Does Sheffield base game have a race problem?

Hello – and welcome to Thursday’s Tribune.

In January this year, a Sheffield Wednesday fan made a monkey chanting gesture towards an opposing player. Caught on video, 21-year-old Edward Rabjohn was vilified by fellow fans and banned from all football matches for five years. As well as being a Sheffield Wednesday fan, Rabjohn plays cricket for Coal Aston in the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League, where insiders have raised concerns about some of his language – as well as the wider culture of local cricket. He was punished by the tribunal for his behavior at Sheffield Wednesday. But what does the way his case has been handled by the Yorkshire cricket authorities say about how seriously they take the issue of racism? Dan Hayes reports.

To me, today’s piece seems like a story only the Tribune could cover. It is complex, multi-faceted and, as with many issues, there are no simple answers. Unlike many other titles that chase easy headlines in search of thousands of clicks, we explore stories in a way that helps people understand what’s really going on. If you want nuanced and thoughtful reporting on the issues that matter in Sheffield, become a member of The Tribune.

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⚽ The data have was released for the first Steel City Derbies in more than five years. The Blades and Owls return to the same division for the first time since the 18-19 season, with the first leg taking place at Bramall Lane on November 9 and the return leg taking place at Hillsborough on March 15. However, anyone hoping for an entertaining football game might be disappointed. Three of the most recent derbies ended in 0-0 draws.

💷 Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are paid to people with disabilities or long-term health problems to help them with the costs of their conditions – and both Labor and the Tories have promised major changes to the system if they win the election. In this excellent BBC report, PIP recipients and their carers in Sheffield are talking about how worried they are that it will be cut. “If the lifeline is cut it will be devastating,” says one.

🗺️ Work is underway on the first draft of a new Sheffield neighborhood map been completed. Simon Duffy and Tom French worked with around 500 people from across the city to find what they hope will become a the final list from the 147 neighborhoods of the city. But as well as being an interesting cartographic exercise, they believe the new map could also be used as “a starting point to start addressing some of the city’s most pressing issues”.

🍔 Our recent piece on Little Sheffield showed how the area is rapidly changing, and now has its own monthly street food market. From arancini to beef bulgogi, Steam kitchen at Steamworks promises a wide range of delicious food from different suppliers every month. As well as food and drink, there will be great tunes from a selection of live musicians and DJs. The market is open Friday (17:00-23:00), Saturday (12:00-23:00) and Sunday (12:00-20:00).

🎉 The launch takes place on Saturday Walkley Festival, a 10-day celebration of the area and its creative talent. Taking place between the library and St Mary’s Church (10am – 4pm), South Road will feature a makers market, street food, drinks, live music and entertainment. The following day will feature an event featuring open gardens, a yard sale and artist open studios, while the festival will conclude on Sunday, July 7 with a festival finale at Ruskin Park.

🥾 On Sunday, join an urban walk through the leafy streets and beautiful parks of Nether Edge, Brincliffe and Banner Cross led by artist, outdoor expedition leader and forest school teacher Robin Widdowson and local historian Anders Hanson. On the walk you will explore some of Sheffield’s most beautiful and fascinating suburbs and discover more about their history. The 7km walk will start at 10am at Craft & Dough in Kelham Island and costs £8.30.

By Dan Hayes

“When I heard it was Eddie, I was both surprised and also not at all.”

On Monday, May 20 this year, Sheffield man Edward Rabjohn, he was convicted racially abused Coventry City footballer Kasey Palmer during a match at Hillsborough in January. One YouTube video of the incident, Rabjohn is seen jumping out of his chair before making a monkey gesture at Palmer, who is black. After the incident, Rabjohn ran from the stadium.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard the 21-year-old had six pints before the game. He later admitted to friends that he “messed up”. In a statement to the court, Kasey Palmer said the abuse had left him “shocked, disgusted and sickened”. Rabjohn will not be able to attend any Wednesday or England games for five years. He was also sentenced to a two-year community order and 200 hours of unpaid work.

As well as being a Sheffield Wednesday fan, Edward Rabjohn plays cricket for Coal Aston Cricket Club, a club based near Dronfield which has several teams playing in the Yorkshire leagues. A teammate who had played with him for several years (who did not want to be named) tells us that while they were surprised to see Rabjohn’s name all over the internet, his behavior was no surprise.

The teammate describes Rabjohn as a “surface-level racist.” Although they never heard him say “outright insults,” they said he would be “disproportionately dismissive or critical” of predominantly Asian parties, in a way that made him and others feel uncomfortable. “There was a noticeable increase in irritation and anger and increased taunting when playing against people from Asian backgrounds,” he says. Another recalls Rabjohn making unsavory comments about immigrants — which, while not exactly uncommon in society, caused others to question his attitudes toward black people.

Racism in sports is, of course, nothing new. The football pitches of the 1970s and 1980s were full of racial abuse hurled at black players. Cricket crowds are usually tamer, but the sport has its own problems, particularly in Yorkshire. After retiring from the game, former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq said he experienced racism throughout his professional career from other players. The allegations led to widespread changes at the Yorkshire county cricket club, including the resignation of its chairman and three other board members. The YCCC was also fined £400,000 and handed 52 points, although three-quarters of the financial penalty was suspended for two years. In 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wrote a new anti-discrimination policy, which also covers the grassroots game.

Although Rabjohn has been banned from football for five years, he is free to continue playing in the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League (YCSPL) every week. After Rabjohn was convicted, his club spoke to the YCSPL about the possibility of banning him from cricket for a period of time, but The Tribune was told by a source familiar with the matter that the league’s view was “strongly against ” to his ban from cricket. also playing cricket. Instead, he was “delisted” for a four-week period (which has now ended) and told to take an ECB anti-discrimination course.

“You don’t want the sport to drive people away completely,” says the teammate, “but just being made to do a Zoom call isn’t really a punishment. One of my main concerns about Eddie being allowed to stay at the club is his potential to influence younger players. I remember a bunch of them laughing at his racist remarks a few years ago when I was playing an Asian part.”

Deciding how to respond to Rabjohn’s conviction is a struggle. Would banning the player from cricket and football for a long period really help? Should cricket clubs, leagues and governing bodies be held accountable for what happens on a football pitch? On the other hand, in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq scandal, can a sport really be seen turning a blind eye to a convicted racist in its midst?