Chirs Hughtoin hardly welcomes the limelight, but he was interviewed today within the context he is the second black manager at Newcastle United.
Chris Hughton - when he arrived in Newcastle a year last February
Ruud Gullit, who had a year at the club from 1998 until 1999, when he was replaced by Bobby Robson, was the first black manager on Tyneside, and it may be that Newcastle are the only club to have two black managers in their history.
Chris Hughton has been blazing a trail throughout his life it seems, when you look back on his career.
He said today:
“I’ve had some extremely proud moments,” “I was the first black player to play for Ireland and I was the second black player to play for Tottenham Hotspur. When I first broke into the side at Spurs I was the only black player in the squad, but others followed.”
“I had no idea Newcastle are the only club to have had two black managers, but it hasn’t really been talked about before. I think that says a lot. A few years ago, if I had been in charge of the team, it would have been big news because of my color.”
“It’s interesting that nobody has even mentioned that before, when talking about me about Newcastle and that shows how attitudes have progressed. Nobody is really bothered by it.”
But it shows just how far attitudes have changed, and the progress that has been made with the Show Racism The Red Card initiative.
Chris continued:
“It’s sad to say, but the incidents are too numerous to mention,” “Racism was around us every day, from opposition supporters and even players. It was just one of those things, it affected you everywhere you went.”
“It was society’s problem, not football’s as such, but that meant its presence was felt.” “Opposition players would abuse you, there would be confrontations and racism would come out.”
“When you went to take a throw in, you would here it from fans the whole time.”
“It was unpleasant and some of the things said did hurt, but they were doing it for a reason. They wanted to upset you, make you angry or distract you.”
Hopefully those times are over for good, and with a black President of the United States surely these sterotypes are a thing of the past – we hope so anyway.
But usually Newcastle fans don’t care if the player or manager is black, white, , yellow green or orange – if he can do a job on Tyneside he’s supported 100%.
Comments welcome.
54 responses so far ↓
1 JinkyGenius // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:10 AM
…as long as he comes from Tyneside that is, eh, Ed?
2 shrews mag // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:14 AM
I am off to Cardiff on Sunday … I have been told that there is an away car park next to the ground which charges £5 …. is this correct or am I being lulled into a welsh ambush …!!??
Any tips on parking welcome …
3 JinkyGenius // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:17 AM
What a dreadfully depressing and condescending article. If skin colour doesn’t matter, why bloody mention it? These ‘stereotypes’ have vanished in most parts of the real world already, Ed, perhaps the US corporate world remains a notable exceptions.
4 Irish Toon // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:24 AM
pointless tripe
5 Toon Chicken // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:25 AM
I never realised what a lovely bunch we really are – surely it is only a matter of time before we are hailed by FIFA as a model of tolerance and unity for football fans across the globe!
Now when is that jellied eel gobbling cockeneye bar steward gonna sod off back to London?
:/
6 WELSHMAG // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Shrews mag – I’m not sure to be honest mate I guess there will be some car parks available for the day for a decent price. The gournd isn’t in the town center so that’ll keep the prices down a little. Are you there for the night/weekend? can offer some advice on some good drinking holes.
7 Tal_nufc4eva // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:27 AM
shearer shud b brought in as number 2. keep wor chris as manager
8 The_Legend_Of_Jonas // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:29 AM
He’s less black than Ali G for crying out loud..
9 Irish Toon // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:30 AM
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it tal_
10 tdt // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:30 AM
its good it isnt an issue these days because racism is stupid, its a basic sign of ignorance. It shouldnt be a point of discussion, but this is nonetheless a good article as it is positive and i dont think it is pateronising. Everyone should be equal, and then judged on their actions. simple as that.
11 Dragonera // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:33 AM
You lot are really beginning to do my head in. You complain about Ed Harrison churning out the same articles all of the time, and then when he does something different you attack him anyway. Give the guy a break.
Great article Ed.
12 batty // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Toon Chicken lol
13 shrews mag // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:36 AM
WELSHMAG // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Cheers for the offer of info but I am just down for the day … not far though … clue is in the name …!!!
14 Trent Toon // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:48 AM
i thought this was Nufcblog?? not wikipedia!
15 Mag_Laad // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:51 AM
I think its funny the US vote in a black president just because he’s black? And guess what now they’re complaining about him! haha the most racist country in the world STILL! except maybe South Africa and communist states, but that then leaves America
16 Whumpie // Sep 8, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Toon Chicken – crack-up. Nice one on a dull morning.
As for Wor Chris – hadn’t noticed he was black – thought he looked kinda Portuguese or summat.
Either way, good on him – hope he gets the Manager of the Month award.
17 ArtyH // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:03 AM
I think this is a good article, we in and around the Newcastle area are proud to call our selves GEORDIES and are known world wide for this. There are after all only GEORDIES and those who want to be GEORDIES. With that said on the subject of racism, most toon followers wouldn’t give a flying one if our C.F or any other position, had two heads, one arm looked like Quasimodo and was coloured BLUE with yellow spots if they gave their heart and sole to the cause. We would warm to him/her and would be hero worshiped.
To me toon supporters, like any other supporters from any where in the country or the world, call other supporters just to upset them and it is expected back and taken as a rightful exchange, its what happens the world over. After all toon supporters call the mackem supporters and vica versa both with equal vigour, its part of the game and has been for years. Hopefully colour issues are no longer a problem in this country now, its a different matter when our black players go abroad and they are abused by ” supporters ” like the recent banana incident with our England players.
Now that IS a disgrace and should be eliminated from the game!
18 Big Dave // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:12 AM
ArtyH > looked like Quasimodo
as for being black im darker after a holiday than CH lol
What this got to do with pedro
19 ArtyH // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Just thinking of Quasi, er, Pedro in a toon side makes you proud eh? Sadly just memories……
20 doofa the loofa // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:20 AM
didn’t know he was black… doult ireland or the spuds noticed either. more yella than black, but he’s doing ok. think he’s just happy to have the job, and seems to get on with the players. do we think he come become a really top prem manager?
21 Mag_Laad // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:28 AM
I’d say Caramel
22 Big Dave // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:34 AM
ArtyH I agree with your points I think most times the fans dont really think about what they are saying it is mostly spur of the moment stuff to wind the players up, it was the same over here for years one side would be calling the other players Fenian Bstarts or orange bstarts even though the players might not have been the religion they were being called but the team they played for was, A big mate of mine played for a catholic team and got all sorts of abuse calling him a provo gunman, Fenian cnut, pope head etc and he was Protestant lol
23 Bigbadbob // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:36 AM
The black issue never entered my head until this article was published in the Journal, but i ask myself, why?, what is the point in going into a race issue when there isnt one.
Black players and athletes are accepted as physically stronger and quicker than their fellow sportsmen in general but i dont see this raised as an issue but racism obsessed intellectuals in politics and the media will continue to bang the drum even though the majority of us dont see the point as it is not the problem they would have us believe.
24 Big Dave // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:37 AM
doofa the loofa he is a real top guy and doing a brill job at the moment, but I think he lacks a bit of steel to be a top manager imo anyway
25 Big Dave // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Bigbadbob // Sep 8, 2009 at 11:36 AM
The black issue never entered my head until this article was published in the Journal, but i ask myself, why?, what is the point in going into a race issue when there isnt one
Exactly mate its got nowt to do with it and i cant understand what it was achiving by saying it.
26 lesh // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Good article Ed and like Bigbadbob, ethnicity never entered my head as I’m sure it didn’t many others’.
I’m sure I can speak for all on this site and most Newcastle United supporters in general when I say that Ashley could’ve appointed a one eyed? one horned flying purple people eater as manager and as long as the results were coming in, his suitablilty for the job would never be questioned. Even if that appointment was unsuccessful, then it would have been footballing matters under scrutiny.
Sadly though, there are some less tolerant than the vast majority and they need to be kicked out of sport completely.
However, it’s a sad indictment of this so called enlightened age we live in that a guy’s colour or ethnicity is a cause of concern for the ignorant minority who tend to be associated with clubs in the south of England!
In saying that though, the people of Tyneside are far more relaxed about such issues than most and racism’s never really been an issue to us.
Great job so far Mr Hughton and please keep up the momentum and spirit you’ve generated.
27 dave 1961 // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:06 PM
as long as he’s doing a good job he has a place at Newcastle, whatever job he may be doing, if he goes back as coach, i hope a pay rise is in order to reward him for keeping us out the mire, loyalty is rare these days, and most people would have walked and taken an easy life by now, i will admit hes not my choice as manager, but i still have high regard for him, and if i had a top 100 list for manager he would be in the top ten, it could be a case that shearer tries and fails, what a good plan “b” if that was to occur.
28 milburn // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Aye ive heard Alf Garnett is presenting the manager of the month award.
29 dave 1961 // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:12 PM
any one who dislikes someone for their color, it is just a reflection of their low intelligence levels, i will not hound these people as they are generally so thick they would not understand what your doing, i have always told my kids if you ever hate anyone who is black, don’t hate them because of it.
30 punk skunk... // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:16 PM
We are black, we are white, together we are dynamite…
…As ‘we’ used to say!..
…:) …
31 Geordie-Gerrard7 // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:20 PM
i remember a couple of years ago thinking of black managers in england at the time i think it was only rosenior, tigana, and guilett the cont
32 lacedaemonian // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Quality post, Toon Chicken. I loved it!!
33 Geordie-Gerrard7 // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:25 PM
heard a little rumour yesterday about us going for fran merida of arsenal, very good technique, good young player, then i seen this
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1766_5544009,00.html
34 hitman // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:33 PM
lets hope we can get players in in the next few days and not leave till the very last second.
35 Mag_Laad // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:37 PM
It’s stupid that people are asking these questions really. What significance is it? And whats the point in the question? But meh! Journal/Chronicle are $hite papers anyway, only read the Gazzette and thats only now and then. FFS Lee Ryder writes for the Chronicle on Newcastle and is probably the worst Journalist/$hit stirrer out there. Black, White, Yellow, Orange it doesn’t matter we’re all pink on the inside
36 Isaac Hunt // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:39 PM
tbh I didn’t realise that Chris Hughton was a manager
37 lesh // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Nice one Milburn – I’m sure Mr Garnett’d be tolerance exemplified!
And Mr Punk……
We are black, we are white, together we are dynamite…
That sums it up perfectly.
38 DJM TOON // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:43 PM
sorry fella’s, the ones that are slating the article… dont forget that these are chris’ words, not ed’s, ed is merely quoting the guy, and perosnally, i’d rather read this than another supposed take over thread
just keep it shut if you’ve got nothing worth saying
39 Isaac Hunt // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:45 PM
This is taken from a very embarressing article in the Journal written by Luke Edwards.
Dog bites journo
40 Eaststander // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Not a lot of people on here give enough of a shout out for our left back jose Enrique. Sitting in the eaststand I get a good look at this player every 45 mins and I have got to say again that this kid is a bloody good player. He is one of the ones i didn’t want to lose this summer and somehow we kept him. This is a lad that would fit straight into any prem side. We don’t need anyone to push him we just need back up. Brilliant player.
41 punk skunk... // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Eaststander,
with ya’ all the way on the ‘Enrique’ thing, always knew he would kick ass once he was settled in…We MUST keep hold of this lad!..
…Great player, who is gonna get better yet!..
…Ho’way Jose, or, ‘Yes way Jose!..
42 Tino 11 // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:53 PM
It’s sad that racism still exsists, it is disgusting, sadly i can’t see a time when it won’t exsist, it has no place in society or football.
However i think probably in football more than in everyday life things get said at the heat of the moment.
A friend of mine shouted “you useless black ba*tard” a while ago at the match, obviously at first hearing this rounds very racist and i had to save him from a possible fight because of it.
But i know my friend isn’t racist at all and i know he didn’t mean it in that way. He tried to explain and said he was wanting to express that he thought the player was a useless ba*tard but because there was a distingushing feature about the person he included it in the insult, the word “black”. He then said if there was a white player and he had ginger hair he would’ve said “you useless ginger ba*tard” rather than just “you useless ba*tard”. Now if he’d used the “N” word then i wouldn’t of defended him because i think he would’ve meant it in a racist way.
Anyway this is a football blog so i’ll get back on topic, CH has done a great job and if he doesn’t get the manager of the month it will be a disgrace, being a very gracious man i’m sure CH will dedicate it to CC the players and the fans anyway.
43 Bigbadbob // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:53 PM
DJM – the Journal article is getting slated not Ed
44 punk skunk... // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Ta Lesh,
i knew someone would get it!..
…We used to sing that, oooh, back in the 70′s…
…Late 70′s, i might add!..
45 Isaac Hunt // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Pronounced with a ‘J’ rather than a ‘H’ (apparently).
46 punk skunk... // Sep 8, 2009 at 1:06 PM
portuguese style?..
…No way, Jose!..
47 lesh // Sep 8, 2009 at 1:08 PM
The Chron’s got a good article on Enrique and he appears to be up for the fight too.
Punk, just as well as it was late 70s you went to SJP, otherwise you’d have had to endure the pain of being in the east paddock, basking in the sun having had a few at the Haymarket before being forced to watch Jinky Smith, Hibbett, SuperMac, Barraclugh, Nattrass et al…..
Torture I can tell you – you don’t know the suffering of others!
48 punk skunk... // Sep 8, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Lesh,
1st started goin’ in the early 70′s as a bairn, but by the late 70′s ‘rock against racism’ & all that!..
…Torture was in the 80′s mate, i’m sure you know the full craic about that pain!?!..
49 davis_toons // Sep 8, 2009 at 2:55 PM
This issue leads me into thinking of the former M.J.
He wanted so much for black or white or any colors to stay cool together.
In his MTV black or white there are different racial group in there.
50 OHurley // Sep 8, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Chris Hughton is black? Really? Hmmm…. maybe his great great grandfather was black? I honestly didn’t know he was black. When I think of black people, I think of Oba Martins or Geremi. Not CH lol
51 Stardust // Sep 8, 2009 at 4:31 PM
BBB “racism obsessed intellectuals in politics and the media”
Ironically they the politicians etc show THEMSELVES as racist – as others have stated society doesnt care about colour in most cases – politicians do though. politicans go about implementing statistics on for example how many searches were made of black people in an area – then the same politicians state the polica are institutionally racist when it s there systems that exacerbate it.
Stereotyping is a part of survival – formed out of countless experiences – its not to say you act any differently but you have to have the “nouse” to recognise situations and protect yourself at whatever level.
As Tino pointed out re the black b expletive – when people do shout insults they naturally put a marker on them as they want that person to know its aimed at them – that in itself isnt racist. But because a man has a different skin colour you cant say that? Is that not racist treatment in itself?
I am a geordie, Londoners are cockneys, Liverpool folk Scousers, Americans Yanks, We are pommies in Australia so why cant I call someone from Pakistan a Paki? Its because those who decree the term Paki as racist are racist themselves as they see that people of different colour skin should be treated differently.
No wonder societies a mess when their logic confounds itself.
52 Stardust // Sep 8, 2009 at 4:33 PM
God my spelling was atrocious there – apologies.
53 JJJ // Sep 8, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Makes a change from your opinion being atrocious Stardust
54 JJJ // Sep 8, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Ps. You know what I love about Newcastle.
We’ve got relegated but because our side is giving some positive performances. The fans in South African are back and wearing the Newcastle shirts with pride.
Great to see! Just shows this game is about what happens on the pitch. And the rest is just politics.
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