Those Farage Stickers – An Editorial

At the recent Norwich City match away at Derby County, several stickers were discovered to have been put up near the bar in the away end. Along Come Norwich is not a news source, and those who write for it are not journalists, but for the purposes of an accurate record, they consisted of some of the following:

• A sticker of a Norwich emblazoned Union Jack with “Stop the boats” written on it. 
• A picture of Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, with a Norwich crest and the words “On the Charge With Farage”.
• A Reform UK supporter’s sticker with its logos and slogans. 
• A sticker with the slogan “Two Tier Starmer”. This is a reference to the recent UK far-right riots, and a shorthand slogan in support of the rioters. 
• A crudely drawn stickers with misogynistic slogans.
• A replicated sticker of the old “Norwich Hit Squad Thugs”. The Norwich Hit Squad was a violent organised firm that was supposedly active in the 1980s, though there has been speculation as to whether or not they actually existed. 

Additionally, an Ulster Red Hand banner, with the slogan “No Surrender” written on it was also seen inside the stadium. This is (usually, but not always) a symbol of Unionism in Northern Ireland, but in most of the rest of the UK it is almost always used as a far-right dog whistle symbol. “No surrender” refers to the common England national team chant “No surrender to the IRA”, which is, in-turn, frequently sung by far-right groups.

Many might argue that these aren’t extreme messages. Right-wing yes, but extreme?! Reform UK are the third largest party in Britain by vote count. How can that be considered “extreme”? “Stop the boats!” was literally the slogan of the last, legitimately elected, ruling government. “Two tier Starmer” is a reference to the fact that some people have, supposedly, gotten away with it and those claiming to fight for our rights have ended up in prison for the ridiculous reason that they attempted to burn people alive in a hotel that they were…Ah. Hmm…

You see, this is the very short jump that can be made here. These stickers openly demonstrate to anyone who sees them that those who posted them: follow a right-wing populist party that is openly hostile to minorities (including not just migrants, but those from the LGBT+ community), see themselves as a continuation of a violent firm, are misogynistic, and support the extreme violence of a large group of people who were subsequently jailed for their criminal acts.

Whether they were placed fully consciously, or someone teenager’s misdirected idea of being “edgy”, is beside the point. This isn’t a good look, lads. Because, maybe the people who placed these stickers had joined in that conversation on the group chat, on the train, in the break room. First it was the simple “Yes. The world’s gone mad! Then it was the social media posting. Then it was joining in the chants. Then it was joining in with pasting stickers. Then it was…what? Joining in with “organised demonstrations” chanting these slogans? “Protesting” outside of an immigration centre? Trying to “burn down” a mosque? If this sounds like a ridiculous leap to make, then it might be time to start paying attention to the conversations that are happening around you and what they are leading to.

“Wait!” you might be saying. “Aren’t you just ‘virtue signalling’ here?”

Don’t be so naïve. You might not like it. You might get sick of hearing it. But this is a football club that represents its city and its people. It does not just represent you. It represents all of us. If you have a problem with this, then perhaps football – a famously group activity that entices people of all kinds – isn’t for you. Perhaps you need to think about what makes you enjoy watching live football in the first place. The excitement of the crowd, the smell of the grass and the joy of the wide-eyed child seeing the size of the pitch for the first time? Or to facilitate the demonisation of minority groups and look like a complete dickhead? If it’s the latter, then may we suggest you enjoy a Saturday afternoon at your local Reform UK fundraiser event instead.

On the other hand, perhaps you are a reasonable person, and think it is “just” an idiotic minority. Maybe it’s fine. It’s “demonstrating free speech” after all. Perhaps if we ignore, starve them of oxygen, it’ll all just go away…?

Whilst these people might not reflect who ‘we’ are as a fanbase, it is who some of us are. These people cannot be simply ignored or wished away. 

We’ve seen where it can lead to in France, Austria, Germany, and, of course, in the States; to dismiss this growth in hard-right support in Norfolk as an “idiotic minority” would be akin to a real-life version of the “this is fine” meme. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party polled a large aggregate in Norfolk in the 2024 UK General Election, and of course won Great Yarmouth by a significant margin. We have all heard these conversations, seen these messages, listened to people who exclaim that they can’t say anything these days. The EDP comments section, your local community Facebook page. In Norfolk and East Anglia these views are not held simply by an insignificant, and thus, unimportant minority. And to think otherwise is disingenuous moving on dangerous. The apparent creep of the radical, reactionary and nationalist right into our fan base is reflective of a growing problem in wider society, and this is where the most serious concern should now be.

Ultimately, we need to consider the consequences and victims of this messaging. If nothing else, posting stickers with such exclusionary messaging at away grounds is a terrible look for us as a club, especially given our good reputation as a fanbase home and away and these sorts of actions by anyone within the Norwich fanbase is, quite literally, stopping others going to matches*. Going to support their football club. Enjoying an away day. Intimidation is one of the hardest forms of discrimination to quantify, but it’s absolutely devastating all the same. This is happening now, in real time. 

So we need to cut this out before it gets too far. If you see it, call it out if you feel it is safe for you to do so. We all have a right to feel safe at a football match for fuck’s sake. If you don’t feel safe, then report it. If you feel reporting it to the club by yourself is difficult, or you feel like your report didn’t go anywhere, then find a supporter’s club that can report it to the club on your behalf. They will fight your corner with as much force as they can. Football should be a game for everyone. It is not. For a whole host of reasons. However, that does not mean that things have to stay this way. It is up to all of us to try make a positive change. 

And if rejecting hate and division at Norwich City is an example of the world going mad, then let’s embrace the insanity.

*Do you cry “Pfft…snowflakes!” at that? Sure. Fine. If your idea of a good time at a football match is a coked-up brigade of men waving Nigel Farage banners, then you go ahead and take away any notion of joy or sense of belonging from anyone who is different to you. After all, it’s unlikely you’re going to change now you’ve got this far. May we suggest following Zenit Saint Petersburg? They have fans who think the same.

**If you would like more information on local support for refugees, see Norwich City of Sanctuary, Norfolk Community Foundation, and Norfolk County Council.