I was really sickened to read the following story on the BBC news site the other day.

Two charged with football racism

Two people have been charged over the alleged racial abuse of youths at Aberdeen’s International Football Festival, BBC Scotland has learned.

Police were called to Seaton Park on Tuesday following a complaint from officials of one of the teams.

A 41-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man are expected to appear at the city’s sheriff court on Wednesday, charged with breach of the peace.

The event has a zero tolerance approach to allegations of racial abuse.

Racism has no place in football and what makes this even more galling is the fact that the football festival is for 14 and 16 year old boys teams and girls teams and has attracted entrants from South Africa, France, Germany and The Faroe Isles.

I have been down to watch some of the games and some of the football on show has been magnificent.

In the U16’s competition the French team Clermond Ferrand have been an absolute joy to watch. Their players all have a good first touch, are comfortable on the ball and show good vision and quick decisive passing. They look to have a couple of outstanding talents in their ranks and have rightly made it through to Saturday’s final.

Let’s hope that the type of incident reported above does not spoil any player’s memories of what looks to have been a good, well contested, competition.