We've been away this past fortnight but Facebook, Twitter and t'interweb generally help to keep you in touch, so I wasn't surprised when a rumpus kicked off around FC United again. Socialists really are tedious and dreary.
This one kicked off when a board member listed a range of political parties that they have decided are incompatible with supporting FC United. One of them was the UK Independence Party. Bear in mind that this is a club that constantly bangs on about equality, equal rights and standing up for the whole community. This is a decidedly Stalinist approach to people whose political views you happen to disagree with. What has my politics got to do with watching and supporting a football club?
It seems that if you want to leave the European Union, and believe in controlling immigration, then you are a raving racist/fascist/Nazi in the eyes of the commissars at FC United and they don't want you polluting the atmosphere at their games. I don't support UKIP but believe in a sensible immigration policy and independence from the EU. I am not a racist or a fascist and certainly no Nazi, neither is UKIP. That is the schoolboy level of political debate your average socialist is capable of in 2014, name calling and hurling abuse.
This juvenile labelling, especially the word 'racist' adds nothing to serious debate and has now led to the word 'racist' meaning absolutely nothing. It is nothing more than a word of abuse used to smear people and close debate. The left in this country seem to have an unhealthy obsession with race which makes me wonder what is really in their minds, deep, deep down. On a political level it is a vicious and cynical ploy to divide and rule. But deeper I fear their obsession with race has some deep rooted psychological reason that a psychiatrist could probably study quite extensively.
Ultimately there is no place for politics in sport. What I do know is that many people have walked away from FC United because of the increasing level of political extremism among senior members. I for one am not prepared to support the sporting section of an intolerant, bigoted, fascist/socialist organisation. It's sad because the club was set up for admirable reasons but I can no longer support the club any more than I could support the Glazer owned Manchester United.