How racist were we ? (In the 70s)


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Haha, I'd forgot that - classic moment that was. If it's the game I'm thinking of we got our two goals late on, and frankly we could of lost 10-0. Dalglish master class iirc
Odd game. We were 0-2 down for most of the game until Lee scored twice more inside the last ten minutes, then we went berserk, tearing them apart, pulling two goals back before Shaun Elliott had an absolute pile-driver somehow stopped by Clemence at full stretch. Another five minutes and we could have beaten them. It was on MotD.
 
Confession time. Well, not really a confession, more of a thing I did accidentally and only later realised how bad it was.
The 1-4 derby was my first one, I could only have been 10 and had no idea what racism was. Anyway, I was in the east stand and wanted to join in with what the SW corner was singing. However I couldn't quite make it out. I got as far as 'stand up if you hate the...' then couldn't get the last word. Unfotunely for me I decided the word was 'blacks' since Newcastle were playing in black and white. Again, I had no idea what racism was and only in later years did I even associate this to skin colour. So, up I get, all proud of myself with my arms stretched out and start belting that out. I got a snide look from an old fella to the right of me, which confused me, and my dad pulled me down really rather quickly and (I can remember this vividly) said to me 'stand up if you have no regard for others'. Whether I (with my 10 year old voice and lack of confidence (it took me a good 10 minutes to work myself up to this)) actually said this in any more of a whisper, it was probably the standing up and flaring my arms around that annoyed people, but I know what I said. I first realised I was in the wrong when I worked out that the word was 'mags' but had no idea of the rest of it for a while.
 
The last racist chanting I remember hearing at the SOL was in 2003-04 when we played Wigan at home. We drew 1-1 but I remember Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington getting abuse from a group of lads in the SWC. I thought it was hilarious at the time like as I was racist as fuck as a person then.

Grown up massively since though and did a lot of global travelling. I still laugh at the odd racist joke though but in my opinion that doesn't make you racist.
 
Of its time? During the Gullit era I had to ' take issue' with an idiot trying to hand out flyers with his caricature and some typically basic abuse on it. Hardly a lifetime ago.
I believe what you speak of was an isolated incident and not part of the 'accepted' behaviour as it was in times gone by. Well done on confronting the miscreant, I hope you changed his views.

I fear there will always be people who think this way however.

I was not condoning the behaviour merely pointing out the differing attitudes at the time.
 
I can remember Sheff Wednesday fans having a rather large black chap at the front of all their singing in the middle of the Roker end back in the early 70's, I think it was the FA cup tie mainly as that was when they seemed to have brought their biggest following around that time. Cue the chants from the Fulwell end of "zigger zagger zigger, your leader is a n*gg*r*.
 
I believe what you speak of was an isolated incident and not part of the 'accepted' behaviour as it was in times gone by. Well done on confronting the miscreant, I hope you changed his views.

I fear there will always be people who think this way however.

I was not condoning the behaviour merely pointing out the differing attitudes at the time.
I now stand with him on the concourse so yes, his public attitude has changed. Never thought for a second you were condoning that type of behaviour. In truth that was the last time I can remember encountering overt racism at the ground so hopefully it now belongs to a certain less prevalent demographic.
 
I think it was more ignorance than racist. When Newcastle signed Tony Cunningham it's said Stan Seymour Jnr and his Posse left the Station as they couldn't find him after his train arrived. They were apparently looking for a White Bloke.
 
Wasnt alive then but it's changed massively over the past 20 years,cant remember the last time I heard any sort of racism especially in the ground

Well last season when we got beat of Leicester at our place the 2 radgies in front of us with cans of Fosters in the stand turned round to me after about 20 minutes and one of them blurted out "Here mate, what dya call that darky in the middle for them lot? The malteaser heed? What's his name again?", referring to Kante! Me and my mate just stood there looking at each other for a good 5 minutes in utter disbelief :eek:
 
It seem to change when Benno came. remember lenny lawrence commenting on the lack of it as his Luton side had about 6 black players and nowt was sang

Agreed. I think it was the abuse Benno and Gayle got at St James that made a lot of people see things differently.

It's a much overused term but he was a huge role model
 
I remember in the late `90`s at the SoL when some spotty faced chav behind me was making monkey noises and shouting racist insults at a player. It was absolutely disgusting. I turned around to him and told his to shut his mouth. I got a mouthful of abuse from the ignorant git. What made it worse is that not one person backed me up. They just slithered down into their seats as if nothing happened. I moved away from that area the following season.
 
I don't remember ever hearing anything openly racist at the football. Which im incredibly grateful for. I would definitely have no problem with having a word if I did hear something - I would hope that I would be backed up by fellow fans!

One thing I do notice a lot is that the majority of our support is still almost entirely white (That's not something im claiming is racist in anyway, but it seems as good a thread as any to raise the point). Is that reflective of Sunderland's current demographic?? (don't live there but it seems the same in Newcastle and North Yorkshire!) It also seems quite similar for all football I've been to in general outside of the London ,Birmingham sides, Man United and Liverpool.
 
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