"We made a stand that day" - a year on from Yeovil leaving the pitch in solidarity with Haringey
A year ago today the FA Cup tie between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town was abandoned because of alleged racism - now 12 months on we're looking at what happened that day and whether anything has changed.
Last updated 19th Oct 2020
The Haringey players left the pitch midway through the second half of the fourth qualifying round game at the Coles Park Stadium in North London.
It later emerged that one of their players said he had been racially abused by some of the visiting Yeovil fans. A second player was reportedly spat at and had items thrown at him.
The Yeovil players also walked off the pitch before both teams returned together in a showing of solidarity. Myles Hippolyte was among them, having been on the bench for the Glovers that day.
Hippolyte - who joined Scunthorpe United ahead of this season - recalls his memories of the day.
"I was unaware. I didn't really know what was going on.
"Then some of their players said something had been said. Then we saw the goalkeeper, when the referee paused it, and he had residue of spit on him. That was something we were quite shocked at.
"The racism we didn't hear about until a bit later and was confirmed by their team. It wasn't something we heard on the bench, but there's obviously no place for that in football and in general.
"We just had to back them. If that had happened to me, I'd want everyone to support me and not go against me and say, 'that's not true'.
"The gaffer (Yeovil manager Darren Sarll) had a chat with us, and we all understood the situation and made a stand that day."
Unfortunately, racism is something Hippolyte has experienced himself during his football career. While playing for Falkirk in Scotland, the 25-year-old said he was racially abused while facing his former team Dunfermline Athletic.
Following the incident at Haringey, Yeovil quickly released a statement saying they "will not accept racism or discrimination in any form" and would be "cooperating with the authorities and our friends at Haringey".
Four men were subsequently arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.
Hippolyte says he never had any doubts his teammates and the club would support Haringey and stand against racism.
"In the changing room the first thing we were asked was, 'what do you want to do?' and everyone agreed we wanted to do the same thing. It came all the way down from the top to the bottom that we would defend whatever they wanted to do.
"It was a very small minority of people I say, because the Yeovil fans have been very good to me and I've never had any experience like that. I loved the fans there."
In the 12 months since the incident, a spotlight has been shone on racism in sport and wider society. The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked conversation and debate, while footballers across the country have been taking a knee prior to matches in support of it.
So, what has changed in the past year and how big a problem does Hippolyte think racism is in football now?
"It's opened up a lot of eyes to certain situations. It's gained a lot of momentum and helped people understand there's a situation and needs to be cut out.
"But I don't look at Black Lives Matter and think this is for black people. It's for every culture. The meaning behind it is that we are all equal, there is no one higher and lower and we should all treat each other with respect.
"The kneeling is an image for people to see and remember. It reminds people it's a situation that's ongoing and is something that we need to educate ourselves on and that certain things aren't right.
"For me, I don't see many changes. It's going to be a gradual process and it's not going to instantly change. Racism isn't going to go away within a few months. Nothing ever goes away that quickly.
"Especially something that has been around for so long throughout history. All we can do is teach people the way forward.
"Racism is a problem in life altogether. It's highlighted in football because it's watched by millions. But it's in everyday life, it's in everyday work.
"There is always going to be racism in this world. It's about teaching people and helping them understand that what they see and read isn't always negative."
When approached by Greatest Hits Radio, Yeovil Town said in a statement: "The club will not accept racism or discrimination in any form".