19 Jan 2023 18:36:56
Article on the racist Gnonto chant in The Athletic today with some good quotes from Actor and Author Obioma Ugoala who says people need to be educated about the historical context of “the myth of the black penis”.
“This language dehumanises black players by saying that not only are they exceptional, but they are weird and animalistic, ” he tells The Athletic. “That language was the very language that allowed the transatlantic slave trade to take place because of eugenics that said, ‘Actually, these people are less than the rest of us in America’ and, ‘You can’t have sex with a black man because they are beasts’.
“Once you’re made aware of it, you can no longer be ignorant. It shouldn’t be something that we’re having a continual conversation over. Are we going to say enough is enough?
“Why do we feel we need to keep using those chants? What is it satisfying in us to abuse a player in this way? Do you see them as a player who you support or do you see them as a tool or as a puppet that you use? Do you not see them as human?
“Unfortunately, it’s this inability to see the players as human that allows people to turn on our national team when we had that incident at Euro 2020 — because you have dehumanised them to a degree that they don’t deserve your compassion. ”.
19 Jan 2023 19:20:04
I’d seen “kagey” on of the Leeds bloggers I follow has posted something similar.
To be honest as an everyday fan I thought it more as just Leeds fans being Leeds fans!
Yes we are a special breed.
On reflection and reading and understanding the racial connotations perceived, I do think it’s best that we the fans stick to just chanting Willy, his name!
The chanting of just his name sounds better anyway
I also would hate to feel like one of our very best players was ever made to feel offended by a chant or even result in them wanting to leave the club at all as the result of such an issue.
He’s probably the most promising youngster we’ve seen grace elland rd in 2 decades.
And that goes for all our players of any nationality or ethnicity.
19 Jan 2023 20:15:52
It was funny / amusing to start with. That’s all it amounts to imo.
Now it’s time to move on, and sing his name, simply because he is fecking awesome, and deserves a chant that reflects that. Still in awe of that 1st minute scissor kick finish! What a signing. I’d like to Thank CDK and that other womble for not signing for us. Cheers.
19 Jan 2023 21:38:27
Our fans are far too clever to not be able to come up with a better chant.
I'm sure they will gome up with a better song soon.
19 Jan 2023 21:57:12
?? You write soon. Don't you mean pronto? ?.