NIGDY WIECEJ - NEVER AGAIN, issue 20, spring 2012
SUMMARY
* ‘Zrozumieć fenomen’ (‘To understand the phenomenon’, page 1) – an editorial by Marcin Kornak, reflects on football as an intercultural and international practice, but also highlights ideological abuses and violence in this context.
* ‘Listy’ (‘Letters’ section, page 2) includes correspondence sent by readers and supporters of the Never Again magazine, including a UEFA representative and representatives of Polish governmental and local-governmental institutions.
* ‘Europejska Nagroda FAIR PLAY dla Stowarzyszenia NIGDY WIĘCEJ’ (‘European Fair Play Award for the NEVER AGAIN Association, page 3) presents the context of honouring the NEVER AGAIN Association with the European Football Supporters Award in January 2011.
* ‘Centrum Monitorowania Rasizmu spogląda na Ukrainę’ (‘The Racism Monitoring Centre looks at Ukraine’, page 3), briefly reports activities of the Centre (established in 2009 with support of UEFA) in Ukraine prior to the 2012 Euro cup, including support for Ukrainian anti-racist campaigns.
* ‘Polsko-ukraiński oświadczenie w dniu meczu’ (‘Polish-Ukrainian statement on a day of the game’, page 3) is a joint declaration of NGOs from Poland and Ukraine concerning tolerance-building, anti-discrimination activities and dialogue between both countries in the context of the Euro 2012.
* ‘Piłka ciężka jak kamień’ (‘The ball as heavy as a stone’, page 4) by Michał Olszewski, is a personal reflection on the rift between football’s beauty or its positive emotional dimensions and violence instigated by football hooligans.
* ‘Polska-Ukraina. Trudne sąsiedztwo’ (‘Poland and Ukraine: a difficult neighbourhood’, page 5) by Stefan Szczepłek, reflects on a danger of nationalism in the context of the Euro 2012 and the history of Polish-Ukrainian relations.
* ‘Rasizm? Czas na głos piłkarzy’ (‘Racism? It’s time for footballers’ voice’, page 6) by Michał Okoński, discusses the importance of footballers’ involvement in campaigns against racism and antisemitism, taking inspiration from a British documentary by Kick It Out that, which confronted a problem of antisemitism among fans of Chelsea London and Arsenal London by presenting players of both clubs speaking up against chauvinis. The author calls for a similar production to be made in the Polish context.
* ‘«Musimy się uczyć pozytywnego nastawienia»’ (‘«We have to learn a positive attitude»’, pages 7-8) is Jacek Purski’s interview with Dariusz Dziekanowski, the president of the Polish Association of Former Football Players, a famous and successful player of Polish and foreign clubs (including Celtic Glasgow) in the 1980s and 1990s, who shares his views on and experiences with tolerance in the football context.
* ‘Romowie w europejskim futbolu’ (‘The Romani players in European football’, pages 9-11) by Marcin Kornak, presents sport profiles of famous European football players of Romani origin, including Milan Baroš, Christos Patsatzoglou, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrea Pirlo, Rafael van der Vaart, Ricardo Andrade Quaresma and three football stars of the past: a Bulgarian Christo Stoichkov, Eric Cantona from England and a German champion of the 1970s, Gerhard Müller.
* ‘Futbol jako komenda uzupełnień’ (‘Football as a replenishment command’, pages 13-16) by Waldemar Kuligowski, is an extensive account of social, cultural and political aspects of football in historical perspective, with references to sociological and anthropological studies, discussing themes such as violence, nationalism, tribalism, political abuse of football etc.
* ‘Nie – dla rasizmu w sporcie. Deklaracja’ (‘No to racism in sport: a declaration', page 17), is a statement signed in October 2009 by about 70 sport associations in Poland condemning racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance as dangers for sport and its ethics, and declaring actions to prevent and eliminate all forms of racism and racist discrimination in sport.
* ‘«Zawsze mnie pociągało poznawanie innych ludzi i ich kultur»’ (‘«I have always wanted to meet other people and learn their cultures»’, page 18) is Michał Friedrich’s interview with Cezary Kucharski, a football player and a member of the Polish parliament.
* ‘Ekstraklasa SA i jej kluby wspierają akcję Futbol Przeciwko Rasizmowi w Europie’ (‘Ekstraklasa SA and its clubs support the Football Against Racism in Europe campaign’, page 19) presents the campaign joined by football teams of the primary Polish football league.
* ‘«Czuję się obywatelem Polski»’ (‘«I feel a citizen of Poland»’, pages 20-21) is Jacek Purski’s interview with Manuel Arboleda, a Colombian-born footballer who has played for Polish clubs for five years.
* ‘Muzyka i Mistrzostwa Europy’ (‘Music and the Euro Cup’, page 21), mentions two antiracist songs promoted prior to the Euro 2012, which come from the Let’s Kick Racism Out of Stadiums compilation.
* ‘Śląsk Wrocław, czyli klub dążący do Europy’ (‘Śląsk Wrocław, or a football club seeking to be in Europe’, page 22) is a brief history of Śląsk Wrocław, now Poland’s football champion club, with particular focus on how racism and antisemitism during the club’s games can be prevented to marginalise extremism and xenophobic incidents on stadiums.
*The 6-page coloured section contains articles on ‘multicultural roots’ of football in Poland, presents foreign players’ significant contributions to Polish football, highlights problems of racism on stadiums in Poland and presents the ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football’ long-lasting campaign by the NEVER AGAIN Association, including the organisation’s antiracist activities related to the EURO 2012 cup.
* ‘Wielokulturowe korzenie łódzkiego sportu’ (‘Multicultural roots of sport in Łódź’, page 23) by Jacek Burski, tells a pre-world war II sport history in Łódź, focusing on activities aimed at countering national chauvinism and antisemitism in the city’s multiethnic community and preventing exclusion of sportsmen from national minorities.
* ‘«Rasizm nigdy nie był i nigdy nie będzie tolerowany w PLFA»’ (‘«Racism has never been and never will be tolerated in the Polish League of the American Football»’, page 24) is a statement by the PLFA concerning intolerance and condemning a racist incident that took place in Poland in 2009 when a U.S. player of The Crew Wrocław was insulted by the president of this club.
* ‘Jak kibice Podhala rasizm wykopywali...’ (‘How fans of the Podhale kicked racism out...’, pages 24 and 31) by Marcin Kornak is a retrospective presentation of anti-racist and anti-fascist initiatives undertaken in the 1990s by fans of a major hockey team Podhale Nowy Targ.
* ‘Piłkarskie święto w Afryce’ (‘Football festival in Africa’, pages 27-28) by Michał Zichlarz, tells history of the Africa Cup of Nations organised since 1957.
* ‘Szybki i byłyskotliwy...’ (‘Fast and bright’, pages 29-31) by Arkadiusz Zacheja, presents a profile of Emmanuel Olisadebe, a Nigerian-born footballer who played not only in Polish clubs but joined Poland’s national team in 2000 after being granted Polish citizenship. Olisadebe played with the national team until 2004, including in the 2002 World Cup when he scored a goal for Poland against the U.S. team. He is considered one of the best football players in Poland in recent years. Olisadebe joined the NEVER AGAIN’s campaign Let’s Kick Racism Out of Stadiums.
* ‘«Polska dla wszystkich» - wielokulturowy mecz gwiazd i graffiti przeciwko rasizmowi’(‘«Poland for everybody» - a multicultural all-stars game and graffiti against racism’, page 32), reports on the October 2011 activities in Warsaw within the scheme of Football Against Racism in Europe Action Week.
* ‘Glo-Ball – o granicach i piłce nożnej’ (‘Glo-Ball – on borders and football’, pages 32-33) is Katarzyna Zaręba’s interview with Mateusz Zmyślony, a co-founder of the ‘Dookoła’ (Around) Association, who presents his organisation’s antiracist profile, aims and actions.
* ‘Piłkarski stadion: współczesny bastion rosyjskich radykalnych nacjonalistów’ (‘Football stadium: a contemporary bastion of Russian radical nationalists’, pages 34-35) by Łukasz Jurczyszyn, is a sociological analysis of interlinks between neo-fascist movements and football fans’ community based on the author’s own field research done in Russia.
* ‘NIGDY WIĘCEJ i FARE nasilają działania na Ukrainie i w Rosji’ (‘The NEVER AGAIN and FARE intensify their actions in Ukraine and Russia’, page 36), presents joined activities of Russian, Ukrainian and Polish NGOs, including the NEVER AGAIN Association, within the scheme of ‘Football Against Racism In Europe’ East European Development Programme.
* ‘Ukraina wzywa do walki z rasizmem i ksenofobią’ (‘Ukraine calls for countering racism and xenophobia’, page 36), reports on a series of antiracist events that took place in Ukraine in October 2010 during the Football Against Racism in Europe Action Week.
* ‘Yid Army’ (page 37) by Krzysztof Runowski, tells a story of ‘Jewish’ stereotype of the Tottenham London football club, antisemitic stigma related to it and actions undertaken by football fans to counter it and turn it into a positive and pride-raising image.
* ‘Demonstracja nazistowska rozpędzona przez fanów Ajax Amsterdam’ (‘A Nazi demonstration dispersed by fans of Ajax Amsterdam, page 38), a reprint from the Searchlight magazine by Jeroen Bosch, reports on successful resistance by fans of the Dutch football club Ajax against a group of neo-Nazis in Amsterdam in 2007.
* ‘Dlaczego skrajna prawica interesuje się piłką nożną?’ (‘Why is Far Right interested in football?’, pages 38-39), a reprint from the ‘Le Droit de Vivre’ by Patrick Mignon, analyses far right infiltration of football fans’ circles in various European countries.
* ‘Nasza wizja: Total Football – Total Access’ (‘Our vision: Total Football – Total Access’, page 39), presents the Centre for Access to Football campaign, which aims at improving access to sports events for people with disabilities.
* ‘O przełamywaniu rasizmu przez sport w USA słów kilka’ (‘Some reflections on breaking the barriers of racism through sport in the U.S.’, pages 40-52) by Marcin Kornak, is an extensive account of the role that African American athletes played in countering racism through their excellent sport performance as well as political engagement in antiracism throughout the 20th century.
* ‘Pierwsza gwiazda z Czarnego Lądu: Larbi Benbarek’ (‘The first star of the Black Continent: Larbi Benbarek’, pages 53-55) by Marcin Kornak, presents a profile of Larbi Benbarek, an acclaimed Moroccan-born footballer, a member of the French national team, active between late 1920s and early 1950s, considered one of the greatest football players in history.
* ‘Pó-de-arroz znaczy biały proszek’ (‘Pó-de-arroz means white powder’, pages 56-57) by Anna Wiśniewska, is a brief historical overlook on football in Brazil with special focus on racism and other social contexts.
* ‘Zapomniany prekursor: Arthur Wharton’ (‘The forgotten pioneer: Arthur Wharton', pages 58-59) is a story and timeline of life of Arthur Wharton, a legendary African-born British athlete, who was active as a goalkeeper and winger between 1886 and 1902.
* ‘Żydzi w niemieckim futbolu’ (‘Jews in German football’, pages 60-61) by Franz-Josef Brüggemeier, is an account of German Jews’ contributions and achievements in German sport contexts with special focus on the Third Reich and antisemitic policies.
* ‘Johann Trollmann – tragiczna kariera bokserska niemieckiego Sinti’ (‘Johann Trollman – tragic career of a German Sinti’, pages 62-63) is a reprint from the fall 2011 Antifaschistisches Info Blatt on the 1933 Sinti champion of Germany in boxing. The article presents Trollman’s biography in the context of racist policies of the Third Reich, his forced military draft to Wehrmacht, death in a concentration camp in 1944, and commemorations in post-Nazi Germany.
* ‘Raport o rasizmie na stadionach polskich i ukraińskich’ (‘A report on racism on Polish and Ukrainian stadiums’, page 63), announces an English-language report titled Hateful. Monitoring Racism, Discrimination and Hate Crime in Polish and Ukrainian Football 2009-2011 by the East European Monitoring Centre coordinated by the NEVER AGAIN Association and FARE.
* ‘«Liczy się podanie, nie kolor skóry»’(‘«What counts is not your skin colour»’, pages 64-65) by Krzysztof Jarymowicz, is a personal reflection on the ‘Etnoliga’ (‘Ethno-League’), antiracist and anti-sexist football tournament organised in Warsaw since 2010, which is aimed at integrating people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.
* ‘«Uch! A dlaczego piłka nożna?!»’ (‘«Uh! But why football?!»’, pages 66-67) by Suzi Andreis, is a reflection on women’s football in Poland with references to ‘Etnoliga’ and the authors own experiences with female football group Chrząszczyki that organises weekly open games, training and international tournaments for women regardless of their advancement level in football skills.
* ‘«Piłka jest Piękna», podaj dalej’ (‘«Football is beautiful», pass it further’, pages 68-69) by Piotr Stochmalski, presents activities of the Football Is Beautiful Foundation, especially its Football Business Conferences and Football Business Expo first organised in 2008.
* ‘Wychowanie poprzez sport – na przykładzie łódzkiego projektu Jestem fair’ (‘Education through sport: an example of the I Play Fair project in Łódź’, pages 70-71) by Jolanta Kowalska, presents foundations, actions and conclusions of a pedagogical project carried out by the Łódź University’s Faculty of Education Science, local public institutions and NGOs in the city’s schools in 2011.
* ‘Biblioteka Antyfaszysty’ (‘Antifascist’s Library’, pages 72-74) presents reviews of six books focused on social, cultural and political dimensions of sport in general and football in particular.
* ‘Monitoring rasizmu i ksenofobii na stadionach i wokół polskiego sportu (‘Racism and xenophobia monitoring on stadiums and around sport in Poland', pages 75-79, edited by Marcin Kornak in collaboration with Anna Tatar) and ‘Monitoring rasizmu i ksenofobii na ukraińskich stadionach’ (‘Racism and xenophobia monitoring on stadiums in Ukraine', pages 80-81, edited by Pavel Klymenko) present a register of incidents in both countries in 2011.