This whole thing shows the gross hypocrisy of football fans and City. Fans will always chant shite, most of which is based on the old enemy's enemy is our friend principle. Annoying but best ignored, as the majority of fans chanting stuff are shit thick sheep kept ignorant by their diet of tabloids, talksport and "bantz" culture. But when clubs themselves cross into fan behaviour then a line has been crossed.
The City statement is risible, they think it's job done because they have clarified Hillsborough and Sean Cox, but it totally fails to address the fact that highly paid professionals are singing songs about violence, victims and glorifying one of their players "injuring" one of ours. The fact that he didn't is important because it shows how that club and its fans invent a version of the truth and stick to it. It also fails to address the fact that one of the main City songs is about another team. How about suggesting they'd prefer a bit more support? They actually justify it by saying it is one of the main songs. Sad bastards from club to stands.
Which brings me to the coach incident and the importance of PR. One of the Der Speigel (sp) articles touched on how City use PR extensively and we saw this with Coachgate. It became a huge story, and was kept fresh by a City driven PR campaign that painted them as the victims. Now PR will ensure that this story doesn't grow and run like coachgate, because it is not in their interests to.
Victims. Now there's a word. This whole victims thing is one of the most snide, pathetic terms that has entered into football rivalry. Even worse than the original meaning (if that were possible) it now gets twisted into a catch all reply whenever Liverpool have the temerity to challenge any of the prevailing bullshit that comes our way. Typical scousers, victims again etc. It's almost like an example of how language, words, phrases are used to oppress debate and stamp down on dissent. How many times do we hear trite catch all phrases to put down minority groups be they based on religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, political allegiance?
Liverpool challenge what's thrown at them and we are victims. The club or one single fan steps out of line and its a shitstorm and the actual victim isn't called that, but are provided with tea, sympathy and protection from those nasty scousers. But it shows the reason why many of us were pissed off with the bottle and the fountain, because it gives our detractors something to latch onto. Like the whole diaspora of Liverpool fans chuck people in fountains and lash bottles at coaches (and worse)?
I hate to say it but what was terrace culture has gone mainstream, with media, pundits and now even clubs and players carefully crafting much of their soundbites and output along the tribal battle lines drawn up by fans. It's pathetic and truly fucked up.
We were accused of not being famous any more. It seems that reversing that really has got to some people.
