Friends, Britons, rugbymen ... lend me your ears. : Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:30 pm  

l played professional rugby league, fought in WW2, was at Normandy D-Day and worked on the docks all my life. l used to go to rugy until ill health made it impossible for me to continue. l had the priviledge of watching such great players as Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and the like grace our rugby grounds. l am an advocate of home grown talent but believe 'star imports' are a benefit to our game although l also think the limit should be 3 per club.

l used to believe that l fought for freedom but day by day this belief has diminished. We are now branded criminals for such 'crimes' as overfilling the wheelie bin or dropping litter in the city centre or speeding and so on. Whilst one can understand being fined for such things (except wheely bin) one should not have to be branded a criminal.

Now l find that my sport is also being targeted. Aussie players are being refused work visas because of their 'criminal' record. At first l thought what have they done? ... armed robbery? fraud? murder? GBH? ABH? NO! none of these, what we have is speeding offences, charged with assault (not convicted, just charged) and affray. Affray? we see that virtually every rugby match. lt is just above breach of the peace and is in reality just 'handbags'. Any altrication on the streets, in pubs, at home, at work, at matches etc etc the police can charge you with affray.

Upon further investigation l could find no reference to any foreign rugby union players being refused work visas or, god forbid, a Pakistani, or the like, cricket player being refused. ls it because these sports have influence and power? ... or like the cricketers, would result in mass demonstrations by the Muslim community. l say this for the Muslim community, they stand up for themselves and make their voice heardand for that they have my respect ... whether l believe in their cause or not.

But what does the working class sport of Rugby League and their supporters do? ... sweet FA! Except ofcourse slag off and gloat the clubs who have lost the services of these players. How narrow-minded and petty can you get? The RLHQ do nothing, the club boards do nothing and the supporters do nothing. Yet you have all the supporters at what ground or another so how hard would it be for all supporters to band together? You are in touch with all the clubs here anyway! Petitions, demonstrations etc may shame the club boards into coming onboard and maybe just maybe the RLHQ. Flood the Canberra British Consulate with e-mails ... and your MP's ... and the papers. Get media coverage ... hell, SKY is owned by Rupert Murdoch alone.

lf it carries on, what will happen to our sport? the lnternationals? ... depleted teams? Rugby League won't become 3rd rate ... it'll be lower!

l've fought my battles ... on the battleground, work, bureaucracy ... anything that l deemed injust or wrong. Some l won and some l lost but atleast l tried. l didn't cry in my beer and do nothing. Apathy seems endemic throughout the majority of citizens hence the minority always have the say ... especially the mandarins in Government. The one club that would speak out, Won't ... because they are French and wouldn't stand for it. God, that grates saying that but it's true.

What is happening to Rugby League is injust and wrong but it won't change unless the clubs, RLHQ and supporters speak out against it ... but ... the silence is deafening!

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:03 am  

Some of the things I agree with, but a lot of it just sounds like a drunk racist having a rant in a pub just before closing time.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:52 am  

Uneccessary dig at the Muslim community!

Not called for.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:58 am  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

Uneccessary dig at the Muslim community!

Not called for.

Did you actually read what he said?

or like the cricketers, would result in mass demonstrations by the Muslim community. l say this for the Muslim community, they stand up for themselves and make their voice heardand for that they have my respect ... whether l believe in their cause or not.

He may not be right, but I fail to see what is derogatory about that.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:08 am  

Derogatory in that, he has no hard and fast proof that this would occur.

Its conjecture. I dont see any mass protests by the Muslim community now that Pakistani cricketer Asif has been banned from the IPL!

Why 'speculate' they'd do it here?

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:11 am  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

Its conjecture. I dont see any mass protests by the Muslim community now that Pakistani cricketer Asif has been banned from the IPL!

He failed a drugs test.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:19 am  

Yeah, and in this example, a cricketer has been banned for a criminal offence!

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:22 am  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

Yeah, and in this example, a cricketer has been banned for a criminal offence!

I don't see how a comparison can be drawn. The rugby league problems stem from visas. Asif has failed a drugs test, ergo he is banned from competing. It is less to do with immigration laws and more to do with the rules of a competition, in this case the IPL and other ICC/PCB tournaments.

Its a massive shame about Asif by the way, I remember when he burst onto the scene he looked something special, he was able to swing the ball both ways with disarming ease.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:19 pm  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

Derogatory in that, he has no hard and fast proof that this would occur.

Its conjecture. I dont see any mass protests by the Muslim community now that Pakistani cricketer Asif has been banned from the IPL!

Why 'speculate' they'd do it here?

This is the problem nowadays...you can't say anything that could in someway offend one person. I'm not racist at all and I don't condone unjust things being said etc.

ExiledFromHull....I'm not using your quote to say you think its derogatory, as I agree we don't "Know" that Muslims would protest about this. My point is that its deemed nowadays unacceptable to say anything...I guess in the next couple of years (and I use the word "guess" as I can't be "sure") is that using the word Muslim to brand a group of people will be deemed unacceptable.

The main point in this post is that fans and clubs etc are doing nothing to raise their concerns to the powers that be...I know we can't change the Home Office's view on these things...and there would be uproar if the Home Office let any Joe Bloggs into the UK. Thing is that, and although its slightly off topic, I've been reading this forum for the past couple of years and have noticed many posts whingeing about how things are at the club, why they don't do this and that, why the RFL do such and such....yet no one takes it forward and gets the problem solved.

Again ExiledFromHull, I'm not attacking your points, I just feel that people should be trying to fix things instead of complaining about it.

Anyway, peace out everyone...come on the Quins this Sunday!!

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:35 pm  

Well it seems we want to bend the rules for one thing and be hard and fast for another.

Im in the envious position of being 2nd generation Indian (both parents came to England in 1968). Neither had a criminal conviction in India, neither has even amassed any points on their driving licences.
Both have been in full-time employment since 1968 and have paid every penny of tax asked of them.

They moved to Hull (at the time brave as they were 1 of 2 Asian families in the city) and now talk with more a Hull 'twang' than i ever did.

I have represented and captained England and GB hockey at all levels and represented this country with as much pride as the next person 'should'

YET i find myself agreeing with some BNP policies. I dont think we should allow foreign criminals into the country. I dont think a Somalian family should jump to the top of the housing list in Tower Hamlets over an English Family. I do think the Govt should work harder to create UK jobs for UK citizens, and i dont think people like Abu Hamza should use our own system against us, then preach to overthrow that system to become Sharia Law.

But some of these Rugby players tick the boxes the Govt have set-up.

Foreign - yes
Crminal - yes

Where is the line drawn? Colour of skin? Suitability to this culture?
if you want to createt the rules, then you got to stick to them

It may not attract you as much - but would you petition the Govt about a family coming from war-torn Eritrea who arent criminals? Or is this support suddenly being generated because they are Rugby players?