Australia - Cricket club acts against racism

McKinnon Cricket Club has suspended players it suspects may have been involved in posting antisemitic comments directed towards the Maccabi AJAX Cricket Club on an internet site.

Players from both McKinnon and Beaumaris cricket clubs posted several remarks on a page of the social networking site Facebook, called "FU AJAX Cricket Club".

The pages were removed from the website just as cricket officials and media outlets became aware of their existence. It remains unclear who was responsible for closing down the pages.

McKinnon Cricket Club president, Stuart Hampstead, distanced the club from the remarks posted by some of its members and confirmed that there would be a full investigation.

“Any remarks made in no way represent the views or opinions of the McKinnon Cricket Club,” Hampstead said in a statement.

Hampstead said that club will stamp down heavily on those involved, including possibly issuing life bans.

Beaumaris Cricket Club member Alex Strauch was one of the contributors to the Facebook page. His post said: "Being of German heritage, I think I need to apologise for ACC to still be in existence, my grandparents tried to get them all... but it's easier said than done when they are walking around in the sewers looking for change..."

Maccabi AJAX president Jamie Hyams said he was disgusted by the attack on his club. "This is the sort of thing you would expect to find on the most extreme Neo-Nazi website, not from a bunch of guys you play cricket against each year," he said.

Source: www.ajn.com.au

Date: August 19, 2007

By Ashley Browne and Adam Kamien

Letter of apology to the Jewish community

< BACK