John Meighan, founder of the Football Lads Alliance (FLA) is posting up, (see above) in the alleged name of a ‘genuine question’, openly anti Islamic posts on the secret FLA, Facebook Wall. This is in keeping with his ‘respect’ for the notorious Islamophobe, Tommy Robinson, ex EDL leader. Meighan recently praised a book, co written by Robinson, attacking all things Islamic.
Posts below reflect much of the racism now rife in the FLA. One FLA supporter for instance, talks of ‘Islamophobia’ being a ‘made up word…a word made up by those with the agenda’. He doesn’t state the ‘agenda’ he has in mind, but it is not hard to discern by other posts re ‘agendas’, ie FLA member’s hostility to anti racism. Others refer in the most disgusting way to the London Mayor, and talk of Sadiq Khan’s ‘terrorist connections’?!
A further post by an FLA supporter claims that, ‘The only people you can offernd these days is the working class white male’
A post which reflects many of those who comment on Meighan’s offering is ‘Just another made up word to stop debate and critical thinking. Made up by the Politically correct leftists to keep normal people from having views and opinion about this hateful oppressive ideology’.
Admins on the FLA are letting such remarks through with no comment or deletion, a shift from the FLA’s inception, when racism was often removed from the wall. Now FLA members openly joke about being called racists eg one who says
‘I was accused of being xenophobic and racist.. hahahahaha..fuck em’.
As Stand Up To Racism reflected recently, the FLA’s Islamophobia is hardening up. Meighan and co clearly wish the group to be more confident in their Islamophobia and are making no bones about it. The FLA’s claim, again, stated only this month that it not racist and against all extremes is a sham.
The FLA have just set up a ‘committee’ to oversee the ‘day to day’ running of the group. It is five strong and all male, moreover, included is the Islamophobic leader of the ‘Veterans Against Terrorism, Richard Inman. He believes that “the entire muslim religion is antichrist”; he now helps run the FLA. Moreover, others on the committee are online supporters of Tommy Robinson, Britain First and the fascist BNP. So much for the FLA’s non extremism…
The ‘writer’, Dougie Brimson, an FLA supporter, is a further example of the shift rightward, when he bemoans when ‘were the British public asked if we wanted to move from a traditionally Christian society to a multicultural one?’ Comments that follow bemoan multi culturalism and the loss of ‘our country’.
The FLA page increasingly resembles the English Defence League (EDL), when the man who Meighan ‘respects’, Robinson, was running the group. Thus the FLA’s claims to be anti racist are paper thin. Many in the FLA fall back on the favourite line of the racist right when they claim ‘we’re not racist in being anti Islam, as Islam isn’t a race’. Anti racists have heard such disingenuousness many a time from the lips of those who try to hide their racism.
Known fascists still populate the FLA wall, and any who question the racism of many either have their comments deleted or are mocked at and told to ‘get real’. With the rest of the far right in the political doldrums in the UK, the FLA and its attendant prejudices is seen as a good place to nestle in, by far right groups.
John Meighan recently asked FLA members what political party, if any, the FLA should back. The inconclusive responses, albeit many opted for UKIP, were left up in the air. The FLA, unlike the EDL’s short lived venture with the British Freedom Party, still are not throwing their in with any political body…yet. Meighan of course supported Donald Trump’s re tweets of the fascist Britain First.
The FLA are backing the Islamopbobes of the Veterans Against Terrorism demonstration in Newcastle, in February and are next looking to march in Birmingham, the following month. Meighan talks of ‘shutting the city down’, below.
People in the second city will not want their city ‘shut down’ by those such as the FLA. As SUTR recorded previously, youth, football hooligan firms linked to the FLA, have talked of ‘doing battle’ in Birmingham, in March. Stand Up To Racism members in Birmingham and Newcastle are circulating statements which calls for unity against the FLA and a positive, anti racist message to be distributed by SUTR supporters on the day of the FLA march.
The SUTR factsheet in the FLA is being used in both Birmingham and Newcastle, as elsewhere to reveal the truth about the FLA. Representatives of show Racism The Red Card and a number of supporters groups took some to distribute among fans, at a parliamentary, ‘Fans for Diversity’ event.
You can order factsheets by emailing us.
A number of football fans have taken them to ensure the FLA don’t go unchallenged or get a toehold at their clubs. The wider Islamophobia the FLA feed off though, and the current truce in the FLA over recent rows they have had, means anti racists need to continue their work in this field.