Hooligans

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'Teenage footballers subjected to racial abuse during match in Leicester '
Tim Healy
November 07, 2012
thisisleicestershire.co.uk

Police are investigating allegations that teenage footballers were racially abused by opposition supporters during a match. Leicester Nirvana FC claims some spectators made monkey noises and offensive gestures during an under-15s game at Blaby and Whetstone BC FC. The club also said some home team supporters made racist comments and invaded the pitch, threatening violence, after the game, which the visitors won 4-3.

Leicester Nirvana chairman Kirk Master, who was not at the match – played on October 21 – was told about the alleged incident by players, coaches and parents. He said: "The matters outlined to me are the most graphic I have been made aware of for many years at a junior level. I am disgusted. We demand firm and swift action from the FA. We want some immediate action taken. The club has held an emergency meeting to discuss the matter."

The Leicester Nirvana team was mainly made up of black and Asian youngsters. The club, many of whose players come from Highfields and St Matthew's, in Leicester, has 300 members and draws players from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Mr Master said the club would "not allow racist behaviour to occur against our players, parents or any other black and minority ethnic person citywide". He is due to hold meetings with the football authorities in Leicester and is seeking assurances the matter will be dealt with quickly and transparently.

The club is being supported by the Society of Black Lawyers. Spokesman, barrister David Neita, said: "Blaby and Whetstone should be suspended from the FA pending a full inquiry due to the seriousness of these allegations. We will be making a full report to the minister of sport after meeting Nirvana FC."

Keith Murdoch, chief executive of Leicestershire and Rutland County FA, said no action could be taken until a full investigation had been carried out. He said: "These are serious allegations coming from a local under-15s match. There is an ongoing investigation and we are still gathering information from both clubs and the referee." Mr Murdoch said the FA would be co-operating with the police investigation. "As yet, it is not possible to put a timescale on the investigation we are conducting," he said.

A spokesman at the headquarters of the English FA, at Wembley, said the national body was aware of the incident but it was an issue with the local FA to deal with. He said wider issues would be considered if the FA received representations from the Society of Black Lawyers.

A spokesman for Blaby and Whetstone Boys Club said: "We are aware of an allegation against our partner club, Blaby and Whetstone Youth Football, concerning issues of racism at a recent game. Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association has contacted us and until such time as its investigations are complete, we are unable to comment further, apart from saying we will co-operate fully. As an organisation, we are fully committed to supporting all efforts to eliminate racism within society."

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: "We have received a report relating to a racist incident at a football match in Whetstone on October 21. Inquiries are ongoing."

http://leicesternirvana.squarespace.com/

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Beitar club house torched in suspected protest over Muslim signings
Reuters
8 February 2013

A suspected arson attack damaged the main club house of the Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem on Friday, a day after four fans were charged in court in connection with racist incitement against the team's recruitment of Muslim players, police said.

A police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said the fire, which caused no injuries, caused "extensive damage" to the premises next to the team's main training grounds. Television footage showed trophies and other memorabilia were destroyed. "Initial findings show the blaze was caused by a number of suspects," Rosenfeld said, and added that police were investigating a possible link to protests over the team's signing up of two Chechen Muslim players last month.

The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, said the police would take "a heavy hand to put an end to this issue", and praised the club for what he saw as steps toward "fighting racism and violence".

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James Bannen - 2013-08-09 - Stephen Nolan
In this half-hour interview, the undercover cop who was the main character in the film about hooligans, "I.D.", talks about the situations he got involved in.

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