To walk, or not to walk off pitch?

[Assasin]

Can you imagine if every player walk off the field because they think they are subjected to racism chants of any kind?

There is no other way to monitor it than to report it to the officals and force them to take action.

"And if it was Anti Semetic chants by Neo Nazis fans would Platini et al be more sympathetic if Jewish players walked off in disgust?"

that I don't know but it has to be dealt with the same way any racist chant, or statement is dealt with. The fact is even though refs sometimes don't live up to their rep. but there is a reason they are on the field and no player should just walk off without proper consultation and ref's approval.

[Rudi]

The point is Sass and OJ if the Jewish abuse was the same as the black abuse this would be dealt with. Jews are insulted Manchester United was even called the Manchester Jews. There are more black players playing than Jewish players. Players have always been insulted however, the racial abuse black players get in Europe is entirely different hence the impulse to walk off. John Barnses' consistent Uncle Tomesque musings changes nothing.

[Assasin]

Well I have never seen a Jew threathen to walk off the field because of abuse.
I have played at some ruff places and at times felt like I would walk off too but what would the game be if every player who felt abuse walk off?

Racism have to be dealt with but you can't have player of any kind randomly deciding when action is to be taken(That is a bigger point than any other). As for Super Mario you never see him just decide to take action because the game not going his way??? Is that the kind of behavior we want from the players?

[GazX]

Euro 2012: John Barnes backs Michel Platini's racism view

By Ben Smith BBC Sport
John Barnes backs Uefa president Michel Platini's stance over booking players who walk off the pitch during Euro 2012 in protest at racist abuse.
The ex-England winger insists racism is not an issue players should deal with.
Barnes was speaking after Holland players were racially abused during a training session on Wednesday.
"I 100 per cent back [Platini]. A player cannot arbitrarily decide he is receiving racial abuse and walk off," Barnes told BBC Sport.



Continue reading the main story

“You cannot arbitrarily as a player decide that because what you perceive racist abuse has come your way you are going to walk off”

John Barnes

Barnes suffered racist abuse throughout his career, the worst of which saw bananas being thrown on to the field during matches for Watford and Liverpool.
But the 48-year-old former Liverpool player said he would never walk off a field if he were playing at Euro 2012.
"It wouldn't be a problem to me because I am there to play football," Barnes added. "If it is a problem then the authorities have to deal with it, players shouldn't deal with it."
Barnes insists that the officials and the authorities should be left to tackle the issue. "We have to get on with the football and let the authorities do whatever they, in terms of legislation, in terms of sanctions, in terms of what they are going to do," he added.
"We can't take it upon ourselves, we still have the laws of the game. What Michel Platini said is that the referee has the power to stop the game if he believes there has been racist abuse and therefore that the players need to go by the referee's decision.
"You cannot arbitrarily as a player decide that because what you perceive racist abuse has come your way you are going to walk off.
"If then you say that every individual player can arbitrarily decide whether they are getting racist abuse or not then you could have five players walking off in every game because of what they have decided. Which is ridiculous."
The issue first came to light when Mario Balotelli suggested he would walk off the pitch if he was targeted in Poland and Ukraine.
"I hope there will not be a problem with racism at the Euros," the Manchester City forward said in an interview with France Football. "Because if it does happen I would leave the pitch straightaway and go home."

Yes you bloody can even if it means getting booked. Who is JB to be telling individuals how to, or how not to react? If five man decide to step, the risk of the tornament turning to farce would ensure the authorities took preventative action and mek the russians tek notice for the nxt world cup. Why JB never instead ask the question of why Platini & Co award this tournament to Poland/ukraine knowing their reputation for such behaviour.
Easier to kick di darg rather than the master.

[Rudi]

Man a look a wuk.

[OJ]

ih happen to him more than most. so he is an authority to speak on it. If he could play through it so can bolletili..... Either way you cant walk off the pitch. I think JB has a job.

[Rudi]

Not the job he desparately wants. Furthermore, the abuse he took happenned decades ago. Someone should explain to JB and the Europeans that what blacks will put up with has changed since then. Barnes and the European dinasours can't seem to fathom that concept.

[Paul Marin]

Not the job he desparately wants. Furthermore, the abuse he took happenned decades ago. Someone should explain to JB and the Europeans that what blacks will put up with has changed since then. Barnes and the European dinasours can't seem to fathom that concept.

Rudi - what JB put up with was far greater than anything players today have to deal with. Whether you agree with him or not, the fact is that he never walked off. You have to respect that point of view, even though it's not your own. I would walk, but I understand why someone else wouldn't.

[Gamma]

and if the whole team walsk off? it cannot be good for business, not for the host country, host city or uefa! especially a big name team like the netherlands ... of course i would not expect spain to adopt that position.....

[Gamma]

i do think he put up with worse but it was a different time and although some progress has been made, it certanly is not fair of barnes to say or suggest (or for you to do so either) that becaue he put up with it it should be ok.

[OJ]

well I think he played through it and to be honest anyone throwing bananas or making monkey noises at me I would find ignorant and easy to ignore. As a matter of fact if a man throw a banana at me .. mi tek it up and eat that blood fire.. and box him with the skin.

[Assasin]

That is a little better. My biggest problem is to leave it up to the players individually. I would rather to see a team sit down on the pitch and let action be taken but for a player to walk off because he thinks he is been abused is just totally wrong. He walk away from the support of his teammates, knowing them them football organization here, it maybe deemed racism or not. What do you do when a player walk off and say he is abused and it is decided otherwise?

Do you further punish him/her? People are acccused and it is not necessarily true and if the example is set others will follow. The fact is I have no problem with the game played in Eastern Europe because you have to turn the light on them at some stage and like England, Italy, Spain and others hopefully it will get a little better. Punish all of the Holigans but not the game.

[GazX]

and if the whole team walsk off? it cannot be good for business, not for the host country, host city or uefa! especially a big name team like the netherlands ... of course i would not expect spain to adopt that position.....

Exactly; and nobady can tell me that the attempted glossing over this by UEFA/Platini et al has nothing to do with presenting a glossy marketing ,MONEY making tournament for the watcher and the travelling tourists.

[Peter R]

it's ok star, as a Liverpool fan I take your comment as you meant it... a piece of garbage... (joke)

Oh yes, i forgot...walk off the pitch... mek Platini gi de whole team RED cyaad if him waan... something must be done about the "small minority" of a$$holes

[Peter R]

I disagree... why? because the racist hecklers in europe (esp eastern Europe) are NOT being ejected. Teams with black players should decide before hand to walk off en masse to RACIST chants from spectators....until such people are removed... heckling is one thing but if the whole team leaves where does that leave the Euro Championships?.. FIFA and UEFA need to wake up and smell the coffee... in England where they have been doing a good job with this.... even ONE spectator who displays overtly racist behaviour is (potentially ) banned for a very long time.