A Leicester City fan has opened up to reveal the moment a Newcastle supporter stuck up for him when he was being racially abused at a football match several years ago.
The Foxes fan was speaking to Robbie Lyle as part of his new ITV documentary ‘Robbie Lyle: Football Fans Under The Skin’, where the Arsenal Fan TV host explores the trouble surrounding racism in football.
In the interview, the fan reveals that he was just a young child at the time of the incident, but shares how a Newcastle fan sitting in the Leicester City home end defended him from a verbal attack from a fellow home supporter:
“We were playing Newcastle United, sold out. Somehow some Newcastle fans got into the home section. I remember, sort of half an hour before the game was due to start, I felt this finger prodding on my shoulder. I turned around and there was a gentleman of years (older man), and I use the term gentleman very loosely now.
“He went on against me saying all sorts of things such as why are you even here, go back to your own country, why are you even at the football? Somebody else could have had your place.
“And then, this big Geordie fella, who obviously didn’t have a ticket for the Newcastle United end, stepped in front of him and gave him a riot act. Saying ‘you should be ashamed of yourself, a man of many years picking on young bairn.’
“He put his arm around my shoulder and said come and stand with us and he won’t bother you no more.
“He said to me you should never ever have to suffer that. I know your just a little kid, but there are bad people. There are bad people who will say these things to you, and you should not tolerate that.”
The Leicester fan was clearly looking back in fondness at this event in his life and revealed how he still pays tribute to the Newcastle fan – even to this day.
“He went his way I went my way, but ever since then I’ve always looked out for their score after Leicesters, just because of him.
“He’s probably passed away now I don’t know but, I just think it was an act of kindness, he did something good for me.”
Hearing a tale like this on national TV about our club and someone from our area makes you proud to be a Geordie.
It helps reinforce the stereotype that we are straight-talking, but friendly people and it’s nice to know that he still looks out for how we are doing several years later.
It would be amazing if by sharing this story someone was able to track down who it was that defended him that day!
