[Archived] Give Us Our Toilets Back!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

There has never been and never will be a need for a place of religious worship of ANY persuation in a football ground,that is my belief.

What worries me more is that following reports of a little argy-bargy and possible racism,how long before the scum 'Blackburn hating' tabloids get hold of this and stirr the pot a little more?

Music to their ears...you can bet on it

[Mattyblue]

I don't think that addign a prayer room would particularily attract young "asians"... the choice of sport for most of those from the sub continent appears to be Cricket (another game invented in this sceptre isle) That is a great generalisation...

What we and Rovers should be doing, is to convert the really despicable and waste of space, glory hunting, lightweight, unbelievers who, although having been born and bred in Blackburn (or Darwen!) support Man United, Liverpool, etc... These really are the ones that we should be targetting.. alas I suspect that most of their souls are to far in hell.

NO NO NO, the vast majority of Blackburns Asians love football, much more so than cricket these days. Yet like you said Asians and many whites in the area wear Liverpool and United shirts. You can have as much Islamic paraphenalia on display at Ewood as you like, but if they are not interested in BLACKBURN ROVERS, whats the point?

[Stuart]

I don't think that addign a prayer room would particularily attract young "asians"... the choice of sport for most of those from the sub continent appears to be Cricket (another game invented in this sceptre isle) That is a great generalisation...

What we and Rovers should be doing, is to convert the really despicable and waste of space, glory hunting, lightweight, unbelievers who, although having been born and bred in Blackburn (or Darwen!) support Man United, Liverpool, etc... These really are the ones that we should be targetting.. alas I suspect that most of their souls are to far in hell.

We don't want them! Seriously though, it's a good point. But the only way we would attract such fickle people would be to make us more successful that them and that isn't going to happen in the short term - barring a complete credit meltdown with banks calling in the clubs' debts. But if that happened no-one would be able to afford to go to football - let alone the defectors!

Also, there's nothing stopping cricket lovers watching football in the winter! And it's not so much using the MFR to attract attendance - more to accommodate those who do take an interest. I think there needs to be a complete strategy re-think if this is what they have got to. Starting with restoration of the BB end gents toilets before there is a full scale problem. Aside from bladder control problems, some people will jump at the chance to make an issue of this and we may start attracting the wrong kind of attendee at Ewood...

[Stuart]

NO NO NO, the vast majority of Blackburns Asians love football, much more so than cricket these days. Yet like you said Asians and many whites in the area wear Liverpool and United shirts. You can have as much Islamic paraphenalia on display at Ewood as you like, but if they are not interested in BLACKBURN ROVERS, whats the point?

I agree with the sentiment but there is a reason to go after people who aren't fully committed to BRFC, and that is coin. Admittedly this is only a short term income since such fickle lot will be off supporting the next big thing at some point. But it's in the clubs interest to exploit which ever opportunities they can in order to make the finances work. Ideally, you (and I) only want die-hard-bleed-blue-and-white-home-and-away-existing-football supporters but we don't have a large enough catchment area from which to pluck these people. (Which is also a consequence of having Man U, Man C, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton, Wigan and, yes, even Burnley on our doorstep).

[Will]

I've a question.

How long does it actually take to pray?

Cause i know for a fact, i only miss some of the game to get to the bar.

[ABBEY]

just back from the vue and it was multi cultural and NOONE left to pray ,one lad got up but he came back with popcorn.

[Tris]

The club have made a monumental cock up in the location of the facility. [edit ... ]

I was with my 8 year old son and I'm not prepared for him to be exposed to that sort of behaviour.

The clubs next move needs to be strong and decisive, they need to recognise that they have made a mistake and send out a strong message about racist and abusive behaviour.

I'm disgusted, embarrassed and ashamed that this has happened at my club and what makes it even more depressing is that it was so f*****g predictable.

Frame this and take it to the fans forum meeting next week. It's from someone who's taking his son onto the Blackburn End in an effort to ensure that the next generation knows where to sit.

The rest of my thoughts are going in the Fans Forum thread.

[malk]

It's days like these that I'm proud to be a Blackburn fan...

No, wait a minute.

I'll take the point that the positioning doesn't seem to be ideal but the inevitable horror of a racist response and a jingoist defense of said response leaves me embarrassed to support the club. Some of the comments here beggar belief. More Qu'rans than Bibles? Possibly because a religion that requires more regular worship means that it is more likely to be used by followers of said religion. Having to take your shoes off? Shoes in an Islamic place of worship is a no no so the path of least resistance is to ask everyone to remove them. It's not as if Christians need to have their shoes on to thank Peter God!

I have no doubt that any placing of this room would have caused problems purely because a good proportion of our club's supporters are degenerates. In fairness, a lot of football fans in general are idiots. Well, a lot of people are idiots so quelle surprise!

Anyway, I'm happy to queue a little longer for a slash in order to be more inclusive but maybe that's just me. It'll get sorted soon enough, once the BNP brigade get a few more organisms thrown out people will realise that the club doesn't stand for their nonsense and things will once again return to their uneasy simmer.

[broadsword]

Two thing referring to Roar of the Rovers' earlier posts.

1. About staff using a multi-faith room for prayers during the week, I was led to believe there was already a multi-faith prayer room within the offices of Ewood?

2. I have never, ever worked at a place where there was a multi-faith, nor seen anyone agitating for a multi-faith room. And I have worked with (and am friends with) a muslim.

Are pastafarians allowed to use the faith room? Maybe I'll test that out by coming to Ewood dressed as a pirate. "Excuse me officer, please can I be admitted to the multi-faith room?"

[ABBEY]

and phil l ,whats wrong with people with shaved heads ???? do tell.

[CAPT KAYOS]

With you on this Abbey including the health and safety issue.

BTW I also have a shaved head and have for alot of my living years.

As I agreed with Jan on thr FF thread there is no place for religious faith in football - the only faith is Blackburn Rovers.

Interestingly enough, where is our head of safety as Abbey has already posted how the hell did this gain a certificate - the club prattle on about the issues (dangers) of standing , and in fact made a statement to the fact before the start of the season of getting people to sit down and then introduce a complete an utter bollock up with this.

Sorry folks there was only one reason this was introduced, and this is as Jan states is for pure 'tokenism'.

Hasn't it been a 'flagship' of the club that fans would be addressed before any issues that affected them would be introduced?

I'm in agreement on this that whoever came up with the stupid of idea of putting it in the BB end wants sacking and I think that the club was lucky in respect that the scenario was not as bad as it could have been if it had been any other fans rather than the 'well behaved' passive Rovers fans.

[Ricky]

You know the club have made a mistake when you have both Abbey and Jan agreeing on something.

As stated by the majority, good idea, bad location.

Malk, don't really agree with your comments, I personally don't think the majority of comments have been in the slightest bit rascist. Most people have said that they don't disagre with a multi faith room, it's just been put in a poorly thought out place.

[67splitscreen]

And we think we have problems, with potential racism.

Muslim lawyer sues over Inter Milan 'Crusaders' kit

Would be a great kit for England to wear

[BiggusLaddus]

And we think we have problems, with potential racism.

Muslim lawyer sues over Inter Milan 'Crusaders' kit

Would be a great kit for England to wear

Without wishing to pull this further off topic, that guy is just an attention seeking plank who hasn't got a prayer (lol) of winning.

Not only is that cross also the symbol of the city of Milan, but his history is off. The templars were not a group of 'super crusaders' out to destroy Islam, they were a group of nine men out looking for something who later became very rich and powerful when they found it. One of the many theories about what they were up to is that they were trying to bring all people of the abrahamic faiths together and end the violence on both sides.

[Mattyblue]

It's days like these that I'm proud to be a Blackburn fan...

No, wait a minute.

I'll take the point that the positioning doesn't seem to be ideal but the inevitable horror of a racist response and a jingoist defense of said response leaves me embarrassed to support the club. Some of the comments here beggar belief. More Qu'rans than Bibles? Possibly because a religion that requires more regular worship means that it is more likely to be used by followers of said religion. Having to take your shoes off? Shoes in an Islamic place of worship is a no no so the path of least resistance is to ask everyone to remove them. It's not as if Christians need to have their shoes on to thank Peter God!

I have no doubt that any placing of this room would have caused problems purely because a good proportion of our club's supporters are degenerates. In fairness, a lot of football fans in general are idiots. Well, a lot of people are idiots so quelle surprise!

Anyway, I'm happy to queue a little longer for a slash in order to be more inclusive but maybe that's just me. It'll get sorted soon enough, once the BNP brigade get a few more organisms thrown out people will realise that the club doesn't stand for their nonsense and things will once again return to their uneasy simmer.

Are you for real? Objecting the Islamisation of every facet of our town is not in the least bit racist. Any objection I have had to Islam has nothing to do with skin colour. The argument often gets lost with people who will just rant 'f*** off pakis', therefore grouping anyone who has objections with those who shout banal insults.

The vast majority of Blackburn Rovers fans are not 'degenerates' but are people who have accepted 'inclusive policies' throughout their lives, yet are asked to adapt and adapt again to an alien culture for absolutely no benefit. It is the thin end of the wedge to keep on saying, 'well we dont NEED to have shoes on', 'we dont NEED as many bibles', our easy going, accepting British way of life will be our undoing when up against a uncompromising, totally committed religion and culture.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Colin,

This is where you expected the thread to end up at. And you were right.

The "alien culture" I see all too often at the Rovers is groups of (sometimes) drunk yobs shouting abuse at people different to them.

[malk]

Are you for real? Objecting the Islamisation of every facet of our town is not in the least bit racist. Any objection I have had to Islam has nothing to do with skin colour. The argument often gets lost with people who will just rant 'f*** off pakis', therefore grouping anyone who has objections with those who shout banal insults.

The vast majority of Blackburn Rovers fans are not 'degenerates' but are people who have accepted 'inclusive policies' throughout their lives, yet are asked to adapt and adapt again to an alien culture for absolutely no benefit. It is the thin end of the wedge to keep on saying, 'well we dont NEED to have shoes on', 'we dont NEED as many bibles', our easy going, accepting British way of life will be our undoing when up against a uncompromising, totally committed religion and culture.

Defining racism as discrimination based on skill colour is woefully inadequate. "Objecting the Islamisation of every facet of our town" might not be, per se, racist but the belief that it is occuring rests on a number of presuppositions that are not actualised in reality. I'm both aetheist and a firm believer in the secular state and as such have a number of issues with Islam (as well as all monotheistic religions) but none of this is relevant in this particular case.

I didn't say that the vast majority of Blackburn fans are degenerates but a good (read significant) proportion. Adapting to a different culture benifits a society through diversity, tolerance inclusion yet you describe it as a chore imposed by an overbearing government.

I'm glad that this new room has highlighted the issue. There will be only a few people who resort to racist abuse to voice their displeasure and the sooner those reprobates are exorcised from the club the better.

Oh, and the people that are considering wandering over to 'have a pray' themselves just to prove a point of non discrimination should really have a word with themselves. Go on people, stir up some tension, that'll help the situation!

[DingleBaiter]

Back to the original topic; can anyone confirm this is going to be addressed at the Fans Forum?

Be interesting to see the agenda - think there are a few points need raising/minuteing correctly. As a bare minimum, the club need to face up to their responsibilities to clarify why - how - reaction to events on Sat - and proposal going forward.

Myself, I'd hope it went something like this.

So, board, tell us more about the multi-faith room, particularly....

Who's idea was it, and what degree of consultation did you undertake, what criteria did you consider?

Why it was relaunched, when there's been a 'prayer room' for a few seasons in the BBE (a fact overlooked by many)?

Why is it now a 'multi-faith' rather than 'prayer' room?

Have you received any element of a grant from anyone for this?

Is it compliant with building regulations to reduce the space of one of the busiest toilets in the ground?

Where is the policy for usage?

Is it aimed equally at each faith, and if so - how can it be used to be accessible to all and offensive to none?

If it's for fans, isn't it against ground regulations to move between stands?

Is the club claiming business rates relief for having a prayer facility, similar to 200+ properties in the area receiving a rebate from council liabilities?

plus no doubt much more....

However, why do I feel it's going to be like -

Q - "so why the multi-faith room?"

A - "seemed like a good idea at the time"

Q - "but it may be, but every single element of it's application & implementation seems flawed"

A - "oh right. We can't afford to change it, and are sure it will sort itself out in time. Teething problems. Next question?"

[simdohquo]

The templars were not a group of 'super crusaders' out to destroy Islam, they were a group of nine men out looking for something who later became very rich and powerful when they found it. One of the many theories about what they were up to is that they were trying to bring all people of the abrahamic faiths together and end the violence on both sides. .

Actually the Templars were not "nine" men... you really must not get your history lessons from novels / hollywood films.

The Templars were a large group of knights, that believed in a very specific set of ideals... what? we don,t fully know... history depicts them in many ways... FFS! google it! why am i explaining on here!

[Hannah]

Does it really matter who exactly came up with this idea? Surely it is more of a case of looking for a solution to fix this and moving on.

I am not disputing it was a stupid idea but what is there to be gained from knowing whose idea it was?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I didn't say that the vast majority of Blackburn fans are degenerates but a good (read significant) proportion.

What a ridiculous and unfounded load of tripe that is,put your brain back in!