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| Middlesbrough fan denies racist 'monkey gestures' towards footballers | Middlesbrough fan denies racist 'monkey gestures' towards footballers |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A football fan has gone on trial accused of making "monkey gestures" towards black footballers. | A football fan has gone on trial accused of making "monkey gestures" towards black footballers. |
| Middlesbrough supporter Ernest Goult, 72, is accused of doing it at the Riverside Stadium at the end of a game against Blackburn Rovers in November, Teesside Magistrates' Court heard. | |
| Mr Goult, of Redcar, denies a racially aggravated public order offence. | Mr Goult, of Redcar, denies a racially aggravated public order offence. |
| In a statement, he said the "under-arm" gesture was an established Teesside expression meaning "the pits" | |
| Blackburn player Lee Williamson told the court the incident happened after Rovers scored a 94th-minute equaliser. | |
| Paul Power, prosecuting, said the "under-arm" gestures were directed at Williamson, Rudy Gestede and Markus Olsson. | Paul Power, prosecuting, said the "under-arm" gestures were directed at Williamson, Rudy Gestede and Markus Olsson. |
| Williamson, who was the Rovers captain on that evening, told the jury about the moments after the final whistle and said: "On the way to our fans I see a Middlesbrough fan making monkey gestures towards me." | |
| He then demonstrated a one-armed gesture under his arm pit and said the man did it four or five times. | He then demonstrated a one-armed gesture under his arm pit and said the man did it four or five times. |
| "I felt upset," Williamson said. | "I felt upset," Williamson said. |
| Asked what he felt the gesture meant, he said: "Implying that I'm a monkey." | Asked what he felt the gesture meant, he said: "Implying that I'm a monkey." |
| The player confirmed he took it to be a racist gesture. | The player confirmed he took it to be a racist gesture. |
| Gestede said he saw the man making the gesture about 10 times. He added he was then told to calm down by a colleague after becoming angry. | Gestede said he saw the man making the gesture about 10 times. He added he was then told to calm down by a colleague after becoming angry. |
| Amy Dixon, defending, asked the player whether the gesture could mean "you're the pits, you're rubbish". | Amy Dixon, defending, asked the player whether the gesture could mean "you're the pits, you're rubbish". |
| Gestede replied: "No". | Gestede replied: "No". |
| The player agreed with Mr Power that he was the "pantomime villain" after his injury time goal deprived Middlesbrough of two points. | The player agreed with Mr Power that he was the "pantomime villain" after his injury time goal deprived Middlesbrough of two points. |
| Mr Goult contacted Cleveland Police after the force released a picture of a man they wanted to talk to. | |
| PC Christopher Hilton told the jury he would perceive Mr Goult's actions "to be a racist gesture towards the players". | |
| "When I Googled it, nothing came back in relation to a Teesside gesture - the pits," he said. |