I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point. Maybe it’s easier to see the racial bias as someone who isn’t English, but it’s most certainly there. It’s the way black English players are talked about and written about versus white English players.
Why would it be?
Because sometimes when you’re part of a society or culture you go a little blind to things. Certain biases within the media appear normal because that’s how it’s always been.
I don’t accept in this example that having an understanding on how toxic the tabloids is in this country (and for many of us here, witnessing it) is clouding the ability to see racial bias. If anything the overall dislike of them (they aren’t popular among football fans, Northerners really dislike The Sun) would do the opposite.
Ever looked up how they treated Graham Taylor?
The popularity of tabloids is irrelevant. Whether or not people up North like them is irrelevant.
It’s not a personal attack on English people or saying that all England supporters are racist and if you personally don’t think there’s an issue who am I to convince you otherwise. But to me, there’s clearly an issue with the way England treats its black players.
Racism is everywhere, we have to live with it no matter what.
Litter is everywhere as well, but if you see littering, it littered should be called out on it or urged to do better.
British Media are cunts. I don’t know why they get such a hard on digging out their players before major tournaments. Would be great if they could get behind the team and manager.
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I only think he should play for Nigeria if England (media, players or fans) are treating him poorly. As I said a few sentences after, he can choose where he wants to play for.
You can be raised in England, he’s still Nigerian.
The biggest difference for me is that if he leaves his house in England people can tell him to his face ‘go back to your country’, and can throw bananas at him or compare him to gorillas on social media when he misses a penalty.
That won’t happen in Nigeria.
Yeah that’s correct actually. The tribes in Nigeria carry far more weight in this context.
I can flip that right around: You can have Nigerian parents, but you’re still English/British if you have a British passport, were born, raised and lived your whole life in England/Britain.
I don’t know for sure, but I think he probably feels both British and Nigerian, as many people in British with immigrant parents feel they have dual nationality, which makes good sense to me. But I wouldn’t argue if he said he solely felt like he identified with either nationality, cos I don’t think it is anyone’s place to dictate the nationality another person identifies with.
But it feels like you’re stating that he is in fact Nigerian and not British, and I just think it’s weird for you to make definitive statements about someone else’s nationality like that, particularly given the context in this specific case.
The papers after England lost on pens to Italy.
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I don’t think the papers are openly racist. I do think there is an undercurrent that isn’t as conscious of what they do.
After the Euros a lot of the papers called the really horrific stuff online out, whilst also not seeming to notice their own prejudices.
I just do not see anything “negative” from these pictures.
They are emotional and sentimental to me.
Never did that.
Of course he’s both British and Nigerian. That’s not what we’re discussing today.
Instead of flipping the statement around to suit your argument, discuss the matter at hand.
The boy is born in the UK and has Nigerian parents.
Therefore he is Nigerian. Is that something you’re able to accept? If we can agree on that, then we can move on to the true matter at hand.
Why does the media feel they can do that? Because he’s black, there are no consequences for doing it & also because there is a strong contingent of people in this country who don’t consider him to be British.
My original point is our ‘citizenship’ is temporary, at least socially. We’re considered ‘British’ when it suits and ‘othered’ when it doesn’t. The media’s portrayal last week, was another example of this.
Andy Murray at Wimbledon
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Question - Is it one paper with Saka picture? or multiple?
Question 2 - What is this Black Ice reference?
Personally, I don’t think the media is the problem. It’s more of a societal issue. I honestly think it’s a bit of an overreaction tbh, but fair enough if you think there’s something else at play.
I posted the media’s reaction to England losing to Italy on pens. There’s no hint of the blame game being spouted. All the back pages were sympathetic to Saka in that moment.
Well you have stated factually that he is Nigerian because of his parentage and in another post on this topic questioned whether being born and raised in Britain is really enough to be defined as British. Saying that in the context of a discussion that’s specifically about Saka absolutely gives me the vibe that you’re questioning how British he really is.
Especially when the initial post I responded to said that he should pay for Nigeria because “that’s what he actually is anyway”. The use of the word “actually” portrays Nigerian as his true or accurate national descriptor, by implication saying that English is not his actual nationality.
But whatever, you’ve just stated he is both British and Nigerian, which I obviously agree with, so ultimately we aren’t a million miles apart in our view here. Maybe we’re both misunderstanding each other a bit.
Iceland. But black ice also refers to the slippery transparent, barely visible ice residue.
I got into a road accident because of it once. Was on a bike and didn’t see it on the road. Sent me careering 10-20 metres off the bike.
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