The odious John Terry has been relieved of his duties. There was always something wrong about a character like John Terry lifting the World Cup in South Africa. Fabio Capello has reportedly chosen Rio Ferdinand to replace him. A Black England Captain leading the Three Lions in Africa! If Captain Rio lifts the World Cup, who will “forget” he is black?
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4 replies on “Who Will Forget The Captain is Black?”
While I’m no fan of John Terry, either on or off the pitch, is Rio’s skin colour really that significant? If Rio leads the England team to abject failure in South Africa, are people really going to ‘remember’ that he’s black? Surely it will be because of his tendency to shut off and lose concentration mid-game that will be pounced on, not because he’s black. Do fans forget when he does well for Manchester United and remember when he makes mistakes? Are we placing too much emphasis on race, emphasis on an issue that doesn’t really exist?
Now, if Matthew Booth became the captain of Bafana Bafana…
Marc,
This was a “USA” centric post. A week or so before American political commentator Chris Matthews made the cringeworthy observation after the President’s “State of the Union” speech that he forgot Obama was black. I suppose you had to have been there. I see now this post may come off as cringeworthy without the context.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/matthews-on-obama-i-forgot-he-was-black-tonight.php
It could have been worse. Who in the UK centric football media wanted to muddy “frenchunderwearmodelarmbandgate” with numerous allegations suggesting John Terry is a racist? I didn’t go there myself. I found the evidence flimsy as french knickers. But “are we placing too much emphasis on race…an issue that doesn’t really exist?” If you followed the UK media following John Terry recently then the answer is that “we don’t” and “it doesn’t”. Philandering in print sells. Racism in print is a whole other economic model.
Now, seeing Mokoena lifting the World Cup would be a treat, but who care if the Captain of Bafana Bafana was a Booth or even a Naidoo?
Don’t mess with the Mighty Maulers!
Davy
Haha! Now that make much more sense. You’ll have to forgive this Brit for getting confused!
Marc,
I think you are one too optimistic and two either feigning ignorance of or deliberately obscuring British football’s fraught relationship with race. For that can I suggest Dave Hill’s excellent study of race in British football. That it took an Italian coach to make Rio captain is probably most telling.
On Booth becoming the captain of Bafana: that’ s where you don’t know the history of SA football. In fact, when last South Africa had a great time in football–in 1996 when we won the African Nations Cup–the captain was white. If you want to talk about race in sport talk about South African cricket or rugby where black players–even if they’re brilliant–are still the exception rather than the rule.