Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 November 2007 19:21:25
"He's only a poor little budgie
His feathers all tattered and torn
He started to sing
So we filled the c**t in
And now he can't sing anymore"
"Hark now here the Ipswich sing
The Norwich run away
And we will fight for evermore
Because of Boxing Day"
"Who's the scum of Anglia?
Naaarwich, Naaaarwich
Who's the scum of Anglia?
Naaarwich are their name
Who's the pride of Anglia?
Ipswich, Ipswich
Who's the pride of Anglia?
Ipswich is their name"
Above are three examples of the songs which will be echoing their way around East Anglia this weekend as part one of this seasons local derby commences. Normally reasonable people, who are sickened by any display of hooliganism will sing these words and the counterparts which come from the opposition with an enthusiasm which verges on venom.
The police have issued this safety notice which indicates there is an underlying tension surrounding the match, which other matches in East Anglia don't have.
So what is it about the derby match which raises these tensions? Well obviously there is local pride at stake. In East Anglia football is actually a big thing, because it's what our communities focus around. However, it goes beyond that; it is about territory and who is the dominant tribe in that local territory. East Anglia is a small territory in the great scheme of things and Ipswich and Norwich are the key urban centres. In both towns the football clubs are visible things we can use to symbolise our identity.
They are teams which people support, generally, because they have a link with those towns. The football clubs and their successes and failiures are part of our memories, a thread which was woven through our childhoods whether our families were football fans or not. In Ipswich (and I think Norwich) you could not avoid the fortunes of The Town (or the Canaries) on a Saturday afternoon.
Add to this recipie the fact that the local media hype the derby matches, and you have an idea of the powder keg which Sunday provides. Will it be a beautiful game? Probably not, tensions and expectations like this do not provide good football, rather what they produce are desperate games where the only thing that matters is the result.
On a personal level reflecting on the lyrics and their meanings I am not proud that I sing them. Yet they are part of my culture, things which are not actually intended to convey hatred (I know and quite like some Norwich fans) but rather to express who I am. That does not make them right, but.......well I still find myself saying but.....despite the fact if they related to any specific race or other group I would condem them as mindless racism. As a Christian I know these lyrics do not reflect my faith and as a Christian I should reject the culture that they reflect.....but....and there is still that but....