Beware racism in the National League

[sidders]

Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler and Hartlepool United’s Craig Hignett said they discussed taking their players off the pitch due to alleged racist abuse in Saturday’s National League game.

Dover won the match 2-0 at Hartlepool’s Victoria Park but the game was overshadowed by the incidents, which followed Dover players celebrating striker Inih Effiong’s 37th-minute penalty in front of home fans.

A confrontation followed which led to an 11-minute delay in play, during which players – including Gus Mafuta of Hartlepool – are understood to have received racist abuse from a small minority in the stands.

The match ended amid further acrimony with Hartlepool having two players and Hignett sent off for criticising refereeing decisions, while a home fan appeared to try to get to the referee after invading the pitch.

The club’s chief executive, Mark Maguire, condemned the abuse on Saturday night, saying those involved “will be dealt with in the strongest manner” by the club and police. “I can honestly say that I have never witnessed a game of football like that,” said Maguire, “but it is important that we separate our reaction to the game, and the officials, to the events following Dover’s first goal.

“Whatever the rights and wrongs of the decision, or the aftermath to the penalty which was scored, Hartlepool United utterly condemn racist behaviour of any description. We are proudly inclusive as a club, and we know that the vast majority of Pools fans will join us in standing up against words and actions which have no place in football or society.”

Hessenthaler said he had been ready to take his players off, telling the Northern Echo: “At half-time we were calm. I spoke to Craig and at one stage I wanted to come off the pitch – and Craig agreed with me.

“He was saying the same, we backed each other up, but the players wanted to carry on and credit to them … We spoke and their players wanted to carry on too. I didn’t like what was going on. I felt it in my stomach … It’s a crazy day, and a sad day for football.”

Hignett said: “We are a very inclusive club and we deal with it if we have to. I asked Gus if he was OK and he assured me he was and that was that really. I said to Andy, ‘If that’s what you feel then I’m behind you’.”

[queenslandpie]

From what I have read it was one sixty year old bloke who was arrested which was the sum total of the racism. Unfortunately there is always one. We shouldn't forget how far we have come though. I can still remember standing on the County Road and people making monkey noises at Richard Young and thinking it was funny ( and nobody stopped them). Storm in a tea cup in reality with the vast vast majority of fans having nowt to do with it and having watched the highlights and some of the refereeing decisions not only does the racist fan need banning for life, but also the referee! Its always a crying shame when it comes to this.

[bridpie78]

From what I have read it was one sixty year old bloke who was arrested which was the sum total of the racism. Unfortunately there is always one. We shouldn't forget how far we have come though. I can still remember standing on the County Road and people making monkey noises at Richard Young and thinking it was funny ( and nobody stopped them). Storm in a tea cup in reality with the vast vast majority of fans having nowt to do with it and having watched the highlights and some of the refereeing decisions not only does the racist fan need banning for life, but also the referee! Its always a crying shame when it comes to this.

These stories are always blown up, especially right around the time the kick it out campaign are looking for next years funding

I read somewhere last week that racism/hate arrests at football matches is up a 'shocking' 60% on last year, on further investigation i found out that offences were up from something like 100 to 160
Thats 160 idiots out of the 14.5 million who went to watch a premier league game or 0.0011% of tw*ts who go to see a game.
statistics often get twisted to make better headlines,especially when money is involved.