United defender Ross Weatherstone was fined £500 today for his partin a racist attack on an Asian taxi driver in which the caboverturned. Taxi driver Zafran Naeem's passengers called him “Bloody Paki” before kicking in the glass partition and trying to strangle him over a fare dispute.
Mr Naeem, who was driving Weatherstone and his friends home, lost consciousness as he was hauled into the back of the taxi and the cab careered into a lamp-post. The attack started when Mr Naeem, 22, turned his cab around because they were hurling racial insults at him.
Magistrates in Reading ordered Weatherstone, 19, and two other defendants to each pay a £500 fine and £200 costs. The footballer and students Robin Antonowicz, 19, and Gareth Evans, 21, were convicted of racially aggravated disorderly conduct. Carl Walker, 25, was cleared after the court heard he was sitting in the flip-down seat facing away from the driver.
The court earlier heard that the four friends, who had been out drinking, hailed the cab at 3am at the railway station on January 23rd. Weatherstone denied hurling racist abuse at the driver and claimed he only ever used the word “Paki” once in his life when police questioned him about the aftermath of the incident. He told the officer: “All of a sudden – not being racist – we were surrounded by a lot of Paki drivers.”
The professional footballer claimed he only used the racial slur under pressure after a night in the cells. He added: “The use of racist abuse is not acceptable, especially in my profession. There are people from many nationalities in football and we bond as a team”.
United's kit manager Ken Ridley told the court the club had strong policy to stamp out racism, saying he would never have let Weatherstone lodge with him for two years had the player been racist.
Weatherstone and Oxford United refused to comment on his conviction, Denis Smith saying that he would take no action until he ascertained the full facts. The offence carries a maximum fine of £2,500, but Weatherstone's lawyer claimed the defender only earned £150 a week, gross. It is not yet known whether Weatherstone will appeal against the verdict.
Ben Abbey, desparate for first team football, has gone on loan to Ryman League Premier Division side Aldershot for one month, much to the disappointment of Slough Town, who also wanted to borrow Abbey for a month as part of the alleged “closer links” between them and United. Abbey asked Denis Smith about his future and was told that he was at the bottom of the pecking order of the five strikers at the club. Smith has said that there's no more money to buy any new players.
United reserves last night beat Wantage 4-0 at the Alfredian Stadium, with two goals from Jamie Cook, plus one from Mosiah Blake and another from J.P. Mills, whoever he is.
Last night Mark Watson's Canada lost 2-0 in Mexico to virtually ensure their elimination from the World Cup. Read a brief match report here. Tonight, at about 2.00am BST, Barbados (including Steve Anthrobus) take on the United States.
© Rage Online 1998 - 2025 All rights reserved. If you want to copy stuff, please quote the source
another fine mash from ox9encoding