Scotsman.com Sport - UEFA Cup - Race row casts a dark shadow over clubs' successes

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Scotsman.com
Wednesday, 27th December 2006

UEFA Cup

Scotland on Sunday Sun 28 Nov 2004

Race row casts a dark shadow over clubs' successes

GERRY BRITTON

THERE is no denying that the last few days have been exciting times for Scottish football. Rangers’ win in the Old firm derby re-ignited their own challenge for the SPL title, while magnificent results for our European representatives in midweek meant that, for once, we have a realistic chance of watching more than one of our club sides competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Cup.

While the back pages of our national press should have filled with morale-boosting tales of these exhilarating triumphs, the spectre of sectarianism and racism has raised its ugly head again, instantly dislacing the feel-good factor that all involved with the Scottish game should be currently experiencing.

Unfortunately, the sickening examples of intolerable prejudice that have been highlighted in our country recently have been replicated in other European countries. There was the despicable abuse meted out to England’s black players in Spain, and down south a Blackburn fan was in court over his racist abuse of Birmingham striker Dwight Yorke. The fact that Yorke had previously been an outstanding goalscorer for the Ewood Park side, and most probably a revered favourite of his abuser, makes the incident all the more ridiculous and incomprehensible.

Scotland in the 21st century is an ever-increasingly multi- cultural assemblage of people who profess to varying creeds and possess differing tones of skin pigmentation. Scottish football mimics this growing diversity with a growing number of players and fans with ethnic origins and religious beliefs which are different from the white men who have traditionally made up the British footballing community.

Yet no matter where they come from or what colour they are, every football fan can still identify a sub-standard player from the terraces, and, as a cash-splashing stakeholder in our beautiful game, is well within their rights to loudly vent their opinions on a player’s inadequate display. But it is when a sectarian or racist expletive is added to their harangue that the line has been crossed and acceptable criticism from the stand degenerates into a vile personal onslaught.

A thick skin is a necessary prerequisite for all wannabe professional footballers - we all know that there will be regular assassination of our on-field qualities from both supporters and coaching staff. In fact, many players channel the criticism, and find that the passionate pelters help them achieve a greater level of performance than they could ever have otherwise managed.

Enjoying an after-match refreshment with my former Dundee team-mate Noel Blake, I made a mental note to maximise the effort in my performance in the upcoming Dundee derby when an idiotic United fan relentlessly chided myself and Noel over our supposed shortcomings. Noel regarded the situation with his customary grin until the brainless fan then drew attention to the fact that Noel’s complexion was darker than the ruddy exterior of his harasser. Idiotic to bring race into an argument and idiotic to do so with a man who could easily have been mistaken for Marvin Hagler’s twin brother.

The incident which saw Dundee ban one of its season ticket holders from Dens for life for verbally abusing two black Celtic players showed that there are means to curtail the despicable actions of a mindless minority. The hard line taken by Dundee in that instance served as an example to any other fans who feel that it is acceptable to have a go at an opposition player on account of the colour of his skin. And the fact that it was an appalled 14-year-old Dundee fan who brought the moronic outburst to the attention of the authorities proves that there are ways that decent supporters can play their part.

At Partick, we have three black players on our books: Jean-Yves Anis and Armand One from the Ivory Coast and the magnificently-named Emmanuel Panther, brought up in not so exotic Maryhill and boasting an accent that would not be out of place on River City. In conversation with them on the subject recently, they assured me that there have been few occasions in their careers when they have been subjected to racial abuse. Unfortunately my ex-Livingston team-mate Brian McPhee has not been so lucky. He has the regrettable distinction of seeing fans of visiting sides end up in court two weeks in succession for spouting race-based vitriol in his direction.

During my tenure as a Dunfermline player, the reputation of the Pars was tarnished when our black central defender Dave Barnett asked to be released from his contract on the grounds that he could no longer work within our allegedly racist environment. The front pages of the tabloid press were covered with Barnett’s racist claims, much to the bemusement of the staff at East End Park, and particularly our general manager Paul D’Mello, who also happens to be black.

It was to everyone’s surprise, then, that when pre-season training commenced the following campaign, Dave was seated back in our apparently racist dressing-room having been granted permission by the Pars bosses to engage in our fitness conditioning.

Race was never a problem during my time with the Pars, as I am sure even Dave would now acknowledge. As I recall, the only burning crosses I encountered at East End then were the ones that skelped off my forehead having been fired from the scintillating left foot of our rotund wing wizard Stewart Petrie.

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Last updated: 28-Nov-04 01:13 GMT