Planet Swans ArchivesWELSH football has been rocked by the latest racist storm to hit the game.
Police yesterday launched a probe into the aftermath of Swansea City’s 1-0 League Two victory at Oxford on Wednesday night.
Swansea’s black winger Adrian Forbes claimed he was racially abused as he headed down the tunnel at the final whistle and immediately told nearby stewards and the fourth match official.
Forbes and other Swansea players were interviewed yesterday – the squad had stayed in Oxford overnight before heading to Scunthorpe for their next fixture tomorrow – as part of the police investigation into the matter.
The Kassam Stadium affair comes after a few sorry weeks for football when racism has rarely been off the national agenda.
England players – among them Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole – were racially abused during the friendly with Spain in Madrid and Birmingham City’s Dwight Yorke and Didier Drogba, the Chelsea striker, have also been similarly taunted in recent weeks.
Forbes said, “As I came off the pitch one of their fans called me a cheating something, which I don’t want to go into.
“I didn’t rise to it. I just wanted to make the stewards aware of what was said. Luckily for me a woman who was sat next to this gentleman actually held her hand up and said she had heard everything.
“She pointed him out as he ran off. I did not say anything to him. I was just trying to get my point across.
“It’s frustrating, but that’s part of the game at the moment.”
But Oxford United secretary Mick Brown last night said his club deplored the incident and backed the police investigation.
He said, “We take this matter extremely seriously and we are pleased that the police have got involved.
“We can confirm there was an incident as the players came off the pitch and one of the Swansea players was specifically abused by an individual near the tunnel area.
“As yet, this individual has not been apprehended, but we have CCTV footage as well as possible photographic evidence, so we are confident that this person will be identified.”
Brown said this was the first time Oxford United had experienced such an incident since moving from their old Manor Ground four years ago.
“We have not had this kind of behaviour for many years,” he said. “But the last time it happened at the old ground it led to a successful prosecution and, hopefully, that will be the case again.
“We want to make a loud and clear message to anyone who might be thinking about doing this sort of thing.
“We will not tolerate it and, if the individual is identified and the courts do their job, then a serious banning order will be put in place.
“As far as our club is concerned, we want these sort of people banned not only from Oxford United, but from every ground in the country.”
Oxford – who are owned by Firoz Kassam, the Tanzanian-born millionaire hotelier of Indian extraction – have promised to review player-security issues at their stadium.
This could include the introduction of a pull-out tunnel which are now so popular at Premiership grounds.
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins said, “Having discussed the matter with Kenny Jackett, it was agreed the first priority was to look after the players and make sure they were OK.
“The police went to the Oxford hotel the team were staying in to take statements from Adrian Forbes and Izzy Iriekpen.
“We’re comfortable that the police are investigating what happened – in co-operation with Oxford United – and glad the matter has not been swept under the carpet.
“We’re obviously appalled that some of our players have suffered racist abuse, but it just seems what happened during the England-Spain match a few weeks ago has resulted in other people following it on.
“The sad reality is people have joined in with it. I don’t think our players will forget about this and we all wish something so nasty had never happened.”
