[Sted1990]

Isn't he I suggest you look again.

I didn't say it mattered, I just commented on it as it unusual and a first for us, no other reason.

He is from Arab desecent, he is not black.

[NathWBA]

Isn't he I suggest you look again.

I didn't say it mattered, I just commented on it as it unusual and a first for us, no other reason.

id suggest you look again, he’s from Oman, he’s Arab, not black, it’s like saying an Asian person is black.

[albion59]

I never even noticed! The only colour i noticed was the colour of the shirts and how similar they where.

[Albionic]

i refuse to comment on this topic - Doh ! 

[SmethDan]

Boring facts.

The Arabs were heavily into the slave trade. Many slaves were brought to Oman and a variety of middle eastern countries on this basis. Many of these slaves were black. Oman is a multi ethnic country. Just because he is a native of Oman this does not mean Ali Al Habsi cannot be black.

Whatever colour or gender Ali Al Habsi is/assigns to himself is perfectly fine by me though. He could be all of the colours of the rainbow for all I care so long as he puts in a shift for the Albion. One thing I do know is that he most definitely isn't white. This doesn't concern me either.

Of more interest to me personally is that he started his working career as an airport fireman at Seeb International Airport in Muscat. I don't know why, it just is. He is also the co-founder of the Safety First initiative. Regardless of ethnicity we should be in safe hands should emergency call.

https://timesofoman.com/article/29963

[OldburyWBA]

Boring facts.

The Arabs were heavily into the slave trade. Many slaves were brought to Oman and a variety of middle eastern countries on this basis. Many of these slaves were black. Oman is a multi ethnic country. Just because he is a native of Oman this does not mean Ali Al Habsi cannot be black.

Whatever colour or gender Ali Al Habsi is/assigns to himself is perfectly fine by me though. He could be all of the colours of the rainbow for all I care so long as he puts in a shift for the Albion. One thing I do know is that he most definitely isn't white. This doesn't concern me either.

Of more interest to me personally is that he started his working career as an airport fireman at Seeb International Airport in Muscat. I don't know why, it just is. He is also the co-founder of the Safety First initiative. Regardless of ethnicity we should be in safe hands should emergency call.

https://timesofoman.com/article/29963

Can we at least keep it football related please

[SmethDan]

Can we at least keep it football related please

Most certainly Phil, and the Safety First initiative link is football related. They have an affiliation with the Oman FA (OFA) as exampled by the link provided. Just adding some depth to the man as a person beyond his ethnicity and the colour of his skin. Besides, I reckon Ali would probably have been the airport fire team's goalie. Well, that's if they had a football team at the time that is  .

[BalisPen]

Boring facts.

The Arabs were heavily into the slave trade. Many slaves were brought to Oman and a variety of middle eastern countries on this basis. Many of these slaves were black. Oman is a multi ethnic country. Just because he is a native of Oman this does not mean Ali Al Habsi cannot be black.

Whatever colour or gender Ali Al Habsi is/assigns to himself is perfectly fine by me though. He could be all of the colours of the rainbow for all I care so long as he puts in a shift for the Albion. One thing I do know is that he most definitely isn't white. This doesn't concern me either.

Of more interest to me personally is that he started his working career as an airport fireman at Seeb International Airport in Muscat. I don't know why, it just is. He is also the co-founder of the Safety First initiative. Regardless of ethnicity we should be in safe hands should emergency call.

https://timesofoman.com/article/29963

You had the mention that dingle scumbag muscat.

I have trying to forget that animal for years.

Imo he always intended to injure.

[johnnyg]

Nothing wrong with this topic, IMO.
Well done Balis Pen, for raising your observation on our team. I am also proud of the observation you raise.

There are far too many people who are worried about being un-PC these days, and afraid of overstepping the line and insulting someone.

[wappingbaggie]

I agree Balis original remark was a sensible valid post absolutely no justification to delete so well done Mods.

Its relevant to the comments aired on the radio last season about DM's departure and also the pride we all feel about being the first club to properly smash the colour barrier in english football

All the precious posturing of "oh do we have some black players, I'm so right on and colour blind I hadnt even noticed" is risible. People still see colour but they see it in a different context/connotation now.
Do you really think the black players themselves hadnt noticed???

[WBAinDEVON]

Its good to see, are you watching Adrian Durham

[section5]

It's one of those situations when in reality what people are saying is right when they say "it shouldn't be something we notice", "we shouldn't be having this topic" etc. However as seen by Lukaku last night and a quick google search on racist football incidents in the last year,never mind decade and Man Utd meeting with Twitter due to racist abuse received by Pogba. Whether you like it or not or think it should be, this topic is absolutely relevant today as this is what is happening in today's world. Crazy to think i know and a step back to the dark days - or did we ever really step out of the dark days? I feel like this topic though will inevitably bring an element of discussion but being caucasian myself its quite hard to relate to racist abuse as I've never suffered it so for me to then comment and say "I think everything's alright" etc will not carry much value as I'm not able to relate to such an emotive issue and try put myself in that person's shoes (no matter how much you try). It's definately a touchy subject and hard to relate to if you've not experienced it but there is clearly a problem with society and not football (thats my opinion anyway)

[Albionic]

I think that there is more of an issue with non-asian representation in "english" football, TBH.

People will say its a cultural issue with football not being popular in Asian families / society, personally I don't buy that anymore as I can remember Khalsa Rovers playing in the West Brom league 50 years ago and the Asian communities are very largely integrated nowadays.

My onions anyway

[Hull Baggie]

I think that there is more of an issue with non-asian representation in "english" football, TBH.

People will say its a cultural issue with football not being popular in Asian families / society, personally I don't buy that anymore as I can remember Khalsa Rovers playing in the West Brom league 50 years ago and the Asian communities are very largely integrated nowadays.

My onions anyway

Have to say I agree with you. I attend football sessions for Asylum seeker/ refugees run by Tigers Trust/Kicks International in Hull and there are a lot of young men who identify as Asian playing.

Plenty of Asian people at the matches, home and away.

My issue is with the use of British and Black in the original post as it's seems to be suggesting that black people can't be British, but I accept that that isn't the view of Balispen, just how it was reported.

[The Tank]

Should not we be celebrating this ?
Were we not the first club in the top tier to field 3 players, the three degrees.?
More than likely we were also the first club to field 4, 5, etc  and up to 9. (although not, admittedly, now in the top tier)

[ex coseley kid]

I'm with Oldbury and Tank. The original poster was just observing something IMHO. don't think for a minute there was any malice.

I think we have an honourable - and let's be honest probably unintentional - pioneering spirit for 'black' football (God I hate categories and labels).

But let it be recognised - the number of black players who are exceptional seems to be very much on the rise.

I don't know what it is but as a few have said it is blue and white and we are black and white or whatever I don't give a flying one.

[NathWBA]

I have no doubt there was no malice intended in the original post, for me the fact it’s noticed and talked about shows there’s still a problem that exists, the day people don’t notice the colour of the player wearing the shirt but only the colour of shirt the player is wearing is when that problem is finished.

[Windmill Baggy]

I didn't say it was different from the tp days, it was just commented on when it happened then under tp as being unique given the influx of foreign players.

If you don't want to make a comment don't, it's not obligatory.

You made a comparison with the Pulis days, it was pretty clear.

My saying it 'didn't need commenting on' was referring to the point in your original post, but I admit I didn't put my point across very well.

To clarify, my view is that I see nothing remarkable in it. It wouldn't surprise me if many other clubs could have said the same thing on the weekend.

An off the top of my head example: the 'invincible' title-winning Arsenal team under Wenger was made up of predominantly black players (Lauren, Cole, Toure, Campbell, Gilberto, Viera, Henry, Wiltord, with Lehman, Pires, Ljungberg and Bergkamp making up the other key players from that core of 12) and that was 15+ years ago. I would argue now that that team was probably more of a watershed moment, though I'm not sure much if anything was made of it at the time.

Edit: Portsmouth in the cup semi-final against us started with 8 black players: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Muntari, Diop, Diarra, Kanu.

Like I said, there's nothing remarkable in it nowadays.

[chipperclark]

  Pointless post.....we are talking about "FOOTBALL" on this site ...not whether anyone is orange,purple or green.
Who cares?? As long as they wear the shirt and give 100% to West Bromwich Albion...I have no opinion on how many green coloured skin players are playing??

[divinewind]

sorry but why even raise the point?

Exactly. The colour of a person is irrelevant to anyone who hasn't an agenda.

[BalisPen]

Have to say I agree with you. I attend football sessions for Asylum seeker/ refugees run by Tigers Trust/Kicks International in Hull and there are a lot of young men who identify as Asian playing.

Plenty of Asian people at the matches, home and away.

My issue is with the use of British and Black in the original post as it's seems to be suggesting that black people can't be British, but I accept that that isn't the view of Balispen, just how it was reported.

My mentioning the all British team under TP, was a few seasons back and I had not noticed that, but the press had commented, I think WM. In that team, without going back and looking was JL, a black player. I felt immense pride when JL played for England and was gutted that he didn't make the WC squad as he'd played a lot in the qualifiers and would have loved to see him in person in Nziny against Panama, having already been lucky enough to see BF play against Costa Rica in Belo. I still haven't forgiven Royston for not bringing Saido on when he was on the bench for England. So you are quite correct I am not saying black people cannot be British, very much the opposite, and pointing our great diversity and progression in general football terms from the days when Big C got a bullet in the post when he was called up by England.

Pointless post.....we are talking about "FOOTBALL" on this site ...not whether anyone is orange,purple or green.
Who cares?? As long as they wear the shirt and give 100% to West Bromwich Albion...I have no opinion on how many green coloured skin players are playing??

Why don't you write a more insightful post instead of reading something you find pointless?

[BalisPen]

Exactly. The colour of a person is irrelevant to anyone who hasn't an agenda.

So what's my agenda?

[Albionic]

So what's my agenda?

I suspect that you are a male !

[timdon]

I suspect that you are a male !

A male goose perhaps?

[mulliganstired]

I have no doubt there was no malice intended in the original post, for me the fact it’s noticed and talked about shows there’s still a problem that exists, the day people don’t notice the colour of the player wearing the shirt but only the colour of shirt the player is wearing is when that problem is finished.

There is still a problem, just ask Lukaku or Sterling among others, so I don't see why it shouldn't be commented on