Tapping speaks out about racist abuse

The teenage footballer was subjected to insults from the Balmoor crowd during the second half of the match and was substituted 15 minutes before the end by his manager after he broke down in tears.

The 17-year-old said that when the abuse began he couldn’t believe what he was hearing and that he “was only trying to play football.”

Tapping told The Herald he had to endure being called “Banana man” and “Black B*****d” during the match, while some other fans made monkey noises.

“Ten minutes into the second half, I started to hear monkey chants,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

He says that he though he continued to play on, he found it difficult to ignore the abuse from one section of the Peterhead fans standing behind the goal.

“After a while I was in tears,” he said. “I couldn’t really concentrate on the game.

“I tried to but the manager decided to take me off as he knew my head wasn’t in the game. I appreciate what he did.”

Tapping, who was born in London but moved to Scotland when he was three, says he had never received any racial abuse before and was confused as to why he was targeted during the game.

“It was a real shock. Who knows why they did it, but people should know that it is really upsetting.

“I feel that to single anyone out just because of the colour of their skin just isn’t on really.”

Tears

His mother Kim says she was shocked that the abuse was so bad that it had brought her son to tears.

“Jordan is not one for crying. But these people reduced him to tears. I find it pretty disgusting. We are angry but we have had great support since this happened. We want to move on now - but we also want to show that this kind of abuse is not acceptable.”

Peterhead fan Donnie Fraser, 19, who was arrested in connection with the abuse has been ordered by the courts to pay £300 compensation to Jordan Tapping and banned from attending football matches for 12 months.