Yankee Canary, I''m convinced that you''re a wind up, or worse a binman. That old chestnut about Norwich and Ipswich merging has been going around for years, an urban myth if you will, so you''ll understand the fact that was one of your first contributions set alarm bells ringing. I''ve no problem with Suffolk or its people, but as a Norwich supporter since I was old enough to stand up you''re having a laugh if you think I''m going to wish ITFC well. If I''ve got you wrong then no hard feelings, but I smell a troll! As for the main point of this thread, I''ve not heard racist abuse at Carrow Road for many years (since the dark days when it was sadly considered "acceptable") I truly hope it didn''t happen at Goodison, and the vast majority of fans who post here who attended seem to confirm that. The explanation I''ve heard sounds perfectly plausable. Calling someone a "Fat Bastard" is not the same abusing someone racially. Racial abuse has serious overtones and having witnessed real, violent racial abuse I agree with most posters that chants such as those Nowich stand accused of are unacceptable, in a football ground or anywhere else. Several of my close mates might use "you fat bastard" that as an affectionate greeting, and accept it back in the same spirit. Mebbe its a working class thing, but all the lads and lasses I''ve ever worked with at one time or another playfully taken the p*ss out of each other - relieves the bordom or the tension, provides a bit of light hearted entertainment. Thats more what its like at football, its not vicious or an attack, its banter with the opposing fans, its a cheeky retort to a player behaving badly. If you don''t get the banter then you don''t get football, imo. Herb
