And not in a good way speaking about Bulgaria

“Southgate said: "What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries in the world. So, I think we have to be very careful in how we cover everything."

There were allegations of racist abuse in a game between Hartlepool United and Dover Athletic in September.”



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50004806

It’s unfortunate that we are name checked in this (cheers a couple of imbeciles in the Town End) but he’s absolutely right to say the UK need to stop getting on it’s high horse about everything as if we are from somewhere that’s perfect.

I'm glad we've been mentioned in the article - not exactly great PR but it might make some of the clowns who come out with this shite at games think again. There again knowing the intellect involved probably not.

Southgate my arse.

I mean nice of him to name check us I guess. Thrown us under the bus a bit I think when Villa fans have just had same thing happen and a very similar situation last season with Chelsea fans to Sterling.

Guess you can't make the Premier league look bad though.

In fairness though what he said is not true either. What happened isn't even as bad as what happened to Lukaku last month.

He could of used the example of it but then also used the club and the rest of the fans as an example of how to deal with the situation and stand against racism. Which the club for me has done very well along with the rest of the fans who aren't knuckle dragging idiots.

Inter fans told Lukaku to basically take it as a compliment and expect it again. How is the Dover incident worse than that?

End of the day goes back to a few idiots letting the majority down again.

What happened to the ‘few’

What has the Battle of Britain got to do with this?

The Lukaku incident was in Italy he used us an example as its recent and he’s rightly pointing out that it’s hard for us to get on our high horse when things like that still happen in England. It’s not about comparing incidents or saying what’s ‘worse’ and he’s making a fair point. I hate that’s it’s our name associated with it but it happened.

The Villa one was a clip of them a group of fans in a concourse singing a song about the size of one their own players tallywacker, racial stereotyping, I remember Marlon Harewood having a song while he was here that was similar he didn’t seem too offended by it in all fairness.

Pools fans were singing exactly the same about Gus the Tuesday night after Dover outside the millhouse and I heard the same tune in the ground so assume they were there also, we held up a banner though so it's gone away now.

Reading it again I do think I probably took it a bit personally which I shouldn't of done and I'm quite ebarassed at myself really.



I have no issues with him mentioning it just thought he could of mentioned the Sterling one at Chelsea instead but as has been mentioned the Dover incident was the most recent of that nature so makes sense he'd mention that one.

Southgate has gone down in my estimation with this comment. It's a complete overreaction to being criticized by the head of the Bulgarian FA. It's fair enough to acknowledge that England has it's own problems with racism in football, but pretending that one incident at Hartlepool was "probably worse" than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries" is the purest bollocks. The Bulgarian racists for one are serial offenders - that's why they've got a partial stadium ban.

As far as I'm concerned it's poetic justice that Saint Gareth's team got beat last night.

Perhaps if they gave emphasis on the instant response by the club to the idiots then that would show the world that any instances like this are dealt with swiftly and not swept under the carpet like it is in some countries.

Yeah but the ref!

Yeah but

Errr what about the striker

N errr Southgate wasn’t even there

N but did anyone even hear what was said




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I understand your point, and I have never sought to defend or excuse the racist behaviour of Pools fans at the Dover game or on any previous occasion. All my comments on the subject are on the Bunker if you can be arsed to go through them.

The England manager making an international example of a little club in the National League to diffuse criticism directed at him still doesn't sit well with me. On this we will just have to agree to disagree.

People are not exactly reluctant when it comes to being down on our town. Most of it is harsh and inaccurate. You'd think when someone comes out with such a far fetched statement as Southgate did that we would defend ourselves. 'No Gareth, we are not a racist club, the town is full of decent people and we are nothing like the places where you have been where racism is rife. You are off the mark'.

Have a think about all the incidents that Southgate has seen around the world and add to that all those that he's heard about. Some pretty nasty stuff. Now think about where he places the incident at our place in the great scheme of things. He places it top. Do you think he does that in full knowledge that it was just one bloke amongst a much bigger (and horrified) crowd or is he doing that because he hasnt bothered to find out what really happened and just assumes there's a big racism problem with our club?

^^^^This is the problem we habe to contend with^^^^. Even our own people can't stand up for the town and its club.

Give over what utter nonsense MadJohn is 100% correct, Southgates words have been taken out the context he was having to respond to. Are you even aware why he was even talking about this?

Wow.

thats what you took from his post?

No that's what was given.

10 Minutes is a very long time..

Look at the History of Pooly Imp’s posts. Doesn’t surprise me in the slightest he’s said what he has on this thread.

This 100% some of the shite i heard in the bogs after the incident(s) insinuating it was ' his faullt' for acting like that.... Truly embarrassing retards. It will take me a long time before i come back and fuck a few placards.

This 100% some of the shite i heard in the bogs after the incident(s) insinuating it was ' his faullt' for acting like that.... Truly embarrassing retards. It will take me a long time before i come back and fuck a few placards.[/quote]

I wasn't there. I thought it was literally one bloke. I have to concede that it does sound like a bigger problem. Im as disappointed and ashamed as I am sorry

Oh dear...

We have just been mentioned in the racist debate on footy tv, not sure it was as bad as what happening there, is there no police or army to control that shit, awful to watch!

Why are they letting them in the ground in the first place? They were all dressed the same all in, ironically in black with covered faces some even had branded clothing with ‘no respect’ on it? I’m pretty sure these scum bags don’t represent your average Bulgarian it’s fairly obvious who the group were out to cause disruption.

That partial stadium ban from UEFA has done the trick though, restricting them from selling 5,000 tickets in a half empty stadium. That will show them.

Clumsy choice of words by Southgate, guaranteed to get susceptible backs up. I guess he "probably" didn't have time to consider his words more carefully.
He could have said "just look at Hartlepool a few weeks back" and got his point home and no one would disagree, but to those who read in a hurry, he comes across as saying "racism in Hartlepool is among the worst in the world". Yes, yes, he really does. Probably.

bollocks

It was nothing like that at all.

So he didn't say "What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries in the world"? You really don't think that will be construed by a lot of people as Hartlepool supporters are word-class racists?
Or does the "bollocks" mean we actually are. Hell I hope not.

He was trying to be diplomatic after questions from our media to our players had caused a bit of stir and offence. Our game was stopped for nearly ten minutes after someone was racially abused it is worse than a lot of incidents that have happened recently I don’t think his words were clumsy he was just highlighting that it’s a problem that hasn’t gone away in the UK either, quite correctly, you are taking that out of context because you don’t like us being used as an example.

It happened. And it was more than one person. Therefore there is no defence. Its staggering that some are trying paint Gareth Southgate in a bad light here. Nearly as worrying as the racist behaviour.

I am totally not saying Southgate shouldn't use Hartlepool as an example. I even gave a suggestion in my post as to how he could have better expressed himself with just as much impact. If Pools supporters were racist, then bring it on. So you can stop staggering and walk straight.
However, anyone who doesn't think his turn of phrase as published will be taken as meaning what I said is either hypercorrecting or being just plain naive. I myself don't think that's what he meant, but I can completely see how it will be construed as such by the great unwashed.