Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

by Swanhends Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:39 pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/sep/21/women-children-men-fenerbahce-ban?CMP=twt_gu

Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead Fenerbahce-fans-007

Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead Fenerbahce-fans-007

There was something so unusual about Fenerbahce's 1-1 draw with Manisaspor in Istanbul on Tuesday that it is surely destined to feature in pub quiz questions for years to come.

The Turkish league game took place in front of a packed crowd comprising 41,000 women and children after adult men were barred from attendance. Fenerbahce, the defending champions, became the first club to pioneer a new sanctions code under which clubs that would normally be ordered to play matches behind closed doors in the wake of crowd trouble will instead exclude males over the age of 12.

After their fans had stormed the pitch during a pre-season friendly against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, Fenerbahce were originally poised to be handed the more usual punishment of being forced to play two league games in an empty stadium. Courtesy of some nifty lateral thinking on the part of the Turkish FA, though, the rules were amended to allow women, girls and boys in, thereby ensuring the miscreants felt they were missing out.

Anxious to create a high decibel, as well as a high-pitched, soundtrack from the stands, Fenerbahce distributed free tickets for Tuesday's match and women – some carrying babies bedecked in club colours – duly formed long queues outside the Sukru Saracoglu stadium ahead of the turnstiles opening.

Before kick-off, players from both Fenerbahce and Manisaspor tossed flowers at home fans who, in turn, greeted the visiting team with the sort of wholehearted applause rarely extended to opposition sides at one of Turkey's traditionally more hostile venues.

Not that the girls were that sporting. "The same anthems and the same chants as usual were sung," Yasemin Mercil, a female member of Fenerbahce's executive board, said. "The women knew all the words."

She added proudly: "This really is a historic day. For the first time in the world, only women and children watched a game."

Would England's Premier League benefit from a similar experiment? If free tickets – not to mention the absence of bare-chested, pot-bellied, foul-mouthed male fans – would surely serve as an incentive, this country already boasts a strong female fan base. In August 2010 a Populus survey found that 19% of people attending Premier League games during the 2008‑09 season were women.

Considering diversity is something of a buzzword in English football's corridors of power, the Premier League described this finding that almost one in five of its match-goers was female as "a powerful advert for English football". For its next marketing trick it could do worse than look east – to Istanbul – and it seems the players would approve.

"We have to thank the ladies for coming to support us," says the Fenerbahce defender Joseph Yobo, who is on loan from Everton. "It's difficult to play without fans." Manisaspor's midfielder Omer Aysan would not mind a repeat. "It was such fun and pleasant altogether," he said.

by rwo power Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:45 pm

I think that is an interesting way to deal out a punishment for fan violence.

by Harmonica Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:46 pm

Good.

by EarlyPrototype Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:48 pm

They are assuming crowd trouble is only because of men. hmm

Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead 019_p19.1

by Sushi Master Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:48 pm

rwo power wrote:I think that is an interesting way to deal out a punishment for fan violence.

That's an awesome idea, actually.

Sorry, Mesut, but me and Hamit are going off to the game, and you're staying right here *whip cracks.

by Raptorgunner Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:50 pm

best place to pick up some chicks after the game. Very Happy

by jibers Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:05 pm

Germany could solve half their immigration problems if they took action during that game. :coffee:

by Sushi Master Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:10 pm

jibers wrote:Germany could solve half their immigration problems if they took action during that game.

I doubt Germans consider it a "problem"?

Or well, at least not according to Viva.

Plus their NT is as diverse as ever.

by jibers Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:16 pm

Sushi Master wrote:
jibers wrote:Germany could solve half their immigration problems if they took action during that game.
I doubt Germans consider it a "problem"?

Or well, at least not according to Viva.

Plus their NT is as diverse as ever.

Really? I've got three german mates and they are always complainig that their country is getting invaded. AN they think it's runing their NT.

by BarrileteCosmico Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:18 pm

They could keep this up until the women are the ones creating the problem lol. Interesting idea. I approve.

by Sushi Master Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:18 pm

jibers wrote:
Sushi Master wrote:
jibers wrote:Germany could solve half their immigration problems if they took action during that game.
I doubt Germans consider it a "problem"?

Or well, at least not according to Viva.

Plus their NT is as diverse as ever.

Really? I've got three german mates and they are always complainig that their country is getting invaded. AN they think it's runing their NT.

Ruining their NT? hmm

They pretty much are out of the dark ages and are in great shape, have some of the best youth prospects around and have so much depth that Brazil is jealous.

Those guys sound like assholes, but again, I'm only using Viva's opinion here so I'll wait for rwo or some actual Germans since I am not familiar with the topic.

by BarrileteCosmico Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:19 pm

jibers wrote:Really? I've got three german mates and they are always complainig that their country is getting invaded. AN they think it's runing their NT.

Thankfully not everyone is as xenophobic as your mates :coffee:

by jibers Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:36 pm

BarrileteCosmico wrote:
jibers wrote:Really? I've got three german mates and they are always complainig that their country is getting invaded. AN they think it's runing their NT.

Thankfully not everyone is as xenophobic as your mates

lol, yea i always tell them that they shouldnt say that in public but that seems to be the trend, loads of turks are immigrating into germany atm. That is why Germany was against them joining the EU.

by Grande_Milano Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:40 pm

Question to Germans: How will you feel if you get Turkish as a Kanzler, and your NT will consist fully of players with Turkish heritage? Razz

by jibers Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:44 pm

Grande_Milano wrote:Question to Germans: How will you feel if you get Turkish as a Kanzler, and your NT will consist fully of players with Turkish heritage?

I'm sure the whole country wold be fuming as a whole.

by Grande_Milano Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:24 pm

jibers wrote:
Grande_Milano wrote:Question to Germans: How will you feel if you get Turkish as a Kanzler, and your NT will consist fully of players with Turkish heritage?

I'm sure the whole country wold be fuming as a whole.

Nah, they are tolerant :coffee:

Anyway, being immigrant and playing for new country is ok, if your parents lived there for long time and integrated. only this should be acceptable :coffee:

by rwo power Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:09 pm

Sushi Master wrote:Those guys sound like assholes, but again, I'm only using Viva's opinion here so I'll wait for rwo or some actual Germans since I am not familiar with the topic.

Well, I and the people who I'm around embrace the fact that we get fresh blood via other ethnicities here. But it is true that there are still "Ewiggestrige" (=people living eternally in the past) as we call them who might get upset that there are so many "foreign names" in the German NT now.

I really can't understand that, if you ask me - if you look at all the people moving around in the past, no country can really be considered pure (whatever that is). Or should the USofA only field native Indians for their national teams? The Australians only Aborigines? Should the English (even the term "English" isn't indigenous to the British Isles, by the way) field no Anglo-Saxons, or the Spanish only Basques? There have always been migrations of the most different kinds, and Turkish, Italian, Polish etc people migrating to Germany is just a rather new phase of migration, but in no way unique. The migrants that adapt to Germany are certainly welcome - we even have Turkish rooted persons in leading positions in politics, not only in other fields like science or economy - the problems arise when people stir trouble. But then, trouble makers appear in all ethnicities, so one cannot use that a excuse either.

by rwo power Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:14 pm

Grande_Milano wrote:Question to Germans: How will you feel if you get Turkish as a Kanzler, and your NT will consist fully of players with Turkish heritage?

So what? We currently have a female chancellor and an openly homosexual foreign minister. If the Green Party get even more influence, then it is very easily possible that Cem Özdemir can come in charge, and frankly, I consider Özdemir a very intelligent person who might even get things run better than certain other politicians. (Actually, Özdemir is by far the most intelligent Green politician around - all the others of the big names there you can smoke in a pipe).

by Grande_Milano Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:17 pm

So how will you feel when Deutschland=Osman Empire Very Happy

Geez, even Merkel, Sarkozy and Cameron acknowledged that multiculturalism is a failure Smile

But propaganda brainwashed people well, next thing they gonna convince you into agreeing to make another USSR Very Happy

by Cruijf Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:17 pm

rwo power wrote:
Sushi Master wrote:Those guys sound like assholes, but again, I'm only using Viva's opinion here so I'll wait for rwo or some actual Germans since I am not familiar with the topic.
Well, I and the people who I'm around embrace the fact that we get fresh blood via other ethnicities here. But it is true that there are still "Ewiggestrige" (=people living eternally in the past) as we call them who might get upset that there are so many "foreign names" in the German NT now.

I really can't understand that, if you ask me - if you look at all the people moving around in the past, no country can really be considered pure (whatever that is). Or should the USofA only field native Indians for their national teams? The Australians only Aborigines? Should the English (even the term "English" isn't indigenous to the British Isles, by the way) field no Anglo-Saxons, or the Spanish only Basques? There have always been migrations of the most different kinds, and Turkish, Italian, Polish etc people migrating to Germany is just a rather new phase of migration, but in no way unique. The migrants that adapt to Germany are certainly welcome - we even have Turkish rooted persons in leading positions in politics, not only in other fields like science or economy - the problems arise when people stir trouble. But then, trouble makers appear in all ethnicities, so one cannot use that a excuse either.

This^

I feel people make these statements about NT being too diverse most of the time blindly.

A question to you who think Germany is too diverse:

What is pure?

What does it take to be considered German, or American, or French?

Take me for example: I am an Egyptian, born in America and residing in Canada. The majority of my family is in Egypt. Which NT should I be able to play for?

by Sushi Master Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:20 pm

Grande Milano wrote:

Let's call the US the Hispanic Empire then Very Happy

by Grande_Milano Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:22 pm

America, Canada is a different story. These are immigrant countries with immigrant culture built in the first place. I just feel that a lot of Europeans gonna regret that 'melting pot-culture mix' experiment, because instead of integrating, immigrants impose their own culture on top (look at Britain).

As for NT, I am ok with immigrants playing for new country, but if they integrated into society and lived in it for long time (not just received passport and enrolled into it ffs).

This conversation has gone super offtopic

by Sushi Master Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:26 pm

Look at Britain? Let's wait for all the English on the forums to comment, because I don't see any major problems apart from a few xenophobic assholes.

It's useless thinking that way nowadays: The whole world has opened up. Isolation does not work anymore, and you have to learn to integrate many cultures, religions, skin colors etc. because on the long run, we're all the same people.

Plus mixed races = superhot girls :coffee:

by rwo power Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:27 pm

Grande_Milano wrote:So how will you feel when Deutschland=Osman Empire

Geez, even Merkel, Sarkozy and Cameron acknowledged that multiculturalism is a failure

But propaganda brainwashed people well, next thing they gonna convince you into agreeing to make another USSR

Well, I guess you didn't understand the point Merkel & Co wanted to make - multiculturalism is a failure if other ethnicities in a country barricade themselves in a ghetto and start attacking the people from the host culture. There is one fanatical idiot in Cologne who preaches against Western society and tries to collect warriors to defeat it - such people are of course failures, and frankly I have no idea why they even went to Germany in the first place.

But there are enough people from other countries who interact with the native population in a friendly and open way and who actually embrace living here - these are of course no problem and very welcome. Did you know that the number 1 favourite snack in Germany is not curry sausage, but döner kebap? And pizza isn't far behind Very Happy

by Grande_Milano Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:29 pm

If all people thinked the same sushi, England has immigrant communities isolated from the world. Why? Unwilingness and inability to endorse new culture, thats why it does not work, xenophobia has nothing to do with it, because it literally non-existent

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Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

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Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

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Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

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Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

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Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead

Re: Men banned from Fenerbache match, 41,000 women and children watch instead