Demba Ba has said he didn’t hear the racial abuse aimed at him by some Sunderland fans on Sunday, but he was made aware of it after the game in the dressing room, and Demba Ba – rightly – puts it down to there being some stupid people in this world.
Demba Ba in action on Sunday
Demba Ba has talked to the Daily mail today and as usual the Senegal striker comes across as a sensible lad.
This is what Ba had to say:
“I did not hear the abuse, but I was made aware of it after the match.” “People are stupid. You can’t ask the whole of the population to be intelligent. You need everything to make a world and you need some stupid people.”
“Something is right about the campaign but a t-shirt won’t change a lot of things unfortunately.” “I will wear it because it is just kick racism out of football and it is a good message but I don’t truly think that is going to change something.”
“It is difficult to know the solution, you have to go to the source and when I say the source I mean the grown men who do it, and it is going to be difficult to change them and their mentality.”
“What you can change is the the little boys going to school. We have to change the next generation and maybe the campaign helps to get that message out there.”
We are a little alarmed to see more racial prejudice creeping into the game of football, with poor Danny Rose receiving abuse last week in Serbia, when he was playing for the England U21 side.
Both UEFA and FIFA are going to have to crack down big time on this, and there’s no place in the modern world for racial abuse or prejudice, and it needs to be stamped out just as quickly as possible.
UEFA and FIFA need to show more leadership in this matter, as they’ve been far too quiet recently.
What do you think about this?
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26 comments so far
davybtoon
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Comment #1Demba is right wearing a tshirt won’t change anything
sammydolan
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Comment #2Right, this isnt sodding rocket science. You fine a club that get millions and millions in sponsors, tv rights etc, a measly 40K for a load of idiot fans chanting racism – nothing will happen.
If you fine said club with million pound fines in relation to their earnings its going to hurt them. Furthermore the best way to stop this is to dock points. How gutting will teams be potentially loosing out to rivals in table positions, europe qualifying places etc to a few racist fans. It will stop.
archaeomag
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Comment #3Not to mention a bunch of journo’s who keep saying he’s going to leave the club – who should we make lies about & whose integrability and loyalty should we question today?
Dannyo
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Comment #4The source isn’t with the grown man, but with the children that Ba ends it with.
It’s about us, giving our kids, the right mentality in life.
Nothing will change if we can’t do that.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Comment #5The best thing to do is not talking about it, not publicise it.
If you know only idiots do these things, why are you listening or responding to it? If nobody cares about it, soon it will go away because racism doesn’t work and nobody listens to racist people, and normal people don’t give a shit about racist people has to say.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Comment #6only idiots repond to idiots, only crazy people respond to crazy people
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:32 AM
Comment #7if people called you “monkey” and you respond to it, then you are a monkey. If you are not then don’t respond, soon they will stop.
tequilamag
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Comment #8Santon you can`t bury your head in the sand with this stuff. If nobody challenges racists they think it`s OK. They won`t go away by pretending it`s not there.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:37 AM
Comment #9Tequila
The more you challenge them, the more they become. Why are they chanting racist things? Because their aim is to annoy you, if you challenge them, then you will prove them that it worked. If you ignore them than it doesn’t work. It’s only words, if you don’t hear it, it won’t hurt. Unless it’s physical abuse, then it’s different matter.
WWYCD
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:40 AM
Comment #10Can’t argue with what Ba has said here
Disagree that ignoring racism is the way forward it needs dealing with but really (in the football sense atleast) some blame should land on fellow fans for allowing this behaviour to stand imo
tequilamag
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:42 AM
Comment #11Santon, so if we had not challenged The Nazis in 39 presumably they would have just gone away.
The idea that if you ignore bad things they will simply go away is ridiculous.
Grafton83
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:42 AM
Comment #12Tequiliamag I agree
what’s that famous quote: “all it takes for evil to suceed is for good men to do nothing”
Racists should be challenged but it is not an easy thing to do. I’ve been at matches (not newcastle ones) and these peoples are often nut cases, if ordinary fans had the courage to say something it would help but it shouldn’t be up to them it should be the security staff or police that need to step in quicker and sort it out. It’s very difficult to pick out a voice in a crowd though.
I might be wrong but isn’t their camereas on the crowd in most stadiums anyway, can’t we just attach a mic to them. That kind of evidence should surley stand up in court and then these people would delt with. This isn’t rocket science.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Comment #13Sunderland have black, white, and asian players. the fact that they are still supporting their team, it proves that they are not actually racist. They were trying to annoy Ba, because they were affraid of Ba.
toon_army_redlichtie85
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Comment #14Absolutely amazing and spot on words by demba there!
AMEOBI
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Comment #15I don’t get the racism.. Just plain stupid, well said demba
Wandering Geordie
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Comment #16Everyone on a match day has a responsibility to stamp it out by challenging the said person(s), instead though we tend to turn bury our heads in the sand and accept it as part of football.
Having said that footballers also must accept some responsibility by their actions on the pitch .Examples being spitting ,swearing fighting etc.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Comment #17Look, racist chant trying to annoy people is way different with genocide or KKK killing black people. Like I said unless it becomes physical abuse then it’s different matter.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:48 AM
Comment #18I know it’s only a movie, but it’s a great story about racism and how to cure it. It’s called “American History X”.
WWYCD
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Comment #19Santon
American History X doesn’t really show how to get past racism imo brilliant film but ends with little in the way of curing racism
sa80teur
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Comment #20Santon03
Ba is in no way complicit with the actions of these idiots. The aggressive use of language in an attempt to belittle, demean and diminish the person should never be tolerated whether it be against race, gender, sexuality, age or social class. This kind of hate rots at the heart of society..
Grafton83
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Comment #21Saton you’re misguided. It’s not the point that words don’t hurt you.
The point is that you shouldn’t have to put up with it in the first place. Ignoring it simply isn’t an option, there will always be a reaction and understandibly so.
The answer to racism is education and tough action against anyone involved.
tequilamag
Oct 23, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Comment #22Santon, I agree there is no logic in ” supporters” making racist chants at opposition players when they have black players in their own team. Racism is a belief system born of ignorance. That does not alter the fact that it should be challenged.. Ba is right it`s probably too late for the adults. But by challenging racist ideas It offers an alternative way of thinking for the kids who may otherwise follow the example of the idiots. The more people who say Racism is stupid the more likely its is that the kids will reject racism. If the majority ignore it, the kids may take that as it`s not that big a deal and it`s OK to be racist.
Santon03
Oct 23, 2012 at 10:02 AM
Comment #23I agree with you guys especially with education. that’s why only idiots says these racist things. I’m most certainly agree with saving the next generation, but if you are challenging these racist idiots, I don’t think it would end well. I’m saying ignoring them is one way to challenge them. With these kind of idiots, it’s different than normal idiots, the more you challenge them, they will think that they are winning. that’s my opinion with these racist morrons.
blew
Oct 23, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Comment #24Racists in a football crowd are a very small minority.
Too much press is given, ignore it.
Mister Tuff
Oct 23, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Comment #25Santon03.
I cannot believe what I have just read in your posts. Evidence from recent history proves that closing your eyes to/ covering your ears to this type of abuse does not make the abuse go away or change the minds of those spewing it out. Turning a blind eye ultimately makes you complicit in the abusers crimes. Your theories to resolving these matters, if it were not such a serious subject, is laughable, and repeating what a previous poster has stated, is delusional.
Imagine a small child who was subject to racist abuse everyday, at school and in their neighbourhood –do you honestly think that what we should do as a society is to tell the child not to listen and all will be well. Or as you suggest if the child listens to the “monkey chants” the child is therefore a monkey. Unfortunately, you are out of step with the rest of the world on this subject, it might have been better if you had not contributed to this debate although in retrospect it does indicate to the rest of the right thinking people that there is still work to be done in this area. Whilst you may not be a racist your policy of not challenging these matters suggests to the abusers that what they do is not wrong and their bile will continue to be spouted.
Blew @#24 -you state that the small minoity of racists in football should be ignored. Rubbish – a small minority is too many -there needs to be none. Turning a blind eye is being complicit with the abuse.
Lee Dodd
Oct 23, 2012 at 7:59 PM
Comment #26At The End of the Day The Ideots In Sunderland are Jelouse They Dont Have Demba In There Team. The Kids Today Think They Know it all. Remember when we had No Coloured Players and the National front Were all over st james with leaflets . Bananas beeing thrown on the Pitch at The Likes of Cyril Regis . We Got Tony Cunningham and he was Our Hero… All this racism crap Is Getting Out Of hand and has to stop Now !!!!!!