May 3, 2002 (Friday) from Jonathan Woodgate Club

Leeds in new race row

LEEDS United were at the centre of a race storm last night after comic Stan Boardman joked about their players' assault trial and mocked an Asian.

Hired to entertain guests at the club's awards ceremony, Boardman quipped: "I see Woodgate and Bowyer are here tonight.

"I hear they went to a club last night. When they came out, one said to the other 'I could murder an Indian'."

When Asian guest Steven Thomas called him a "disgrace", the foul-mouthed comedian hit back telling him: "F****** hell, I'm being heckled by Pakis now.

"Why don't you go back to your curry house or shop in Bradford? Your elephant's waiting outside."

Lawyer Mr Thomas, 33, said last night: "It was tired old racist humour. But shockingly inappropriate. I go to every game, home and away. It's a shame this happened."

Seven hundred VIP guests, including club manager David O'Leary and chairman Peter Ridsdale, sat stony faced and appalled as Boardman continued with a string of gags about the Irish, the Beckhams and the aftermath of September 11.

Among them were Bowyer, 25, and Woodgate, 22, who were cleared in December of assaulting student Sarfraz Najeib in Leeds centre. Woodgate was convicted of affray.

A Leeds spokesman said: "The club is embarrassed and appalled by Stan Boardman's performance."

Leeds United now face questions as to why they thought Boardman, known for racist jokes, was a suitable guest speaker at their dinner.

The Liverpudlian comic made his name with gags about Germans or, as he calls them, "the Jeermans".

Boardman, 61, was considered inappropriate by many because the dinner was in honour of Leeds' player of the year, Rio Ferdinand, who is black.

He offended the audience further with jokes about the Irish, Americans and Australians and a crude jibe at David and Victoria Beckham.

One diner said: "He began by saying the Americans never finish a job and we had to finish off Afghanistan for them.

"He was also anti-Irish, anti-German and anti-Asian. Boardman was the last person to be the entertainment at Elland Road."

Another guest said: "We've paid £120 to hear this offensive rubbish. I'm disgusted at the club for booking Boardman."

A third added: "It was obvious the manager and four Irish players, Gary Kelly, Ian Harte, Robbie Keane and Stephen McPhail, were offended. Their faces were like thunder after a stream of anti-Irish jokes."

One Leeds player stormed out and women in the audience voiced disapproval as Boardman, unaware of the offence he was causing, labelled northern women "pigs".

One furious guest said: "In the light of all that has happened at Leeds, you would have thought he would engage his brain before opening his mouth."

After an avalanche of complaints, Leeds United sent a strongly-worded letter to Boardman, branding his performance "racist" and describing his act "inappropriate and unacceptable".

They told him his £4,000 fee was "under review" and added: "You will not be welcome to appear at an Elland Road function in the future."

One club member said: "Boardman made a quick exit and didn't even wait for payment.

"He knew he'd misjudged the mood. But he is certainly not welcome back here. We knew to expect the old jokes about the Germans, but not this kind of thing."

Ruggi Johnson, northern official of the National Civil Rights Movement, branded the performance "extraordinary".

"It sounds like he had no material and went out on a desperate limb," he added. "But to use material like that at Leeds United of all places is unbelievable."

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, the first Muslim Peer in the House of Lords, said angrily: "It is disgraceful people are even allowed to make grotesque jokes like this."

Last night, an unrepentant Boardman said: "I don't know what the fuss is about. I tell jokes about everyone."

He denied his act was racist and offensive, adding: "This Indian guy heckled me so I heckled him back.

"He called out at me 'Sing, sing' and I said 'Is that your name? Singh?' He insulted me by telling me to go back to Liverpool, so I told him to go back home and told him his elephant was waiting. If I am heckled, I'll respond no matter who that person is."

He admitted his Beckham gag was crude but refused to apologise for his act.

He said: "I am the one who is owed the apology. I thought I was well-received."

After the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, Boardman introduced a string of Muslim jokes to his repertoire. He joked that during World War Two his granny's chippy was heavily bombed by the "Jeermans" and he fully expected it to be on the list of targets
for the Muslims.

He went on: "The Irish SAS stormed Battersea Dog's Home the other day. Apparently they killed all the Afghans."

Leeds striker Bowyer, 25, was found not guilty at Hull Crown Court last December, of causing Sarfraz Najeib grievous bodily harm with intent and not guilty of affray.

Team-mate Woodgate, and another man, Neale Caveney, both 22, were found guilty of affray and each sentenced to 100 hours community service.

Woodgate's friend Paul Clifford, 22, was jailed for six years after being found guilty on both counts.

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