Article by Nathan Durec
Before the controversies that erupted last year over the use of the word, I had never heard it before. Yid. While a Tottenham supporter and fan, I do not hail from the northeast of London, am not Jewish, and do not have a history in referring to myself as part of an “Army” of any sort. As the FA ramped up their vocal opposition to such chants, I have watched more with interest to what the responses would be from all sides of the debate. Even Prime Minister Cameron has now had his say.
The history of the term “yid” in the context of Tottenham Hotspur is one of controversy. There is no denying it. The club’s strong Jewish support in the early part of the 20thCentury made fans a target for anti-Semitic slurs from other clubs’supporters. The goal in adopting the term as a badge of honour was meant to take ownership of the word, to change its meaning, and to re-brand its power. At the time and with the supporters who were involved in the process, that is commendable. It takes courage to stand in front of anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and any other form of social division. I applaud these early pioneers of non-violent protest.
However, I must ask if this is still the case today. Are the people who are trying to re-brand the term synonymous with those who attempted it 100 years ago? Many of the supporters who argue that their intention in using it as a positive cannot say they belong to the original group its derogatory use was for. When other supporter groups used it against Spurs fans way back when, it was because they were Jewish people who happened to cheer for Tottenham. Specifically, this term would have been used at White Heart Lane and elsewhere, down at the pub, or just walking down the street. It was not specific to football.
The reclaiming of a word or symbol is normally done within the group that is being oppressed by it. I highly doubt a white guy would use the N-word and then argue that he was trying to re-brand it for a positive use. That’s an audacious statement. Similar could be said for those who are trying to reclaim the swastika for its original message, as a symbol of peace. The one thing both of these examples have in common is that the people trying to reclaim them are those who had the original control of its message.
I find it strange that some want to hold onto the term as a reference to the club when its usage was against a people. Not only are some supporters trying to reclaim the word in a positive light, they are also trying to change its entire means away from being Jewish and to one of being a supporter of a football club, sort of as an all-inclusive chant. Commendable? Maybe. Probable. Not likely.
Tottenham Hotspur is a global club. Yes, their roots are deep within London and their support within the Jewish community, but it has become much larger than this. I agree that it should be all-inclusive, but a reference to a specific group of people, especially in such a derogatory manner, I wonder why there is a need to taunt. It was used to taunt Spurs supporters historically. We are better than this behaviour.
Hotspur. Spurs. Lilywhites. There are many other completely acceptable references for supporters of our famed club. Why is there a need to throw into someone’s face, “Hey! Remember when you called us Yids? Well now we wear that badge with honour!” Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t see the honour it demeaning a people, regardless of well intentions.
It is a simple act to stop using the word as a club reference. Yet, it may mean the world to my Jewish neighbour. That’s fine by me.
Comment on this article below!
Get the latest Spurs news, articles written by other fans, plus match commentary - follow our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/e_spurs
We are also looking for Writers to join our established team and Admins for the following e-Football Twitter accounts:
e-Manchester United
e-West Ham
e-Fulham
e-Crystal Palace
e-Chelsea
e-Manchester City
e-Liverpool
This is a great chance for aspiring football journalists to gain exposure and join the e-Football Family! email e-football@live.co.uk
Other e-Football Sites:
e-Football:
Site - www.efootballnet.blogspot.com
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_footballnet
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/E-football/529821593719736
Forum - www.e-football.freeforums.net
e-Spurs:
Site - www.espurs.blogspot.com
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_spurs
Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/ESPURS/164631843709508
e-Manchester United:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ManchesterUnited
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/e-Manchester-United/202927566530790
e-Arsenal:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_arsenalnet
e-Crystal Palace:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_crystalpalace
e-Middlesbrough:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_middlesbrough
e-Ajax:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ajax
e-Eredivisie:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_eredivisie
e-Ligat Ha'Al:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ligat_HaAl
e-La Liga:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_LaLiga
We are also looking for Writers to join our established team and Admins for the following e-Football Twitter accounts:
e-Manchester United
e-West Ham
e-Fulham
e-Crystal Palace
e-Chelsea
e-Manchester City
e-Liverpool
This is a great chance for aspiring football journalists to gain exposure and join the e-Football Family! email e-football@live.co.uk
Other e-Football Sites:
e-Football:
Site - www.efootballnet.blogspot.com
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_footballnet
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/E-football/529821593719736
Forum - www.e-football.freeforums.net
e-Spurs:
Site - www.espurs.blogspot.com
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_spurs
Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/ESPURS/164631843709508
e-Manchester United:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ManchesterUnited
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/e-Manchester-United/202927566530790
e-Arsenal:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_arsenalnet
e-Crystal Palace:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_crystalpalace
e-Middlesbrough:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_middlesbrough
e-Ajax:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ajax
e-Eredivisie:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_eredivisie
e-Ligat Ha'Al:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_ligat_HaAl
e-La Liga:
Twitter Feed - www.twitter.com/e_LaLiga
The truly ironic thing is that Chelsea fan David Baddiel has managed to shift all of the focus onto Spurs fans for using the word in a positive-affirmative manner, while ignoring/excusing Chelsea supporters (among others), who began the whole sad scenario in the first place, for making group coordinated hissing noises (in reference to the Nazi gassing of Jews). Amazing that he finds one massively offence while the other is, presumably, justifiable because Spurs fans make Chelsea fans 'do it'.
ReplyDeleteYou cuold question the wisdon of Spurs fans using the chant in a positive-affirmative manner, and that would be a fair question. But the fact is that the intention, at genesis, and now, is that it is positive-affirmative.
The genesis of the sdenario, in the first place, and people need to make no mistake about this, was in Spurs fans either defending themselves, if Jewish, or fellow supporters, if not, from a constant barrage of anti-semitic abuse. Chelsea fans were at the forefront of this. Not only is this ongoing, but if you do some research on the sale of Gareth Bale you will see that there was widespread abuse of Daniel Levy, Spurs Chairman, for trying to get the best price possible for Bale as it showed he was a money grubbing 'effing' Jew. It is a constant factor that Spurs fans had to live with for decades - and includes violent assault.
Perhaps if Mr Baddiel focused all his energies on eradicating anti-semitism at his own club, and others, and then presented this eradication as reason for an end to Spurs fans (he feels) misguided, if justifiable, use of the chant. As it is, it is like telling the ginger kid other kids might stop bullying him if he dies his hair.
And that is the real irony, here: that David Baddiel has managed to get every single commentator to jump to his agenda, and none have taken him up on the fact that surely its the Spurs fans usage that should be the last item on the itinerary and not the first, and why isn't he focusing on his own club's fans first and foremost. Do most commentators even know that David baddiel supports Chelsea, another London team, who consider themselves to be bitter rivals to Spurs? I would hazard a guess that there are droves of Chelsea fans, including many who make the 'hissing' noise in imitation of the W.W.II gas chambers, who find this hysterically funny and are sitting laughing at the way baddiel has focused all the attention on Spurs fans.
The way the term yid is used cannot be compared to the n word,even when its black people who use that word about fellow blacks,they use it in a derogatory way. Its intended as an insult and applied to someone else. The term yid is applied to ourselves and as such is in no way used as an offensive or derogatory term.ive never heard any opposing fans use the word yid as an insult towards our fans,perhaps thats because the sting has been taken out of the word by our self association with it?
ReplyDelete