Racists almost forced my kid brother to quit the game – Tapping

Forfar midfielder Callum Tapping has spoken how his kid brother almost quit football after being subjected to appalling racist abuse.

Shocking slurs were aimed at Jordan Tapping when he was just 17 years of age and playing for East Stirlingshire against Peterhead.

Tapping had to be substituted by boss John Coughlin during the League Two fixture in 2014 after it became clear the teenage defender was becoming visibly upset by the barbs.

One perpetrator was fined £300 and banned from matches for a year but, as the Black Lives Matter movement shines a light on discrimination around the world, Callum admits it was hard to watch his younger sibling endure that hell.

The ex-Scotland under-21 internationalist recalled: “It was only Jordan’s second or third game in the first team and he got a bit of racist abuse. Eventually the manager took him off because he saw him welling up. It got too much for him.

“You see how much it hurts adults so to see it in Scottish football towards a 17-year-old – and him being my younger brother – gets your defences up.

“It really hurt the whole family and Jordan at the time.

“He questioned whether he wanted to keep playing or not. At that age when you’re hearing that kind of stuff, and get all the attention of the papers, people giving you sympathy when you don’t want it. It was hard for him.”

Speaking to the Lower League Ramblings podcast, Tapping admitted he had laughed off everyday racism during his career – only to quietly seethe about the prejudice later.

But the former Alloa, Queen of the South and Brechin City player insists that he feels confident enough to speak out.

He continued: “I’ve experienced casual racism a handful of times – you say casual racism because that’s what it’s seen as, but all racism is racism.

“You get it in changing rooms. I’ve probably laughed than I’m proud of.

“It’s just little jokes and people laugh, but rather than standing up and making a point to say it’s not acceptable, you put on an awkward laugh to save any awkwardness with the rest of the squad.

“Then for five or 10 minutes, you can feel yourself burning up because everyone’s laughing and you know that a few people know it’s wrong.

“It happens most seasons and it’s probably people not realising that they’re doing it.

“As a young boy. it’s more difficult to deal with than people think.

“Over the last two or three years in my career I’ve probably been more of a personality and character in the changing room. So I’ve not laughed and said ‘that’s not funny’.”

He added: “I’ve had experiences when it’s been more direct with more intent in it. That’s not nice but I’ve dealt with it in my own way and it’s pleasing to see it’s getting prioritised in the world.” it off more times