Gambia footballers alleged of racial slurs

Two Gambia international footballers, playing for Scottish amateur side, Tynecastle AFC in Soutland, have alleged that they were taunted with racial remarks by rival players during matches, Scottish media report stated.

George Cole, 17 and Ousman Sonko, 18, both reported that the incidents took place on different occasions. “Then many players started and someone told me to get back to my country. I did not want to retaliate, because I just wanted to play football,” George Cole was quoted as saying by media reports in Scotland.Mr Cole explained that the incident was triggered, when on January 6, playing against Mauchline United, during a Scottish Amateur Cup third-round game, the referee awarded him a penalty kick and that’s when one of the rival players uttered racist comment at him.
Ousman Sonko, however, was reported to have been taunted few month ago, before his team mate’s incident. Mr Sonko, explained that the racial abuse took place during Lothian and Edinburg amateur league matches. Both players were not immediately available for comments and a phone call to their manager- Andy Gibson- in Scotland was not yet returned.

However, Scottish Amateur Football Association (SAFA) Administrative Officer, Hugh Knapp, on a phone interview from his Scotland offices told this reporter; “oh...Scottish Amateur FA has received no reports of any racial remarks involving players of that club.” Mr Knapp further said that no referee has filed a report or complain about the alleged racial remarks being directed at the two foreign black nationals.
“In the event, we receive such complaint or report, SAFA will thoroughly investigate the matter through the appropriate disciplinary committee,” he said. But Hugh Knapp did consent that very few racial taunting incidents have happened in the past.

It could be recalled that both George Cole and Ousman Sonko are members of Gambia’s U-1 World Cup team that eliminated their Brazil counterparts last year.