Policing ourselves

Interesting comments today from Big Sam after the Spurs chants suggesting that West Ham fans have a role to play policing themselves to root out the racists: "I think the people standing next to them should deal with them first and foremost if possible." Easier said than done though, as you're always aware that the sort of person who chants about "f•••ing Jews" and Hitler might be quite happy to start a fight too. Jacob Steinberg illustrated the problem in a good piece in the Guardian on Tuesday. But guess we all have to be a little braver. I'm all for football not losing its edge, for keeping the swearing and the bad taste and the taunting of opposition fans; but it's when chants mention race or death (be it Munich, Hillsborough, gas chambers or telling Ronaldo that he should have died in a car crash) that it becomes completely and utterly unacceptable.