THE HIGH PRICE OF FIGHTING RACISM

For Haringey Borough, standing up to racist abuse has come at a cost. Tonight, when Yeovil visit Coles Park a second time, their fans will be housed in a different part of the ground, and for that the Isthmian League club has to install new toilets. As this rearranged fixture is now a night game, extra external perimeter lighting is also required to escort the away fans to their new section. The total cost is £5,000. At Haringey’s level, where £100 is a decent weekly salary, that is a lot of money. Given that the racist abuse suffered by goalkeeper Valery Douglas Pajetat has never been disputed, by either side, and that according to Haringey chairman Aki Achillea it can be viewed on film, one wonders why this tie needs to be played at all. There is tonight’s date for the rearranged fixture and another, November 5, if the match is drawn. Surely in this time, an FA committee could have sat and simply awarded the tie to Haringey Borough. That way the racists would have knocked their own club out of the FA Cup, cost their own club money, and a valuable lesson would be learned. No doubt, because the police are involved, the FA will say they cannot pre-empt a court case in any way that is prejudicial. Yet we have seen before that our courts carry a different burden of proof to FA hearings. They are separate processes; ask John Terry. Giving the tie to Haringey would have set a precedent — one that is still evidencebased — and sent a message. Instead, what are we learning here? That principles are expensive. At the least, the FA should have banned Yeovil fans from travelling. And if they can’t do that, they should write Haringey’s cheque.