Cod Almighty | Article
by Simon Wilson
12 August 2004
The frenzy and fervour of Tuesday night's Lincolnshire derby against Boston made Blundell Park sound like a daunting place for a team to visit. I say 'sounded' as I was grounded at home in West Yorkshire listening to the game through the invaluable Mariners World commentary - once it had swatted the gremlins who made us suffer the opening minutes of Scunthorpe's game at Cheltenham. The commentators, John Tondeur and David Smith, seemed to be stuck in a pit of raucous noise. My Lord, had the Main Stand - where the press box is located - finally awoken into a hotbed of passion?
It was a shame, then, that this exuberant atmosphere was spoiled by a shout, laced with venom and spite, of "You black bastard." At the time I was writing away, and I had to glance up from my desk, unsure I had just heard that. I couldn't 'rewind' the commentary and check. I'm still not totally sure that this is exactly what was shouted.
But then again, what else could it have been? And regardless of what team he plays for, what has a player's colour got to do with his performance? Nothing excuses this comment, heard by listeners around the world. Not that this was an exclusive incident.
I've also had reports from people seeing a Nazi salute aimed at the Boston keeper (although quite why I have yet to work out) and other mutterings that night based on the colour of players' skin. Marry this to what I heard on Tuesday night and there is no other conclusion: there was a racist element at Blundell Park.
Is it becoming more a more vocal element at Town matches these days? Are these just mindless actions in the heat of a passionate game? And is it excusable regardless of the reason? No, it isn't. When you look at the Town teamsheet from Tuesday night, six starters were of white ethnicity. That means the other five weren't. They're your players, in your undeniably hard-working team. Your team. Respect that.
I've already mentioned this sort of thing in Cod Psychology (pull out the programme for last October's home game against Colchester). I offer no apologies, though, if I sound like a broken record. Each year the club has an anti-racism day where people are reminded to kick this behaviour out. It's about time people were reminded every time racism occurs at a game, until the point where we don't have resort to such measures.
Just because the world isn't watching - ITV or the stewards - doesn't mean you should act like it isn't. And just because Town have plummeted to the lowest league of the professional game, doesn't mean you have to sink to the filthy depths of racism.