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Serge Aurier

Proud Lilywhites statement:

A number of LGBT+ and ally fans, bloggers and media have asked us for comment on the signing of Serge Aurier given his well-publicised history.

We were initially unhappy with the signing, but given our positive dialogue with the Club we would like to use this as an opportunity to build bridges and make lasting change.

Football has the power to transform individuals’ lives and entire communities. At its best, it doesn’t merely delight us: it can provide us with a chance to transcend geographical boundaries and learn to work and play and celebrate together. Players, Clubs and the Football Authorities need to take this responsibility seriously, so what happens when players such as Serge Aurier who have been openly homophobic in the past join a new Club and have a fresh start? It actually gives us an opportunity to talk about the kind of game we want to see, players we want to support; the kind of Clubs we want to be and make effective and deep-rooted change.

We started the Proud Lilywhites in 2014 because we wanted to ensure that every Spurs fan, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity felt safe to enjoy watching their football team, knew they had a community with which to watch it and felt that they belonged. Our flag, which stood tall at White Hart Lane, became a testament to this. We wanted to be at the forefront of social and cultural transformation via football — changing hearts and minds – being part of creating the conditions that ensure all LGBT+ fans and staff feel safe and welcome in the football family.

But this is a journey – we don’t want to recriminate. One of our main tools for change is education, so we’d like to see engagement with LGBT+ fans is at the top of Serge’s list. We’ve already done great work with Stewards, Club staff and fans and look forward to working with the Club and other supporters, to show Serge Aurier that Spurs fans are incredibly diverse, welcoming and loyal.

We all love this game and we want to win matches and trophies, but not at any cost. Homophobic language, when unchallenged, can have consequences: we have to be the change we want to see. Making change, player by player, even fan by fan if necessary, is why we’re here and we won’t rest until we’ve done it.

Welcome to the famous Tottenham Hotspur Serge, we look forward to you getting to know us.

Chris Paouros and Simon Gray – Co-Chairs, Proud Lilywhites

For more information, follow us on twitter @spurslgbt or get in touch via this form


https://proudlilywhites.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/serge-aurier/
 
I'm loving the fact we have signed elite and close to elite players this window. Sanchez and Aurier wouldn't have happened 2-3 years ago. Shows we're a team on the rise. Now get Bale and we'll be threatening big time, even with Wembley as our temporary home.
 
Does he come with pink boots?


Quality player. Have to be a bit patient though. Let him bed in.
 
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Gutter Boy said:
Proud Lilywhites statement:

A number of LGBT+ and ally fans, bloggers and media have asked us for comment on the signing of Serge Aurier given his well-publicised history.

We were initially unhappy with the signing, but given our positive dialogue with the Club we would like to use this as an opportunity to build bridges and make lasting change.

Football has the power to transform individuals’ lives and entire communities. At its best, it doesn’t merely delight us: it can provide us with a chance to transcend geographical boundaries and learn to work and play and celebrate together. Players, Clubs and the Football Authorities need to take this responsibility seriously, so what happens when players such as Serge Aurier who have been openly homophobic in the past join a new Club and have a fresh start? It actually gives us an opportunity to talk about the kind of game we want to see, players we want to support; the kind of Clubs we want to be and make effective and deep-rooted change.

We started the Proud Lilywhites in 2014 because we wanted to ensure that every Spurs fan, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity felt safe to enjoy watching their football team, knew they had a community with which to watch it and felt that they belonged. Our flag, which stood tall at White Hart Lane, became a testament to this. We wanted to be at the forefront of social and cultural transformation via football — changing hearts and minds – being part of creating the conditions that ensure all LGBT+ fans and staff feel safe and welcome in the football family.

But this is a journey – we don’t want to recriminate. One of our main tools for change is education, so we’d like to see engagement with LGBT+ fans is at the top of Serge’s list. We’ve already done great work with Stewards, Club staff and fans and look forward to working with the Club and other supporters, to show Serge Aurier that Spurs fans are incredibly diverse, welcoming and loyal.

We all love this game and we want to win matches and trophies, but not at any cost. Homophobic language, when unchallenged, can have consequences: we have to be the change we want to see. Making change, player by player, even fan by fan if necessary, is why we’re here and we won’t rest until we’ve done it.

Welcome to the famous Tottenham Hotspur Serge, we look forward to you getting to know us.

Chris Paouros and Simon Gray – Co-Chairs, Proud Lilywhites

For more information, follow us on twitter @spurslgbt or get in touch via this form


https://proudlilywhites.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/serge-aurier/
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Wonderful that they are open to building bridges, and a great PR statement from our club. But was it ever confirmed that he was definitely being homophobic rather than just having something lost in translation? A bit of an idiot criticizing his manager in that way for sure, but a homophobe?

Either way, I absolutely love how professional our club is with these things. I think we have the best PR people in the league. We don't often say much, but when we do, we hit the right note.
 
I think the fact he was perceived as homophobic was enough to warrant some action up front to try and prevent any further issues.

It was so well publicised it almost doesnt matter if he meant it or not.
 
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Huge gamble.
But that is the reason PSG were willing to sell him and other clubs have not gone in for him. And that's the reason we got him at £20m less than he is worth on the pitch.


Yes his agent and PR people are willing to say all the right things but lets see how he deals with Pochettino's training intensity and see if he can keep himself out of trouble for even a season.
 
Modric THFC said:
Huge gamble.
But that is the reason PSG were willing to sell him and other clubs have not gone in for him. And that's the reason we got him at £20m less than he is worth on the pitch.


Yes his agent and PR people are willing to say all the right things but lets see how he deals with Pochettino's training intensity and see if he can keep himself out of trouble for even a season.
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I think Fergie in his time has signed some maverick type personalities. They often need a strong manager with clear boundaries in order for them to focus. It's a very clear; 'you do things our way, you fit in with the team ethic, you are a professional, and if you don't, you are off'. It's a very clear red-line and that is what some players need.

Selling Walker, replacing him with Aurier and making a £27M profit in the process is epic business.
 
BrainOfLevy said:
Wonderful that they are open to building bridges, and a great PR statement from our club. But was it ever confirmed that he was definitely being homophobic rather than just having something lost in translation? A bit of an idiot criticizing his manager in that way for sure, but a homophobe?

Either way, I absolutely love how professional our club is with these things. I think we have the best PR people in the league. We don't often say much, but when we do, we hit the right note.
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And Brain's post is the problem with this message board.

The Proud Lilywhites, the Club, Stonewall and presumably Aurier himself acknowledge that his words were homophobic.

Yet only one other person on this board was prepared to say his words were homophobic. And they were shouted down. I assume many sat in silence too scared to make their views known.
 
JPBB said:
oard.

The Proud Lilywhites, the Club, Stonewall and presumably Aurier himself acknowledge that his words were homophobic.
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I think context is important. It's great that bridges have been built and no one wants to see an equal and diverse society more than me, but nor do I want to see a new signing sniped at (which happened on numerous Spurs forums) because he is supposedly a homophobe, particularly when there is an issue of translation involved. If he definitely said it in the way it was intended, and it was intended to be homophobic, then yes, it's terrible and in no way should that word be appropriated to be seen as something less than an absolutely disgusting insult that has no place in our society. But if it has genuinely been translated in such a way that we have seen the worst of it rather than the actual context, it doesn't exactly help our new signing.

I guess they've gone the route of deciding it's better to show contrition and draw a line under the whole thing rather than explaining why the whole thing wasn't that bad and what he actually meant was X...but yeah, I'm just curious more than anything as to whether it was confirmed to be a genuine homophobic insult or something that was translated in the worst possible way rather than the 'best', in this situation. I'm in no way saying homophobic abuse is ok, but there is another language with its own nuances at play here.
 
JPBB said:
And Brain's post is the problem with this message board.

The Proud Lilywhites, the Club, Stonewall and presumably Aurier himself acknowledge that his words were homophobic.

Yet only one other person on this board was prepared to say his words were homophobic. And they were shouted down. I assume many sat in silence too scared to make their views known.
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Then I think you athume wrong. He's here now, time for you to give it a rest and stop accusing members of this board of Homophobia, it's time to get behind Serge and the team COYS!!
 
His words could have been homophobic, were widely reported as such, and so naturally its "on the radar" and so needs addressing.

The club are being smart in trying to head it off and get to a position where we can move on and the player has a chance to get going and perform for us.

We still dont actually know how his comments were meant. Personally I think he was ignorant rather than homophobic, and the fact there is that interpretation is exactly the point you have so willfully ignored.
 
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