A BLACK schoolboy has been left traumatised after being attacked by a white adult spectator while playing football in Hertfordshire.

The shocking incident took place on Sunday 4 February, at Hertford Heath Playing Fields, in front of the boy’s horrified teammates, the opposing team, football coaches and parents.

The boy’s mother, who spoke to The Voice, anonymously, said her son went to throw the ball back-in play after winning a free kick, when he was grabbed, kicked and punched in the eye by a white adult spectator.

She said: “This man from the crowd came and grabbed my son’s shirt and said ‘it’s always you’ and kicked my son’s leg before punching him in the eye.

“Punching him and scaring his eye.”

She added: “My son saw double, triple, one hundred stars because that is a punch from an adult.

“He was in a lot of pain.That punch could have killed my child,” she said.

The boy was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

‘Scared’

However, his mother says the attack has had a devastating impact on her son’s mental health and said he no longer wants to play football and is scared it will happen again.

She said: “He’s at home because of it and has missed some days of school. It should not happen, I don’t want him to live in that fear.”

The Voice, contacted Herfordshire Police, who confirmed they have launched an investigation into a “common assault” after a boy was attacked by an adult spectator while playing football in St Margaretsbury.

The mother was not present at the time of the attack, but said her husband was there and immediately went over to confront the man, but was held back by other angry parents.

She told The Voice, a football coach called the police as the man was pulled away from the scene.

She said: “No one touched the man, he was moved away from the setting and the match stopped that that point.”

The mother said her son’s Essex-based football team was playing the match against an all-white team who had also deliberately kicked the ball directly at her son before the incident.

She said her son’s teammates got upset and questioned them asking “why are you kicking the ball at him?” before continuing with the game.

She believes the attack by the adult was racially motivated because of what was said to her son prior to the attack and said she doesn’t believe the spectator would have physically attacked a white child.

“He’s a Black boy, that is a white man, in my head it’s racial because you would not put your hand on a white child like that?” she said.

‘Not acceptable’

The mother has described the incident as “very sad” and said it is “not acceptable.”

She said she’s determined to get justice for her son and send a clear message that physical attacks on Black children are not acceptable.

“It has happened once, if we let it slide it will happen again,” she added.

She also said she feels like her son has been robbed of the opportunity to “feel safe” while doing what he loves – which is playing football for his under 15s team.

The mother said there is an extensive problem with racism at grassroot level football and spectators are allowed to use racial slurs with no consequences.

In a statement, to The Voice, a Hertfordshire Police spokesperson said: “Police in East Herts are investigating following a report of common assault to a boy who was 14 years old at the time of the incident in St Margaretsbury.

“It is reported that at around 12:45pm on Sunday 4 February, a boy was kicked in the shins and punched in the face by a spectator while playing football.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

The police are encouraging witnesses to report any information online at herts.police.uk/report, or speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference 41/10264/24.

The Voice, has also contacted Hertfordshire Police to ask if the assault is being treated as racially motivated and are currently awaiting a response.