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Ian Evatt has condemned “racist remarks” made by Morecambe fans in his side’s 1-1 draw at the Mazuma Stadium, which resulted in the players being called off the pitch for 10 minutes.
The home side led 1-0 at the point referee Ross Joyce was called over to the dugout to investigate allegations of insults being hurled towards players on the Bolton bench.
After the restart, Amadou Bakayoko scored in the 114th minute to salvage a point and a measure of satisfaction for Wanderers.
Evatt said the abuse had been persistent through 90 minutes and condemned the behaviour of a small number of Morecambe supporters.
“I’m emotional really. From minute one, the barrage of abuse that me and the rest of my staff and players got from directly behind the dugout was astonishing. No protection, encroachment, spitting and then it takes the worst of all remarks, a racist remark for then for somebody to stand up and do something about it.
“This game sometimes never fails to disappoint me and I’m even more astonished that the announcement comes over the tannoy to say both sets of the supporters weren’t behaving themselves. It wasn’t our supporters.
“Our supporters, yes, encroached the pitch to support our team and I’m not saying that’s right - but our supporters didn’t behave in that way, so I was really disappointed with that as well.”
Evatt praised the behaviour of Morecambe boss Stephen Robinson and his players as the officials fought to sort out the fracas.
“I feel for Stephen (Robinson) because his team has fought and it’s not in any way, shape or form a mark against him.
“He was outstanding on the touchline and completely understanding. When we went into the changing rooms with the break, we spoke and we said that this can’t overspill and we can’t lose our own discipline.
“As upset, disappointed and emotional we are, we have to channel that into 10 minutes of football and give it everything we’ve got and the players did that incredibly well.
“I’m a bit emotional because they’ve really come together and they’ve managed to get something out of this game, but the way they stuck together, if one of us gets abused, we all abused and we all stuck together, we all did the right thing and until this gets stamped out of the game, it never fails really to disappoint me.”
Referee Joyce was handed an item by Morecambe keeper Adam Smith which he claimed had been thrown at him by the away supporters behind his goal.
Evatt claimed the abuse he and his staff had received throughout the game had been the most severe he had ever seen in the game.
“The worst I’ve seen by far and the racist issue is disgraceful, disgusting, but for me the 89 minutes before it are equally as bad. Just because we are sportsmen and professional people and we work for opposition football clubs, it dosen’t give you a right to say and do what you want to us,” he said.
“We are human beings, we deserve to be treated like human beings and it’s taken a disgraceful racist remark for something to get done about it, but it was constant from minute one. We’re all emotional, we need time to sit and debrief and think about what’s happened. Some things are bigger than football and today this is bigger than football.”
Referee Ross Joyce came over to the dugout on two occasions, with Evatt confirming the first had been to check on allegations of spitting from supporters on staff and players on the Bolton bench.
“The players were upset, we are upset, from minute one it was relentless,” he said of the abuse from the Wright and Lord Stand. “And just because we are sportspeople it doesn’t give you the right to say and do what you like to us.
“There will be some reaction but there is bound to be when there are personal insults from minute one.
“It is going to get to that stage. There were allegations of spitting – and I trust and believe my players on that – it gets dealt with, then following that, racist remarks.
“It is astonishing. I am really proud of my club and my players.”
There had also been a major flashpoint in the game during 90 minutes as Wanderers skipper Ricardo Santos was sent off for deliberate handball.
Cole Stockton’s resultant penalty was saved by James Trafford but the former Tranmere man struck a few minutes later to put his side ahead.
“Rico has walked off with the biggest ball mark on his shoulder and chest you will ever see. Anyone can see it, the linesman, the fourth official, and all I got was ‘if I have got it wrong, I’m sorry, we will deal with it afterwards.’ “It has cost us points, me my captain, and I am upset with the decision. But right now there is no point going into it, there are bigger things at play than football and we must deal with them.”
Evatt was nevertheless proud of his players’ reaction after being taken off the pitch, which culminated in Bakayoko’s equaliser.
“It was huge. Today was everything we are not, really, the conditions, the pitch, but we had to find the result and we did it,” he said.
“The decision was wrong, for me, but our reaction to what happened was first class.”
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