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Abdul and Maqsooda Sattar
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Football yobs’ racist attack on old couple.
Helen Johnson9/10/2007
A MOB of football fans carried out a vicious attack on an elderly Asian couple.
Sixty-four-year-old Maqsooda Sattar was repeatedly spat on and then had lager sprayed on her by a gang of about 20, who chanted racist and abusive language at her.
When her 73-year-old husband Abdul went to her rescue, he was knocked to the ground and kicked in the face.
The attack happened outside a Spotland Road surgery just over an hour before the kick-off of Saturday’s Rochdale-Bury derby at Spotland.
The couple were unable to tell the police if their attackers were either Rochdale or Bury supporters.They were taken into the Dawes Family Practice and cared for until police arrived 30 minutes later.
The Sattars, who live nearby, were then taken to Rochdale Infirmary but allowed home later in the day and are being cared for by relatives.
Their 42-year-old son-in-law Ibrar Ul-Haq said: "They are both extremely shaken. We have spent the entire weekend tying to calm them down."It was very frightening. They were very lucky people came to help.
"My mother-in-law is very upset. She’s been having baths every few hours.She feels terrible after being spat on.She keeps telling us how filthy the language they used was."
"This group spotted her as she was about to enter the surgery and went straight for her."They have lived in this area for 34 years and nothing like this has ever happened to them. They walk to Rochdale almost every day usually, but now they are too scared to go out"
"They are both very grateful to the staff at Dawes Practice for helping them.
"There was a witness who was taken to Spotland Stadium, but it was almost impossible for her to identify any of the group because there were nearly 5,000 at the game.I was very disappointed there was no police presence in the area at the time, just a mile away from the stadium so soon before the match".
"The Football Association wants people from ethnic minorities to become involved in football, but are they really surprised more don’t? "If this is the way elderly people are treated what could happen if a group of young people went to a football match?"
PC Jeff Johnson said: "This appears to be a totally unprovoked attack on an elderly couple by a large group of football fans with the aggravating factor of racial comments. This was totally unacceptable behaviour."
Police are appealing for more witnesses to come forward.
The youth who kicked Mr Sattar is described as white, aged 16-18, 5ft 4in, slim with short spiky ginger hair.
Mike Brookes, spokesman for the Rochdale club, said: "We completely condemn this. If it was indeed a Rochdale ‘fan’ that did this then he is not a true fan.The industry has worked very hard to stamp out racism, both on and off the pitch. It’s sad that things like this can happen."
"I wish this couple all the best for a very speedy recovery and would like to invite them to the ground as our guests, for a game of their choice, just as soon as they feel up to it."
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12/10/2007 at 14:12
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12/10/2007 at 15:01