Where is the line?

[Rattea]

Here's a question for you... Where is the line between trolling and bullying of footballers?

Let me give you an example we here in the press all the time about cyber bullying and people who have suffered depression, anorexia and even killed themselves over what people put on the Internet. And everyone says how apporent it all is and condems it.

Then I see plastered everywhere Andy Reid and pictures and comments about his weight and pies. And to all the same people who condems the previous example many think this is acceptable and jump in on it.

So what's the difference ones a footballer? Footballers are still human beings with feelings and emotions and no different to anyone else when it comes to such stuff.

So why the hypocrisy?

[wristslasher_909]

My stance on this is quite straightforward.

Bullying is abhorrent to us all.

But Andy Reid is a fat forest *******.

[FindernRam]

Bullying is bad, no disagreement there and as a youngest in class smallish boy I had my share at school.
But: Footballers have been called by fans since the games began. At Torquay when I was young several players were regularly insulted about their weight and you could hear it all round the ground because of small crowds. John B.. (went on to be Bournemouth manager) was portly to say the least, but he played up to it all, may be he went home and wept but I don't think so.
Social media is more vicious and moderators should do more but a player doesn't have to look at it. So in that respect you can ignore it.

[Manofpride]

Give me £100,000 a week and you can call me what you want!

[Stimaclegend]

If I was in the pub with my mates and called one of them a fat ******* it would be meant and taken as banter, but if I also saw Andy Reid in the same pub and walked over to him and called him the same thing then that is personal abuse with the intent of offending someone, which surely is bullying.
Is shouting abuse at someone in a pub any different to giving it out in a football stadium?

[ramspride]

Here's a question for you... Where is the line between trolling and bullying of footballers?

Let me give you an example 'we here in the press' all the time about cyber bullying and people who have suffered depression, anorexia and even killed themselves over what people put on the Internet. And everyone says how apporent it all is and condems it.

Then I see plastered everywhere Andy Reid and pictures and comments about his weight and pies. And to all the same people who condems the previous example many think this is acceptable and jump in on it.

So what's the difference ones a footballer? Footballers are still human beings with feelings and emotions and no different to anyone else when it comes to such stuff.

So why the hypocrisy?

So now the secrets out Rattea "we here in the press" you're a newspaper reporter or did you mean 'hear'?

[Trickytreesreds]

It's actually a good question. How far does it go?

Like MOP says, pay me 100k a week and you can call me what you want.

Footballers have always been ridiculed for various reasons and degrees. Sometimes, they invite it on themselves with their actions.

Sure Reidy has had the fat jibes all his footballing life. Frank Clarke nearly booted him out of the club at 18 for it.

You have Hughes. Sure we give him untold crap, for looking like a pint of milk.
I'm sure he isn't really bothered though, just by looking at his bank balance.

I'm not sure about his dad though, maybe we should ask him?

[wristslasher_909]

Trolling footbllers and shouting abuse at them from the stands is pretty much the same thing, so as long as it doesn't overstep the "football banter" lines I think it's fine.

It shouldn't be racist or obscene. Although I think I might've overstepped such a line in my above post. Apologies to Any Reid for that and anyone else who maybe offended.

Where should the "football banter" line be drawn? That's a good question. It shouldn't be racist, ***ist or obscene. Our society won't stand for that, but we don't want to get to the stage where we are slapping each other on the backs and saying "jolly good show". There is a competitive edge to sport and with football it is tribal – that's what makes it fun. We're sticking up for our own. It's meant to be edgy, we're trying to get a psychological edge. If we're at home we are trying to intimidate the opposition. Look at the statistics; fans do give teams the edge.

One thing is for sure, I don't think we need to be worried about Andy Reid's an

[Rattea]

All good responses ... well except one ... but what strikes me is most are all in part a justification for it being alright if its a footballer!

You know I've worked with bankers and Traders that earn far more than some PL footballers. And what hit me with most of these people is you get very insecure people that are what you could call in a lot of cases ... on the edge. They need to be for their job and pressure but I think what if these people were to be ridiculed on the internet or in the street.

Its not IMO acceptable at all.

We have lost some great traditional songs we all knew for the tripe that a small band chuck out every now and then as the old school support has gone replaced by what I consider a bunch of trolls. What concerns me more is the club embraces and turns a blind eye to these and in some cases embraces them. A side issue to this is the statement Rush made about certain types of supporters not being welcome does this not fall in that bracket. Remember the

[AdiSalisbury]

You raise a good question, I don't know the answer.

Using footballers as the given example, it is a part of your job to be thick skinned as you step into a stadium, with opposition fans saying anything that they think might put you off your game and give them an advantage. That doesn't necessarilly make it right. Currently the line is drawn at racism, but as you point out there are other forms of abuse that can trigger mental illness. You use Andy Reid, I always wonderd why Lampard was "Fat Frank", he always looked ripped to me! I don't see a problem with calling someone useless, a cheat, a ****er etc as its generic and not a slur on a personal trait, but where the line is drawn beyond that I don't know.

By contrast, the abuse people get online (ie twitter), is totally unacceptable in my opinion, as it involves hunting down an individual and sending personal abuse outside the arena.

Its worth noting though that abuse is part of most people's jobs, so multi-millionaires will not get