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February 2, 2003
(Sunday)
Woody to lead
fight against bigots
NEWCASTLE'S £9million
man Jonathan Woodgate will spearhead a national
campaign against racism in football.
The 23-year-old England defender has agreed to link up with the Show
Racism The Red Card campaign to persuade fans to be racially tolerant.
Woodgate, whose career at Leeds was blighted by his involvement in an
attack on an Asian student, has volunteered his services and will
take the campaign message to fan groups across the country.
Woodgate's former Leeds colleague Lee Bowyer attracted the wrath of
anti-racist campaigners when he made his West Ham debut. But Woodgate
quickly moved to defuse any tension at Newcastle by insisting that he
was totally opposed to racism and highlighted his friendships with
the Toon's black players.
Show Racism The Red Card's Ged Grebby believes Woodgate's stance will
help improve race relations on Tyneside. "I think a lot of people had
the wrong idea about Jonathan Woodgate," said Grebby. "But I applaud
him for making it crystal clear where he stands on the issue.
"Some Newcastle fans will have been concerned about his past
problems, but we feel that Jonathan has tackled those head on by
making his stance on racism so public."
The Show Racism the Red Card initiative was born on Tyneside and has
grown into one of the biggest fan campaigns in Europe. "We have had a
long and successful relationship with Newcastle and they actually won
an award for doing more to combat racism than any club in the Premier
League," added Grebby. "With people like Woodgate on board we can
spread the message throughout Europe.
"It is refreshing that someone like Woodgate is prepared to put his
views on racism across to the fans. We look forward to working with
Jonathan as we have with other Newcastle players such as Kieron Dyer,
Jermaine Jenas and Lomano LuaLua.
"Often it is the contribution of white footballers speaking out
against racism that gets through to young people. Black players
talking about their experiences makes an impact, but when white
players say they won't stand by and let their team-mates be abused it
seems to have an even greater impact.
"A lot of supporters picked up the wrong impression of Woodgate at
the time of the court case. We believe he has cleared that up and now
he has an important role in fighting racism."
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Tel: They treat me like a pasty
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