It seems to have changed over the years. If a player is black / white/ of asian/ african/ outermongolian decent dosent seem to matter to fans any more in this country. Which is a good think.

However I feel there's a new kind of racism towards players from certain countries. Such as the French, who are bottom of our most wanted list and to a certain extent South American and Spanish players.

Is it just me or has racism reared it's ugly head in another guise?

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Answers

Yeah yeah mr pc man...call me a racist for disliking whining, arrogant, mercenary french footballers....oh and just hating the french as well...

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Ginola, was ..... is a great character, and I wouldn't mind Zidane or Bartez at Newcastle. I think we paint them all with the same stick. For instance if we were linked to a German, we'd have a predudice because of the likes of Hamman and Ziege, we'd forge about how god Klinsman was, and think of all the bad players from that country.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

It's all about attitude. If someone is talented yet lazy and arrogant they're never going to endear themselves to the Geordie public no matter where they're from. If they bust a gut every week they earn our immediate respect - step forward our little Chilean midfield dynamo.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

If we were linked to a French B International playing in say Auxere, and a Danish International playing in Copenhagen, both of whom we hadn't really heard of. I bet that most people on here would say , go for the Dane, simply because he isn't French.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Rik,

You say that "I think we paint them all with the same stick". i don't quite understand. maybe I've got the wrong end of the brush?

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Dont really call that racism. It's quite natural if unkown french players are doubted with the expernices we have. Dont think anyone would mind Thurmam, Zidane, Vieria etc just because they are french. Or would you?

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Well atleast we haven't been linked to any Wops

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Technically, it IS racism, but the French have never really been subjugated by us and can give as good as they get (read the works of Guy de Maupassant in which, just after the latest German invasion of Alsace, was saying that the Germans were nonetheless friends of the French while we were the hereditary enemy). Therefore, I suggest we abuse them as much as we like, comfortable in the knowledge that they think the reason we hate LeBoeuf is because he has a World Cup medal.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Rasism based on skin colour is horrid. However, I can say that the vast majority of, say, Germans are bad mannered and loud. That is based on observation and personal experience. Is this still rasism? I suppose it is. It comes down to culture and it's ok to dislike aspects of other cultures. That's life. If I didn't liked pissed people I might dislike the Irish. Thankfully I like a beer so the Irish are fine by me. All this is my way of saying... well, nothing really.

-- Anonymous, July 13, 2001

It's settled then; Racism Out along with the French unless they're nice like Inspector Clouseau, he can stay and that bloke who sang "Thank Heaven's for little girls" he seemed a decent chap not at all pervy like the song title suggests.

This morality stuff can be very confusing thanks for sorting that out (c;

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Tony, I think thet bloke was called Maurice Chevalier or, could it have been a certain Gary Glitterier or even Graham Grand-(P)rix?

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Haw haw he haw bud, nice one

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

I reckon that the UK is one of the least racist countries in the world - and I include all the countries of the world. Some months ago my wife said she did not want to live in Bedford because there were "too many black people".

My wife is black African.

Our strip is a good colour don't you think?

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001