By Tony Attwood
We probably all know about what Graham Rix got involved in post-Arsenal, and it’s not something I’ve particularly wanted to re-visit. Many of us watched Rix, enjoyed his work for Arsenal as a footballer, and then, well… everyone can have their own views.
But at the same time I’ve tried to do a little bit off and on to mention the stuttering progress of the FA’s enquiry into abuse of young players, and to suggest that maybe it should be moving much more quickly.
In 2016 the FA announced that a full scale inquiry into English football abuse scandal is needed, but I am not sure we have actually started to see that. Last year we had the story that “some teen footballers were forced into sickening initiation ceremonies” at one major club.
Also last year the story emerged that ex-Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor was warned about the abuse of young players in the 1980s, the FA’s inquiry into sexual abuse has been told. One victim told the Victoria Derbyshire show he was advised to “sweep it under the carpet” rather than tell police, according to the BBC.
I am not really sure there is an overall approach driving the enquiry forward, but maybe I just haven’t got the hang of it all, because I must admit I do find the whole thing utterly harrowing.
Which is why I’m not going to go into details of the latest accusations concerning Graham Rix. I have read the story, and it makes me feel both helpless and ill. Maybe it is because I am a father and a grandfather that I feel so much more sensitive about this.
The story is appalling, but if you wish to read it, it is here:
I leave it up to you, and of course we must note that in these cases those accused deny that they were involved.
All i can say is, that if one is not a melanated person, then one will just not understand the things one goes through as a melanated person in this world, even today.
Most non or lightly melanated do/can not even begin to understand the mindset formed during slavery to children who pass it on to their children’s children consciously or subconsciously, a mindset that needs to constantly bolster their complex by degrading others.
This mindset is continually projected through official media and although most are unaware(which is dangerous for they take on these projections subconsciously) some are aware and do try in their own way to highlight this, but they fight against this institution of what we melanated people know as racism, yes the institutional racism that many do not even get to understand because they are on the other side of it.
Throughout my 65 years i could tell you stories, but well, i dealt with it all, sometimes having to laugh at the silliness of it all, sometimes crying at the savagery(f.i. cutting open a pregnant woman belly and playing football with the child), or designing foods that destroy melanin, or even (today)robbing dead melanated bodies of their melanin content to make “superdrugs” and “superpills”.
Yet we are still here while the “children” learn to become “civilised”, after all, that is what one does as parents, even when the children turn against you is it not?
I have no idea where it is all going to end, but according to the latest developments throughout the world, it seems it is going to get much worse before it gets any better, truly better.
Welcome to my world.
Para…..I presume you mean melanated to indicate a person of colour? It is one of the two greatest tragedies and shames the 21st century must still endure. the other being the sexual and physical abuse of children, as Tony has written about above. When the two are combined, it is doubly distressing.
How is is even possible for the authorities to ignore rampant racism, pedophilia, sexual and physical abuse is one the great mysteries of the ¨modern¨ age. My sympathies to you personally and your historical and familial suffering and your fear that it will only get worse. I am of the same conviction, as I watch Trump bluster and boast about his abuses and his racist tendencies without the slightest remorse or punishment. Antisemitism, Islamophobia, mysogony, predatory abuse, homo^phobia etc. all to be legitimized by the authorities inaction and the media indirectly.
I read the article. As you say, innocent until proven guilty.
However, I know these things go on. There is widespread unexpressed racism in our society. And then there is the expressed racism that only non white people usually get to hear but which from what we are occasionally told is also widespread.
It struck me recently when that young chef Nadia said in an interview that she had suffered comments like that continually since she was a child.
If what we are told in this article proves to be true it is indeed horrific. For a vulnerable young person to be treated like this by someone in a position of power is unforgivable.
One can only imagine that those in power who do not take action about clear cases of abuse, have themselves have something to hide.
The female acting community have recently set the ball rolling and it is now incumbent on those in all walks who have suffered abuse, to no longer remain silent. 😉
just makes you wonder if it is worth watching the game anymore….
Thank you Tony for exposing this social sickness that has not gone away but hides in some circles.
“Why do we want all these people from ‘shithole countries’ coming here?” – 45th President of the USA
it was a guardian report which has gone sadly downhill as
When the President of the USA describes african countries in general as s…hole countries, when he says he can pretty much grab any woman by her p…, and I am here only citing 2 occurences, it makes you wonder : is he the person leading the pack and changing our society to a malevolent one, or is he not the result of this society’s ‘evolution’. After all he got elected in a democratic process….
The same way, considering the way woman (and non-white women) were subjected to harrassment in the 3 Lions team, and reading the Chelsea report, is the FA guilty or is society at large so bad ?
One can apply the same set of quetions to what happens in the catholic church….and what we see happening in showbiz.
I believe that all this is just the result of a society’s ‘evolution’ and that it is representative of it.
Sure enough innocent until proven guilty. Fact is that when society does not allow victims to be heard, to fight back, other ways are used. And reading the report one can find quite a few similarities with church and showbiz….so I’d say that where there is a fire there is smoke.
And of all UK teams, I must say I’ve not seen many Chelsea players come through youth ranks…rather I’ve seen many of them leave on loan very far away. Is there a cause and effect there ?
Chelsea.
Not a great football club.
With very little history.
That which there is proceeding this latest story wasn’t so flattering, and the only way is down – please refer to the latest story regarding their stadium – CPO’s to aid the Development AKA: Corporatism, AKA…as I was saying, not flattering.
Following on from the England Women’s sad story about a coach who should never have been allowed near a pitch! Like one or two of the officials, who should not even be allowed near an online poker game, forget about a sporting contest.
–
AFC is not a perfect club but not for nothing do the likes of John Gregory (Tottenham fan) and others describe AFC as:
“Representing the best in English Football”.
It’s strange coincidence that sees the moralising footy hacks like Dear Barney make their smears and attacks against the AFC manager, for 20 years, whilst they have ignored the stories right under their noses. Involving top clubs and national teams no less.
What else have they missed whilst they’ve been incapable of targetting the Gunners?
“Para…..I presume you mean melanated to indicate a person of colour?”
Are we so terrified as a result of the gross social-engineering that’s gone on that we can’t use the established terms? It’s black folks, or white folks. That’s what most people are used to and have been comfortable with. Describing someone as ‘a person of colour’ is obsolete; I had to reprimand my father for using it the first time I dated a black girl in the 90’s. It’s 2018, not the dark ages.
Incidentally, there have been numerous times throughout my past when I’ve heard white people describe geographical areas almost exclusively populated by other whites as a shithole. So now, a white person describes an area populated by non-whites as a shithole it’s ‘clearly racist’ according to the UN, who obviously never occassioned themselves to look at the precise dictionary definition of the word.
We have well and truly disappeared up our collective fundament. Pathetic.
@Flares, 6:39pm:
“So now, a white person describes an area populated by non-whites as a shithole it’s ‘clearly racist’ according to the UN, who obviously never occassioned themselves to look at the precise dictionary definition of the word.”
I hope you are not trivializing Trump’s statement. The other day, he said something about “… Nigerians going back to their huts…”. You see, responses to his uneducated comments are duly justified as he has a history of unguarded, racist-toned statements.
I am a Nigerian and I may live in a shithole but the shithole was first established when Trump’s (white people) ancestors started stealing our resources – human and material – by the shipload in the name expedition and slavery. His “great America” is built substantially with resources stolen from this “shithole”.
I am personally not bothered by any of the foregoing though because:
(1) I am more educated that the average white folk
(2) Average education level among Nigerians/Africans community in Europe/America is usually higher than national average, in fact, there is scarcely any “Top 5” institution in either of these locations that Nigerians/Africans have not set enviable academic records.
(3) Everyone in America (except the native/aborigine Americans (erroneously called Indians by the first settlers/explorers) is an immigrant – the only difference is timing… All migrants (except those forced into slavery by the likes of Trump’s ancestors as mentioned above) have the same reasons for migration – to seek a better life. Trump should go and get an education.
(4) The sweetest part of all this is that since America chose this idiot as president, Africa has lost the monopoly of idiotic leaders – and that, is truly an achievement.
😉
Gideone – The Indians were not erroneously called. They are my cousins who respected nature & were hounded by the ‘bible bashers’ & slaughtered by the gun. They were robbed of honour & land.
The biggest hypocrisy is the lyric of the anthem ‘land of the free & home of the brave’ – freedom of the wealthy few & bravery behind a gun.