The_Times__6_March_2020

70 2GM Friday March 6 2020 | the times

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It was instructive six weeks ago to see
the coverage of the 25th anniversary of
Eric Cantona’s kung-fu kick on a fan
and see how the tone had changed over
the years from initial outrage —
“should he suffer a life ban?” was the
first debate on the BBC’s Question Time
that week — almost to nostalgia.
Jumping into the crowd was wrong
but, well, that horrible idiot had it
coming. Ian Wright said he was jealous
of the Manchester United striker’s
liberated instincts. That Cantona, eh,
what a character?
The passing of time tends to soften
our memories but maybe in that
reaction too was a wising up, if not to
violence as justified retribution, then at
least to an understanding that paying
your money on the gate does not
enshrine a spectator with a right to call
Arsène Wenger a paedophile, to wish
cancer on Granit Xhaka’s daughter or
to tell Cantona to “f off back to
France you French motherfer” with
impunity.
Let us hope most of us, especially the
FA’s disciplinary department, retain
that level-headedness in the light of
another Eric wading furiously, though
not violently, into the crowd.
My reaction was certainly under-
standing, perhaps even sympathy, for
Dier as soon as I saw the footage of the
Tottenham Hotspur and England mid-
fielder clambering over seats in pursuit
of a fan on Wednesday evening, hunt-
ing him down as if auditioning to suc-
ceed Liam Neeson in the film Ta ke n.
Partly this was from knowing that
Dier has always come over as a bright,
amiable guy not normally given to hot-
headedness; and that even if he had
“lost it”, as one witness claimed, the
most placid among us are capable of
extreme reaction when family are
involved as Dier’s younger brother,
Patrick, was in an altercation in the
stands, upset by what has been
described as horrendous abuse.
The understanding came, too, from
the plausibility of this version knowing
what players, managers and officials
put up with relentlessly, intolerably,
from crowds (including from some of
their own “supporters”) every week
inside football stadiums where, overt
racism aside, literally anything goes.
The referee is a wanker. Chelsea rent
boys. Marcos Alonso murdered a girl
(he didn’t — he was found to be over the
alcohol limit and speeding when the car
he was driving hit a wall in Madrid in
2011, causing the death of a female
passenger). We could spend pages list-
ing the abuse, sung with such gusto,
which has been indulged as part of the
famous English passion for so long it is
effectively encouraged, however vile.
Only words, you say. Take it. You get
paid well enough so laugh it off. Most
learn to do just that, given little alter-
native, but I would shudder listening to
that Wenger paedophile song given it
came not from ten voices or even a few
hundred but thousands. How was it for
Wenger or, worse still, for his daughter?
I have talked to numerous relatives of
England players and it is often hardest
for them, stuck in the thick of this
abuse, than for players themselves,
though do not think they cannot hear it
out on the pitch.
At the old Wembley Gary Neville
would hear “Munich bastard” whenev-

er he went near the fans. “I’d be running

up and down the touchline, playing my

guts out for my country, then go to pick

up the ball for a throw-in and hear: ‘F***

off, Neville, you’re shit.’ ” So much for an

England cap being the greatest honour.

What seemed extraordinary about the

Dier incident, aside from his uncharac-

teristic rage, was his wading into a

section of Spurs supporters, though it is

not clear yet if it was a home fan who

was the provocateur. If so, we would

hardly be surprised.

Abuse from your own side is not

uncommon, especially not these days,

with Xhaka just the most high-profile

case this season, revealing that his

family had been abused on social media

when he apologised for angrily gestur-

ing at jeering Arsenal fans.

This is a world in which everyone has

a platform — not just from their seat

but on Twitter and Instagram or Fan

TV — and every opinion has to be

louder, brasher, more abusive than the

last to make an impact, creating a

downward spiral of nastiness and stu-

pidity, a rush to the bottom.

Welcome to the modern age. Some of

my relatives spent Boxing Day scrolling

through Twitter to find the most

abusive messages directed my way.

Once upon a time we played charades.

Imagine how it must be for players.

They get the love but it is the hate that

leaves its mark, its wounds, for those

who struggle to turn themselves away

from the incessant, immediate feed-

back. More should turn it off but, trust

me, it can be addictive.

Did any of this contribute to Dier’s

rush of blood? I am surprised that more

players — not just those called Eric —

have not been wound up to a point of

angry confrontation. “If we’re honest,

all footballers have wanted to do the

same as Eric Dier at some point,” David

Preece, the former Darlington and

Aberdeen goalkeeper, tweeted yester-

day.

Most manage to control themselves,

and no doubt Dier will end up having to

apologise while also pleading mitiga-

tion. José Mourinho struck the right

tone as Dier’s manager in not condon-

ing the act but hoping that it would not

land his player in further trouble.

“I think Eric Dier did something that

we professionals cannot do but in these

circumstances every one of us would

do,” he said. For once, Mourinho spoke

for most of us.

A ban from the FA remains likely, if

only to act as a deterrent and make a

point about safety and public order, but

the organisation’s attention would be

better served whacking out a quick,

stern letter reminding Dier of his

responsibilities and wondering, as

guardians of the national sport, why the

game tolerates the worsening abuse

that seems to have caused this fracas in

the first place.

This is not a crusade any chief execu-

tive or chairman is willing to wage.

They will not even stop players and

managers haranguing referees when

they have it in their power to clamp

down tomorrow on that pernicious

culture of abuse.

So the FA will presumably punish

Dier, who is said to be resigned to

whatever is thrown at him, believing

that he did what felt right at the time in

acting out of brotherly instinct. But if

anyone thinks that he is the one with

lessons to learn from this episode, they

really need to think again.

The map suggests Dier spent more

time tackling the fan than opponents

A touch of humour

on social media

Dier’s fury is symptom of

Matt Dickinson

Chief Sports Writer

Profile Family man whose rush of blood was out of character

D

uring the

period

when

English

crowd

behaviour was at its

most notorious in the

mid-1980s, the prime

minister at the time

was inclined to reach

for radical solutions:

closed stadiums and

ID cards (Ian Hawkey

writes). At one point

Margaret Thatcher

asked the head of the

FA bluntly: “What are

you going to do about

your hooligans?”

By all accounts, she

was taken aback by

the candid reply.

“What are you going

to do about your

society?” The man

uttering this touché?

Ted Croker, the

secretary of the FA.

On Wednesday,

Croker’s grandson,

Eric Dier, acted on his

own belief about what

is and what is not

acceptable behaviour

in a football crowd.

He was being insulted,

and bore the abuse

until, glancing up at

his brother, Patrick,

in the grandstand, he

saw a confrontation

between his brother

and a member of the

crowd apparently

responsible for some

of the insults.

Dier is close to his

siblings, of whom

Patrick is the

youngest of six, and

he spoke about his

relationship with

them last year. “Not

being around my

brothers and sisters

growing up is my

biggest regret,” he

said while describing

the downside of

moving out of home

aged seven to dedicate

himself to a career

that began, unusually

for an England player,

in Portugal.

“It was hard for me

to be close to my

brothers when I was

at the Sporting

Academy [outside

Lisbon]. There were

times when I feel our

relationship was

superficial. But I’m

extremely close to

them now,” he said.

The aspect of

Wednesday’s story

that does surprise

many was his

hot-headed response.

Colleagues describe

him as “measured”, a

footballer whose

professionalism is

admired.

On the field, the

past 18 months have

been the toughest of

his 5½ years at Spurs,

illnesses, including

appendicitis, and

injuries loosening his

grip on an automatic

selection. Having

distinguished himself

for England at Euro

2016 and at the World

Cup, he has not been

selected by Gareth

Southgate this season.

Any FA sanction for

Wednesday’s events

risks putting back

his recall.

How England man

hit breaking point

Eric Dier, pictured here

celebrating a goal against

Arsenal in December

2018, clambers into the

stands (top image) after

Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-

round defeat by Norwich

City to confront a

supporter who had

allegedly been verbally

abusing his brother. He

pursued the fan up the

stand (second image)

before being restrained by

stewards (third image).

The last image shows Dier,

centre, on holiday with

brother Patrick, far left.