Articles Dear NUST
Thank you for your email. I thought it may be helpful to explain that the comments you refer to are an out-of-context part of an interview in which I spoke generally about racism within the game, the lack of Asian players and how role models can help inspire and overcome prejudice.
I’m personally disappointed that my quote has come across in a negative way. What is missing from the piece is the fact that the groups I was referring to were explicitly not Newcastle supporters. The quote does not, nor would I ever, imply that Newcastle fans racially abused Andrew Cole. In fact the point I was making was in praise of Newcastle fans who shunned the minority who were attempting to stir up trouble at the time.
I would never say these people were Newcastle or indeed football fans, in fact I would suspect the opposite to be true. Having lived in the city for seven years and having been back to St James Park subsequently I have nothing but the utmost respect for Newcastle fans.
The wider point lost in the piece was how fans have been instrumental in overcoming racism within the game and how players and role models such as Andrew Cole, and in the case of Chelsea - Paul Canoville and Paul Elliott, deserve a great deal of credit in the fight against racism.
I do hope this email helps to explain the context of the quotes and I can only apologise if anyone has taken offence.
I have subsequently spoken to the Guardian newspaper and it has agreed to issue a clarification.
