Ciao, Paolo: Many Swindon fans aren't too welcoming of a man with a controversial past

Swindon Town have appointed self-confessed fascist and fan of Mussolini, Paolo Di Canio, as manager. As a Sheffield Wednesday supporter I have a history with Di Canio. Once a hero at Hillsborough, he broke the hearts of many when he pushed over Paul Alcock and was subsequently ushered out of the door to West Ham United for a fraction of the £4.5 million we had paid for him.

On the day that he was announced as Swindon boss the GMB withdrew their sponsorship and the decision has since divided fans.

Views from Swindon supporters on ‘thetownend’ internet forum:

Dorset Red, said: “If Di Canio becomes Town manager I certainly won’t be renewing my season ticket. I don’t care how good he is, there is no room for a self-confessed fascist at my club!”

Pauld: “I don’t think the potential short-term gain is worth the damage to the club’s reputation.”

Ralphy: “I don’t like his fascist views but I love his passion for the game.”

Benito Mussolini, a man that Di Canio publicly reveres, formed the Fascist Party in 1919 and in 1922 he was invited by King Victor Emmanuel to form a government following a Black Shirt march on Rome. He became an ally of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany in world war two, declared war on the Allies and was eventually shot in 1945 by Italian partisans.

Now that the brief history lesson is over, consider whether it is appropriate for a family and community football club to employ a man who said in his own autobiography: “Perhaps because I am right wing, I am fascinated by Benito Mussolini…What fascinates me, and this is probably where Mussolini and I are very different, is the way he was able to go against his morals to achieve his goals.”

When I was young and played in a local football league, a player on my team was racially abused by opposition players and supporters. We were either ten or eleven years old and grown men and women were shouting racial abuse at a child. That is where we were fifteen years ago. I hope and pray that in the Saturday and Sunday leagues up and down the country, players can go about their game unimpeded by such abuse. I doubt it though.

Mussolini was very active in establishing Serie A but despite this, it must be apparent to most that he wasn’t a very nice person. It is wrong to make the comparison to a supporter of the BNP becoming a football manager because even the silliest of individuals would realise that aligning themselves with a current right wing group would be unforgivable to most.

How many young Swindon fans have googled Di Canio recently? The first image that pops up is Di Canio’s snarling face giving the ‘Roman salute’ and if you don’t know what it looks like, think Hitler. How many of the aforementioned young Swindon fans have looked at Di Canio’s wikipedia page and subsequently, inquisitively, clicked on the link where it says that Di Canio has expressed admiration for Mussolini. Your heroes heroes can become your heroes in time.

When I was young and played in a local football league, a player on my team was racially abused by opposition players and supporters. We were either ten or eleven years old and grown men and women were shouting racial abuse at a child. That is where we were fifteen years ago. I hope and pray that in the Saturday and Sunday leagues up and down the country, players can go about their game unimpeded by such abuse. I doubt it though.

When I was a young player, football was billed as the people’s game. A stand against fascism, racism, sexism, homophobia and any other form of prejudice in football is, in my opinion, currently being made. It may not have achieved its goals yet, it is a start.

Should football be above making moral judgements and accept people, no matter their beliefs, into the game or was this an opportunity to make a stand against people peddling crude politics? Having seen Di Canio play many times for Sheffield Wednesday and beyond and would never doubt his abilities, but I do doubt whether he has a place in the modern game. The politics of Europe may be swaying to the right, as seen in Finland, Cyprus and Spain, but we should not politics influence our game.

I have always hoped that our generation would be the one that stamps out prejudice for good and that is why I am okay with being called a politicly correct leftie. Whether it be in the political or sporting arena, I care deeply about who represents me.

It is yet to be known whether there will be any kind of outcry or whether this will be the last you read on the matter. I would like to leave you with these words from Martin Niemöller and deplore you to never let another be abused for the colour of their skin, religious beliefs, sexuality or any of the other traits that make us all unique.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.”

Swindon and the League Managers Association were approached to comment while producing this piece but neither party chose to respond to the request.

By Dominic Stevenson