CQ SAINT wrote: ↑Thu 25 Jan 2024 11:59pm
I'm old enough and black enough to remember being called a coon my whole junior career. 80 - 85.
I remember the violence that erupted one day, when my Anglo dad headed towards a car and spoke to one particular bloke who drove his car from end to end of our game to put me off with racists slurs before half time.
I kicked 4 goals in the first and laid a kid flat with a hip and shoulder and the charming people of Noble Park let me have it at the far end of the ground. This was not an isolated event but rarely were these events paid much attention. We were a family club and we stuck together.
This idiot drove his car to our end of the ground and started abusing me constantly, with his wife and kids in the back of the car. He even did it when the ball was at the other end. The goal umpire told me not to worry and just play
A friend's mum, a short Italian woman, went over to say something and he told her to go away in no uncertain terms and added in a few derogratory racial remarks to top it off.
My dad, a fair haired, very tall, heavy set white man of Scottish and German descent took the opportunity to make his mark and quietly went over and told the bloke to turn it down a bit or he would have to leave.
As my dad turned and walked off this person started his car and shouted something like 'f*** off you like nigger loving, wog f****** scumbag c***'
Mr Lia, another wog, who just happened to be a police man and at the game in his Divi Van blocked the exit and flagged him down, next thing the man was abusing him and making all sorts of threats.
Then this bloke was getting dragged out his car and flogged. The whole game had stopped to watch.
His four sons and two daughters and particularly his wife looked on, with a rye smile, as Mr Lia locked him up in the van for d&d an took it relatively easy on him.
His wife said great, he won't let me have a license, what are we supposed to do now.
The little wog lady drove her home later, her kids stayed with other people and went home with them.
At the end of the game when Mr Lia and dad addressed the teams after the game.
Mr Lia said these words, ignorance is no excuse for bad manners.
Shane, you'd be surprised at the things I've seen done to Aboriginal people in full view of the public by policeman and prison guards in Central Quuensland in this century, let alone a rowdy bunch of ignorant bogans at Victoria Park back in the 80's.
Me and dad had to walk about half a kilometre to our car the day Nicky exposed his belly. It was one of the most frightening things I've ever personally experienced.
Nothing happened but it made me feel sick and insecure for soem time becuase ofthe color of my skin and I began to question everything about myself and where I fitted in.
My dad cried when he tried to console me.
Hatred is far more contemptuous than petty racism. I've heard Lyon referred to as toxic, fair dinkum, talk about a woke joke.
I finished the day with 11goals and we won by about 20. They failed to score.
We were a ragtag bunch of working class misfits and migrants but we all bonded that day and 4 of us were playing seniors and reserves by Under 15's, then the real violent hatred started. I reflect on my career miserably now just because I love the game so much but I got a real taste for battle on field. Play on.
The Nazi reference was particularly ignorant. Welcome to the mob.
