As part of Black History Month, we are publishing a series of Q&As giving people from different parts of our club the opportunity to talk about their experiences of football, their relationship with Clapton Community FC, their own histories and identities, and what they would like to see from the club and from football more broadly.

Simon Headlam is part of the OSD Hound System and Put Me On zine and pays officials at Men’s First Team games, so you’ll find him hiding from them behind the drum in the Scaffold.

When a club says it is “anti-racist”, what should that actually mean beyond putting out a statement or wearing a T-shirt?

There should be a zero tolerance to racist behaviour from anybody associated with CCFC. I’m personally an advocate of individuals stepping away from the club if they’re found to have breached these very simple rules, maybe a moment of reflection or even redemption but there’s no way of learning if we collectively ignore it.

The fallout from the infamous Brentham game in 2022 included pleading guilty to racism in a FA disciplinary hearing, you’d think an “anti-racist” club would have used this to ask itself some very difficult questions. We didn’t..

Do Black players and supporters sometimes feel pressure to let racist comments or behaviour go because they don’t want to be labelled as difficult?

I’d agree with that but am aware that I don’t want to generalise or speak for others. My personal experience is fatigue and my word vs other(s). This could also be framed at other people and groups who’ve experienced disgusting incidents or comments at games, I know of women who’ve asked for incidents not to be escalated for various reasons. So this isn’t unique to one group, there’s been plenty of times where the club and individuals have made statements to the FA/Governing bodies and next to nothing has happened. Though I can say I don’t remember hearing or encountering racist behaviour, I’m aware it happens on the pitch occasionally and I’ve certainly felt a chill at certain grounds but I’ve not experienced racism. Oh hang on…

A few seasons ago, I received what we’ll call micro aggressions at Burnham Ramblers. It was uncomfortable and I felt intimidated. The chairman and a member of the bar staff found me in the stands and explained that the club was devastated that I’d been the subject of racism and that the group had been made to leave the ground. I was genuinely surprised at the lengths they went to immediately resolve the issue and hold their hands up, despite not complaining about being harangued by four blokes on the stairs the club immediately felt this was unacceptable behaviour.

Is having Black players in a team enough to make a football club genuinely inclusive?

No, there should be more representation across the club though that may happen in time.

Does football genuinely value Black culture, or does it sometimes value Black players while remaining uncomfortable with Black voices and politics?

I’d say no as a generalisation but England is still struggling to understand or appreciate its relationship with Black culture. There’s some corners in football that are entwined with Black culture, a lot of people are making their way in the game in many different ways and have been able to inform and educate a wider audience as to the connections of Black culture and football. Football like CCFC means different things to different people, just as Black culture means different things. It’s hard to nail down as the culture we speak of hasn’t been transmitted outside the pitch, that’s really the only representation of culture in football until recent years. There’s barely any Managers, Owners, or Terrace Culture to speak of, so again it’s hard to really know what the solutions are.

That might be a reason why I began to feel uncomfortable with players taking the knee. It’s only represented on the pitch, if that’s a tiny window into Black voices being heard and the visceral hatred towards it than that leads into one of many reasons why Black people are uncomfortable speaking up.

What does being a Black supporter/player at Clapton Community FC mean to you? Is the club genuinely different from other football clubs you’ve experienced?

Personally I’m proud to be a CCFC supporter. It’s absolutely different from any club I’ve known or played for. I don’t blindly support everything the club has done and know it’s made mistakes along the way but as a general rule it’s crystal clear CCFC has created a better environment for all folk to enjoy games. I don’t go to CCFC games worried that I might be singled out or feel uncomfortable with the language/aggression towards players , that has been clear from day one. The folk I stand with and the wider group of fans at away games don’t tolerate that sort of behaviour.

Clapton Community FC talks a lot about community, equality and inclusion. Where do you think the club gets it right, and where could it do better?

The club is doing right in pushing all of these, at times the energy and support can be directed in different areas.

Does Black History Month genuinely educate people, or can it sometimes become a month of well-meaning gestures before everything returns to normal in November?

SH – It can do, depends on what stories are being told and who by. I don’t know what my own relationship with the month is. Though I do advise everybody to go to the ‘The Music is Black’ exhibition at V&A East.

How important is it for young Black footballers to see people who look like them in positions beyond the pitch?

Imperative as you want the game to stay with people, passing on their experiences, lifting others up, giving back or trying to change the game from within.

Can someone love football, support a club and still be part of a culture that excludes Black people?

Yes.

Is football genuinely prepared to listen to Black people when they say something uncomfortable, or only when they say something that makes everyone feel good?

Not currently.

What is something white football supporters genuinely don’t understand about being Black in football?

I’m mixed race, probably best I don’t answer this one. I’m both siding…

If you could change one thing about football’s relationship with Black people tomorrow, what would you change, and why?

Can I have an ‘E’ please Bob? End racism? Is this a trick question? Actually I’d love for Black people to be admired for their intelligence rather than athletic ability, it’s a trope that needs to end.