Rage Online Blog

Welcome to the new-look Rage Online weblog. Resurrecting this useless piece of internettery is something that I've been thinking about for a wee while, but it was the demise of the excellent BlogOx that persuaded me it ought to be done sooner rather than later. I really, really hope that other people will contribute to this, as it can get quite time consuming trying to think up different items of rubbish to post on a regular basis - an issue that I suspect had something to do with the death of BlogOx.

One thing that this blog isn't is an Oxford United news portal. See Rage Online or even a half-decent site if that's what you're looking for. Instead we will post up stuff about the wider world of football (and occasionally beyond), especially the lower leagues, which hardly get a look-in elsewhere. We will also take any opportunity available to have a dig at our favourite betes noires (namely swindon town, the political right wing, religious nutters, and arseholes everywhere). Of course, we will try to be subtle about it .

Anyway, as you can see, the first post of the relaunch is just a load of aimless uninteresting waffle; a standard that we hope to be able to maintain in the future.

Labels: BlogOx, right wing religious arseholes

The Nationwide League site reports that nine Stoke fans have been banned for life by their club for racist abuse. This is welcome news indeed, and we hope that Oxford United would take a similar stance if supporters at the Kassam Stadium are ever convicted of similar offences. This sort of approach, though, has to go hand in hand with attempts to educate people that racism is unacceptable, ignorant, and just plain wrong. Unfortunately many people, including those who claim not to be racists, don't actually recognise racism, which is a bit of a problem when you're trying to eliminate it. Clubs can help by being proactive in their attempts to attract more people from ethnic minorities to attend games, whilst informing regular supporters why they're doing this, why it's important, and what they can do to help. Not too difficult in theory, but sometimes the obstacles to putting it into practice seem insurmountable.

Labels: right wing religious arseholes, Stoke City

Whether or not it's coincidental that this is Anti-Racism in Football Week, there certainly seems to be a plethora of stories circulating about racist incidents both in England and abroad. The BBC web site carries a disturbing run down of racist trouble spots around Europe, with Eastern Europe particularly badly affected, but there are also clear signs that the problem continues to grow in England, with Nottingham Forest supporters the latest offenders during their game against Leicester.

The problems of racism in football are manifold, from outright racist chanting from supporters (such as witnessed by Slovakian fans against England recently) or racist comments between players, to more subtle institutionalised racism which prevents Asian players making the grade in the English league, or stops many black players becoming coaches and managers. It will certainly take time to break down the barriers, but broken down they will surely be. In ten or fifteen years time there will be as many British Asians playing top level professional football as there are black players now.

Unless, that is, the status quo has its way and nothing is done to challenge the current complacent attitude of the football authorities and the chairmen, boards, players, managers and supporters.

Labels: right wing religious arseholes

There's an excellent article in today's Guardian, by columnist Rod Liddle, comparing Swindon Town to the Tory party. Some of the comparisons are fairly obvious: they're both obnoxious, low-lifes, supported by ignorant fools. They're also both in disarray, fighting for their survival and deeply unpopular. The article also manages to draw out some of the less clearcut similarities, such as that between Andy King and Iain Duncan Smith (and not just the fact that they're both follically challenged), and the inept tactics that both cling to in a vain, desparate hope that they might just work. The only drawback with this cutting analysis is that it leaves Oxford, as Swindon's main rivals, in the role of New Labour, which is clearly a distasteful analogy and one that we should draw a line under right here.

Labels: right wing religious arseholes, Sw*nd*n

The results of a major survey into The State of the Game have just been released, according to this report in today's Observer, and some of the results do not make for happy reading. Amongst the more worrying revelations is the news that asian and black football supporters are still put off attending matches because of the threat of racist abuse. With National Anti-Racism in Football Week just around the corner it is more imperative than ever that the concerns of ethnic minorities are heeded and action is taken by clubs and the authorities to ensure that anyone who wishes can attend a football match free from fear.

The report, which was based on a survey asking questions about all aspects of the game, also looked at women's football, players salaries, hooliganism and a number of other issues. The report is to be circulated around key figures in the game in order to prompt a debate. Let's hope that once the talking stops real action will occur to tackle the many problems that beset the game.

Labels: right wing religious arseholes

There's a disturbing story coming from Football 365 which reveals that the British National Party, a bunch of far right goons and ne'er do wells, is to sponsor the Tipton Boilers, a pub football team from the West Midlands. BNP's West Midlands organiser Simon Darby said: "For a lot of people in Tipton the BNP is their party." This is slightly disingenuous as the Anti Nazi League proves that only 334 votes were cast for the fascist gits in the last election, amounting to 7.5% of the electorate. Still far too many, but it paints Tipton is a slightly better light than Darby (notwithstanding the 1,070 who voted for the Freedom Party, dedicated to eliminating freedom). Tipton Boilers play in the Sandwell Premier and District Sunday Football League.

Labels: right wing religious arseholes, Tipton