For once I come to praise Bristol Rovers, not bury them.
At last night’s home game against Dartford, the opposition goalkeeper Jason Brown claimed he had been racially abused by a supporter in the Blackthorn End. I did not, and still do not, know what was said but the club has stated on its website that a racist comment was made, no ‘allegedly’ mentioned, and I am happy to take the club at its word. It was heard by a steward who, we are told, did nothing about it. And what’s more, the club is working with the police to find the offender and if he (or she?) is found guilty there is a lifetime ban waiting for them.
So far as I am aware, only one person is subject to a lifetime ban at Bristol Rovers and that is the former director Kevin Spencer. His ‘crime’ was that of ‘consistent criticism.’ This, I suggest, is rather more serious.
I made one of my increasingly occasional visits to the Rovers fans forum and found some astonishing comments that this was all about ‘political correctness’ and if it was all right to abuse players over all sorts of other things, why not abuse them for being of a different colour? No need to take this too seriously. It was a small minority, so that’s all right then. Except it’s not all right and it’s nothing to do with the myth that is political correctness. Happily the owners of Bristol Rovers take it rather more seriously.
No, we don’t know what was said but plainly Jason Brown does know and Bristol Rovers believe him.
I have been critical in the past at the club’s slow reaction to events, leaving things to fester, to wither on the vine, to find themselves in the position of having to react to events instead of shaping them. Today my view on twitter, which was probably read by two men and their dogs, was that the club should move quickly and work with the police and that is precisely what they have done.
Now we allow the forces of the law to do their jobs and to find who said what and so enable the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prepare a legal case, if there is one.
I am encouraged by the reaction of the club and by most supporters. It is right that the club has a zero tolerance to racism. So should society in general, it’s not just football’s problem.
In sending out such a clear, unequivocal message, the club has told supporters what is acceptable and more importantly what isn’t. If some people don’t accept the club’s policies on racism, they know what will be coming their way should they transgress.
Of course there is a fear that the FA might take action against the club, in terms of a fine or, worse still, a points deduction. I would argue that neither would be appropriate in this instance. A person, or some persons, have acted like dicks, stupid racist dicks. They have acted against club policy, they stand alone. No one from the club told them to say whatever it was they said and all the available evidence is that the club is strongly against racism.
By all means throw the book at racist idiots. Teach them a lesson they can consider for the rest of their lives.
The club has done the right thing by Jason Brown, the FA should do the right thing by Rovers and the agents of the law should do the right thing with racists.
