04/16/24
September 14, 2009
Adebayor Taunts Arsenal Fans, Nearly Sparks Riot: After scoring a goal for his new club Mancester City on Saturday, Emmanuel Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of supporters for his old club, sparking a near-riot as fans surged down in response. A steward was knocked unconscious by an object thrown by angry Arsenal fans. "He's just a footballer for god's sake," John Nicholson writes on Football365. "Get a perspective."
Let's not forget that Adebayor had put the boot into van Persie's face earlier in the match. (That jab from Gary Lineker to Alan Shearer on MotD, recalling this moment, was priceless.)
Nicholson's always good for a contrarian jab. The nostagist in me sympathises with his love of the drama of player-terrace confrontations, born from his days in the Ayresome Park chicken run. (As Danny Baker once said, part of the joy of scoring is rubbing the opposition's nose in it.) And he makes some good points about the Arsenal fans' treatment of Adebayor, and van Persie's reputation as a whining, diving, fouling little shit.
But I do think he's over-romanticising the days of a more permeable "fourth wall" between players and crowds, especially given that those days were usually marked with explicit, repellant racism from the stands. If the cost of stamping that out means less drama, fewer confrontations, and sanctions for those players who goad fans, then it's a price worth paying.
posted by etagloh at 03:10 PM on September 14, 2009
First, I thought it was bad to celebrate such that you almost start a riot. Then I watched the video, and he didn't really do anything. He just celebrated in the wrong location and that was enough. It seems like fans behaving badly more than the player. Of course, I have hated Grant Hill since he celebrated by taunting the fans when he played an away game in college, so I certainly understand the sentiment.
posted by bperk at 03:36 PM on September 14, 2009
He apologized for this. And he will probably sit for the return match at Emirates.
posted by The_Special_Juan at 03:49 PM on September 14, 2009
He just celebrated in the wrong location and that was enough.
I think you're simplifying a bit. He sprinted the length of the field specifically to taunt the opposing fans. Obviously the fans that started throwing stuff and trying to get to the field were very, very wrong, and yes, behaved worse than him. But to say he didn't really do anything is a bit of a stretch, I think.
posted by inigo2 at 03:49 PM on September 14, 2009
I was isolating each little bit into pieces. The running - not so bad. The celebrating - not so bad. The location - bad. So, yeah, I probably simplified it too much.
posted by bperk at 04:15 PM on September 14, 2009
So an innocent steward gets injured due to fans and this player being complete cockends...
It's a sport you fucking idiots. Winning or losing is, ultimately, irrelevant except for your own personal satisfaction. You will not die if the opposition scores. Though in cases like this, it makes me wish they did.
As was said, get some perspective.
posted by Drood at 04:19 PM on September 14, 2009
he will probably sit for the return match at Emirates.
The return match is the 3rd to last match of the season. So it will probably be pretty important if both teams are in contention for the Champions League spots.
posted by WolfpackMD at 04:41 PM on September 14, 2009
So it will probably be pretty important if both teams are in contention for the Champions League spots.
Unless Citeh implode by Christmas, as usual.
posted by owlhouse at 05:06 PM on September 14, 2009
If UEFA overturned Eduardo's two match diving ban I don't see how the FA can penalize Adebayor for this, as low class as it was. The stamping on van Persie, maybe, probably, but not the celebration.
posted by billsaysthis at 12:37 PM on September 15, 2009
The FA, unlike UEFA in the Eduardo case, actually have a history of dishing out bans for violent conduct and the like. The Eduardo ban (thankfully overturned) had no real precedent, and UEFA had indicated that there was no intention of really following through on future dives.
posted by trox at 07:31 PM on September 15, 2009
Oh, I do think Eduardo make a meal of that, but why should he be the first diver banned.
posted by trox at 07:31 PM on September 15, 2009
No penalty == no reason to change behavior. Sad.
posted by billsaysthis at 09:26 PM on September 15, 2009
I'm not an Arsenal fan, but I couldnt believe that. It reminded me of TO's celebration in Dallas a few years back.
Adebayor is going to have to go to Arsenal later this season. If Ade thought he was taunted by fans at this game just wait for the next one.