spudski Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 ....but still part of our history. The first mention of racial abuse in football. Some of you may have seen the campaign for Walter Tull in the media. Quote... His excellent form in this opening part of the season promised a great future. However, at a match away to Bristol City in October 1909 Tull was the target of vicious racist abuse. So incensed was the 'Football Star' reporter, DD, that his match report was headlined 'Football and the Colour Prejudice'. This is possibly the first time racial abuse was headlined in a football report. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norn Iron Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 Thanks Spud for the post and link. It's a must read. I was not aware of Walter Tull and his subsequent legacy. A professional footballer who died for his country in the first World War is one thing, but to be mixed heritage is another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsapper Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 Below is what is written on his memorial at Northampton Towns ground. “Through his actions, Tull ridiculed the barriers of ignorance that tried to deny people of colour equality with their contemporaries. His life stands testament to a determination to confront those people and those obstacles that sought to diminish him and the world in which he lived. It reveals a man, though rendered breathless in his prime, whose strong heart still beats loudly.” It’s within my memory of hearing the same voices echoing down through history on to the terraces of Ashton Gate. I now look around our refurbished ground that is more repesentivive of the City we live in but we are still not there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dolman Pragmatist Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 Could this be merged with the earlier thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmissionImpossible Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 This is an important part of our history and history in general. Says a lot that not many of us were aware of this. Things like this and the slave trade would be especially educational land interesting to learn at School, I for one was never taught it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East End Old Boy Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 Was there a book published during the last year or so which referred to this? Think someone quoted an extract, or I certainly read it somewhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 1 hour ago, East End Old Boy said: Was there a book published during the last year or so which referred to this? Think someone quoted an extract, or I certainly read it somewhere! Yes - the BBC news channel had an interview with Walter Tull's biographer this morning, who mentioned the game here when he was subjected to racial abuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 Racism was considered perfectly acceptable over a century ago and I daresay Tull was subjected to abuse wherever he played. The fact it was at City where it he first heard it is very unlikely unless it was his first away game of his career.. When I first started watching City in the 60s racism was rife and often seen as amusing. In fact I can distinctly remember during Wayne Allisons days many years later a bunch of blokes near me all making racist comments aimed at him and then cheering when he scored a goal. Hypocrites......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 The past is another country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiale Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 There was a large thread on this before with some interesting pictures and links.. was pretty interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T R Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 I put some links on the other thread but i forgot to put this one up. His memory lives on http://claptonfc.com/the-tons-win-the-walter-tull-cup/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevthered Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 5 hours ago, Robbored said: Racism was considered perfectly acceptable over a century ago and I daresay Tull was subjected to abuse wherever he played. The fact it was at City where it he first heard it is very unlikely unless it was his first away game of his career.. When I first started watching City in the 60s racism was rife and often seen as amusing. In fact I can distinctly remember during Wayne Allisons days many years later a bunch of blokes near me all making racist comments aimed at him and then cheering when he scored a goal. Hypocrites......... Your right Robbo....I can remember in the 60/70's black players got so much stick I used to cringe when I heard shouts like you black bastard......I suppose it was part of the times and nowadays it's a different era and quite rightly you wouldn't get away with it now but we can't change history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natchfever Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 11 hours ago, Norn Iron said: Thanks Spud for the post and link. It's a must read. I was not aware of Walter Tull and his subsequent legacy. A professional footballer who died for his country in the first World War is one thing, but to be mixed heritage is another. No offence mate but old news. One of the old east ends finest men a proud bristolian of jamaican descent has been campaigning for Mr Tulls recognition. What happened at Bristol city over 100 years ago means jack shit to him and thats good enough for me. A hero to any right minded person now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norn Iron Posted March 25, 2018 Report Share Posted March 25, 2018 2 hours ago, Loon plage said: No offence mate but old news. One of the old east ends finest men a proud bristolian of jamaican descent has been campaigning for Mr Tulls recognition. What happened at Bristol city over 100 years ago means jack shit to him and thats good enough for me. A hero to any right minded person now. Thanks Loon Plage for your response. However, I'm sure there are others like me who, until Spud posted the link, were aware of who Walter was. I think you've also missed my point. Sometimes inculcation (repeating the same thing ad nauseum until people own the message) is the only way forward. I live in Northern Ireland now. Like they want to know about Walter. But they should. His life story will cut through all the bigotry that's here but it'll have to be through inculcation. I was actually more interested in Walter as a man than what happened at Ashton Gate 100 years ago. Im not excluding what happened at AG at all. Just like I was more interested in Claudette Colvin and who she was, that led to Rosa Parks making a stand in Montgomery all those years ago. Yet Claudette doesn't really get the recognition, but maybe she will. Your mate sounds like a great person who can see through/past what happened at AG when Mr Tull played there 100 years ago. It's not though 'old news' to me. Someone who fought for my country, despite the stupidity of WW1, is a hero in my books, like you, as well. The fact that Mr Tull was a footballer from mixed heritage who had to go to a home as a young lad, but still believed in himself, needs to be trumpeted from every floodlight, church tower, high rise building etc in today's social climate. That's why this story is not old news. Your mate wants to see recognition for Walter? Spuds' post brought at least one other person this weekend, ie me, to also want recognition for Mr. Tull. If Steven Spielberg is reading this, and has any intention of making a sequel to that flipping horse that was in WW1, make a film about Walter instead. I think Roy Castle once sang, "Inculcation. That's what you need. If you want to be the best, if you want to hear the rest, inculcation's what you need." Please pass on my regards to your friend and that he will one day see the recognition for Mr.Walter Tull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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