Rossiter: I’ve been called a couple of things over the years

Keith Rossiter has become the second Wexford senior player to reveal he has suffered racial abuse.

The Oulart-the-Ballagh man, who faces into a Leinster club SHC final on Sunday, claimed he, like fellow county star Lee Chin, had been subjected to disparaging comments about his ethnicity from opposing players.

Rossiter, who is of mixed race, recalled only one incident at inter-county level. However, the experience left an indelible impression on him. “It’s something I dealt with and it was done and dusted. But I wouldn’t have any time for that player any longer. He went down in my ranking straight away. A couple of my colleagues on the field heard it and they weren’t happy.”

He said the publicity surrounding comments made to Chin in a club game have brought the issue front and centre for the GAA.

“The only reason we’re speaking about it is because Lee came out and fair play to him. Lee must be getting a lot more hardship than what I’ve got over the years. I don’t know why that is but it’s up to the GAA to deal with that.”

“The likes of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín must have been getting abuse all his life as well. You have to deal with it.

“I’ll deal with it myself, I won’t go to management, I won’t go to referees. I deal with it.”

Like Chin, Rossiter previously never felt compelled to report the derogatory remarks aimed at him.

“I’ve been called a couple of things over the years. I won’t tell you lies but I dealt with them.

“When you’re on the field, if the game gets aggressive there’s only one person who can protect you apart from yourself and that’s the referee.

“If you’re not getting protection, where do you stand then? Do you take it into your own hands?

“You could put it back to the travellers playing hurling as well, they get a lot of stick. I’ve heard it myself.

“They get a lot of stick. They have to put up with it. It’s no different to them either.

“We’re all humans at the end of the day. We shouldn’t have to put up with that on the field anyway.

“You’re there to play the game. All you want to do is play the game.”

Rossiter, who recounts encountering more racist remarks during his under-age playing days, is concerned the GAA will have difficulty addressing the issue during games.

“If a lad gave me a slap of a hurl I could say anything to him.

“Does that determine your man gets a red card for the slap and I get a red card for the abuse that I give him for hitting me.

“Where is it going to stop? I don’t know. It’s going to be a big call for the GAA. It’s going to be hard on referees as well to call it.

“The next thing is it’ll be, ‘He called me this’ and ‘he called me that’. Does that deserve a yellow or a red card? Where’s it going to end?”

However, he sees the GAA tackling the issue via education but also feels the changing face of Irish society will aid their cause.

“It’s an education thing. Young lads in school these days, be it primary, be it secondary, they’re in school with Polish guys, Africans. They’re all mixing together now and they don’t see it as any different.

“Maybe in 10 or 15 years time there won’t be a racist issue because people are so used to each other.