Many people are familiar with the British term “soccer hooligans” -- the young “toughs” who engage in tribe-like tricks and thuggery in and out of soccer stadiums as ways to wage war against the fans of an opposing team. Sometimes, it’s funny.
Sometimes it’s vicious and criminal.
But the Cambridge United Football organization just showed the planet that, evidently, they seem to care more about people booing heart-on-sleeve identity politics than they often do that aforementioned hooliganism. As the DailyMail.UK reports, the team just banned a bunch of fans who booed players for “taking the BLM knee,” and those the team didn’t ban from the stadium, it told to get “reeducated” before they’ll be readmitted.
A handful of fans could be heard booing ahead of kick-off in the League Two fixture on December 15, even though it was quickly drowned out by applause.
The club was quick to condemn the actions of its supporters and vowed to launch an investigation, which has now concluded.
Phew. Good thing! It sure would be awful if the football club didn’t investigate fans who booed players taking a knee in honor of an organization that was formed by avowed Marxists. And, even if the players were not kneeling in honor of the official Black Lives Matter organization - whose founders openly state they are “trained Marxists” -- the neurotic embrace of the “taking of the BLM knee” still strikes a discordant note for some fans who would prefer not to see their favorite sports escape connect itself to a complex political matter. Ian Mather, the Cambridge United Chief Executive, didn’t explore that nuance. Instead, he told the press:
Each case has been looked at separately. Conclusions reached range from education and support without any ban through to bans to the end of the season with season tickets refunded.
At least they’ll refund the cash.
But, if team management will ban fans for booing players who take the “BLM Knee,” will that same management ban fans who boo players who score against their favorite goal-tender? Will they ban players who boo opposing teams simply because they’re from a different place? Will booing be allowed at all, or is this terrible form of sonic outburst only verboten when it doesn’t conform to the right political recipe?
It seems as if Mr. Mather isn’t well prepared to answer such questions. He can’t even make his own public pronouncements conform to his organization banning people for expressing their opinions. It all fits with his half-blind idea of “inclusion”:
Diversity and inclusion will continue to be at the heart of what we stand for as a football club and we will be making no further comment about the incident.
Remember that, now. It’s inclusive to ban people for not conforming to the accepted corporate line. Diversity is delivered through uniformity.
Two plus two is five.
Welcome to the New World, and its NewSpeak. Please be a good Prole and conform, even though the policies are inconsistent and contradictory. Anyone who doesn’t fit can go to Room 101 to be “taught how to behave.”
Then, the newly "reeducated" serf can enjoy sporting events that weave political messages in them more and more often -- all conforming to the collectivist mindset that so many corporate sports leagues have embraced.