Burnley star backs drive to give prejudice the boot (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Burnley star backs drive to give prejudice the boot
12:25pm Friday 19th March 2010 in
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- By Peter Magill » Chief reporter
Clarets defender Andre Bikey is backing a campaign to tackle racism in football after he once had to carry a gun around as he suffered abuse from Russian fans.
The Cameroon international has experienced the startling effect of racism first hand, especially when he had a stint with Lokomotiv Moscow.
Bikey carried a gun for his own protection amid fears over street attacks while living in the Russian capital.
He has previously said: “I used to have a gun. But it was only for my protection. I had to buy one after some problems I had.
"When I moved to Reading I gave it to one of my friends in Moscow.
“Russia has a different mentality. For a black person it is very hard to live in Russia, especially outside of Moscow. There is racism.”
More than 120 children from three Burnley primary schools were invited to Turf Moor to take part in the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ initiative.
And Bikey stressed how important the scheme is after meeting young-sters from Heasandford, Cherry Fold, and St Peter’s Primary Schools.
Bikey, along with Clarets midfielder Chris McCann, staged ques-tion-and-answer sessions with dozens of dedicated young Clarets fans, alongside another former player, John Francis.
Pupils asked the trio questions about their views and experiences of racism in football, and life in general, as part of the event.
Workshop sessions were held during the morning, including a racism awareness session delivered by the scheme’s organisers.
Bikey said: “Racism and prejudice have no place in football, or life in general, and I think it is good that children are being educated at a young age to embrace this philosophy.
“I think the work ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ does is brilliant.
“It makes people aware of the situations and we all want to stamp it out together.”
The day also featured a ‘Be the Boss’ enterprise workshop, where children got the opportunity to be the Clarets chairman Barry Kilby for 45 minutes.
Then the youngsters were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of Turf Moor, by the club’s Community Sports Trust coaches.
Following the success of the scheme, another gathering is being lined up for different Burnley schools in October.
Comments(10)
Ragnarok
says...
1:57pm Fri 19 Mar 10
...I'm just so glad that they have not yet infested the UK with their crap 'Ultra-Nationalist' rubbish...But I can confirm that their low-life gangsters are here,promoting guns,drugs,prostitut
ion and any other filthy illegal activity that could be carried out...Russia is a Second-World country leaching off a First-World continent...they are no better than the Roma Gypsies...
philipmorris
says...
2:05pm Fri 19 Mar 10
Ossy Claret
vintageclaret
says...
2:33pm Fri 19 Mar 10
philipmorris wrote:Hardly see any Black or Asian faces at the Turf !!!! Well taking into consideration the fact you hardly go your comment ye again says it. Just come where we sit and there are plenty. As for comment about Asian players same stands for most other clubs , aprt from such as park at Man U and a couple of others dotted around shows they are just not good enough.
Im very pleased to see the club at last taking this seriously. It is a problem which has plagued Burnley for a very long-time in both the club and the town. I repeat you hardly see any black or asian faces at Turf Moor and it took a long-time for us to recruit black players ( allegedly due to the colour bar on black professional players). There is still racism in the crowd sometimes directed at our own players as in the Jimmy Mac Stand.Andre doesnt need to carry a gun but he ought to visit a few pubs around the centre and speak to a few of our older season-ticket holders to get this message across. Another question : why have we never had an asian player on our books? Ossy Claret
Your other comment is also somewhat absurd taking into account all that the club has been doing in & around the town as well as backing the "No Racism in Sport movement" shows yet again my friend your way back in the 70s.
As for Andre - Good on yer mate!!! Just get that defence solid and some of your passes on the point and we'll be o.k. come end of season.
BarrowfordClaret
says...
2:46pm Fri 19 Mar 10
vintageclaret
says...
2:57pm Fri 19 Mar 10
BarrowfordClaret wrote:100% agree with you which is why I like having a pop at him. All his rantings about "nudge, nudge, wink, wink I know what's going to come out regarding wrong accountancy etc" + his so called number of times at the Turf all point out he's a closet Deadwood Zombie, though with all his harking back to the 70s he may just be something else. Would that be about the time such as Kenny Everett, Freddy Mercury etc. were coming out????
Vintageclaret..... This philip Morris character is a B4stard fan. EVERY post has sly digs at Burnley. He's nothing but a vile, repulsive attention seeker.
BarrowfordClaret
says...
4:12pm Fri 19 Mar 10
nudge nudge, wink wink....!!
madari
says...
8:18am Sat 20 Mar 10
philipmorris wrote:Madari the snake charmer says:
Im very pleased to see the club at last taking this seriously. It is a problem which has plagued Burnley for a very long-time in both the club and the town. I repeat you hardly see any black or asian faces at Turf Moor and it took a long-time for us to recruit black players ( allegedly due to the colour bar on black professional players). There is still racism in the crowd sometimes directed at our own players as in the Jimmy Mac Stand.Andre doesnt need to carry a gun but he ought to visit a few pubs around the centre and speak to a few of our older season-ticket holders to get this message across. Another question : why have we never had an asian player on our books? Ossy Claret
`Another question : why have we never had an asian player on our books`
Morris dont make me laugh, the clarets had an asian player on their books when Jimmy Mullen was the manager and that is a long time ago, if i remember rightly he came from torquay and was called Rehman.
There is or was another Asian from Blackburn playing for the Clarets reserves under Cottrell.
I also know that the Clarets have on their season ticket books asian season ticket holders of many years standing, infact i know a couple.
Morriss I suggest you get your facts right, stop pretending to be a Claret and get back to deadwoooood where you belong.
philipmorris
says...
1:07pm Sat 20 Mar 10
I repeat we have never had an Asian player in the first team and very few Asians ever go on the Turf.Its time this changed, thats all im saying!
Ossy Claret
bankhall
says...
1:57pm Sat 20 Mar 10
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RED CARD: Pupils from Heasandford, Cherry Fold and St Peter’s Primary Schools in a ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ question-and-answer session with Burnley players Andre Bikey and Chris McCann, at Turf Moor
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philipmorris says...
1:54pm Fri 19 Mar 10
I repeat you hardly see any black or asian faces at Turf Moor and it took a long-time for us to recruit black players ( allegedly due to the colour bar on black professional players).
There is still racism in the crowd sometimes directed at our own players as in the Jimmy Mac Stand.Andre doesnt need to carry a gun but he ought to visit a few pubs around the centre and speak to a few of our older season-ticket holders to get this message across.
Another question : why have we never had an asian player on our books?
Ossy Claret