[spireitematt]

Varndean College from Brighton will take Sociology students to the Brighton vs Millwall match to observe and learn about working class culture ways and to see sexism and racism.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...-time.html

[St Charles Owl]

This is hilarious!!! Another story for the PC brigade to get their teeth into!!! I particularly love the quote from the Millwall fan that say the stereotype being used is outdated - he obviously doesn't attend matches at the Den very often!!! The opening line says its been blasted as offensive - by who?? By one tweet from a Talksport Newsreader!!!!! Typical being offended on behalf of others!! There is nothing offensive about this and the stereotyping is probably spot on, but if there is a need to view and observe different social groups then this seems a fairly good place to do it!!

[spireitematt]

Its wrong if the students label all football fans like Millwall fans. It's a good place to do a survey at a football ground but they could ask the supporters. Do they think football is still a working man's game? etc, instead of asking fans are they working class.

[St Charles Owl]

I would argue that outside the Premier League then a big % of fans attending games would still be classed as Working Class. I suppose the problem now is that the lines between the classes are very blurred compared to what they used to be. What is Working class these days?? How does that differ from middle class folk?? I would imagine that this trip by the students is one of a few they have done to observe the perceived class of a group of people, but of course it would be too boring if the media reported the full facts!!

As regards whether it is wrong to label all fans working class, then I am not sure they are. I think if you were asked to name a club with a working class support, then Millwall would be on your list probably. There is nothing on their flyer that mentions the reputation for trouble that Millwall rightly have, it mentions the typical traits of young football fans such as gender performance, working class culture and issues around race, sexuality and ethnicity, all subjects you are likely to see a variety of aspects of at a game at the Den. At no point is the hooligan element mentioned, yet the paper report makes a point out of linking that with this story. Lazy, sensationalist journalism at its best!!!

[Amelia Chaffinch]

What about homophobia? Surely they'll be hoping for that, too? Of course to do a proper study they should go see every team that plays in a working class area, so to get the overall view.

[St Charles Owl]

Homophobia was not mentioned on their flyer as part of the study, no idea why. As regards attending working class area games, this I suppose would be the closest to them in Brighton, so it keep the cost down for them as a group.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

But it must be the extreme, hardly an average view!

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Anyway, I can't resist any longer... If they had wanted proper sexism and racism, all they had to do was read the Wednesday board on here.

[St Charles Owl]

But it must be the extreme, hardly an average view!

For sure yes, the Den is a place unto itself in most of these areas!! Maybe they have done trips to other London teams, it just doesn't say in the article, this does seem to be one trip looking at working class people within the context of the Sociology syllabus in the Culture and Identity module they are doing now.

Its the reporters who have made up words like "notorious" and "history of violence" solely to make the story newsworthy!!

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Anyway, I can't resist any longer... If they had wanted proper sexism and racism, all they had to do was read the Wednesday board on here.

Not sure there is much in the way of racism on any boards on here, that seems a little unfair. The sexism part I can see, but thats the stereotypical football fan in action, just like they are hoping to witness at Millwall!!

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Well perhaps they could just read imre as a subject then.

[Lord Snooty]

Well perhaps they could just read imre as a subject then.