How racist were we ? (In the 70s)


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I can remember people chanting ' Roots! Roots' at black players. This was back in the 70s and was a reference to the popular TV series about black slaves. My brothers mate would happily join in and he was a black guy from Shields.
Was that not just an early rendition of the Icelandic chant from the euros? Possibly as a result of the cod wars?
 
Don Goodman got some stick playing for WBA, I'm sure Carlton Palmer did as well.

80's though.
 
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Jan '96 and it wasn't racist; it was because of his former club.

I remember travelling to Bradford and Leicester in the 80s and our following singing 'Leicester's/Bradford's full of pakis'. Nobody thought they were doing anything wrong. Obviously, in hindsight...

I remember when Andy Cole was the next big thing, playing for Bristol City when someone behind me quipped "well he looks like fuckin' Cole". Just remembered that and it stood out as it had really calmed down by that stage.
 
You still hear the odd bit now and again from indivduals but thankfully nothing like it used to be. Loads of old matches on YouTube from the early 80's show how bad it really was at times. Last i recall hearing was a charva sat at the back of the Prem Concourse during the Kieran Richardson derby game giving it the monkey chant whenever Shola Ameobi touched the ball and during the West Brom a daft twat behind shouting Fenian **** towards McLean
 
We were really bad and in no particular order I can remember the following

* A chant that went "Enoch's right, keep Britain white." early/mid 70s certainly after the cup win. Was sang with gusto in the Roker End kids enclosure in unison with the Fulwell
* Laurie Cunningham playing for Orient getting absolute dog's abuse
* I was stood next to a Baggies fan in the Fulwell, early 80s and he asked me why Brendan Batson was getting so much abuse. I sheepishly shrugged my shoulders and explained that it was because he was black.

On the whole the issue has been stamped out, but there are still pockets of racism in the area let alone the ground.

As to whether NUFC were worse, I would say by matters of degrees they were - not much in it mind. I received a Xmas card from a mag mate before the Gayle/Bennett derby at SJP. The card was a picture of the SAFC squad at the time but barring Gayle and Bennett, all the other heads were replaced by monkey's heads.

Also at a time when we me and my mates used to alternate between SJP and Roker Park (seems alien now but was cheap enough to do) in late 70s early 80s, The National Front newspaper "Bulldog" was openly sold outside SJP - "Get your Bulldog." Never saw that at Roker Park - would be interested if anybody could confirm that.
 
Not football but it's hard to believe that as recently as the 90s they were naming TV gladiators Nightshade and Shadow.

Only racist if you're a sensitive little bitch who looks for reasons to be offended.

Those aren't my words by the way, they're from an actual real life black fella I work with :lol:
 
A few black former players were discussing racism on 5live recently, and while they said the London clubs were the worst, we also got a mention as being bad

Were we particularly bad?

I started in the 80s and everyone still called Gary Bennett midnight :oops:

Even into the 80s I can remember chants that I'd be appalled to hear now
 
We were really bad and in no particular order I can remember the following

* A chant that went "Enoch's right, keep Britain white." early/mid 70s certainly after the cup win. Was sang with gusto in the Roker End kids enclosure in unison with the Fulwell
* Laurie Cunningham playing for Orient getting absolute dog's abuse
* I was stood next to a Baggies fan in the Fulwell, early 80s and he asked me why Brendan Batson was getting so much abuse. I sheepishly shrugged my shoulders and explained that it was because he was black.

On the whole the issue has been stamped out, but there are still pockets of racism in the area let alone the ground.

As to whether NUFC were worse, I would say by matters of degrees they were - not much in it mind. I received a Xmas card from a mag mate before the Gayle/Bennett derby at SJP. The card was a picture of the SAFC squad at the time but barring Gayle and Bennett, all the other heads were replaced by monkey's heads.

Also at a time when we me and my mates used to alternate between SJP and Roker Park (seems alien now but was cheap enough to do) in late 70s early 80s, The National Front newspaper "Bulldog" was openly sold outside SJP - "Get your Bulldog." Never saw that at Roker Park - would be interested if anybody could confirm that.
They were definitely worse. that monkey headed photo was behind the bar of most pubs in newcastle. and the new derby randomly.
 
You still hear the odd bit now and again from indivduals but thankfully nothing like it used to be. Loads of old matches on YouTube from the early 80's show how bad it really was at times. Last i recall hearing was a charva sat at the back of the Prem Concourse during the Kieran Richardson derby game giving it the monkey chant whenever Shola Ameobi touched the ball and during the West Brom a daft twat behind shouting Fenian **** towards McLean

I heared in the north stand towards huth

Fuck off you kraut bastard after he crippled watmore

Don't worry got the so called person seat number

He's there every match spouting

Racist shite
 
While we called our defender "midnight", they called their famous number 9 "Cooningham"

You won't find many mag websites reminiscing about those days.
 
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