Newcastle's first black player?

[Mick]

 

 

That's the era I watched you a lot, and I can remember that song and the double-o bit.

 

I remember coming from Birmingham hearing a lot more racism in Newcastle (in general, I mean), but there were just so few Asian and black faces around the city at the time, it didn't really surprise me.

 

Of course, you need to see all the above in the wider context that Britain itself was a lot more racist back then than it is now.

 

I lived in the midlands in the late 70's and early 80's and heard much more day to day racism than I ever did up here.  We were terrible as a fan base but away from football racism wasn't a massive problem from my experience.

[Interpolic]

I've heard it plenty of times at SJP the last 20 years in a flippant manner, people calling Shola a darky for a cheap laugh from some.  It's annoying but some people are idiots.

[ponsaelius]

Fucking hell I must be a right cunt because I've been laughing solid for about 5 minutes at "there's only one blackie Milburn"

[Mick]

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/mikeamos/backtrack/8824567.Tributes_to_the_Bill_Shankly_of_Annfield/?action=complain&cid=9116231

 

MUCH-TRAVELLED striker Tony Cunningham had a “Where are they now” piece – he’s now a solicitor in Lincoln – in last weekend’s Sunday Times.

 

Particularly he recalled his time with Newcastle United under Jack Charlton, a manager infamous for never remembering players’ name. Usually they were either Big Lad or Little Lad.

 

Cunningham was different.

 

“He called me Blackie Milburn, but meant no offence by it,” he says.

 

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

 

 

That's the era I watched you a lot, and I can remember that song and the double-o bit.

 

I remember coming from Birmingham hearing a lot more racism in Newcastle (in general, I mean), but there were just so few Asian and black faces around the city at the time, it didn't really surprise me.

 

Of course, you need to see all the above in the wider context that Britain itself was a lot more racist back then than it is now.

 

I lived in the midlands in the late 70's and early 80's and heard much more day to day racism than I ever did up here.  We were terrible as a fan base but away from football racism wasn't a massive problem from my experience.

 

Ethnic population probably played a part in that.

[Mick]

 

 

Ethnic population probably played a part in that.

 

I felt that the problems in the midlands, and only the areas that I knew was that Asians and West Indians didn't integrate too well, they even seemed to avoid each other.  They seemed to live in the same areas where whites didn't live in so it was a case of them and us.  It wasn't a massive problem up here because we had fewer at that time and they integrated much better.  We've got Benwell now but didn't at that time, or at least I don't remember it being like that.

[afar]

And fans' reaction to him? Prompted by the documentary on Sky about Chelsea's first black player.

 

 

I can barely remember Howard Gayle 8 games on loan in 83, tho i never missed a game that season.

 

I remember Tony Cunningham, and a certain name directed at him, but I think his race didnt really come into the fact the fans just thought he was s*** and symptomatic of the poor first season back in the top flight playing hoofball under Jack Charlton.

 

The Newcastle crowd were just generally racist in the early/ mid 80s, names, monkey noises, bananas and songs, chants were quite common iirc. Im sure someone will be along to disagree- but thats how I remember it. 

 

Casual racism was pretty much an accepted norm in the area where I grew up tbh.

 

 

 

 

Yep I always remember the NF presence outside the ground in those days, it was shockingly obvious by today's accepted standards. One old bloke in particular I remember always standing outside the old Gallowgate end handing out NF Flyers, I used to give him some shit as I walked past him but he was completely emotionless.

 

 

[nufc4eva]

Yep, I remember watching Tony Cunningham when I was young. I also remember chants of "he's black, he's brown, he plays for the town". Must have been so hard playing back in the 80s with all the racism.

I remember the word "darkies" used when I was a kid to describe black players.

I heard that term at Arsenal match the other day from a bloke in front of me, stating they don't have brains and all the same. Shocking in this day and age.

[snoopdawg]

I remember being in the paddock around 1985 when I think we played Aston Villa. There was a group of lads nearby shouting at tony Cunningham calling him a black B*****d every time he went near the ball. I objected to one lad in particular who grabbed me the upper clothing and was going for me. The reaction of the crowd surprised me turning round to gawp at me instead of the foul mouthed racist! luckily enough some people separated us. The stewards that I recall nor the police came nowhere near such was the acceptance then. Mind you Cunningham had the last laugh scoring the winner!

[Big Geordie]

Tony Cunningham I remember (always put loads of effort in) and also Howard Gayle. Racism was rife back then - I remember the National Front peddling their filth outside the Gallowgate End on matchdays. Am sure Jack Charlton coined the term 'Blackie Milburn' for Cunningham. ::

[Wallsendmag]

Tony Cunningham was the first black player I can remember seeing play for us but because I was so young I didn't really notice any racial abuse directed at him.

 

A bit later than that I remember being at Franz Carrs home debut (v Watford I think) in 1991 and I was in the Labour club with my dad and a group of lads were singing "He's black, he's broon, he plays for the Toon, Franz Carr, Franz Carr" and nobody even battered an eyelid.

 

Even later than that I remember I little ditty about Kieron Dyer which thankfully didn't really get off the ground except for a few people at away games which went "We've got Kieron Dyer he's a little flyer, from Ipswich Town, he's slightly brown".

 

No doubt casual racism still exists but that's the last time I heard a players skin colour mentioned in a song about them.