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From The Times
October 3, 2007

Chelsea fans have no faith in Avram Grant, not misgivings over Grant’s faith

Martin Samuel

“And, tonight, on the show that tackles the real issues . . . Jews and Nazis: so who’s right?” - Jerry Sadowitz, comedy genius

The first thing to understand about anti-Semitism is that, as a movement, it is so prevalent, so wide-ranging, that it breaks into splinter groups, better to persecute its target.

Religious anti-Semitism is concerned with the practising of the Jewish faith. If you stop, it stops. Now be a good Christian and run along before we banish the lot of you. Racial anti-Semitism is more widespread, covering the belief that Jews are alien and inferior, and is often linked to National Socialism, short, dark Austrians with a sense of destiny, death in the millions, the extreme right and the white supremacist movement.

Finally, there is the new anti-Semitism, identified in a book of the same name by Arnold Forster and Benjamin Epstein in 1974, which encapsulates all modern developments in this field, from Holocaust denial to the perceived pro-Arab stance of the radical left, with parameters that evolve almost daily with each rolling news bulletin.

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Beyond that, there is thinking that your manager is a muppet and got the job only because the owner is his mate. Now, as Chelsea fans will know, this stance is something entirely different.

Nobody is denying that there has been some dodgy stuff on various internet sites since Avram Grant got José Mourinho’s job, but there is always dodgy stuff on internet sites. That is the nature of the beast. Half the world is trapped in a strength-sapping porn cycle and much of the remainder is furiously composing the 21st-century equivalent of green ink letters and calling it a blog.

The biggest mistake that Chelsea’s executives could make would be to confuse the foam-lipped ranting of anonymous madmen with the genuine disquiet of those who have soldiered on through several decades of turmoil at Stamford Bridge and fear that defeat will be snatched from the jaws of victory because the owner would rather his wisdom go unchallenged in the dressing-room.

A gathering of right-wing extremists in what is laughably termed a chat room (“. . . and what shall we chat about today, lads - exterminating the Jews?”) is in no way representative of the majority; but neither is a world in which all criticism of Roman Abramovich’s decision to promote a friend to the level of his incompetence is parcelled together and given the catch-all tag of anti-Semitism, making further debate impossible.

Chelsea believe that much of the negative reaction to the appointment of Grant is suspect, but that which is tainted by prejudice can easily be identified and acted upon or ignored, and the rest does not deserve to be disparaged so glibly.

The majority of supporters travelling to Valencia for this evening’s Champions League match are not thinking of Grant as a Jew, but a wrecking ball. They distrust his motives for joining the club in the summer and the motives of the man who employed him, and whether they are proved right or wrong, they should not be dismissed as a festering boil of anti-Semitic poison for having an opinion about the best course for their club.

Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman, issued a statement at the weekend saying that the club would not tolerate racism and anti-Semitism in correspondence or in cyberspace, on posters or banners or through singing and chanting. No doubt the postbag has been an eye-opener for sensitive employees and the opaque nature of web addresses provides the anonymity that allows the venting of some base opinions via the internet. But unless placards have been confiscated outside Stamford Bridge and the contents not made public, there has been nothing displayed that even falls into the category or racial abuse.

Nothing has been produced that is critical of Grant or Abramovich as men and certainly nothing that takes issue with their faith. Chelsea fans idolised the previous manager and have held up homemade messages relaying that information. This is not an anti-Semitic gesture because their loyalty did not stem from the fact that Mourinho was not Jewish, but from his success as Chelsea’s manager. This leaves the implication of anti-Semitic singing and chanting, of which there has been none; although not according to Chelsea.

At Old Trafford, during Grant’s first match in charge, the Chelsea supporters maintained a chorus of “Stevie Clarke’s blue-and-white army”. This was explicable because they did not want to sing Grant’s name, which would falsely indicate approval of Abramovich’s decision, but more important they did not want to reject their club. So instead they endorsed Clarke, a former Chelsea player and Mourinho’s assistant. In this way they gave backing to the departed manager, to Chelsea FC and the team on the day, while also making plain their displeasure at the new appointment.

Now it becomes complex. Juxtaposed with the Clarke chant was another, deeper growl of “We hate Tottenham”, which acted like a rhythmic call and response. As one part of the crowd sang “Stevie Clarke’s blue-and-white army”, the other would respond with “We hate Tottenham”. Not exactly Gregorian, but you get the idea.

This then becomes an issue, because some executives at Chelsea have privately identified the hatred of Tottenham Hotspur as having wider significance, because of their perceived status as a Jewish club.

Chelsea believe that this was a coded way of displaying anti-Semitic feeling, rather than a well-worn dig at an old enemy. So what happens next? Will those mocking Tottenham be ejected from Stamford Bridge on the basis of latent racism? It should make for an interesting afternoon in January, when the teams meet. By the end there could be fewer people in the ground than were there against Rosenborg.

The situation is awkward because English football does not do religion. Scottish football does; and what a delightful place to be it makes Glasgow on the occasion of Old Firm derby games. But not England. It is not part of our football DNA.

At the time of the 9/11 attacks, the best player in the world was Muslim, but say that to the average English football follower and he would be perplexed, having never linked the two. Who knew the religion of Zinédine Zidane? Who cared?

There used to be a football writer who would refer to the odd player, out of the blue, as a “good Catholic boy” and, frankly, we all found his knowledge bizarre. The only reason religion is on the agenda now is because the appointment of Grant, considering his qualifications for the job, is so outlandish that it cannot be justified by logical means.

Put it like this: had the Icelandic owners of West Ham United got rid of a popular and successful manager, replacing him with an Icelandic friend who had enjoyed success as a coach only with club teams in Reykjavik, nobody would have been shy to highlight the nepotistic nature of the appointment. Yet even to speculate that there is a cultural common denominator at work at Chelsea, through Abramovich’s connections to Israel, draws kneejerk accusations of anti-Semitism.

Nobody has this problem with the Lithuanian link at Heart of Midlothian, or when writing that there has been an American invasion at Manchester United and Liverpool, or a French revolution at Arsenal. And in religious terms, few fail to join the dots between the administration of George W. Bush and its contacts with the religious right.

Maybe what makes this situation so difficult is that intelligent people know that antiSemitic prejudice exists and do not want to be seen to give it unintended succour. While Chelsea’s approach may have cast the net too wide, only a fool would deny that there is still an undercurrent of racism within some sections of the club, as the sinister hissing noises emitted when Tottenham visit would indicate (although this is equally common when Ajax, another club with a large Jewish following, play Feyenoord in the Netherlands).

My first anti-Semitic letter came from Chelsea supporters. It was in 1988, when the club had been relegated to the old second division after losing a two-leg play-off to Middlesbrough. There was a lot of crowd violence that day and I reported it. Then the post came. I spotted the envelope with the razor blades inside, sealed and fastened with tape at the top, so the recipient would slice his finger as he opened the flap. The next stretched to several pages of racist abuse, ending with the warning: “And keep your filthy Jew hands off our women.” Too late, pal.

From time to time after that, these themes would resurface, often around an international occasion, linked to various clubs. The last one I got was from a West Ham fan who, among other insults, called me a yid and a greasy Turk. He seemed a tad confused. The point is, I know what is out there. I am not innocent. I am not complacent. I noted the atmosphere around Upton Park when Lee Bowyer signed for West Ham the first time and I know that we are one smug cloud away from a return to the days of bananas on the pitch.

Yet a modern, politically enlightened Chelsea fan is still left grappling with a way of describing the “jobs for the boys” culture that seems to have gripped his club, without being carelessly labelled a fascist. This week in the column that tackles the real issues . . . bigots or nepotists: so who’s right?

As a Leeds fan, my disdain for all things Blue comes a close 2nd to that of all things Red. However, as a Jew & Israeli, I LONG for Chelsea to win the title. If Grant had been anything but either, the recurring headline would have been "Mourinho Not Missed". He's done a better job & with less fuss!

Mike Isaacson, Tel Aviv, Israel

As usual, an absolutely spot-on column. As a Chelsea fan of 25 years, I feel really angry, disgusted in fact, that the club is trying to divert attention from its spectacular mistake by painting the fans as a bunch of racists when actually we're just a bunch of people who love our club more than any of the current hierarchy do and can't believe what they have done.

James Clarke, Birmingham,

The last paragraph sums it up - Chelsea fans, media commentators and the rest need to find a way of discussing the Abramovich-Grant-Zahavi connection without using antisemitic language that has an impact beyond the debate about Chelsea. If things go really bad on the pitch, then the risk of anti-Grant (and anti-Abramovich) feeling being expressed in antisemitic ways increases, and this is what needs to be guarded against.

Igor, London,

chelsea fans' criticism of abramovich's moves is so obviously justified. chelsea had the best manager currently in the world and yet they didnt let him pick the players he wanted and generally let his genius shine. abramovich thought he is a better coach than mourinho and that the players should listen to his advice and not mourinho's. how stupid for a self-made tycoon like abramovich.
so what does this guy do? he fires mourinho and hires a virtually unknown avram grant.. who cares if he is jewish or norwegian? everybody is concerned because he is so obviously inferior to mourinho.
the problem is that abramovich's ego has kicked away logic.
and now they try to find all kinds of ridiculous reasons about why the fans are infuriated.. and how convenient that grant is jewish. lets call them nazis and that will do.. how ridiculous of them..
good luck to chelsea fans although i dont think there will be any until the russian leaves the club..

Nuno, Porto, Portugal

Fair view from Martin on this. Pointers to consider are:

- Roman Abramovich didn't get on with Mourinho;
- No one liked Mourinho's coded messages via O'Jogo (Portuguese Newspaper);
- Mourinho generally aided the team in winning but marred them in everything else related to the club (modern football managers have to deal with all things not just winning);
- The relationship was straining by the day;
- Roman Abramovich owns the club;

So after all the above why not give the job to a mate who you think can do it? That mate may be from the same country, follow the same religion, like the same food, thats why their mates in the first place. Roman Abramovich is fully entitled to give the job to his son if he wanted. What Chelsea are not entitled to do is moan that the fans are being anti-sematic. Some probably are most I bet are just miffed that the club is being treated like an old boys club. If it continues hopefully one of my mates knows your mate who knows John who knows Avram.

Amit, London,

Martin Samuel is rarely wide of the mark and he is close to the bullseye here too. I've supported this club through thin and thin for 35 years. The last 3 years or so have been a true blue bonus, and it all seemed to be going ibroadly in the right direction. But the response from the club's higher echelons to the reaction over Grant's appointment bears some comparison with the way tyrannies react when questioned or challenged . They counter with low and factually questionable claims - eg "Normalcy has been returned to the streets of Rangoon" - that sort of claptrap. Buck, Tannebaum and Kenyon are not stupid. Grant's appointment is both a strategic miscalculation and a tactical blunder and the power at the Bridge needs to recognise that and do something about it.

Tim, Kingston,

Excellent article and, generally, excellent comments. No "normal" Chelsea fan is concerned with Grant's faith. Simply the likelihood that he will become "our" Christian Gross.

The warning signs were there from the start, with him big-noting himself. Let's see what sort of a job he does, during his tenure. Chelsea won't be winning ANYTHING this season. Last night's unexpected, and unspectacular, win at Valencia will be a flash in the pan. Before AG's career ends up by going down another type of pan.

And that's not said with any hint of anti-semitism.

Peter Koeb, Geneva, Switzerland

Basically Martin, Chelsea has adopted the tactics of the liberal left. Under no circumstances engage in rational argument with a dissenter - instead, abuse them. So if you think unfettered immigration might not be such a good idea, you're a racist. If you think the EU is getting too big for its boots, you're a little-Englander. If you think the law should be a bit tougher with criminals, you’re a reactionary. And if you think Avram Grant is under-qualified to manage the richest football club in the world, you're an anti-Semite.

Bill, Sheffield,

The situation at Chelsea really is desperate. Abramovich seems to be totally clueless about what is needed to make a football club popular. It is laughable that anyone could think that Peter Kenyon's involvement will benefit a club, but apparently he has the skills that are needed to delude Abramovich that he is doing a good job. What he has actually done since he joined is to terminate the slight possibility that existed that Chelsea might acquire a top four fan base. It is so fashionable to hate them now that they will be lucky to hold a place in the top ten best supported clubs. Until this week I held out some hope that Bruce Buck might be half competent, but now it seems that he is just as useless, thinking that unfounded attacks on the fans are beneficial to the club. If Abramovich doesn't have a clear out this season and appoint adept people, his chances of turning Chelsea into a glamourous, popular club will be over for good.

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

Kudos to Martin for being the only journalist to call a spade a spade (so to speak).

Of course, as good Jewish friend of mine pointed out, the reason Martin feels comfortable telling it as it is without risking being labeled a racist is because he, himself, is Jewish.

Congratulations on an outstanding article.

Stephen, San Francisco, USA

Chelsea hatered of spurs goes back to the 1967 F A Cup final.and they started calling them selfs The Yids when Chelsea were the Shed boys.Aresnal The Gonners,West Ham the North Bank
Michael C London.

M COBB, london, england

Is there anything to add to this rational summary of a dismal situation?

chris, Cusco, Peru

Martin, as good an article as I have read for many a year. If only Roman Ambramovich (Why do people insist on calling him Mr?) had such pragmatism and insight, then we wouldn't be in this myopic mess.

Don Brayshaw, London, England

Excellent article. I am still astounded by Bruce Buck's "issued statement" concerning anti semetic gestures and where he got it from. I've heard no racial chanting towards Avram Grant nor seen any placards/signs of such nature. As you say in your article, Chelsea fans are more concerned with Mr Grant's appointment as manager and tonight's game, which I for one will be watching from behind the sofa!

Back to the real issue - I assume Mr Buck had been instructed to release that statement as in my opinion he has no clue himself at all about football culture. This seems obvious which is why the singing at Old Trafford has been clearly misconstrued. Mr B et al at Chelsea would perhaps do well to listen to Tottenham's chants from their own supporters, when we play them away. What will they do then?Ask Spurs fans to refrain from chanting?

I believe that Avram Grant was appointed manager because he is Roman's friend. Be careful what you wish for Mr A - you might just get it.

SarahW, London,

I think there's a couple of points here: 1. Grant actually had success as an international manager on limited resources so the Icelandic comparison is poor. Calling the man a muppet is unjustified and abusive 2. If it is nepotism, why did they not sacj Jose in the summer - why make things harder by waiting? 3. Sadly as Chelsea fans we have become arrogant enough to think that we can use Roman's money to choose any manager we like - whether he likes it or not. Personally I think Grant won't last but the question of his merits - like those of , say, Mark Hughes who went from managing a small country's team to the Prem - will be lost in the din.

Peter Bench, London,

I can't speak for the whole of Chelsea Football Club, but as a season ticket holder for the last 20 years I can say that I couldn't care what religion our manager is and what he does in his personals life. This is not a racial attack by the majority of the Chelsea fans, I don't want to sing Grant's name because it is like stabbing Mourinho in the back. He is the best manager in the world and we sacked him - tell me how you recover from that. We have gone from a guy who is a footballing genius who was as presentable as he was knowledgable. Now we have just another manager in charge who was pictured in the matchday programme at the weekend coaching in jeans - enough said. Chelsea fans will not be happy until 1 of 2 options happens - 1. Mourinho is reinstated (unlikely but please God make this happen) 2. we get a legend in charge who will take the club forward who is as charismatic as Jose was - I know its a big ask!

Jay, London,

Excuse my ignorance, but can anyone explain the reference to the crowd at Upton Park when Lee Bowyer played for West Ham the first time. There seems to be an implication that there was a racial/religious element to this - which I don't get.

Thanks

Peter Johns, London,

Great article, as a lifelong supporter of Chelsea I am agonising on the merits of tonight's game, lose and hopefully we'll lose Grant but at the price of possibly being knocked out of the Champions League. Win or Draw and we retain Grant for longer. Also how can we complain of Mr Abramovich given all he has given to us. is this the end of the 'Roman Empire', will we be relegated to mid-table obscurity? at least it's not boring like some other clubs, though I rather envy that now!

Simon, London,

A good article summed up half way through with the crux of the matter to 99% of people who care about football

- Who knew the religion of Zinédine Zidane? Who cared? -

Religion is the cause of the majority of troubles and wars on this planet, it nice for the rest of us to be able to forget about it on a Saturday afternoon and watch football.

What we want is a brilliant manager (Mourinho) not a muppet (Grant ) and winning football - if it looks good we'll take that as a bonus!

Graham, Pattaya, Thailand

Sanity from Martin Samuel. Something I thought I would never write when commenting on him talking about Chelsea. His Lillywhite loyalties have always clouded his writing. On this occasion he's spot on.

Having supported Chelsea for the best part of 37 years I have seen some spectacular own goals both on and off the pitch but sacking Mourinho and replacing him with the equivalent of Third Division Club manager is beyond comprehension. If getting rid of Mourinho was unavoidable what's wrong with appointing Steve Clarke as a caretaker until a suitable replacement can be found? Appointing Grant can only be a form of nepotism. After tonight, where I fear a bad beating at the hands of Valencia, maybe Mr Abramovich will see the folly of this "permanent" appointment.

Robert, Singapore, Singapore

Chelsea fans have no faith in Abramovich, not misgivings over Grant’s faith

peter, London,

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Martin Samuel

Martin Samuel, a seven times winner of Sports Writer of the Year, is the most successful sports journalist of his generation. The Times Chief Football Correspondent was named Sports Journalist of the Year at the 2008 British Press Awards, just weeks after retaining Sports Writer of the Year for the third time in succession at the Sports Journalists' Association awards for 2007. Judges described his work as "the highest form of journalism" and praised his "trenchant, fearless views, combined with wit and irony and the memorably killer phrase". Samuel scooped the What the Papers Say award in 2002, 2005 and 2006

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