Villa Social Media

[Stu]

Villa posted on FB wishing a happy Passover, which has resulted in over 27k 'angry' reactions from crank Egyptian followers of our page.

Of course, lots of people don't know that we have two incredibly popular Egyptian players, so Villa and Brum in general is now being seen by some as antisemitic, largely due to the local muslim population.

I think the social media team need to start banning these people from the page, as the same issue occurred with the rainbow laces. They're bringing the club, and Birmingham, into disrepute.

Original tweet here: https://twitter.com/SabriSun_Miller/status/1376570956521603072?s=19

It's been quote tweeted by David Baddiel.

[Sexual Ealing]

The nature of Twitter is that all kinds of mentals can reply to a tweet. I'm not sure there's much the club can do.

[Brazilian Villain]

I like both our new c&b crests but the one with the lion would probably prove more popular.

[N'ZMAV]

probably be easier to sell the Egyptian players

[amfy]

The nature of Twitter is that all kinds of mentals can reply to a tweet. I'm not sure there's much the club can do.

You can block people - but 27k Twitter blocks is a lot to have to get through!
It’s not good though, because firstly it makes our fanbase look anti- Semitic, & then loads of people (non-Villa fans & Villa fans) pile on with anti-Islamic comments and we’ve got this disgusting racist soup being cooked up under our name on a massive social media platform!

[hipkiss92]

The nature of Twitter is that all kinds of mentals can reply to a tweet. I'm not sure there's much the club can do.

You can block people - but 27k Twitter blocks is a lot to have to get through!
It’s not good though, because firstly it makes our fanbase look anti- Semitic, & then loads of people (non-Villa fans & Villa fans) pile on with anti-Islamic comments and we’ve got this disgusting racist soup being cooked up under our name on a massive social media platform!

The post is on FB not twitter, but has been highlighted on the latter

[hipkiss92]

Villa posted on FB wishing a happy Passover, which has resulted in over 27k 'angry' reactions from crank Egyptian followers of our page.

Of course, lots of people don't know that we have two incredibly popular Egyptian players, so Villa and Brum in general is now being seen by some as antisemitic, largely due to the local muslim population.

I think the social media team need to start banning these people from the page, as the same issue occurred with the rainbow laces. They're bringing the club, and Birmingham, into disrepute.

Original tweet here: https://twitter.com/SabriSun_Miller/status/1376570956521603072?s=19

It's been quote tweeted by David Baddiel.

More likely to be the overseas Trezeguet followers than more local groups of people. People in the Arabic parts of the world likely being fed constant propaganda about Israel - albeit some criticism is legitimate - which very quickly crosses into anti semitism when it's targeted at a Happy Passover post

[amfy]

The nature of Twitter is that all kinds of mentals can reply to a tweet. I'm not sure there's much the club can do.

You can block people - but 27k Twitter blocks is a lot to have to get through!
It’s not good though, because firstly it makes our fanbase look anti- Semitic, & then loads of people (non-Villa fans & Villa fans) pile on with anti-Islamic comments and we’ve got this disgusting racist soup being cooked up under our name on a massive social media platform!

The post is on FB not twitter, but has been highlighted on the latter

So we have this against our name on 2 massive social media platforms. Of course thinking about it the ‘angry faces’ don’t exist on Twitter - just very angry people.

I suppose in terms of blocking, the club need to make a clear statement - because if they block on this, they must also do so for angry faces on Eid & all the other festivals.

I’d have no problem with it personally but I can imagine it causing quite a stir because when it comes to Eid, I think we have less angry faces, but a lot more of them are people who are regularly at Villa Park.

[TopDeck113]

Unfortunately, this is the almost inevitable consequence of having to been seen to be doing.  Both are the product of the social media age.  If you don't acknowledge Remembrance, every major religious holiday, Pride, Black History Month, etc. then you risk being painted as at best uncaring towards sections of your fan base; at worst anti-veteran, antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, homophobic, etc. If you do, you risk the pile on from those who actually are one or other of those things.

It's not just football clubs, it's your local council, MP, any organisation with a high profile.  Perhaps we're reaching the point when they should once again just concentrate on their purpose for being there and not simultaneously try to be all things to all people.  I've got a page in my diary that tells me when it is Eid, Passover or Easter.  I really don't need my football club reminding me, especially if it then somehow manages to paint them in a bad light. 

[Clampy]

Unfortunately, this is the almost inevitable consequence of having to been seen to be doing.  Both are the product of the social media age.  If you don't acknowledge Remembrance, every major religious holiday, Pride, Black History Month, etc. then you risk being painted as at best uncaring towards sections of your fan base; at worst anti-veteran, antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, homophobic, etc. If you do, you risk the pile on from those who actually are one or other of those things.

It's not just football clubs, it's your local council, MP, any organisation with a high profile.  Perhaps we're reaching the point when they should once again just concentrate on their purpose for being there and not simultaneously try to be all things to all people.  I've got a page in my diary that tells me when it is Eid, Passover or Easter.  I really don't need my football club reminding me, especially if it then somehow manages to paint them in a bad light. 

Whilst I get the point you are making, not everyone has a diary. Besides, I don't think it paints the club in a bad light, it's  not them doing the wrong thing.

[TelfordVilla]

Maybe stick to football and leave religion (and politics) to some other platform

[Baldy]

Maybe stick to football and leave religion (and politics) to some other platform

Hear! Hear!

I am sick to death of football being used as a platform for any Tom, Dick or Harry to express their political or religious opinion.

I love football. After 59 years of living on this planet, I have programmed myself not to give a sh*t about politics or religion. I respect everyone's individual view but a football club should not get involved in these matters. 

[amfy]

If the Villa wish us Happy Christmas is that political? I can’t really see that it is, therefore wishing people who celebrate other things Happy ‘whatever’ isn’t political either - it’s just pleasant.
It’s the responses that make it political.

[Rory]

Just out of interest, have other clubs posted a similar message? And if so, have they been met with the same response?

I don't really care, personally. We've put out a friendly, inclusive message. We can't control how idiots on social media react and hopefully the outright anti-semites who have responded will now stop following us.

[AV82EC]

I'm with you amfy, it seems to me quite a pleasant thing to do to wish others Happy whatever on their celebration days. If others wish to make that political then the onus is on them. However, I do get TopDecks point that you create a rod for your own back by doing this stuff. In some ways damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Has it been proven that this was a problem emanating in the Middle East? I saw some stuff on Twitter that our newly found Trez/Elmo Eygptian fan club were responsible but hadn't seen anything to confirm it one way or another as I'm pretty sure we haven't got 27,000 rabid antisemites prowling the streets of Birmingham.