I mentioned in an earlier post that Sunderland Football Club have appointed some Italian lout as their new manager. So far so normal but this particular lout is, apparently, a fascist lout as this photo courtesy of The Telegraph indicates:
Anyway, this item of less than earth-shaking importance has produced one result. The old guard of the Durham Miners Association has lumbered forth and demanded the return of a banner they gave to the Club when the new stadium was built on the site of one of the oldest coal mines in England. I heard one of these 'worthies' on the radio last night thundering on about 'ow it were an insult to the lads who fought 'n' died fighting fascism'. True up to a point but it is worth remembering that coal mining was a reserved occupation during WWII so very few miners went to the front. And needless to say, those who stayed behind had very little compunction in going on strike whenever they felt like it - 'and boogger the lads oop the front!' As the LabourNet site reports:
[T]he miners won the highest minimum wage in Britain. Their average earnings ranked 81st in 1938, but rose to 14th after the strikes. [My emphasis]
Needless to say, if Paolo di Canio, the lout concerned, had boasted of his communist affiliations, the dinasours from the NUM would probably have sent him a case of champagne, that being the drink of choice for your average Left-wing union leader!
The Telegraph article by Dan Hodges, linked above, is worth a read. He reminds us of that embarrassing moment 75 years ago next month when the England football team under the urgings of the British ambassador, Sir Neville Henderson, gave Hitler a fascist salute in Berlin prior to a match against Germany. There was a near riot in the dressing-room when the order came down but they did it. Thankfully they went on to beat Germany 6-3 which salvaged a little honour.
Yes, every time I see some douche-bag with a right-on Che Guevara t-shirt or cheeky hammer and sickle cap badge wandering confidently along I'm reminded just how amateur race-socialists were compared to class-socialists in atrocious crimes, and that a swastika arm band would get the same person arrested.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 19:38
Whilst born elsewhere (a place which shall remain nameless to prevent my countless admirers traipsing there on pilgrimage) I was from the age of two raised (dragged up) in Durham (the county, not the city).
I had, between Uni and .. er Military Uni, a job delivering sundry products to the pits, that and having been to school with miners and miners children. As such I always find it amusing the manner in which miners have always been portrayed in TV/Film/Fiction/Press (think desperate poverty as in 'Billy Elliot').
The fact was that the 'only' people in my town who had new cars, large well furnished houses, and multiple foreign holidays a year (before it became a more common and plebeian occurrence) were ... the miners (not even the 'professionals', doctors, lawyers, etc, could afford a similar lifestyle).
And yes, to a man, they were all rampant, and confrontational Marxist/Trotskyites. (also, far from being the lauded 'local heros' they were almost universally despised as hypocrites). So nice to see that, despite the intervening decades, some things remain exactly the same (well except for inflation meaning the average union rep is now probably on 100K+ a year)
Posted by: Able | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 19:47
I remember at uni while the miners strike was on, various of the lefty Sloane's, or "caviar communists" as we quaintly referred to them, hosted the miners in their halls of residence rooms so they could more ably harass the democratically elected government down South.
That was until the arse pinching, sexist jokes and comedy farting got too much, i.e. after about a week, then they had to get daddy and his legal friends in to evict them.
Classy.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 20:02
"That was until the arse pinching, sexist jokes and comedy farting got too much!"
I agree. it can get to be a bit much - but then she's the only 'girl' who'll go out with me (well assuming I don't rely on blackmail/a gun/drugs/copious amounts of alcohol/blindfold as dating 'tools'), I just wish she wouldn't do it all when I'm talking to the vicar after the service!?!
Posted by: Able | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 20:18
Hehehe, yes of course, it was the mild-mannered, oppressed, sons-of-the-pits, doon Sooth to meekly exercise their rights, who were assailed by their hosts, the self-loathing, solidarity-seeking, lefty Sloane's forcing out sexist jokes, arse pinches and comedy farts to identify and ingratiate themselves with their perceived comrades! That would make a great satirical sketch. I could see the Blackadder cast pulling it right off. Eventually social services are called to evict the hosts and leave the miners in peace.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 20:55
And now parody becomes reality.
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Tuesday, 02 April 2013 at 21:41
Come come, being a Fascist is not much worse than being a Tory and little worse than being a Kipper, similarly being a Communist is not much worse than being a Labourite.
Then there is Sunderland FC, their PR folk must be laughing like crazy - all publicity is good publicity, expect sell-out crowds and chants for a 'salute'. All we need now is a Prime Minister with a funny tash and a fondness for impressive open-top cars and history will have turned full circle. The political pendulumn is a swinging-oh.
Posted by: rogerh | Wednesday, 03 April 2013 at 07:57