This England A View from the Terraces (1986)

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:11][music] [cheering] [cheering] >> In here, it's great it is.

[00:00:58]Like for me, you know, yeah.

[00:01:00]Stockton Manor Hall.

[00:01:03]>> [cheering] >> Well, the first time I went I didn't know nothing about football. Didn't know how to play a ball, kick a ball, anything.

[00:01:11]And once doing camera needed down my cycling first move round here.

[00:01:16]And went to our reserve game the first time. And that's when I got interested in football.

[00:01:22]I've never been in the ground before.

[00:01:23]It's a different atmosphere cuz it was dead quiet and about 10,000 people just sitting on the seats that's clapping every time made a good move, jumping when they scored. But, it's too boring in the seats.

[00:01:38]AND HERE'S BOND.

[00:01:41]WHO EQUALIZES.

[00:01:44]The atmosphere is brilliant. You know, it's really lively it is.

[00:01:47]You know, you get people with cheering on scarves, banners.

[00:01:52]And the atmosphere is great.

[00:01:55]Bond trying an turn.

[00:01:58]And Baker Yes.

[00:02:01]I like playing football and I like watching football.

[00:02:04]You know, so like I come here like, you know, like a lot of second week I've been to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United a few games and we just like football. I go anywhere to watch football really.

[00:02:13]Pons outside him. Donaghy prepared though to float it in towards Tommy Booth.

[00:02:18]Oh, AND WHAT A GOAL BY CHARLTON.

[00:02:22]WHAT A GOAL.

[00:02:24]PETER SWALES SWALES smiling there the Manchester City chairman.

[00:02:28]And Manchester City have won.

[00:02:30]My reasons for really supporting United with Dennis Law because Dennis Law was for us Manchester United. And as a result of that I started to support United. I I think I came um in early well, uh middle '60s round about that time.

[00:02:47]Uh when we had the the sort of Dennis Law, Bobby Charlton, later on George Best.

[00:02:52]You know, the the greats of football.

[00:02:54]My first game when I was about 9 or 10 me me older brother brought me along.

[00:02:58]I can't remember the game but I know I was in this part of the the ground and again I was really taken about by the sheer size and the spectacle of it all.

[00:03:05]Absolutely electric right the way through. The adrenaline starts flowing, you know, you start This is kind of weird. There's kind of buzz of of anticipation just before the match starts and once it actually gets going, I mean, especially in the the standing area here because everybody's so close together, you can sort of feel it off everybody.

[00:03:22]It's like it's just like a great big feeling. You're all one, not, you know, separate people so there.

[00:03:30]THE GOAL BY SUMMERBEE.

[00:03:33]THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

[00:03:43]OH, THEY hurriedly put the red and white ribbons on that marvelous old cup.

[00:03:48]And it goes back to Old Trafford.

[00:03:52]But one incident which which took place with I mean being a United fan obviously it was a great pleasure to be here.

[00:03:59]Uh a goal was scored.

[00:04:01]And everybody jumped up. I mean everybody who supported United anyway.

[00:04:06]Uh I think even the pillars were moving.

[00:04:08]And I you know, quite obviously being a United fan, I really went up in the air.

[00:04:13]And these two chaps who who were sort of in front of me literally turned round while all this was cheering was going on and looked at me and said "What you cheering for?"

[00:04:24]So I said, "Cuz it's a goal that's been scored." "But Paki's are not allowed to cheer."

[00:04:30]And I really that really upset me and I think you know, all all I mean I support Manchester United like anybody else does and I feel really annoyed when they lose. I mean I I I I feel for them.

[00:04:41]But that upset me because I certainly didn't feel part and parcel of uh Old Trafford.

[00:04:47]It was in a It was in a derby once and uh United fans, you know, like they just started singing I would rather be a than a blue. You know, just I don't know if if it was meant for a joke or it was a song.

[00:05:01]You know, how they made it up.

[00:05:03]Why do you think they did that?

[00:05:06]I don't know really.

[00:05:10]Well, where were you? Were you in the middle of the fans? Where were you? I was like uh just middle of the fans yeah, where the halfway line is.

[00:05:19]Just on the done in there. I was in the middle. After the people singing?

[00:05:22]Singing yeah, but but I was on the city fans. But you know, you could hear it.

[00:05:27]Down the ground like you know, United fans singing you know, I'd rather be a than a blue like. I go about my life knowing that I will get, you know, come up against uh racial remarks and maybe people who are not too keen on me because of my color but then that's really uh I'm living it so I've got to live with that.

[00:05:43]I don't think I will ever you know, feel as though I do fit in because I know that as soon as people look at me, I mean they are going to see my color as different to theirs. I mean, I'm sure if someone was describing me to somebody else, they'd use my color as a way of pointing me out.

[00:05:55]I definitely feel more Sikh than I do British.

[00:06:11]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> It says somebody that you asked you a question, how would you describe yourself? What would you say to them? I would tell them I'm a Sikh, my name and do I have a >> [snorts] >> Describe myself in some way.

[00:07:17]But but you don't wear a turban. No, but I mean, like if you if you don't wear a turban, I mean, there's people who wear turbans, but it's the belief. I mean, he might wear a turban and think he's a he's a proper Sikh.

[00:07:29]You know what I mean? But it doesn't it doesn't mean that. You know what I mean?

[00:07:31]Like people can wear five Ks and wear a turban and wear a bracelet, the kara or what do you call it, and uh I got that and such and such, and you know, it doesn't mean that they are the proper thing.

[00:07:44]The Sikh faith is more in a How do you put it? Um There are certain rules such as, you know, not to smoke and not to eat beef, but I think I personally think that to to be close to God in any type of religion is really the way you live your life and not not really whether you wear a turban or whether you don't. Did you ever wear a turban?

[00:08:08]Uh I never wore a turban, but I used to have, you know, my hair tied up into like a a judy what we call it, you know.

[00:08:17]And uh I used to go to school. And when we used to go swimming, you know, we used to have to open our head and put a swimming hat on.

[00:08:24]And people used to laugh, you know, and all this. So, one day I just came home to my parents and says, you know, I want to have a haircut. But at first my parents was really annoyed about that, you know.

[00:08:35]My father wearing the turban turban like And uh so, you know, when you play football and your hair used to open your hair used to open, you know, and people used to laugh like anything like this. At times you used to tie it up, you know, but you couldn't do it always, that type of thing. So, like just got a haircut. I was about 12 years of age.

[00:09:12]>> [music] [singing] >> Being nice to others is not uh what race you are or what color you are or what type religion you are. I think it's, you know, coming along to support the team. And that's what it is. I mean, like, there's times in the stands where you'll talk to people you've never seen them before in your life, and that's the, you know, the comradeship of just coming to the match, and they're United supporters, and you're a United supporter. You get look It looks as as if to say, "What the heck you doing here?"

[00:09:54]As if you're out of space.

[00:09:56]And I think it's worse if you wear the turban because you you stand out. Well, obviously you stand out. And people give you the look as if to say not you don't belong here.

[00:10:06]Why did you start wearing your turban then?

[00:10:08]I started to wear my turban because um I've always been so proud of my religion and my culture.

[00:10:15]And I won't I'm nobody can take that away from me. But when I used to talk uh about my religion, people used to point out to me. And if I could just say briefly that it's to to wear the turban is not just, you know, it's not just a Sikh.

[00:10:31]Uh you don't have to wear the turban.

[00:10:32]But many people identify that as being the essential.

[00:10:36]And uh people used to say, "Well, look, if if you're a Sikh, why don't you wear your turban?"

[00:10:41]And uh I felt that it was time that I I wanted to wear my turban, but our circumstances are a lot different from other people who usually get a haircut.

[00:10:47]Would you come here wearing your turban standing in the Stretford End? I wouldn't stand in the Stretford End, no.

[00:10:53]I'll be honest with you. I uh when I come again, and I was here not so long ago, I'll be in the seats.

[00:11:00]Because?

[00:11:01]Because of the the the harassment that the individual receives. You see, it's very embarrassing to stand here, and then some lunatic, and they are lunatics, uh to throw something from the top there, or or just to push or something, and your turban comes off, and everybody's having a laugh at your expense. I can't afford to do that.

[00:11:19]I'll come here all the time, you know what I mean? I'll always come here, like, and incidents like was walking home from the match.

[00:11:25]Just got out the gates, and uh some fans just turn around, and it was like shouting, you know, uh one of me friends had a turban on, and started shouting, you know, you get Paki's here coming with turbans on and all that.

[00:11:37]And things like that, but it it does you know, at the sometime you think to yourself, you know, you're a supporter and you go there and you you get all this, you know.

[00:11:45]But, I don't just don't worry about it, you know.

[00:11:48]It doesn't spoil the game for you? No, it doesn't spoil the game for me at all, no. Don't you ever feel you'd rather watch football on the telly in the comfort of your own home?

[00:11:56]No, but when you watch on telly, it's two different things, really.

[00:12:00]I mean, like telly, television, you know, they don't show, you know, some parts some parts of the game, you know, they always seem to miss some parts of it all.

[00:12:07]The clicks, you know, like sometimes you get a good goal and you you don't really see it, you know, quite clear, but what you see, you know, is a different thing with that atmosphere in there, people cheering on and it's two different things, really.

[00:12:30]Moses, Strachan, lovely play.

[00:12:33]Can Moses finish it off?

[00:12:35]Number four!

[00:12:37]People who shout names at colored people, you know, stuff like and this, that, and the other, you know.

[00:12:43]That I just stop all of a sudden and think, you know, what are they shouting about for? Because we've got colored players on our own side.

[00:12:51]Manchester United and uh I don't know why they shout names like that.

[00:12:56]And it just, you know, stops your enjoyment altogether.

[00:12:59]I think any player gets stick for, you know, if they do something wrong or if the opposing fans don't really like what they're doing. I think with the colored players, it's just really the skin color that make That's the obvious thing to pick on.

[00:13:09]Do you feel self-conscious at the time?

[00:13:12]I feel, yeah, slightly self-conscious.

[00:13:14]It's very disheartening for for for you to be stood against your own supporters.

[00:13:19]I mean, you accept that of your position, but your own supporters you know, making remarks like, you know, you're you're black, so and so, you know, so on.

[00:13:27]What What you know, what did you go and do that for? something? I mean if if they want to make a remark if a player makes a mistake, you actually say to them you use the name or whatever, but you to use the word black in that sense means to me that they they don't accept those players What Why shouldn't those players be allowed to make the mistakes?

[00:13:43]I mean other players allowed to make mistakes.

[00:13:46]And that is upsetting. You stood there and you have to listen to that.

[00:14:08]Being at the good place is more is a more stronger feeling because you do feel part and parcel of you know, the whole place itself. Do you not have that feeling in Old Trafford then? Yes, I do. Yeah, but I think I I feel it more here.

[00:14:22]Why is that? Um Well, I mean as I mentioned when we were speaking at Old Trafford, there are times when uh you know, certain players on the field will get a racial abuse and that and that tends to make you uh feel, you know, a minority so to speak now and then, but while here, I mean uh everybody, you know, has come really for one reason that is to pray and there'll be there'll be nothing like that. There are differences obviously and there are in every community and we're no different than that.

[00:14:48]Um internal differences. But usually we could nobody says to anybody else, "Look, you're not part and parcel of this family."

[00:14:55]Uh unfortunately, I I have to admit that I too feel better part of this family than I do Old Trafford because when an incident takes place and people start saying, "Well, they don't really belong here or what" they question our our existence, they question the fact that, you know, why we there.

[00:15:11]But here, nobody is able to do that because we are all one.

[00:15:29]>> After service finished, we come downstairs. They make They make food here, you know, like every every Sundays.

[00:15:36]And uh we share it like and we all sit in having meal and all that.

[00:15:41]And help out.

[00:15:43]Anybody can go there. You don't have to be a Sikh. I mean, it's like It's like a church. You mean anybody can go there.

[00:15:48]You can meet friends and like someone you don't see for like a whole week and you go there and you talk to him and ask him things oh, did you watch this match and things like that.

[00:15:59]I don't know how it affects the people, but I feel when I talk about my culture, my religion, I mean, it's something special. It's something that uh I don't know English people when you do talk to them about it if when they if they're prepared to listen, they find it very interesting and I think that's something which is we should hold on to cuz it is something special to us.

[00:16:20]I think I will be staying here and you know, raise raise a family here and I think there's a lot going to be a lot of changes that will be coming saying 20 years from now. I don't think I think certain parts of the culture we we will lose uh but it is very important to hold on to the essentials of it.

[00:16:50]That's against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Cup.

[00:16:54]And uh it the match went into extra time.

[00:16:58]And uh I was sat there half half way up in my seat and uh that's going to strike and score him from the penalty spot.

[00:17:06]And that was the only goal and we won 1-0.

[00:17:09]Looking at all the pictures on the back wall, I don't see a single Asian face anywhere. I mean, I can see black players.

[00:17:15]Do you think Asians can play There's colored people in the game, black people and colored people.

[00:17:22]So, any colored lads who have got potential to play, they probably be influenced saying that well, look, there's people, colored people playing in football league, so why shouldn't I?

[00:17:34]But, there's not many Asian people. In fact, I don't even know if there is Asian person playing in any football division, actually.

[00:17:44]I think uh So, going into something like football, it's really going against uh traditions in Asian families. I mean, I remember when I was growing up, my mom would say to me that, you know, you want to be something like a doctor or solicitor or something like that. I think they don't tend to uh really channel their natural talents.

[00:18:00]They don't want to go into something really unstable like football or acting or things like that.

[00:18:09]I mean, a lot of parents do think that, you know, say, you know, playing football and all this, you know, boy, it's not a job.

[00:18:16]I mean, like, say for the first 2 years, I mean, it's like apprenticeship, innit?

[00:18:19]I mean, you've got to play football and you're training and all this. Then it might come to time where you might not succeed and and that's why I think a lot of Asian families don't Parents don't agree with that, you know.

[00:18:31]Well, would you be willing to take that chance?

[00:18:32]>> Yeah, I would be willing to take that chance, yeah.

[00:18:41]I just like Well, I don't like any other sport. It's one of the best things in life.

[00:18:48]I didn't really actually start playing till I come down here. I'm playing with the lads and that.

[00:18:53]Got a few friends around here and started playing kicking a ball in the streets and that.

[00:18:56]That's when I started playing.

[00:19:01]I think it's more enjoyable actually playing it. You get a lot of satisfaction out of playing it, especially if you have a good game. I mean, if you don't play too well, and it's uh not so good. But, I think playing is more enjoyable than watching it, yeah.

[00:19:15]A lot of people think that Asians are completely inept at football. How would you react to that statement?

[00:19:20]>> Well, I think they've only got to go and look at schools nowadays and you'll see a lot of Asian people playing football.

[00:19:27]People know Indian and Asian Pakistani is more to play cricket and play football.

[00:19:32]That's why people say that.

[00:19:34]I mean, I know a lot of Asians, you know, you've got football teams, Sunday league.

[00:19:39]You know, and they go out there and play football and I think it'll be a a time, you know, in the next next 4 to 5 years, you know, there'll be a few Indian Asian people who'll be playing football in our And how would you feel about that?

[00:20:01]I think it's good. I mean, it's nice to see, you know, anyone, you know, like Asian to play football, you know, in a like Manchester City or for Manchester United or for a even for a slow team. You would feel proud to some extent, but it wouldn't just be the fact that he was an Asian player. I mean, he'd have to play well, uh you know, to earn some type of respect from the fans who are over there.

[00:20:45]Where's all the reds gone?

[00:20:49]City didn't play any good and United were lucky to have three points. He said that was CITY AT THE SECOND BEST.

[00:20:55]WELL, City played just as terrible as United.

[00:20:58]Nothing in a hat.

[00:20:59]YOU KNOW WHAT THE EXCUSE IS? THERE'S NO ROBSON.

[00:21:02]>> [laughter] >> WHO'S THE BEST PLAYER THEN?

[00:21:07]GIGGSY WAS THE best player. Giggsy played well.

[00:21:11]>> I think he's the best player in the league.

[00:21:14]Why? Because I mean he was up and down that wing, creating chances for City.

[00:21:18]I think he's the best player.

[00:21:24]Supposing an England side with Brian Robson and all your favorite Manchester United teams happen to be playing India in Mexico in the World Cup final, who would you like to win?

[00:21:36]I suppose it would be split slightly, but I'd have to go for the England side because they're the players who I watch week in, week out, who I've watched for a full season. They're the players who you go through with them when they're going through the good spells and when they're, you know, not doing so well. So really I I suppose I'd go for the England side because that's the players who you feel for, you go to watch week in, week out.

[00:21:54]Supposing they were they got beaten and then you won, how would you feel then? I don't think I'd feel too badly about it.

[00:22:00]I mean you feel for the players, but I don't think I'd be that upset. How would you describe yourself? Well, I'd say I'm Indian.

[00:22:08]Were you born in India? I was born in England.

[00:22:12]Then why would you say you were Indian?

[00:22:15]It's because of my different color.

[00:22:18]But can't can't an Indian can't an Asian be British, don't you think?

[00:22:23]They can be British citizens, but they can't be English.

[00:22:26]What's the difference?

[00:22:28]It's a lot of difference. You can Well, even if I was born in England, I can go up to a white person and say, "I'm English." And they won't believe me.

[00:22:38]So how would you describe yourself to someone?

[00:22:40]Um really an Indian living in Britain.

[00:22:44]Because I feel Indian.

[00:22:45]Why is that? I mean, were were you born in Britain? Yes, I was I was born in Britain. So why are you an Indian? Well, it's because of my heritage. I mean, I know that when people look at me, they ain't going to look at me as a British person. I look forward to the day, I don't know whether I'll see see in my lifetime, is when I can walk down the road and people say, "He is British."

[00:23:05]without actually saying that I'm British and then walking away and saying, "Oh, you know, uh well, you know, I mean, uh he's a isn't he?" or whatever the phrase happens to be these days.

[00:23:16]We have our own identity, which we want to preserve. We want to be known as Sikhs as and identify with the Sikh culture. We also want to be uh part of of the um the the mainstream of society, which can be done and I'm sure other minority groups are able to do that.

[00:23:34]Especially for people such as myself who've been born in England and brought up in England. Uh I think we put just as much into the country you know as the British people who live here themselves.

[00:23:44]What would you say to someone who wants you to get out of Britain now?

[00:23:48]Really, I I would look at it as that's their opinion and I have my opinion. Uh I don't think there's you can argue it all day, but I would still stick to my principles of you know, thinking that if well, if I was born here and I think there's a lot of other colored and Asian people who put a you know, a lot of uh work into the country and I don't think anybody has the right to throw them out.

[00:24:12]What are you How would you describe yourself?

[00:24:15]Just Born and bred in Manchester.

[00:24:19]And the United color army life.

[00:24:52]England.

[00:24:55]England.

[00:24:57]England.

[00:24:58]England.

[00:25:01]>> Go on now.

[00:25:03]Go on.

[00:25:05]Go on. Go on. Go on.