1 
1Southend United 1 Bradford City 1 (played on Saturday, December 10th, 2005)
Rickett's sending off started the row; now playing with David Beckham in LA!
The history books show that in a season that ended up with the Shrimpers champions of League One, and our paths not to cross for a further five and a bit years, that a minute after Steve Schumacher, obviously looking for something to do after retiring from Formula One, (er, that was Michael - ed), had given Bradford the lead, their 6ft 5in keeper Donavon Rickett's was sent off for giving a one-fingered salute to the home crowd watching behind his goal.
Hitman Dean Windass went in between the sticks as they had no reserve shot stopper on the bench, but despite having over 60% of the possession Southend only had only a typical Mark Gower curling free-kick into the top corner in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time to show at the end of a frustrating game that saw the points shared.
However, it was only after the final whistle that we heard that Ricketts insisted that he was the victim of a half-hour of racist abuse and, anyway, he was only reminding the faithful of the score!
Bantams boss Colin Todd said: "He is such a mild-mannered man. I've never heard Donavon swear in all his time he has been at the club. His reaction was no different to a goal-scorer celebrating a goal. Considering the racist tones he had to put up with, it is totally unacceptable what he had to put up with."
Tilly, meanwhile, just lamented the fact his side couldn't find a way past ten men, saying: "Bradford had put their danger man in goal and we should have taken advantage of that. But we didn't put them under any real pressure."
A full report on the game here:
www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10266~29566,00.html
So to this interesting article as ever from the excellent City fansite 'BoyfromBrazil':
www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk/2005/12/
fa-should-show-racism-not-ricketts-the-red-card/
Good stuff, but this led to a number of angry Shrimpers reponding to the said blog reminding the writer Michael Wood, still churning out his wise words about the boys from Valley Parade bless him, that though someone was arrested for a public order offence he was released without charge, as evidence for the abuse had not been forthcoming.
Wood wrote: "One writer (has) suggested there were no witnesses. He is wrong. Donovan Ricketts witnessed the abuse and was subject to it. It is important to remember that Ricketts is the victim of a crime and only a perpetrator of breaking the rules of football. Ricketts - like any victim - has the right for his views to be considered."
In fact the FA turned down the Ricketts appeal which angered Wood, and that full article from 2005 which is still well worth reading, is here:
www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk/2005/12/fa-let-the-racists-win/
Fair enough, and I remember well hearing many racist chants eminating from the North Bank back in the day, as at most grounds sadly, but I'm sure now it really is down to a small handful and nothing like this would happen now.
Ricketts himself? He left Bradford in 2008 after making more than 100 appearances and is now at the age of 33 back in US Major League Soccer playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy with one David Beckham, and is also the vice-captain of the Jamaican international side.
Ricketts full playing info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan_Ricketts
Southend United: Flahaven, Hunt, Prior, Barrett, Wilson, Campell-Ryce (Lawson 34), Smith (Bentley 67), Maher, Gower (Cole 78), Gray, Eastwood.
Subs: Edwards, Pettefer.
Bradford City: Ricketts, Edghill, Wetherall, Bower, Taylor, Muirhead (Kearney 57), Schumaher, Bridge-Wikinson, Morrison (Emanuel 40), Windass, Cadamarteri (Cooke 82).
Subs not used: Stewart, Claridge.
Referee: Mr. P. Armstrong.
Attendance: 7,307.
And while you're in a retro mood, vote in this battle of the two best Shrimpers strikers:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp