Football is supposed to be the beautiful game, and it is true that the sport has a uniting quality that transcends age, gender, colour and religion.

But it is always sad to see the game marred by accusations of violence and racial epithets being thrown by fans.

Football was dogged in the Seventies and Eighties by racism, but concerted efforts to quell this unpleasantness, by organisations such as Kick Racism Out Of Football and others, have certainly done the job at national level.

So the allegations surrounding the cup clash involving a predominantly Asian team from Manningham are disappointing.

Fans of a club should be passionate, yes, and dedicated to their team. But that does not mean that throwing race-related insults – against anyone, black or white – is an acceptable way to support a club.

Such actions bring the game into disrepute, spoil the match for real fans, and ruin what should be a family-friendly affair.

When the police have to be called to an amateur game, then you know that something has gone badly wrong.

There can be no excuse, in this day and age, for using racist chants, nor for the violence that is also alleged to have occurred.

This is the sort of thing that should have gone out of fashion thirty years or more ago, and its return – even at what might be a small level – is not to be welcomed.

Officials of any league blighted by such claims should work hard to root out troublemakers and take appropriate action – banning them from matches, if necessary. Sport is for all, not just those with the loudest voices.