Reading these comment brings about another racial memory from 2003. Took an Under 13 team to a nameless venue in the Brisbane surrounds and envirens. Just after half time, the captain of the side, a quite mature young man for 13, stopped the game and came to me on the sideline with the ref, who turned out to be a bit of a rabbit as time went on, and of course the players followed. He said that (and indicated a player from the opposition) had called our Polynesian player a black c**t. The ref said, "well that is what he is anyway, as he smirked stupidly". I gave the boys the option of finishing the game then and there with me taking it up with higher powers later. The boys decided to play on. There were many ugly incidents in this game, I had cause to stop the game myself at one stage and enter the field due to a number of pretty heavy duty boots on player incidents. This ref, who was a member of a very prominent First XV side from 30 off years ago said boots on players were allowed in his world. I said maybe in senior footy pal, but not at this level. I said that if there was any more, again we would go home.
WE videoed the game and upon returning home, I cut the video up, and made some complaints to our local body. Turns out the boy in question was the coach's son, and both of them, along with the referee received hefty suspensions.
However, it made the return fixture most interesting, with the rabbit referee sitting on the other side of the field just abusing all and sundry from anyone other that his side, and hostile parents from the opposition scattered around various parts of the field. I dispatched a couple fo parents who were also pretty imposing gents, and they moved around and fixed it very quietly, without anyone that wasn't involved even noticing.
Still it got worse, a year later we were playing in a tournament in Brisbane, and this other side was involved, and this particular referee was again on the other side of the field, just heaping abuse at the opposition and referee. He was removed from the sidelines by the referee but moved to the clubhouse and continued his tirade, from where he was removed from the entire enclosure by club officials.
It is not just racism that is part of the ugly face of any game.