A former seamstress from Yorkshire and Scotland is trying to raise £200,000 to clear his name in court. Photo: Colin D. Fisher for The Telegraph
John Blaine, a Yorkshire former seamstress convicted of using racist language, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to clear his name in the High Court.
In an emotional Telegraph interview Blaine told Sport in March how he suffered from suicidal thoughts after being accused of racism by Azim Rafik and former Scotland international Majid Haq.
Blaine resigned from the Cricket Disciplinary Commission. case investigating the Yorkshire allegations and was found guilty in absentia of calling Asian persons "P—" during pre-season practice at Headingley in April 2010; and/or in other cases in Yorkshire in 2010 and/or 2011.
Blaine chose not to appeal due to lack of faith in the process, but promises to clear his name in the civil courts if he can raise £200,000 sterling he needed to finance the business.
“I have no other choice but to fight this simply because I am innocent,” he told Telegraph Sport. “The evidence that I have, I think, over time will prove it. I want to stay in the game helping young cricketers and many others as I have done my entire career. Any reasonable person looking at this would say that I must continue to fight this for the sake of my family, my reputation and my future career.
“I have been truly honored by the support I have received from people from all sectors both in Scotland and England. I will not walk away from this because I am innocent and have to take the process to the next stage, and I am reassured by the very strong advisory group that I have. I am well aware that the next steps in the process come down to financial opportunity, so it was wise for me to try to raise funds to support my position and any next steps.”
Blaine launched his crowdfunding page on Thursday and received over £10,000 within 24 hours.
The 44-year-old continues to work at the Grange Cricket Club in Edinburgh. This week, the ECB called on the CDC to fine Blaine £4,000, give him a severe reprimand and pay him money for a course on racism and discrimination. The CDC will return its sanctions verdicts at a later date.
Blaine has called the allegations against him «perverted» and, unlike others found guilty by the CDC, he is determined to stay in cricket.
>
» You have to stay strong because there were days when I thought «this can't go on anymore, I don't see a way out of this because it's taking so long.»#39;,"» he said in March «I don't see any way through this and it's not good when you check insurance policies and look at things in terms of what would be left behind and how would you reconcile your estate to your family. What was difficult for me is the injustice I just didn't get a chance to put my point across.»
Свежие комментарии