'You Don't Look Like An Everton Fan'
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'YOU DON'T LOOK
LIKE AN EVERTON FAN'
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Perspectives
Words By: Luc Hinson
Illustration: Tom Shotton
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The Royal Park Pub, Hyde Park, Leeds. Saturday afternoon, john smiths in hand, nondescript football match on the TV. I was sat next to a Leeds fan, a real Leeds fan. Hardcore, covered in tattoos, his support and passion painted across his body. He turned to me and asked who my team was, I replied Everton. My father’s team, another aspect of my identity I owe to him. He let out a small chuckle, took a sip of his pint and replied:
“You don’t look like an Everton fan”
Another instance where my initial reaction was to laugh. I was again taken aback, what did he mean? I don’t look like an Everton fan; was there a special uniform I wasn’t wearing? Did I not have my Everton fan club badge on? Or did he mean because, well because I wasn’t white? The notion of a football club being exclusive goes against the very point of fandom. Surely a club wants as many fans from as many parts of the globe as possible to spread its appeal and marketability. That’s the bigger picture of it, but for me personally, yet again I felt like I had lost a part of my perceived identity.
This aim of this article is to discuss the previous slogans identified as mantras of Britishness. For this article, the topic is ‘Our Values’. What are British Values, Off the top of my head I really struggle to pin down British values, what values are unique to Britain, what values do we hold that exclusively make us British.
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"ISLAMAPHOBIA, HOMOPHOBIA, RACISM, BIGOTRY, TRANSPHOBIA, AND EVERY OTHER INTOLERANCE HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY, OUR COUNTRY"
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Interestingly, Ofsted state that British Values that are to be taught to the next generation of Brits are:
- Democracy;
- The rule of law;
- Individual liberty;
- Mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith
If this is what we build our identity around as Brits, then Islamophobia, Homophobia, Racism, Bigotry, Transphobia, and every other intolerance has no place in this country, our country. What we should be creating, discussing, building is an identity of Britishness centred around tolerance. If one of our Values as Brits is tolerance, then the only way to protect and uphold our values is through tolerance, not hate, exclusion and intolerance.
Individual liberty, freedom, respect and tolerance. These ideas speak of an identity bigger than ourselves. We have the freedom to define ourselves as we wish to be defined and the duty to allow others to do exactly the same. We have the freedom as individuals to define ourselves as we wish, to identify as we wish. But we must acknowledge that we are part of something bigger, the unity amongst the far-right is frightening, it is organised and mobilised hatred. The only way to fight back and reclaim the British identity for ourselves is to shout as loudly as they do, to drown out the hatred with tolerance, compassion and unity.
Peace
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