Sol refuses to rise to Spurs abuse
Sol Campbell is one of football’s genuinely interesting people.
He’s interesting because, to many, he’s a mystery.
An imposing, physical presence at centre-back, he is also more sensitive and thoughtful than the average footballer.
The youngest of 12 children, Campbell is an introvert - some have preferred self-absorbed - who has received bad press for his unwillingness to enjoy the celebrity culture.
His half-time walk-out at Arsenal pointed to inner demons or at the very least a crisis of confidence.
He doesn’t fit the stereotype. He doesn’t go out on the town with the latest Big Brother reject and he loves fashion (he helped design Pompey’s FA Cup suit).
That makes him an easy target - especially for Spurs, the club he turned his back on to join their biggest rivals Arsenal in 2001.
It was an incredible Bosman move which saw him become a figure of hate.
He could not have expected anything less, although it was a move he, in principle, had a right to make.
He was, and is, an ambitious individual. Look at the interviews he gave when Pompey were building the current side and he was crystal clear the club’s ambition had to match his own.
Emerging from Fratton Park after the Spurs victory on Sunday he refused to talk to our writers.
Unlike a lot of modern players, in Campbell’s case this was pretty unusual.
He is intensely private, but he’s also a considerate and thoughtful interviewee.
On the pre-FA Cup final press-day frenzy, he was the model pro.
Along with David James, he made his way down the queue of TV, radio and newspaper hacks with a smile, making sure everyone had what they needed ahead of the big match.
Glen Johnson and Sulley Muntari refused everybody. They could learn a lot from the Pompey skipper.
Being the character he is, Spurs’ racist and homophobic taunts will not have simply been shrugged off by Campbell.
Its ferocity will have reminded him of the abuse he got when he left White Hart Lane all those years ago.
The irony is, those dishing out this personal attack support a club with strong Jewish links, the most discriminated of all minorities. Go figure.
But Campbell stood tall amid the filthy verbals and led Pompey to a comfortable victory. He willl have relished that.
I suspect, though, the abuse does not simply bounce off Campbell. He will have thought about it deeply.
It’s not the first time he’s heard it, of course, but it will have hurt. He had made his point in the best way - on the field.
With the win secure, having to talk about why the opposition fans chanted he had HIV probably did not appeal.
I think he can be forgiven for that.
He’s interesting because, to many, he’s a mystery.
An imposing, physical presence at centre-back, he is also more sensitive and thoughtful than the average footballer.
The youngest of 12 children, Campbell is an introvert - some have preferred self-absorbed - who has received bad press for his unwillingness to enjoy the celebrity culture.
His half-time walk-out at Arsenal pointed to inner demons or at the very least a crisis of confidence.
He doesn’t fit the stereotype. He doesn’t go out on the town with the latest Big Brother reject and he loves fashion (he helped design Pompey’s FA Cup suit).
That makes him an easy target - especially for Spurs, the club he turned his back on to join their biggest rivals Arsenal in 2001.
It was an incredible Bosman move which saw him become a figure of hate.
He could not have expected anything less, although it was a move he, in principle, had a right to make.
He was, and is, an ambitious individual. Look at the interviews he gave when Pompey were building the current side and he was crystal clear the club’s ambition had to match his own.
Emerging from Fratton Park after the Spurs victory on Sunday he refused to talk to our writers.
Unlike a lot of modern players, in Campbell’s case this was pretty unusual.
He is intensely private, but he’s also a considerate and thoughtful interviewee.
On the pre-FA Cup final press-day frenzy, he was the model pro.
Along with David James, he made his way down the queue of TV, radio and newspaper hacks with a smile, making sure everyone had what they needed ahead of the big match.
Glen Johnson and Sulley Muntari refused everybody. They could learn a lot from the Pompey skipper.
Being the character he is, Spurs’ racist and homophobic taunts will not have simply been shrugged off by Campbell.
Its ferocity will have reminded him of the abuse he got when he left White Hart Lane all those years ago.
The irony is, those dishing out this personal attack support a club with strong Jewish links, the most discriminated of all minorities. Go figure.
But Campbell stood tall amid the filthy verbals and led Pompey to a comfortable victory. He willl have relished that.
I suspect, though, the abuse does not simply bounce off Campbell. He will have thought about it deeply.
It’s not the first time he’s heard it, of course, but it will have hurt. He had made his point in the best way - on the field.
With the win secure, having to talk about why the opposition fans chanted he had HIV probably did not appeal.
I think he can be forgiven for that.
Labels: Arsenal, David James, Fratton Park, Glen Johnson, Pompey, Sol Campbell, Spurs, Sulley Muntari
10 Comments:
Lets make this very clear, there was NO RACIAL abuse, homophobic yes, abuse yes, but racist not at all, Spurs are a truly multi-racial club as is their supporters. I was there and there was no hint of anything racial, there never is with Spurs home or away.
HAVING BEEN BROUGHT UP IN A HOMOPHOBIC CHILDHOOD WERE GAYS USED TO HANG ROUND PUPLIC TOILETS WITH NO LIGHTS MY GENARATION COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR BEING BIGGOTS AND NATZIS FOR BEING ANTY JEWIS BUT ITS 2008 AND WE SHOULD HAVE MOVED ON .SOL HURT ME WHAT HE DID IF SOL CAMBELL IS WHAT THE CROWD WERE SHOUTING TO HIM THEN HE IS DOING NO FAVOURS TO STOP HOMAPHOBIC CHANTS BY DENYING IT .AND SOCIETY WILL JUDGE HIM BY WHAT LIES HE TOLD US SPURS FANS AND LIES HE IS TELLING IN IS PRIVATE LIVE BUT HAVING SAID THAT I WOULD LIKE TOSAY ON BEHALF OF THE SICK FANS WHO CHANTED TO SOL WE ARE SORRRY. REMEBER SOL ITS NOT THE LEAVING THAT COUNTS ITS THE WAY YOU DO IT
As a Spurs fan of many years (who incidently grew up in Fareham), I would like to state that the chant in question is not one ever sung by more than 200-300 people (probably a push calling them that) and is certainly not something that I have ever sung myself.
However...
Massively offensive, yes. Homophobic, most probably. Racist? No.
I'm not really sure how people have come to this conclusion. Perhaps you'd care to explain what's racist about it?
To clarify, I'm not condoning the chant at all and I wish whichever moron dreamt it up 30 months ago (because it's been that long) had the brains to comprehend what they were actually saying, but I think to casually and cheaply label it racist actually deflects from the real issues.
It's a shame this whole thing has been given this much credence to be honest.
As you rightly say, Campbell has risen above this nonsense for the last seven years (although the stick has genuinely affected his performances on his returns to White Hart Lane, he's generally been awful there since), this whole thing has been given more attention and publicity than it deserves.
The police/stewards should have acted to prevent it on Sunday if they really thought it was a problem. To claim that there were too many people invlved is frankly a cop out (pun not intended).
As it is now, sadly, very little can be done in way of punishment, infact bizarely Portsmouth are probably more liable for it than Spurs because it happened at Fratton Park not White Hart Lane.
What was racist or homophobic about it? Claiming he has HIV is not the same as saying he is gay... Or am I the only one who realises that HIV is not just a homosexuals disease? Plus, if he denies he is gay, then it is banter to put him off his game, if he is, then he is only lying to himself and should be honest with himself about who he is. Sol commited the ultimate sin by going to the Scum on a free after saying for 2 years he was staying with Spurs, he lied to the fans he claimed to love and now gets everything he deserves. I for one have no sympathy in this bull sh1t PC world we now live. This iis supposed to be a democracy with freedom of speech, but its not, its a communisum!
As a Spurs fan, I have never sung that song. Though I detest Campbell for the deceitful manner in which he played on Spurs fans' loyalty in order to secure a free transfer to bitter rivals Arsenal, I can't condone the homophobic element of that song. James Burton is quite, quite wrong, however to attribute any racist connotation to the song. There is nothing racist in it other than the erroneous inference that James Burton has made. So back off, eh, James? Furthermore, it's a bit rich for fans of other clubs to be holier than thou about all this. I know for a fact that if a much loved and vital Pompey player had lied to Pompey fans for two years about loving the club and about signing a new contract and had then left on a free transfer to join Southampton (thereby depriving Pompey of £15 million of much needed transfer income and simultaneously strengthening Southampton in the one area where they were weak), then the vitriol directed at that player by Pompey fans would be every bit as vicious as that directed at Campbell by Spurs fans. In fact, the hypocrisy on display by fans of other clubs is quite breathtaking. It seems that Spurs are just the media punchbag of the moment. Well, fill your boots, fellas. It'll only make us stronger.
I remember when Harry left for Portsmouth a certain flag at Soton V Pompey about the symptoms of an injury that Harry had after his car crash. There was also quite a bit of abuse and at least one song about this. Harry and Portsmouth seem to have forgotten about this incident. Finally...THE SONG THAT WAS SUNG WAS NOT RACIST.
Be careful what you say, there was no racial abuse and never will be.
Don't forget he lied to Ar5ena1 to come to Pompey after saying he would only go abroad. He might be sensitive but he's also in it for the money.
i have heard a lot of different views and opinions about EVERY aspect of football but (and i have a lot of spurs supporting friends of every race, creed, and age) every spurs fan without exception - young, old, black, white, male, female, were hurt and disgusted with Sol with the lies he told before he left - NO ONE will EVER forgive him - he deserves everything he gets.........and more.
and as he once said to spurs fans (a few months after leaving) "get over it" - he is so out of touch with fans feelings its untrue.
being a plymouth argyle fan we are used to gay chants directed at our players.most off them are true by fact,but yhe players have learnt to get over it and play football.
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