Fans at U14 GAA match shouted ‘kill the n****r’

7/23/2008 - By: Brendan Lawrence

A GROUP of teenage girls shouted “kill the f***ing n****r” at an U14 GAA player in Carlow last week, and were encouraged to do so by adults, according to a disgusted parent.

The committee that runs underage GAA in the county is set to investigate the incident that saw teenager Teboga Sebala subjected to the vile abuse.

Adrian Tomlin, whose son for Teboga’s team, Éire Óg, was seated in the stand at Dr Cullen Park along with his wife for the match, a semi-final, on Monday night. He said a group of young girls, encouraged by a group of adults in close proximity, shouted obscene and racial abuse at Teboga throughout the game.

“There were obscene racial comments like ‘kill the f***ing n****r’ and the likes,” said Mr Tomlin. “I was absolutely shocked. My wife was in tears. She asked them to stop and they turned on her. I pulled her away because I feared she would be attacked. I am beside myself - I am thinking of pulling my son from the sport. It was ongoing throughout the match and Teboga was visibly upset.”

Even more shocking, according to Mr Tomlin, was the fact that there were adults in the immediate vicinity who were laughing and encouraging the girls.

Fr Brendan Howard, chairman of the Coiste na n"g board responsible for underage competitions, voiced his disgust upon hearing about the incident.

“That has never emerged before,” said Fr Howard. “And I’d be very disappointed if it did. There’s no place for that here. We have always tried to embrace other cultures and give them all a welcome, be they rich or poor or whatever. I wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behaviour, it’s totally unacceptable.”

The U14 Éire Óg team manager Willie Quinlan didn’t hear the abuse at the game, but he admits that Teboga has come in for abuse in the past.

“I’ve heard things in the past said about this chap; I’ve heard and seen things down through the years which weren’t nice,” said Willie, a former county star. “I have contacted Teboga and he would prefer not to talk about it. He heard a lot of it himself last night and when I asked him about it he said ‘it’s just the usual, people are racist against my colour’. He knew where it was coming from but he doesn’t know who was saying it, he just said ‘it happens’.

“Teboga has really taken to the game and can solo, hand pass, foot pass, he’s a very good player and a great asset to our club,” he said.

“We bring the kids together and there’ll always be a bit of slagging but I always tell kids if there is any racist comments then they will be out of the club. It’s not right and I’d rather that Teboga didn’t have to hear that,” he concluded.

Eddie Power was managing O’Hanrahan’s, the opposition on the night, and said that he didn’t hear the comments but claimed that if he had heard them then he would have taken immediate action.

“It’s not on if it was said. Teboga is a good chap and a good footballer and if I did hear it then I would have checked it myself. It’s not right,” he said.