Why are Tottenham fans still so unforgiving toward Hossam Ghaly is a mystery to me, but Friday night left me even more perplexed as to why the Egyptian is still disliked so much still at White Hart Lane. There were 12 minutes to go on Friday night and Ghaly seemed set to be sent on by Harry Redknapp to add a bit more steel to midfield and help close the game out against Wigan Athletic. As he stood up, a fair amount of booing and jeering began to echo around the stadium, Ghaly looked stunned, Redknapp horrified and a couple of minutes later, Ghaly was sat back down, tracksuit top now zipped up and looking beyond crestfallen. The day after, Facebook groups and petitions began to appear, all appealing for forgiveness towards the midfielder and the club have acknowledged hundreds of letters and phone-calls sending Hossam their best wishes and sympathy for the events.
Let’s be honest, to still be giving the lad stick nearly 2 years after he threw his shirt down in a fit of pique is pathetic and I don’t understand the boo boys at all. The shirt throwing incident happened against Blackburn Rovers in May 2007 and saw Ghaly substituted for tactical reasons after actually coming as a substitute in the first half for the injured Steed Malbranque. Spurs were desperately pushing for 5th place and Martin Jol made the decision to increase Tottenham’s attacking potential, Ghaly didn’t agree and as he reached the touchline, threw his shirt down and stormed down the tunnel. Three days after the incident, Ghaly issued a public apology and offered to redeem himself by his performances on the park for Tottenham, but he’s never been close to the squad until Friday night.
Now I know football’s a passionate game, but surely this is getting a bit stupid when someone makes a mistake, apologies and yet two years later, people still castigate him.
After the Sol Campbell debacle at Portsmouth earlier this season, the last thing Tottenham fans need right now is more abuse aimed at a player which can quickly be leapt upon by morons using the situation to vent more than their displeasure at Ghaly’s treatment of the shirt. Look at the Campbell issue; fine vent your displeasure at him for leaving Tottenham for Arsenal, but racial and homophobic abuse? For any moron to racial abuse players as a so called
Tottenham fan makes a complete mockery of the clubs history, squad, integration and location. Tottenham fans and players are a multicultural bunch from all creeds, races and areas. These are the people that will jump on the Ghaly situation to use for their own twisted agenda’s.
Hasn’t this gone on quite long enough? I can understand the treatment given out to players who cause injury on and off the pitch, who walk out to go to other clubs just for the money and who simply don’t try when they’re out on the pitch, but Ghaly realised he made a mistake, apologised and yet still for some it’s not enough. It’s a sad indictment of an extremely vocal minority of Tottenham fans that they cannot find it in themselves to let the situation die down and allow the lad a chance to show us some of the form he’d given in the 2006-2007 season. It’s time to forgive and forget Spurs fans and give Ghaly the opportunity to make it up to us on the pitch.
Homophobic and racist abuse? Move on mate their was hardly any of the former and none of the later. Stop just believing what you're told and actually look into things for yourself for once. You'll see that life is much more fun when you don't get taken in by everything the press peddle at you.
Spurs fans should move on over the Ghaly affair but as long as those of you who have a voice continue to perpetuate the falsehood of racism being flung at Sol Campbell when it's been refuted and removed from most sources surely its hypocritical to ask others to move on.
As a Spurs fan who was there, I can quite honestly say I heard the abuse with my own ears.
It was a minority, but sickening none the less.
If Ghaly was any good or a player that we really needed the services of he'd probably be welcomed back – but he isn't so cheerio.
Ghaly was unbeleivably brave to carry on playing after he'd had his teeth kicked out at Fratton Park. And his goal against Chelsea in the cup was all about guts and determination.
Sol Campbell was a great player who left to further his career. We ould all have preferred it if he stayed, but that's life.
Forgive and forget, give respect where it's due.
This is, as has already been said, coming from a minority. Also, as has already been said, there was no racial abuse directed at Sol Campbell. A small number of fans sang a song referencing Judas that made mention of Campbell hanging from a tree. While it'd be easy to mistake this as racist, given all the lynchings that took place in America, please bear in mind the song was comparing Campbell to Judas and Judas took his own life by hanging himself from a tree. This has been misreported in the media over and over again and has taken on the air of fact, when there was no racial abuse directed at Campbell.
All spurs fans need to move on from ghaly, save the abuse for sol campbell or berbtov and keane, ghaly had one moment of that, and its going on for 2 yerars, he doesnt deserve to get the same abuse as the three judas cunts does he really?
when he played in the 3 – 3 with chelsea he was awsome, and he made a mistake, just get over that mistake and give him another chance he doesnt deserve to get thte same treatment as the three previously mentioned.
We Love Ghaly For Ever Please Give Him A Chance To Play Again He Love Tottenham
We Apologize To The Public Great Club Tottenham On Behalf Of Hossam Ghaly And We Hope That You Will Accept Our Apologies And We Want To Give Him A Chance
To Hossam.. If you don't remember ghaly's quality here it's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C22FXQjPL6o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_6HLGalu7U
Watch this and u will know that you need him back…
Wish the fans move on cause as you know harry himself said he is committed to the team and trains well.. so he deserves a chance.
plz..give him another..he is a gr8 player..forgive him..
Al, I was there and got two blokes thrown out for racially abusing Campbell. As the women next to me said, “Do think our black players are deaf?”
I'm a Spurs fan, so don't think i've an axe to grind.
As compilation videos go that's pretty uninspiriing …. however as a fan I do think we should always back our own players and he did make a stupid mistake – albeit quite a large one that you don't see, for obvious reasons.
I'd be happy to see Ghaly back in the team if his performances were good enough but my point was really that is he better than any DM/MC we have or could acquire – personally I'd hope that we could put together a midfield that was stronger than Ghaly's ability.
Ghaly is a quality player and he only made one mistake that we punish him for that all his career ! .. that's not fair really .. Give him achance and he'll be in the starting eleven all the time .
Many players made worngs are more disaster than this and they still heroes on our eyes !
forgive ghALY .. the man of patience !
Ghaly was never that good anyway, a fringe squad player at best. He deserves another chance for sure but if he was a better player I doubt the fans would have reacted so negatively to the way he behaved in the first place.
well we forgot what he did and we spurs fans will give him another chance to prove himself as a player in our team
ghaly is anice player pleas give him another chance to come back ghaly 2007