HAVING followed Bury Football Club for 40 years and having seen everything from the sale of Ray Pointer to the present financial woes, there is only one thing that has persistently made me think of walking out of a match and not bothering to go again. And this happened again during Bury's match at Queens Park Rangers.

There is a small group of supporters who go to many away games, seemingly to drink heavily and chant foul-mouthed and racist slogans. I have seen their odious presence for the last three or four years and it has depressed me that, given all the fancy statements about "kicking racism out of football", there has not been one occasion, to my knowledge, when any action has been taken against them by the stewards, the clubs or the police. On Saturday, their foul-mouthed chanting was temporarily interrupted by the sending-off of Steve Redmond, only to resume with a chant of "We only need ten white men", a pointed reference to the number of black players playing for QPR. This happened only ten feet from a QPR steward, who was himself black.

This behaviour brings a terrible and undeserved reputation to both the club and the town itself. With the reluctance of the stewards or the police on the spot to take any action, it is left to fans to put themselves at risk by making specific complaints. Given the level of inebriation and threatening demeanour of these people it is hardly surprising that no-one has!

I have written to the club offering witness statements from both myself and fellow fans in the hope that the club can, with the assistance of the police, identifying these racist thugs and have action taken against them or, at the very least, have them banned from the club. I know there are many more fans who are equally disgusted but frightened of the repercussions of making a complaint.

I am proud that this club has a black manager, has the first Asian footballers to play in the league and a has fine record in its efforts to promote multi-culturalism. We should all condemn racist behaviour done in the name of the club and do everything we can to eradicate it.

BARRY HOWARTH,

Washington, Tyne and Wear.