Fulham FC fan in California sues over 'racist' number plate row

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47876650

How is COME ON YOU WHITES!! Racist ffs.

[snarks]

Saw that

At least I thought it's not just nonsense in this country. I hope it's for a second car as FFC SW6 looks fine to me

[Mince n Tatties]

The nutters are everywhere.
Schools in some places now don't use the word "Blackboard" any more..😵

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

Manhole cover is no longer used, it's now "inspection cover.

I'm a tube driver and we're not allowed to say "ladies and gentlemen" because it could offend those "non binary" nonsense.

[Mince n Tatties]

Manhole cover is no longer used, it's now "inspection cover.

I'm a tube driver and we're not allowed to say "ladies and gentlemen" because it could offend those "non binary" nonsense.

Madness.

[Mince n Tatties]

There's a Girls school in Lancs who can't use the word Girls on the heading,even though its an entirely Girls school...lol

[Russianrob]

He is a Professor also.Good to see intellectuals supporting Fulham.An old Fulham player,John Lacy,even had a University degree in Russian.Any other Fulham brain boxes?

[bog]

I have been waiting for this. With all this modern nonsense it had to happen. Perhaps Manchester City and United will become Binary City and United.    

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[Milo]

Sigh..!!!

[bugsy]

A Fulham FC fan living in California is suing a state department after he was banned from having the letters COYW on a personalised car number plate, as officials feared the slogan "Come on you whites" had racist connotations.

University professor Jonathan Kotler said he was "shocked" at the decision.

Launching his legal case, he claimed the decision by the California Department of Motor Vehicles violated his right to freedom of speech.

"It's just a shirt colour," he said.

"The people at the DMV are either extra thick or very PC."

Prof Kotler applied for a plate that would read COY-W - an abbreviation of the slogan commonly used by Fulham football fans - and a hashtag seen every weekend on many Twitter posts about the club.

The 73-year-old, who was born in New Jersey and now lives in Calabasas, California, has been a fan of Fulham FC for decades, after watching a match "by happenchance" during a visit to London.

He was originally a fan of both Manchester United and Fulham, but chose his current allegiance in 2006 when both teams were in the Premier League.

Image copyrightJONATHAN KOTLER
Image caption
Prof Kotler's plate currently reads FFC SW6 for the club's initials and stadium postcode
Prof Kotler, who teaches media law at the University of Southern California, put in his application for the number plate last year and had to include the reasons for his choice of letters, but it was turned down.

The Department of Motor Vehicles said the COYW slogan could be considered hostile, insulting, or racially degrading, according to the US federal legal case.

"I sent them tons of material," Prof Kotler told the BBC. "Press releases, stories from the British media, letters from the chairman who uses 'come on you whites'.

"I pointed out that many clubs in Britain are known by their colour - the blues, the clarets. Nobody thought the Liverpool reds were communists."

He added: "Even when I did it, it was the furthest thing from my mind that anyone would object to it. I was shocked, absolutely."

'This is crazy'
He said the club's owner, Shahid Khan, "uses the phrase all the time".

"Half of the team are non-white. And it's just a shirt colour. It's got nothing to do with anything other than that.

"I decided this is crazy, this is enough. I can take it up to a point but this became personal."

Prof Kotler said he travels to watch Fulham play in Britain on average around eight to 10 times a season, often taking the 11-hour flight on a Thursday and returning back in the US by Tuesday ready to teach his students.

In his legal complaint, he is asking the court to declare the DMV's criteria for personalised licence plates unconstitutional. He claims he has been deprived of his right to freedom of speech.

The Department of Motor Vehicles says it does not comment on pending legal cases.

[toshes mate]

I have just added this article to the Danny Rose thread but thanks for posting it here.

[bobbo]

Who's making all these rules and where's it goîng to stop , it's already way out of hand.
I retired nine years ago and the very big company where I worked were telling us nicknames, which had been used throughout time,were no longer permissible . I'm somehow glad I'm old and don't have a whole lifetime to suffer this c**p.

[snarks]

The nutters are everywhere.
Schools in some places now don't use the word "Blackboard" any more..😵

That's because no one uses blackboards anymore mince. They are all whiteboards now. Blackboards disappeared with the ark.

[SuffolkWhite]

My Wednesday night 5 a side football wotsapp group are really taking the pee as I have COYW on the back of my Fulham shirt I play in. Judt banter mind you.

[Fernhurst]

Now trending at No1 on The Sky News app!

I'm amazed by this story, where does it leave us older supporters who have never known our beloved team as "The Cottagers" (that's a whole different bag of worms!) and have always used the term " LilleyWHITES"??

[H4usuallysitting]

I suppose my cab being silver is lucky.... I could of been in all sorts of trouble

[filham]

Unbelievable nonsense but be sure not to take our fanzine to the States, you could be in big trouble.

Am I safe using Middlesex in my address.

[grandad]

You think we are PC mad in this country but this takes the biscuit.

[FFC1987]

I don't even see the point in entertaining such stupid ideas like this. how we got to this position is beyond me.

[SuffolkWhite]

"The Cottagers" (that's a whole different bag of worms!)

Yep Now my football lot are taking the P about things related to the Cottage and now poor old Billy the Badger  093.gif , banter though!