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Search forChippenham 'racist fan' hunted for attack on soccer boss
Thursday, November 20, 2008, 19:02
Chippenham Town manager Adie Mings received the anonymous letter from a person who said he had been a fan of the club for 20 years.
Mings, who has managed the Southern League Premier division club for two years, is one of a handful of black managers in non-league football, after a successful playing career at clubs including Forest Green Rovers and Gloucester City.
But on the way to Saturday's game away to Farnborough, the 40-year-old boss was handed a letter from an anonymous 'fan'. The racist letter, which was addressed to the club's Hardenhuish ground and passed on unopened by a director, contained accusations against all black managers, attacked the Chippenham-born coach personally, and accused him of stabbing former boss Darren Perrin in the back.
Last night police chiefs in Chippenham said they were taking the letter very seriously. "We are now in possession of this letter, and a vigorous and prompt investigation will follow," said Insp Kate Payne.
"The content of the letter is grossly offensive and the sending of material by post of this racist nature is a criminal offence.
"There are a number of investigative options available to us and Mr Mings will be kept up to date with the progress of the inquiry."
Mr Mings said he was stunned by the letter when he received it, but continued with his role managing the side on the matchday after he received support from his assistant and the players.
"It was handed to me on the coach and I was shocked. I've lived in Chippenham all my life, grew up here and I've never, ever come across anything like this before," he said.
"So for someone to come up with this sort of thing now, I find it totally unacceptable and we need to start to clamp down on this straight away – which is why I feel I've done the right thing in going to the police. I've got a young family and elderly parents to protect.
"It was very malicious with a racist undertone and it was somebody who said they'd been a fan of Chippenham for 20 years. You're always receiving mail and some of it might not be complimentary but it would be about footballing matters and never anything like this.
"For someone to try and direct things like that at you as a person is bad enough, but once they start bringing colour into the situation, it is bad. In this day and age you like to think we've moved from this kind of thing."
Adie Mings
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