Andrew Mulligan: Unite to fight racial abuse

Any confirmation of racial abuse from Breakers fans would be hugely disappointing for the players. Photo / Greg Bowker

Onus is on clubs and fans to combine to stamp out this scourge in sport.

Crowd behaviour has again become an issue. These are isolated incidents but reflect poorly on the sports concerned and the thousands of respectful fans who turn up to enjoy a contest.

Last week, a man in Wollongong tipped beer on a player's head and blamed "cognitive impairment". And on Wednesday night at the Breakers game at the North Shore Events Centre, a fan, or fans, allegedly racially abused Perth Wildcats forward Nathan Jawai.

This is obviously not just an Australian NBL or an A-League problem with its blacklisting of fans due to questionable behaviour at matches - it's a societal problem.

People who still believe it's OK to hurl racial abuse at an individual they don't like just because they wear an opposing jersey will always beggar belief but it still continues.

The more teams and players stand up to this, the better. The Breakers' players and organisation, which I have no doubt will handle this with the utmost consideration and care, should make a stand against the individual or individuals but also try to help change the attitudes of these types of fans.

This is a family-oriented club with strong values and a fan base that is growing through the winning of multiple championships. Everyone loves a winner, so a proactive attitude would be appreciated by fans. Self-policing is also necessary.

There is an announcement before games about the responsibilities of individuals and their behaviour but security and fans can come together to improve what is already a slick and exciting sporting package.

What a package it is, too. The Breakers are the most exciting team in the NBL this season, along with Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats. But twice now their games have been overshadowed by ugly incidents - the first saw referees get a crucial call wrong at the end of the Melbourne-Breakers game a few weeks ago and then came Wednesday night's allegations.

Both games were superb contests. What also shouldn't be overlooked is how well the New Zealand franchise has put together an unbeaten home run and how they are taking teams to the wire recently on the road.

While Corey Webster gets the headlines for his play and brief dalliance with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA, the maturation of a newly-assertive Tom Abercrombie, the infectious energy of import Charles Jackson and the excitement Cedric Jackson provides with the ball have given coach Dean Vickerman a squad that will be hard to beat in a three-game playoff series.

The saddest part of the alleged abuse on Wednesday night is that it came from the stands either directly behind the Perth Wildcats bench or along from it. These are where the most loyal Breakers fans sit, the season ticket holders and members.

Many wear the team's colours, love the club and have been there from when 1500 was a decent-sized crowd at the North Shore Events Centre, a hot and steamy gym best described as quaint and homely but where championship dreams became reality.

They love the club and team, are vocal and supportive and usually wear players' jerseys like the now retired CJ Bruton's 23, Mika Vukona's 14 or Cedric Jackson's 4.

If the racial abuse allegations are true, imagine how disappointed those players would be that something like that happened in their gym?