Racism claims sour soccer club's victory

Allegations of racism by some spectators have soured Havelock North Dads and Lads' Holt Cup soccer final victory at the weekend.

After the villagers' 1-0 win the knockout cup match, courtesy of a Jake Smith goal in the 23rd minute, against fellow division 2 side Hibernian at Marewa Park, Napier, on Saturday a "neutral spectator" accused some Havelock North fans of making racist remarks.

The Hastings woman, who did not want to be named for fear of being victimised, claimed the behaviour of Havelock supporters was appalling against a Hibs team comprising predominantly Fiji Indians and Pacific Islanders.

She had spoken to the referee, Darren Austin, and his two assistants and intended to lodge an official complaint with Central Football boss Phil Holt and the Hibs club.

Holt has donated the trophy for the battle of lower grade knockout cup soccer supremacy.

She said some of the Fiji Indian families had complained to her that players had been targeted with racist comments during the season and she had decided to attend the match to see for herself.

"I came to stand alongside Havelock supporters to listen and the things I heard were quite disgusting."

Havelock North club president Dave Lothian said if the woman had heard racist remarks then she should be able to finger the culprits and the club would eject them.

The woman did and later Lothian confirmed a three-member judicial committee of the club would investigate comments allegedly made by a parent of one of the Dads and Lads' players.

What was alarming, the woman said, was the racial outbursts from youngsters in the crowd.

The Hibs team have at least three Muslims in the squad and some of the comments had been aimed at them.

The Fiji Indian wives and children at the park didn't deserve that sort of treatment, she said.

After the game, three Havelock North supporters interrupted the woman's interview at the car park, demanding to know what she considered to be racist.

When she repeated one of the comments she had heard, one supporter interjected: "Oh, come on, that's not racist, lady. That's PC."

Lothian, who spoke to the woman after the match, said his club was "not a racist club".

Poised to mark his 50th year at the club next year, Lothian said if it was a racist club he wouldn't be there.

After having spoken with the woman complainant, Holt, referee Austin and the parent who allegedly made the remarks, Lothian said he had gone to the Hibs changing room to apologise to the players for any racist remarks. "It's certainly left a sour taste ... but, in all sincerity, I didn't hear anything racist.

"Racist is a very PC word. During a game statements are made," he said.

While the Hibs team were "rough" when they started several years ago, Lothian said they had some very good footballers and had "improved immensely".

Hibs, who earlier in the season boasted a former Fijian international and a couple of Solomon Island and Vanuatu players, have finished runners-up in the league to the Lads and Dads.

Hibs president Allan Jack said if the club received a formal complaint it would take the matter up with Central Football.