Have you watched the Reuters news video? Go watch it and tell me how many white police officers you can see and next time don't make assumptions.

There's a link on the same page as the news story. I have been trying to find the ethnic make-up of the South African Police Force but I can't find any info.

I would welcome any South African member to correct this impression if it's wrong but it seems as though Grim is making something out of nothing here.

Sure the police have been heavy handed here but you tell me a single police force that has never done that.

 

I'll remind of the words of NWA's "Fukk Tha Police" mate -

 

But don't let it be a black and a white one

Cuz they slam ya down to the street top

Black police showin out for the white cop

 

So, in a way, I guess it's irrelevant the actual colour of the individual officers in a lot of ways.. It's a case of the Pigs, black or white, trying to impress their "superiors" (no doubt still mainly white...) by cracking in the heads of the black working classes, which is absolutely disgusting IMO... And of course it's shades of Apartheid, as in, the same bully-boy pig tactics the SA filth used against black workers and civil rights protestors back in the day... It's clear to me that Apartheid still exists - ie Apartheid between rich and poor South Africans, the packaging might be different mate, but the product's still the same, it's still a case of millions of poor, black South Africans being kept down by the political and economic elites....

 

Frankly, I dont expect the Police to be dealing with the legitimate protests of the workers in this manner, any more than it was legitimate for the Pigs in THIS country to roll out the heavy-handed fascist tactics against the miners in the 80s.... These are LEGITIMATE grievances on the part of working class, black workers (which the vast majority of them ARE, this is an undeniable fact...), this is not a bunch of Chavvy Football scum smashing up downtown Johannesburg, Sun City or Port Elizabeth because their team loses.... The Police WOULD be within their remit to use these sorts of tactics in that situation, but NOT against peaceful workers staging a wages protest... These tactics used by the Police (no doubt on the authority of the SA Govt) is tantamount to police brutality and it's borderline Fascism....

 

And it really is amazing that FIFA chief Sepp Blatter can make such a definite and unambiguous statement about the bloody "Vuvuzellas" or whatever they're called, but says not a single word about the treatment of World Cup workers or heavy handed police actions against them.... Disgusting I call it.....

 

And you tell me, would Sepp Blatter or FIFA have stood for German workers being treated like this in 2006...?? Well, mind you, not that it would even have occurred, because at least in Germany they have much stronger unionisation and workers' representation, not to mention a National Minimum Wage.....

 

So, I dont think I'm making something out of nothing here mate... The facts are there are HUGE gulfs in the differences in the standards by which European workers are treated and the way workers from Developing countries are treated... Just look at Nike, Gap and Reebok's sweatshops in Malaysia and Latin America..... <_<

...Seriously, is it not just a month of complete annoyance for those of us who actually want to watch something on Telly that ISN'T football or go to a pub with mates which ISN'T showing fukkin' wall-to-wall fukkin' football......?

 

And also, people feel that they've got some entitlement to days off work or break dress codes at work simply because it's the sodding World Cup as well... Err, well, let's see how far tennis or athletics fans get with that one during the Olympics or Wimbledon.... THEY DONT, so why the blue blazes do football fans have this rather arrogant presumption of entitlement to special treatment in the workplace...? Seriously.... And, god forbid someone actually criticises this presumption, they're then condemned as being "spoilsports"... Well, sorry, but I simply dont believe that the England football team fans should be given anymore consideration than Andy Murray/Tim Henman fans or fans of the UK Athletics team... Mind you, the UK athletes and Andy Murray actually have more chance of winning something that England's sodding "soccer" team does anyway....... :P

 

I agree with you, people do take this thing quite seriously, more than any other sporting event. And the whole media goes into a frenzy.

Not a great football fan either, sick of all the football songs that come out and all the facebook/twitter (especially twitter) statuses going

mad about it. "World Cup" "World Cup" "Go Rooney", Please!!

 

Good luck to England but for goodness people get a grip, it's only a game.

But seriously ....... I too hate the moronic "Eng-er-land" chav supporters with a passion who've probably already downloaded that beyond vile "Shout For England" record (that is so dire it makes me want to support Germany); who think Cheryl Cole is well fit and talented and an amazing singer innit; think Simon Cowell is a genius who deserves a knighthood (instead of beheading); believe everything they read in The Sun/News Of The World; think James Corden is funny; and will go into a violent drunken rage the very second after England inevitably get knocked out in the knock out stages of the competition on penalties.

 

Well said, 100% agree with you on this.

Well, the reason why I personally understand the football hater is

because the whole world cup football nowadays is totally boring, weak bull$h!t!

I remember the great world cup '98 or euro 2000 when almost every country

played the game on a very high level - it really was a joy and unforgetable!

 

Now, more and more people are watching and focusing on these kind of tournaments

but the football itself gets worse and worse! :puke2:

Someone who's normally never interested in footy and then watches some of these games

in this tournaments will first fall asleep and then never ever watch it again - seriously! :angry:

 

Well, the reason why I personally understand the football hater is

because the whole world cup football nowadays is totally boring, weak bull$h!t!

I remember the great world cup '98 or euro 2000 when almost every country

played the game on a very high level - it really was a joy and unforgetable!

 

Now, more and more people are watching and focusing on these kind of tournaments

but the football itself gets worse and worse! :puke2:

Someone who's normally never interested in footy and then watches some of these games

in this tournaments will first fall asleep and then never ever watch it again - seriously! :angry:

 

.... but then again id suggest the tornaments of 1970, 74, 78, in patricular were outstanding...i watched them back then. i agree though that as wages have gone up, the standard has gone down. theres too much hype, too much time on tv given to this half arsed game. im in broad agreement.

Well, the reason why I personally understand the football hater is

because the whole world cup football nowadays is totally boring, weak bull$h!t!

I remember the great world cup '98 or euro 2000 when almost every country

played the game on a very high level - it really was a joy and unforgetable!

 

Now, more and more people are watching and focusing on these kind of tournaments

but the football itself gets worse and worse! :puke2:

Someone who's normally never interested in footy and then watches some of these games

in this tournaments will first fall asleep and then never ever watch it again - seriously! :angry:

 

The ones I remember most fondly are Spain 82, Mexico 86 and Italy 90, great tournaments, great players... Look at what's going on now.. England are a mess, France's morale has basically shattered and they're basically fighting each other (mind you, the cheating b'astards have no business being there anyway and I hope they go out, to be perfectly frank...) and Italy are seriously underperforming too... Money is talking all too loudly in football these days to the detriment of the game, and it has taken the game far away from its working class roots... And reports of rows and rows of empty seats at games due to Corporate booking not being taken up, while ordinary fans cant even get a ticket, is an utter fukkin' disgrace, and too many games are about as exciting as watching paint dry (or being at a Coldplay concert... :lol: ) from what I hear from FANS of the sport... And this is supposedly the sport's "flagship event"....

 

How can anyone who claims to be a real fan of football as a sport not see the World Cup for the sham it's become..... It's a lot worse than the Olympics, at least there you have entertainment more or less guaranteed....

.... but then again id suggest the tornaments of 1970, 74, 78, in patricular were outstanding...i watched them back then. i agree though that as wages have gone up, the standard has gone down. theres too much hype, too much time on tv given to this half arsed game. im in broad agreement.

In my opinion, the tournaments in '54, '58, '70, '82, '86 and '98 were the best of all!

To compare the current international football with the great past - you only have to watch a world cup '98 game like the following one between Spain and Nigeria (2-3) - especially the 2-1 from Raul and the 2-3 winner from Oliseh!

We hardly see such great goals now...

 

and too many games are about as exciting as watching paint dry (or being at a Coldplay concert... :lol: ) from what I hear from FANS of the sport... And this is supposedly the sport's "flagship event"....

 

How can anyone who claims to be a real fan of football as a sport not see the World Cup for the sham it's become..... It's a lot worse than the Olympics, at least there you have entertainment more or less guaranteed....

too many games are about as exciting as watching paint dry A very good comparison! -_-

 

The problem and reason why nothing changes to the better are the Fifa and the fans!

Fifa = all about money - the rest is minor matter for them

Fans = the passive general public / lazy "hoi polloi" who can't change a thing unless they make a revolution...

 

...but then, who likes to start a "revolution" only because of football... :thinking:

Edited June 21, 201015 yr by boys allowed

In my opinion, the tournaments in '54, '58, '70, '82, '86 and '98 were the best of all!

To compare the current international football with the great past - you only have to watch a world cup '98 game like the following one between Spain and Nigeria (2-3) - especially the 2-1 from Raul and the 2-3 winner from Oliseh!

We hardly see such great goals now...

too many games are about as exciting as watching paint dry A very good comparison! -_-

 

The problem and reason why nothing changes to the better are the Fifa and the fans!

Fifa = all about money - the rest is minor matter for them

Fans = the passive general public / lazy "hoi polloi" who can't change a thing unless they make a revolution...

 

...but then, who likes to start a "revolution" only because of football... :thinking:

 

youre old enough to remember the world cups of 54 and 58?

The opening games are usually on the dull side and to say the quality is no longer there is too generalising.

 

Check Brazil last night and Spain and Portugal tonight. Argentina on their opening game.

 

 

Oh and how about these tasty treats (which wasn't untypical in places) frm the golden age of World Cups...

 

 

 

Let's also not forget Germany Vs Holland and Cameroon's brutal tackles on Argentina in '90. The disgraceful Argentina in '66 and I could go on.

 

We always remember the great games and often overlook the truly horrendous ones. Most world cups start slowly but really pick up as the last group games arrive.

 

Far too early to judge this one. You wouldn't decide a Grand Prix or Test match was crap after only a third of the race/game. Why do it with this world cup?

Edited June 21, 201015 yr by Severin

I think you could add the England - Argentina game from 1966 to those ones. The one where Ramsay called them animals IIRC

I think you could add the England - Argentina game from 1966 to those ones. The one where Ramsay called them animals IIRC

Indeed. I believe one player was accused of smearing his excrement all over the away changing room

Far too early to judge this one. You wouldn't decide a Grand Prix or Test match was crap after only a third of the race/game. Why do it with this world cup?

 

because the world cup has been built up towards for 4 years, it isnt 'all of a sudden' the teams by the first game should be finely tuned and ready to go.. its an ongoing process, working towards this tornament.

 

never before has so much been paid to so few for so little *churchill stylee*

because the world cup has been built up towards for 4 years, it isnt 'all of a sudden' the teams by the first game should be finely tuned and ready to go.. its an ongoing process, working towards this tornament.

 

never before has so much been paid to so few for so little *churchill stylee*

Apart from the part-timers of New Zealand and North Korea.

Apart from the part-timers of New Zealand and North Korea.

 

gotta have some cannon fodder! lol

youre old enough to remember the world cups of 54 and 58?

Lol, no but I've seen the important games and goals on TV and internet... :lol:

 

 

@Severin

Of course you're right. At many times we had awful football and world cup 1962 is the best example...

but you mentioned 62, 66 and 90 and I didn't say that these three would have been great tournaments...!

Lol, no but I've seen the important games and goals on TV and internet... :lol:

@Severin

Of course you're right. At many times we had awful football and world cup 1962 is the best example...

but you mentioned 62, 66 and 90 and I didn't say that these three would have been great tournaments...!

I wasn't referring solely to your post, so sorry if I gave that impression. More to the idea that the quality of the tournament has declined over the last 20 odd years which appears to me to be the pervading feeling here. I also feel the gap between the best teams and the weakest teams has lessened (bar the odd exception - N. Korea...) so that the traditionally stronger teams can't dominate games like they used to. Whereas once Japan, S Korea and any African team would have been considered no hopers, that's just not the case anymore.

 

For though, I'll concede no team has come close to matching the 1970 Brazilian squad for class

For though, I'll concede no team has come close to matching the 1970 Brazilian squad for class

If you ask the Brazilian in Brazil, then some of them says the 1980's squad with Zico played the best ever!

The strange fact about that is: they indeed played fabulous football but were the only Brazilian generation without titles...!!! :blink:

 

gotta have some cannon fodder! lol

New Zealand were hardly cannon fodder seeing as they didn't actually lose.

 

And only one team out of 32 being out of their depth has produced a remarkably even World Cup.

 

Go Japan!

If you ask the Brazilian in Brazil, then some of them says the 1980's squad with Zico played the best ever!

The strange fact about that is: they indeed played fabulous football but were the only Brazilian generation without titles...!!! :blink:

Indeed Zico, Socrates, Falcao... If it hadn't been for Paolo Rossi...

glad thats all over :)