It has been a week since I blogged about the current problems caused to racism in football. I have to say it’s not been a good one: for a start, John Terry’s trial has been scheduled for July. The delay in court proceedings and subsequent failure of the FA to suspend him until the allegations were investigated has enabled him to play on until the end of the season. Without prejudging the issue, I wonder in what other job someone facing similar accusations would be allowed to go about their business unhindered for such a length of time. To paraphrase Kurt Weill, it’s a long time from October to the summer. At least there will be a trial; the usual amount of heat rather than light that was caused by the sage of Loftus Road on Twitter has thankfully not been deemed contempt of court by the Attorney General, though presumably only on the technicality that Terry’s case will be heard in a Magistrates’ Court and not a Crown Court. Terry’s brief will consequently not be able to claim that a jury have been influenced by Barton’s scattergun ramblings.
Suarez returned to the Liverpool team on Monday night and announced his presence by hoofing the joint greatest player in the history of the world, with Gareth Bale of course, the saintly Scott Parker, right in the breadbasket. Falling short of claiming that such a gesture is the correct way of introducing yourself to an old friend in Montevideo, Dalglish gave a surly, small-minded post-match interview that proved Liverpool still have not addressed the issue of Suarez’s guilt and wrongdoing by claiming that the player should never have been banned in the first place. Before the Anfield hierarchy adopt an inflexible and permanent stance that Suarez has been as much a victim of a miscarriage of justice as Timothy John Evans or Gerry Conlon, they may decide to look at a magnificent article in the latest issue of “When Saturday Comes” (March 2012), when Janice Allen-Brade, a black female living on Merseyside, interviews black Liverpool fans.
Those interviewed, including Ronnie Doforo, Phil Boyle and Jeff Wiltshire, speak eloquently and persuasively of how they feel that the club they have followed all their lives (for almost 50 years in Doforo’s case) have dealt terribly with the whole incident, from Suarez’s final admission of the words uttered, to the hideous t-shirt gesture, to the ungracious acceptance of the ban. All 3 of them feel as if they have been badly “let down” by their club. Perhaps someone can bring this article to the attention of Liverpool FC in advance of Saturday’s latest potential powder keg fixture against Manchester United.
Elsewhere, 3 sunderland fans have admitted to separate instances of racial abuse towards Newcastle United players (namely the Ameobi brothers) on Twitter; two, stupid, irresponsible teenagers have been given Final Warnings, which are the youth equivalents of Cautions, while a third adult, who depressingly trotted out the “banter” line of mitigation even in court, is awaiting sentencing. I’m not disingenuously about to claim that the lack of outright condemnation by their club, fans’ organisations or publications indicates a level of tacit support for these ignorant fools, but public distancing and an apology for any upset would have been nice. If I’ve missed such a gesture, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have. It is even more poignant that such behaviour is becoming prevalent in the North East, or at least certain parts of it, when Show Racism the Red Card announced they are in danger of going under as direct funding has been withdrawn, precisely at the time when their influence and decisive interventions are needed more than ever.
Also, following last Saturday’s game at Home Park, Plymouth Argyle are investigating claims of racism by their fans towards Southend United players. While, rugby union has also had its own scandal, with the appalling story of the RFU’s handling of an incident in the Telford v Market Drayton Midlands 4 West North game on January 28th. A disciplinary hearing has found Telford’s centre Martin Rudd guilty of racially abusing an opponent. In banning him for 18 weeks until June 2nd, the chair of the panel Sean Enright stated -; “Racism has no part in the game. We are utterly determined to stamp it out when it appears.”
All well and good, but further investigation shows that Market Drayton have been deducted 20 points for walking off in the original game when the referee refused to send Rudd off for his comments. That is absolutely sickening; it recalls the kind of blinkered, ignorant, insensitive, tacit support for racism and apartheid that those going on rebel cricket tours to South Africa after the Gleneagles Agreement justified, by endlessly repeating the nonsensical mantra that they wished to “keep politics out of sport.” I truly hope Market Drayton decide to appeal.
Where do we look for good news? Almost inconceivably, the answer is St. James’ Park. Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa wasn’t the best of games. Indeed for the first 15 minutes, a surprisingly adequate Villa side caused Newcastle no end of problems, but the points were secured in the end with a magnificent left footed blast from Papiss Cisse that reminded me so much of Shearer’s second in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final victory over Spurs.
However, it wasn’t just the result that mattered; it was the whole ambience of the day. The giant Irish tricolour in the East Stand Leazes Paddock emblazoned with “Welcome Home Shay” was a wonderful touch and a slap in the face to the faceless message board cyber toughs who’d spent the period leading up to the game spitting bile through their keyboards about the finest man ever to represent the club in the time I’ve followed them. I’m not just saying that for effect; morally and temperamentally, Shay Given is the most praiseworthy person ever to have played for Newcastle United. Both before kick-off and at full time, you could tell he bitterly regrets leaving, though it has to be said, if he were still at SJP, he’d be on the bench behind Tim Krul.
What else was wonderful about Sunday was the increasing evidence of Newcastle’s support in the ground growing among the black population of Tyneside. Sure having Senegal’s strike force helps, but it makes my heart sing to see appreciable parts of the crowd taking on a more representative racial demographic of the city as a whole. This did not happen 20 years ago and has to be a brilliant development, as well as a spontaneous and beneficial one. Black supporters would not return to SJP in ever increasing numbers, unless they felt comfortable and acceptable in the ground. When Demba Ba put us ahead and came to celebrate at the Milburn Leazes corner with Cisse and when Cisse himself grabbed the winner, all the fans in the ground (including about a dozen of those I could see in the immediate area waving Senegalese flags) were united in their love of the moment, the players and the club.
What can I say? Geordies are Black & White – FACT!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment