AFL Chief Slams The United Patriots Front’s Braindead Anti-Islam Banner

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Published

April 2, 2016

Once again, the Australian Football League has reminded us all the only sectarian division it’ll accept is the one between opposing fans. None of this sexist bullshit, of course, but more contemporaneously, none of the needless vilification that was briefly displayed at last night’s clash between Collingwood and Richmond.

Just to catch you up, here’s the deal: because casting aspersions on a massive religious group at a football game is a totally logical thing to do, affiliates of the United Patriots Front unfurled this banner underneath one of the Melbourne Cricket Grounds’ jumboscreens.

via The United Patriots Front / Facebook.

Everyone and their dog has come out against the move. Collingwood itself has issued a statement saying in no uncertain terms that whoever unfurled that shit is in no way represented by the team.

The club is appalled by a banner displayed at the @MCG during tonight’s match. Full statement – https://t.co/kHz4pVQ8ru

— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) April 1, 2016

Meanwhile, the league’s diversity manager Ali Fahour and spokesman Patrick Keane have given a blow-by-blow on how the situation was dealt with.

The AFL condemns the behaviour in the strongest terms and such actions have no place in society, and not in our game.

— Patrick Keane (@AFL_PKeane) April 1, 2016

Match day security removed the banner when they became aware of it and evicted the patrons responsible.

— AFL House (@AFL_House) April 1, 2016

Now, the league’s top dog Gillon McLachlan has given a statement, blasting the numbskulls who smuggled it into the MCG’s hallowed grounds. He said the league straight up “would not tolerate the game being used to vilify sections of the Australian community”.

“Our game has a history of egalitarianism and inclusion, and we must make sure that it continues to be a place where all Australians feel welcome”.

Make no mistake, the league has taken great strides of late in attempting to be more inclusive, but shit like this makes it that much harder for sport’s culture to really progress. Police and the club are still looking for who exactly was responsible.

FWIW, Collingwood took it by one point. The UPF, as always, don’t really have a point at all.

Source: ABC.
Photo: United Patriots Front / Facebook.