| Dani Alves and the banana on 09:35 - Apr 29 with 343 views | noah4x4 |
A top response from the player; and one hopes that the police/stewards took action too (and that the banana wasn't past its eat by date).
CCTV and all seater stadiums seem to have halted the coin chuckers; but I will never forget being at a West Brom Cup-Winners Cup game against Bruges (02/10/1968) where an (adult) idiot a few rows in front of me threw a dart at the Belgian goalkeeper. This was merely a week after I had witnessed another idiot fire off a marble from a catapult at a linesman. Nobody in the crowd dare react (n.b. I was just 14); such was that era of football hooliganism and tribal fever. One hopes that in modern times there would be a prompt citizen's reaction and the culprit be promptly arrested.
But in 1968, these were horrrible, racist, bigoted, homophobic, anti-establishment times; perhaps fueled by Harold Wilson and his "I'm Backing Britain campaign'; whilst Kenya was expelling thousands of Asians and Enoch Powell was making his"rivers of blood speech". In that year the GPO devised 'first class' and 'second class' post as if reinforcing some socio-economic stereotype; just as coal mining was ending in the Black Country (Midands) aftre 300 years of it fuelling the 'Industrial Revolution' and so sparking the demiss of an entire industry a decade before the (1978-9) 'Winter of Discontent'. Then finally in November 1968 the Race Relations Act was passed; and a new world began.
As the son of a (white) Eastern European post-war immigrant that had fought for this country yet suffered racial abuse I am grateful that society is so much more civilised today. Even the latest crime figures are encouraging. Yet 45 years on we still get banana chuckers......arrrrghhhh!
Cue....a thread about past memories of society and then and now comparisons? What do folks remember; both good and bad? Liquorice Imps; Izal loo paper......? |  | |  |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
