Spurs fan banned from matches for four years for banana throw

[mil1lion]

I am sure I read a fan got fined 3 years the same game for throwing a plastic bottle at a player. Interesting to know if that was his first offence.

That just tells me there's no consistent law on this sort of thing. I wonder if there was a punishment for a pigs head thrown at Figo?

Fans are people at the end of the day. Yes they should be punished but they should also be given the chance to learn from their mistakes.

 

['O Zio]

I'm not discussing the fact he threw the object, I'm discussing the "he's a racist" part.

He hasn't been convicted of being a racist though, he's been convicted of throwing an object onto the field at a player, which even he has admitted to. That's why I'm so confused by the outcry. Whether or not he meant it to be racist is neither here nor there at this stage because that's not what he's been charged with.

 

[dontcallme]

That just tells me there's no consistent law on this sort of thing. I wonder if there was a punishment for a pigs head thrown at Figo?

Fans are people at the end of the day. Yes they should be punished but they should also be given the chance to learn from their mistakes.

Not sure about consistency. 2 similar cases will never have the exact same sentence as there are other factors taken into account.

But I do agree that a 4 year ban is harsh from what I know about this case.

 

['O Zio]

Not sure about consistency. 2 similar cases will never have the exact same sentence as there are other factors taken into account.

But I do agree that a 4 year ban is harsh from what I know about this case.

Presumably the reason it seems harsh is because it was a relatively harmless object being thrown (if you ignore the obvious connotations of a banana, being hit by one isn't likely to injure someone) but presumably they don't have all kinds of different punishments depending on the merits of each object because it's easier to just have a blanket ban or categories of ban. Otherwise where do you draw the line in terms of which is more dangerous an apple or an orange, a coke bottle or a coke can etc.

 

[dontcallme]

Presumably the reason it seems harsh is because it was a relatively harmless object being thrown (if you ignore the obvious connotations of a banana, being hit by one isn't likely to injure someone) but presumably they don't have all kinds of different punishments depending on the merits of each object because it's easier to just have a blanket ban or categories of ban. Otherwise where do you draw the line in terms of which is more dangerous an apple or an orange, a coke bottle or a coke can etc.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46607199

According to the link the racial element added £100 to the fine but not the banning.

Just my personal opinion that the length of the banning is a little long. The man has been going for 50 years. If he doesn't get to go to a game for 1 year I am confident he would have learnt his lesson and punished sufficiently.

 

['O Zio]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46607199

According to the link the racial element added £100 to the fine but not the banning.

Just my personal opinion that the length of the banning is a little long. The man has been going for 50 years. If he doesn't get to go to a game for 1 year I am confident he would have learnt his lesson and punished sufficiently.

Maybe, maybe not. To be honest regardless of how long he has been going, if he's the kind of person who throws bananas at players, whether it be with racist intent or not, then I personally couldn't care less if he never gets to go to a game again. There are plenty of other fans who would love to have had tickets to a NLD who are capable of not acting like a bellend who will take his place.

 

[dontcallme]

Maybe, maybe not. To be honest regardless of how long he has been going, if he's the kind of person who throws bananas at players, whether it be with racist intent or not, then I personally couldn't care less if he never gets to go to a game again. There are plenty of other fans who would love to have had tickets to a NLD who are capable of not acting like a bellend who will take his place.

I kind of agree. Just think the punishment is a bit harsh. Don't like the idea of people not getting second chances. Like to think our society can have a bit more forgiveness than that.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Well as no one has said the photos are fake I don't see the relevance.

A man threw an object at a footballer player at a football game. He got punished for it and hasn't denied he did it.

So bringing the media into it in this case is trying to move the goalposts away from the subject.

But a man has been accused of being racist because the object he through was a discarded banana skin.
If the story was "man banned for throwing object on the pitch" there would be a unanimous vote of agreement.
It IS right he's been banned, throwing anything on the pitch is unnacceptable.

The motivation is what is being debated and certainly, throwing a completely random object, while unacceptable, is nowhere near as serious as blatant racism.
I don't know what his motivation was. I'm just doing what everyone, including you, are doing, and trying to make sense of a senseless act.
If he was genuinely throwing a random object at Bellerin and had absolutely no racist intention whatsoever, is it right to tar him with that brush? He could end up assaulted in the street if and when the media post his face all over the place.

 

[dontcallme]

But a man has been accused of being racist because the object he through was a discarded banana skin.
If the story was "man banned for throwing object on the pitch" there would be a unanimous vote of agreement.
It IS right he's been banned, throwing anything on the pitch is unnacceptable.

The motivation is what is being debated and certainly, throwing a completely random object, while unacceptable, is nowhere near as serious as blatant racism.
I don't know what his motivation was. I'm just doing what everyone, including you, are doing, and trying to make sense of a senseless act.
If he was genuinely throwing a random object at Bellerin and had absolutely no racist intention whatsoever, is it right to tar him with that brush? He could end up assaulted in the street if and when the media post his face all over the place.

It isn't a big story though. The media are not putting his picture or name out there for him to become a hate figure.

A court has found his actions had a racial element. Nothing more than that.

If a court finds someone's actions have a racist element then frankly they have a right to report the issue as racial. If his actions were not racial then I would blame the courts more than the media in this case.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

It isn't a big story though. The media are not putting his picture or name out there for him to become a hate figure.

A court has found his actions had a racial element. Nothing more than that.

If a court finds someone's actions have a racist element then frankly they have a right to report the issue as racial. If his actions were not racial then I would blame the courts more than the media in this case.

The courts aren't always right don't forget.

OJ and MJ say hi.

 

[dontcallme]

The courts aren't always right don't forget.

OJ and MJ say hi.

Hence my last sentence of the post you quoted.

 

[spursgirls]

I was just trying to think what a black person could throw at a white player to make it racist, but can't think of anything!

 

[dontcallme]

The courts aren't always right don't forget.

OJ and MJ say hi.

Also trying to find a parallel between a man pleading guilty to a crime and two people pleading not guilty is as weird a defence as your idea that he is unlikely to be guilty because he has a Greek surname.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

I was just trying to think what a black person could throw at a white player to make it racist, but can't think of anything!

Has anything ever been synonymous with racism against white people?
I doubt there is.

 

[mil1lion]

Not sure about consistency. 2 similar cases will never have the exact same sentence as there are other factors taken into account.

But I do agree that a 4 year ban is harsh from what I know about this case.

I appreciate that cases can be different. I think in the the case of an object that isn't dangerous they should fall into the same category. The only difference seems to be the nature of this one being a banana skin. If the police agreed this was not racially motivated though I see no reason for it being treated any worse.

I guess they could do it by incident the same as any incident involving a player. If that is the case they would need to change the punishment to be months and not years. Say 12 months if someone threw a non threatening object in the heat of the moment. Maybe 18 months if it was more threatening object etc. Throw a grenade then a lifetime ban and imprisonment.

 

[mil1lion]

I was just trying to think what a black person could throw at a white player to make it racist, but can't think of anything!

 

[spursgirls]

Can you imagine someone being prosecuted for racism for throwing chalk at a white player? lol

 

[dontcallme]

I appreciate that cases can be different. I think in the the case of an object that isn't dangerous they should fall into the same category. The only difference seems to be the nature of this one being a banana skin. If the police agreed this was not racially motivated though I see no reason for it being treated any worse.

I guess they could do it by incident the same as any incident involving a player. If that is the case they would need to change the punishment to be months and not years. Say 12 months if someone threw a non threatening object in the heat of the moment. Maybe 18 months if it was more threatening object etc. Throw a grenade then a lifetime ban and imprisonment.

Sure. I believe the cases are in the same category. From the BBC article it is suggested the length of the ban had nothing to do with the racial element. The difference in the two cases is unknown. Could be a different judge, different records for the perpetrators etc.

I remember my little cousin got caught speeding. Him and around 5 teens all went to court together. My cousin held his hands up and apologised and got off with a fine and points on his license. The others got harsher sentences as they got defensive and didn't admit fault.

So there are a number of factors that can get people different punishments for the same crime.

 

[Spurs72]

Would you ban him for life if the kid next to him ate an apple and the core got thrown?
Or an orange peel?

If they were near my house, I think the Arsenal players would have had to duck away from a flying sky remote.

Honestly guy does not have enough Common sense to know that you might not want to throw anything in the direction of a player.

Much less a black player.

You don't throw anything period.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Honestly guy does not have enough Common sense to know that you might not want to throw anything in the direction of a player.

Much less a black player.

You don't throw anything period.

I have whole heartedly agreed with that all the way through.