFC facebook page and on here where people proudly announced their intentions to black up or go as a Reggae banana. This could have been nipped in the bud at source with a simple "the club advises fans not to black up" or better still advising the Fancy Dress organisers of the potential pitfalls and suggesting they to change it.

Not only that we have upset some of our own black players when everybody needed to be pulling in the right direction.

The club cannot say they weren't warned and instead of eliminating the damage at source the club will now be in damage limitation mode - unless this is all an act of self harm.

What's really annoying about it all is it's been the hot topic on this board since the announcement. With the same arguments and same points been thrown about. Thankfully, KickItOut have now made it abundantly clear that it isn't a good idea, they should never really have had to mind.

I actually keep forgetting we're playing tomorrow at times. We should be talking about the team for tomorrow, and Ronnie Moore, and our chances of staying up etc etc. Not whether painting our faces black for the final game of the season is racist or not.

I've not really said much but this is absolutely ridiculous! It was a good hearted and no-malicious idea that has been blown way out of proportion! Yes the idea of blacking up is stupid and never been widely said it was going to happen, if some individuals did then it is there problem! Unfortunately some 'do-gooder' pools supporters have complained to the club and kick it out.

I find I pathetic that this issue has came about because some pools fans have though on the off chance that if some people 'black up' which was never suggested or endorsed by anyone would offend people based on race! Correct me if I'm wrong but its such attitudes are racists by telling people what they should and shouldnt find offensive and the fact they asked Curle what he thinks.

What a downright joke this has turned in to! Due to people complaining because they didn't want the odd person in a couple of thousand to get the club bad publicity, they themselves have done so by making this such a huge issue.

Common sense should have prevailed all round, this was never an issue and a simple statement from pools asking fans not to black up even thought it wasn't part of the intended idea to be in the safe side could have stopped this before it started.

Carlisle contacted kick it out.


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The reaction on the Facebook group was somewhat predictable. A few, very much like small children would, have decided that now they've been told they can't do it, they want to do it even more.

Then there's those blaming the Bunker for everything, standard reaction.

This whole issue is not the fault of pools supporters contacting kick it out as you say. It was an ill thought out idea by the FDE organisers, plenty of people posted here and elsewhere that they intended to black up but this potential outcome was never even considered by them

But it's Russ greens best mate n co founder of his new trust so he loved it


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The simple fact is the club could have simply added a 'we do not condone blacking up' message on the end of the article and the job was done and I believe someone contacted Mark Simpson to say this.

The second the Facebook group was full of comments of blacking up, taking bananas etc then they should have stepped in. Christ even today on ItB there was talk of 'coons' and such like. Rather embarrassing.

Its kick it out on Carlisle's website blaming pools fans and dying they've sent the concerns to the police so I've based what I said on that. I don't think you can blame those who've organised it because they saw it in terms off the costume and nor race so the issue os they didn't think about it with a racist perspective? It was still only a minority and a photo of the away end with a few idiots in wouldn't look that bad, the whole way this has blown up makes the club in general look bad instead now.

Hence the reason ITB is now closed. Posting stuff like that when I have to answer is bang out of order.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/lo ... -1-6578980

why no fuss about black up penguins or browned up umpa lumpas or blued up smurfs?

Because they're all fictional characters and animals for fuck's sake. As far as I'm aware they haven't had centuries of oppression followed by years of hatred and piss taking.

I think it's because black people exist.

Mind so do Penguins, although I imagine they weren't too arsed about us dressing up as them.

Are you even real?

Dont be so stupid.

Ah you beat me to it, I've seen loads of people ask that same question. It's ridiculous how they don't quite understand the difference between black people and umpa lumpas.

In an attendance of 59,621, SIX Germany fans blacked up and made world wide news. Obviously it was an International match and there was a massive media attention but I'd say looking at the Pools facebook page and the other forum a lot more than 6 Pools fans were considering blacking up. Like Tree said the facebook page was full of comments and there would have been a media backlash. A small group of students in Edinburgh blacked up on a night out and found themselves worldwide news, it was hardly going to go un-noticed?

Forget the media backlash, blacking up belongs in the 70s and it's the people who threatened to do it who are to blame.

Like I said, what was the club thinking? They can't say they weren't warned. They could have easily fixed it with a simple "we do not condone blacking up" line but they decided not to.

I'm guessing you went to the platonic school of thought.

I'm more concerned with staying up than dressing up.

I can't believe the club couldn't see this coming. Hopefully we win tommorow and theres not 2000 Bob Marleys dressed up having a good time as we are relegated from the football league.

Cue the media patronising us with "look at Hartlepool they're shit but at least they're having a good time."

Can't you block people who make comments like this?

Well I am still putting the black stuff on my face, because to me it isn't racist.... So that's good enough for me.

Enjoy Carlisle town centre on your own then. Sounds like a plan.

I don't think I've seen (correct me if I'm wrong) one post on here saying they would be offended by people blacking up. The main point was that it can be seen as offensive and in the very PC world we are in today it will cause a stir and by some be seen as offensive/racist. That's all that has been pointed out and because it's been so heavily debated on here a lot have jumped to conclusions that it's all the bunkers fault it's made national press. It was always going to get out in the media, it turned racist by those coming up with friggin banana costumes, something completely unrelated to Bob Marley.

How do you work that out???

Because Carlisle have been advised to turn away anyone in blackface.

Don't embarrass the club and don't get relegated :-0

This was always going to happen which was the point people made as soon as it was announced. The point they are missing as the people who made it aren't 'do gooders' they are just aware of the World we live in what sort of reaction this would get.

I've left that Facebook page I really don't want to be associated with some of the stuff on there.

On just about ever level this has been our Worst season ever now potentially ending with double national embarrassment.

Exactly this!


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Hopefully, and probably pretty likely, Carlisle will decide to turn anyone away from the game who "niggers up". That way anyone who does can't complain and gets what they deserve for being petulant.

Mind you just read the full statement and it says 5 hartlepool fans have complained. Granted if it went ahead and people did it would of caused a lot of issues but to contact kick it out and complain seems a bit tedious and bitchy. People are still going to do it out of defiance and its now going to be a lot worse when they do.


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The "Kick It Out" statement is now on the HUFC site - with an unnecessary (and somewhat spiteful) asterisk after the "number of complaints" leading to the number five at the bottom of the article. Can there ever have been a more pathetically run Club than ours?

There wasn't much fuss when Sol Campbell painted his face white, what is the difference.