My first article to focus on the unfortunate, sensationalist crap so often displayed in tabloid newspapers, is one that frustrates me because the paper in question, The Daily Mirror, is targeting my football club and one of our players for a display of support, and despite an apology and subsequent punishment.



I suppose a majority of us are fed up with this fabrication in our media today, one that aims to generate a moral panic over just about anything that can sell newspapers. Think about “Sachsgate” involving Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, think about Jeremy Clarkson and his notorious behaviour. Yes they were arguably foolish and unprofessional in their exploits, saying that it was certainly blown out of proportion and surprise, surprise, covering the stories and sticking it on front pages are the adoring, politically correct, tabloids. God bless them.



Anyway, here is a quick back story to the Norris debacle this article is focusing on. During the summer just gone, Luke McCormick, a Plymouth goalkeeper (at the time), was arrested for killing two children, and severely injuring their father, in a drink-driving incident. He was subsequently fired by Plymouth and arrested for several years. In my opinion, Luke obviously deserved to go to jail, and he will now serve seven years sentence and live the rest of his life in guilt over what he has done, and rightly so.

A few months later, David Norris, a talented footballer, beginning to find his form at Ipswich Town; celebrated scoring his first goal of the season with a rather naive “handcuff” gesture to the fans. He had crossed his arms, apparently as a sign for handcuffs, but play resumed and nothing was thought of it, and no fans really considered its supposed meaning until the Monday after. The Mirror had run the story, with an interview from the children’s mother stating that the “sick goal celebration [is] an insult to their memory”. The fact the family did not comment on this on the Saturday or Sunday probably resulted in some tabloid journalist conducting the following story like this:

“I need a story, wait what’s this, Norris is crossing his arms in a football celebration? Better get in touch with Amanda Peak [the mother], around her house.”
*goes to her door*
“Hello.”
“Hello Amanda, what do you feel about Norris’ celebration?”
“I have not seen it.”
“Allow me to show it to you, let me use your DVD player.”
*shows Amanda the video*
“What do you think about this?”
“Well I am unhappy.”
“Are you disgusted? Can we have an interview? We must have an interview.”

Well, probably along those lines, nonetheless some tabloid journalist made a rather big deal about this and sparked off this mass-media frenzy, earning himself a nice sum in the process, to me this is more thoughtless than making, effectively, a signal of support for a jailed friend. Meanwhile, during a quiet day of football, Sky Sports got in on the act and dedicated large parts of its news channel to this story, exaggerating it and painting Norris as a figure of hate. They assumed Norris had celebrated to be disrespectful to the deceased children, when in actual fact it was probably in support for his jailed friend, similar to Tim Cahill’s case last season.

Surprisingly Norris denied this, however, Norris apologized, Ipswich Town fined him, Norris is set to visit Amanda and give his fined wages to her personally, and she will probably give this to charity. Surely the matter is over with, but no the tabloids continue to target this story in the desperate hope it will escalate further. Why do we live in a country where people are targeted and turned into national figures of hate, Norris was unprofessional but calls for him to be banned and calling him “sick” are over-exaggerated. The tabloids once again attempt to exaggerate a story, turning it into a moral panic and watch as some of us react angrily against it.