Toxic Football Culture, Toxic Football Culture (Why Art Thou So, Well, Toxic?)
You know what the problem with toxic football culture is? It’s kinda culturally toxcity and football related. However what is toxic football culture?
1st Footballer: Whatever it is, it don’t exist.
2nd Footballer: Why doesn’t it?
1st Footballer: We’re all footballers and football fans here. You know it don’t exist.
2nd Footballer: Humour me. Explain to me why it doesn’t exist.
1st Footballer: You need to shut the fuck up mate. Otherwise you’ll get me a red card for violent misconduct.
“Toxic football culture involves excusing bad behaviour by football managers, footballers and football fans. Bad behaviour is violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or actions.” — FatChecker
What is denial? A river in Egypt.
A person, who wasn’t at all wise once said, “If you pretend long enough that something don’t exist it won’t exist long enough to need pretending for.”
How do you defend the indefensible? How do you explain away the obvious? Apparently it’s very easy.
Whether it be fans and pundits reluctant to link Roma manager José Mourinho going full mardy and calling a referee a, “fucking disgrace” (because his team lost) and Roma fans attacking the referee and his family at an airport. Or whether it is fans and pundits calling players “passionate” when they shove referees, football is full of apologists
During the World Cup game between England and Nigeria where England ended up adopting their default position of, “Why is this obscure non European team so good?” saw their sense of football entitlement thwarted and were not allowed to win the game during 90 minutes, England Forward Lauren James was sent off following a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review for stomping on Nigerian player Michelle Alozie’s back.
The Question: Why was Lauren James stomping on Michelle Alozie a perfectly OK thing to do?
The answers:
(A). Frivolousness
James apologised for the ‘incident’ over 24 hours after it occurred. If the ‘incident’ were that serious she would’ve apologised a lot quicker.
(B). Victimisation
James happened to gently tread on a Nigerian player know one’s heard of. The real victim was Lauren James. The Nigerian player, whoever she is, said, “We didn’t want [James] to move freely and get those shots off that she usually does. It was good for us to have her taken out of the game.” Instead of allowing our star player to play the free flowing football we all love to see, Nigeria had the audacity to come up with a game plan to stifle her. Cancel Nigeria!
(C ). Specialist Insight
After the game, England chief Sarina said of James, “She is inexperienced on this stage and in a split-second lost her emotions. It isn’t something she did on purpose. She apologised and felt really bad. She would never want to hurt someone. She is the sweetest person I know.” The boss has spoken!
(D). Freedom of Expression
James lashed out because she was frustrated. We have no freedom of speech as it is. Is violently lashing out in frustration the next thing to be denied us? Woke!
(E). Anti-Sexism
Some might’ve thought that James’ behaviour was unladylike. Misogynists! In fact we need more of this sort of thing in the girls game, because, to be fair, sometimes the girl’s game does lack a certain you know, say quoi.
(F). Diminished responsibility
James is 21 years young. Last time I looked, that’s basically a child. Since when do we punish children for doing childreny things?
(G). Strength of Character
Back in the 1998 World Cup, an Argentinean got David Beckham sent off for kicking him. Back in 1998 Beckham had effigies of him hung outside pubs, national newspapers printing a dartboard with his face centred on the bullseye, death threats and bullets delivered through the post. In 2023 James got none of this. Why? Unlike the men back then, our girl’s take the beautiful game seriously. They won with 10 men.
Epilogue
1st Person: If you were forced to choose a favourite foul, what would it be?
Me: Swansea City.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
