Redcar pensioner denies making ‘monkey gestures’ towards black footballers

This is the reaction of Blackburn Rovers players as a pensioner fan made monkey gestures following a Championship game against Middlesbrough.

Olsson told District Judge Stephen Harmes he was convinced the gestures were racially motivated.

Gestede, who scored the injury-time equaliser, told the court he was angered at seeing the Middlesbrough fan making several hand gestures.

Gestede scored a 94th minute equaliser at the Riverside Stadium that deprived the home team of two points and second place in the Championship.

Paul Power, prosecuting, said the “under-arm” gestures were directed at Williamson, Rudy Gestede and Markus Olsson.

Ernest Goult, 72, was found guilty of two public order offences, one racially aggravated, at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The player, who was the Rovers’ captain on that evening, said the match ended and he and his team passed Middlesbrough fans on their way to applaud their own supporters.

Trial: Goult said he was making a well-known Teesside gesture meaning “it’s the pits”.

Gestede said he saw the man doing the gesture about 10 times.

‘I felt upset, ‘ Williamson said.

Williamson said the supporter also made a “w***** sign” towards him. He said he came from a “blue collar background” but “had never heard of the gesture for “the pits” or seen anyone use it at a match”.

He also said he got raging and went towards the supporter but was told to calm down by a colleague.

The accused explained that it was an “old Teesside gesture”, which meant “you’re under the arm of the pit”.

He told the court: “It was like a monkey gesture and he wasn’t trying to hide it”. I have seen it before.

But Olsson said he was not anxious about that particular gesture. “It’s something we see every week”, he said.

Pc Christopher Hilton said: “The gesture I saw, I would perceive that to be a racist gesture towards the players”.

As well as the £600 fine and £600 costs, the district judge imposed a £60 victim surcharge.

PC Swales, 55, worked in industry for 13 years before working for the police, had attended more than 700 Middlesbrough matches in a 16 year police career, and had been attending as a fan since the early 1970s. “When I Googled it, nothing came back”.

“It’s a well known Teesside gesture”.

“Mr Gestede and I, our eyes met”, he said.

“Since the goalkeeper had been injured, I got a feeling of… you know…”

“It is simple intolerable that anybody acts like this even if they are 72-years-old, even if they have never been in trouble before, or even if in their heart they are not racist, football wants to stamp this out and I have to send out a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated, so a football banning order must follow”.

A club spokesman said: “Middlesbrough Football Club has never hesitated to take strong and decisive action with supporters who have been identified as participating in racist incidents, and will continue to do so”.

Asked if he thought that was because of the colour of his skin he replied: “Yes”.