Politics & Sport Collide

In a bizarre fashion on Good Friday my two major interests collided.

I was attending an AFC Wimbledon game only to find myself confronted by leafletters from the new Left List (this being the non Galloway part of Respect) The reason for this unexpected event was that the former Chairman of AFC Wimbledon Kris Stewart is standing as GLA candidate in our local seat (Merton &wandsworth)

Kris is a good personal friend of mine and we share many political beliefs unfortunately we differ markedly on how best to deliver them. it could broadly be summed up by him saying I am wrong to work within the Labour Party and me saying he is wrong not do so. Ironic as on many things you could barely put a fagpaper between our beliefs.

Anyway I mention for two reasons

1) It was interesting to see how the Left List see events such as sporting events to be a place for politics to be discussed and promoted. This is something which in my Irish background is entirely normal but which I have rarely seen over here. Clearly having 2500 people in one place and being able t relate our belief to their beliefs is a potential gainer.

In fact I wonder if there are possibilities to link the Unite Against Fascims Campaign to football matches (baring in mind the Kick Racism out of football work) Clearly there are many people in attendance at sporting events. Historically this has been an area where far right and openly fascist groups have attempted to organise sadly. There are many working class people in attendance at matches particulalry atthe non prawn sandwich sky leagues! who could be persuaded of the need to vote and at the same time it could serve as a defence against the BNP and their acolytes attempts to recruit. (This is something I have never personally seen at our matches but which I have heard tell of at other clubs, I also sadly remember the National Front being present at grounds i nthe early 1980's)

2) It was equally interesting to see the reaction of some who were given leaflets. This ranged from bemusement to anger that they felt they had been duped by those handing them out. Equally others recognised the validity of these attempts to gain political loyalty by goign to a sporting event.Personally I have absolutely no problem with politics and sport colliding in this way!

Oh and we lost naturally to a team who were 2nd bottom and had hardly won all season!

The life of a club run by the fans and owned by them is sadly not always plain sailing. Of course there is also the irony of our club curently co-operating with "NUTS Tv" of a sport documentary a channel which sadly is more interested in portraying women as objects of desire than the fienr poitns of fan ownership!