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Pandemonium: Leon Bailey arrives in Rome
Pandemonium: Leon Bailey arrives in Rome
Tue, Aug 19, '25 at 6:37 PM
Aren't Italian fans neo-Nazis? Their own star player Mario Balotelli was subject to endless racist monkey and banana slurs. Tears were never far away for Balotelli who was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents.
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 10:34 AM
In reply to Castled
Racism is a global issue. It occurs in Italy, the UK, and even here in Jamaica. Bailey and other black players excelled in England despite incidents of racsim. Roma fans have embraced him but football fans are fickle and can be nasty if you fail to live up to their expectations. Let’s remember, Jamaicans also show xenophobia by calling UK-born Reggae Boyz ‘English rejects.’
Monkey chants or English reject comments both come from the same root, fear and prejudice
Racism is a global issue. It occurs in Italy, the UK, and even here in Jamaica. Bailey and other black players excelled in England despite incidents of racsim. Roma fans have embraced him but football fans are fickle and can be nasty if you fail to live up to their expectations. Let’s remember, Jamaicans also show xenophobia by calling UK-born Reggae Boyz ‘English rejects.’
Monkey chants or English reject comments both come from the same root, fear and prejudice
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 12:42 PM
In reply to nitro
You're not equating n-word, monkey labels and chants with 'English reject' are you? No, you aren't. No way, no how. Dudes like you are the reason they take liberties with Black people. Look at what Trump's doing now with slavery. They would never try this with Js, but they know a lot of Black people are you, so they continue. Duppy know who fi frighten.
There's a difference between Italy and England, in that it has extremely difficult to get the Italians (and Spanish) to deal with the racist scumbags. Black people are told to get over it in those parts by those FAs.
You're not equating n-word, monkey labels and chants with 'English reject' are you? No, you aren't. No way, no how. Dudes like you are the reason they take liberties with Black people. Look at what Trump's doing now with slavery. They would never try this with Js, but they know a lot of Black people are you, so they continue. Duppy know who fi frighten.
There's a difference between Italy and England, in that it has extremely difficult to get the Italians (and Spanish) to deal with the racist scumbags. Black people are told to get over it in those parts by those FAs.
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 1:00 PM
You're not equating n-word, monkey labels and chants with 'English reject' are you?
There is absoultely nothing wrong with what was stated by Nitro. He pointed out that affects of fear and prejudices are byproducts of name-calling. Whenever our bodies are threatened we have the tendency to resort to what divides us. Name-calling leans upon essentialism to support the push to alienate. Of course, that with which we are identified (race) is that which we will defend. However, Nitro was clear in pointing out that he was speaking to affects of fear and prejudice rooted in the "N-word" and "English rejects".
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 2:43 PM
In reply to nitro
Were they not?
How many of them, had they been called up to the England national team at the time, would have declined and instead played for Jamaica at that World Cup?
Jamaicans also show xenophobia by calling UK-born Reggae Boyz ‘English rejects.’
Were they not?
How many of them, had they been called up to the England national team at the time, would have declined and instead played for Jamaica at that World Cup?
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 2:59 PM
In reply to JahJah
Not saying racism and xenophobia are the same, but both exclude and devalue people. Racism is brutal. I believe as well that calling UK-born Jamaicans ‘rejects’ especially in mainstream Jamaican media is also very hurtful. I only brought up the English Reject argument because this thread is about a Reggae Boy
Not saying racism and xenophobia are the same, but both exclude and devalue people. Racism is brutal. I believe as well that calling UK-born Jamaicans ‘rejects’ especially in mainstream Jamaican media is also very hurtful. I only brought up the English Reject argument because this thread is about a Reggae Boy
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 3:10 PM
In reply to imusic
Fair point. But that’s the reality of dual nationality in football. Players choose based on opportunity. Jamaican born Raheem Sterling and John Barnes chose England. Others choose Jamaica at a very young age such as Dexter Lembikisa, Karoy Anderson & Tyreece Campbell. It’s the same for Nigeria, Ghana, Scotland, Ireland, etc. Even Jack Grealish and Declan Rice played for Ireland before switching to England. That doesn’t make anyone a ‘reject’, just eligible talent. The label says more about us than them.
Fair point. But that’s the reality of dual nationality in football. Players choose based on opportunity. Jamaican born Raheem Sterling and John Barnes chose England. Others choose Jamaica at a very young age such as Dexter Lembikisa, Karoy Anderson & Tyreece Campbell. It’s the same for Nigeria, Ghana, Scotland, Ireland, etc. Even Jack Grealish and Declan Rice played for Ireland before switching to England. That doesn’t make anyone a ‘reject’, just eligible talent. The label says more about us than them.
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 5:36 PM
In reply to nitro
Bailey apparently injured in 1st training session
Not good news for him and for the already depleted Reggae Boyz
Bailey apparently injured in 1st training session
Not good news for him and for the already depleted Reggae Boyz
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 5:51 PM
In reply to imusic
How many of them, had they been called up to the England national team at the time, would have declined and instead played for Jamaica at that World Cup?
Music man, how does that make them "rejects"? The word reject is used to generate dislike and anger. Sadly, it has succeeded. If you or I apply for the job of our choice and we do not succeed, surely we will turn to the alternative. Note also that some English born players only considered Jamaica yet the labelling has been so successful that they too are classified as such.
That we black people resort to calling our fellow blacks "rejects" speaks more to our vulnerability to discrimination and privilege where we even foist it upon one another. MANKIND!
How many of them, had they been called up to the England national team at the time, would have declined and instead played for Jamaica at that World Cup?
Music man, how does that make them "rejects"? The word reject is used to generate dislike and anger. Sadly, it has succeeded. If you or I apply for the job of our choice and we do not succeed, surely we will turn to the alternative. Note also that some English born players only considered Jamaica yet the labelling has been so successful that they too are classified as such.
That we black people resort to calling our fellow blacks "rejects" speaks more to our vulnerability to discrimination and privilege where we even foist it upon one another. MANKIND!
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 5:51 PM
In reply to FanAttick
Rahtid. This is getting worst.
Injured and possible out for September:
Andre Blake
Ethan Pinnock
Bobby Reid
Joel Latibeaudiere
Leon Bailey
Out of club or not having much game time:
Isaac Hayden
Shamar Nicholson
Michail Antonio
Dexter Lembikisa
Di'Shon Bernard
Damion Lowe
Renaldo Cephas
Ravel Morrison
We are in trouble
Rahtid. This is getting worst.
Injured and possible out for September:
Andre Blake
Ethan Pinnock
Bobby Reid
Joel Latibeaudiere
Leon Bailey
Out of club or not having much game time:
Isaac Hayden
Shamar Nicholson
Michail Antonio
Dexter Lembikisa
Di'Shon Bernard
Damion Lowe
Renaldo Cephas
Ravel Morrison
We are in trouble
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 5:58 PM
In reply to nitro
Plus JPL is not yet in full swing so not much to expect from local ballers
Plus JPL is not yet in full swing so not much to expect from local ballers
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 6:07 PM
In reply to JoeGrine
Maybe I’m off on this, but I always think about how we embrace our West Indies cricket team. We proudly support the Windies, even when Jamaica only has two or three players in the squad.
Perhaps it’s our closeness in the Caribbean through institutions like UWI, where so many of us studied. But in reality, I’d argue we’ve built even stronger bonds with our diaspora in the UK, Canada, and the US.
Reggae music exploded in those countries through our diaspora, and our culture is proudly carried abroad, sometimes even more visibly than in the West Indies. So if we embrace regional pride in cricket, why not embrace diaspora pride in football? That’s the real mystery to me
Maybe I’m off on this, but I always think about how we embrace our West Indies cricket team. We proudly support the Windies, even when Jamaica only has two or three players in the squad.
Perhaps it’s our closeness in the Caribbean through institutions like UWI, where so many of us studied. But in reality, I’d argue we’ve built even stronger bonds with our diaspora in the UK, Canada, and the US.
Reggae music exploded in those countries through our diaspora, and our culture is proudly carried abroad, sometimes even more visibly than in the West Indies. So if we embrace regional pride in cricket, why not embrace diaspora pride in football? That’s the real mystery to me
Wed, Aug 20, '25 at 6:40 PM
In reply to nitro
Great observations. The primary issue revolves around the selling of players by local clubs. Club leaders lack vision and thus via myopia, probably see the selling of local players as the primary way to generate income. Further to the point, the local player would then be preferred for national duty above foreign-born players and even local born players who were sold to overseas club. You don't see any cry for Trevante Stewart, Satchwell (StATHS) or Kaheem Parris (Dinthill) for national duty do you? They have been sold so I guess it is on to pushing more local players onto national teams to showcase them for selling purpose (transfer fees). So, is the national team to showcase local players or to obtain the best possible result? Methinks the former is the conclusion of many.
You don't even have to mention West Indies cricket. Look at women's football, do you see anyone labeling even one degge degge diasporic player a "reject"? Again, think transfer fees. We do not have a local league producing decent enough female players. Look to the day when the local women's league gets better then the label "reject" will be invoked on the ladies.
Great observations. The primary issue revolves around the selling of players by local clubs. Club leaders lack vision and thus via myopia, probably see the selling of local players as the primary way to generate income. Further to the point, the local player would then be preferred for national duty above foreign-born players and even local born players who were sold to overseas club. You don't see any cry for Trevante Stewart, Satchwell (StATHS) or Kaheem Parris (Dinthill) for national duty do you? They have been sold so I guess it is on to pushing more local players onto national teams to showcase them for selling purpose (transfer fees). So, is the national team to showcase local players or to obtain the best possible result? Methinks the former is the conclusion of many.
You don't even have to mention West Indies cricket. Look at women's football, do you see anyone labeling even one degge degge diasporic player a "reject"? Again, think transfer fees. We do not have a local league producing decent enough female players. Look to the day when the local women's league gets better then the label "reject" will be invoked on the ladies.