Despite the ‘Red Card’ system racism is still alive and well in football

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Racism in football has been a topic of much debate lately, and in all truth it does not really matter if you agree or disagree with the idea of a black players’ football union because the fact that the topic has even come up shows that racism is alive and healthy.

Many former and current football players have spoken up in favour of the idea of creating a black players’ football union, but there is of course obvious opponents as well. After all, by simply dividing the players into a separate union you lay the groundwork for further problems between the races.

Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, stated that he believes the creation of a new union would hurt the overall fight against racism in football, but Nathan Blake formally of Wales international believes the group would be able to have a larger impact.

Last weekend about thirty black players including Rio Ferdinand refused to wear the ‘kick-it-out’ shirts meant to inspire unity. A lawyer that represents black players interested in a union has stated that talks are starting but they are only in the preliminary stages. At the moment the group has titled themselves the ‘Black Players’ Association.’

The topic of support for black players really came into the lineup after the treatment of John Terry-Anton Ferdinand by the English Football Association. Many believe that the English Football Association did not deal with the situation properly.

Although the courts found Terry not guilty of using racist language on the field, the FA decided that he had and assigned him a whopping £200,000 fine along with a four game ban. After this type of situation it is easy to see how some players may truly feel as if their interests are not being represented correctly.

Racism in British football still a major problem

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According to a report by a committee from the House of Commons, racism in British football remains a major problem despite improvements in recent years. The report is in response to concerns after the cases against John Terry and Patrice Evra-Luis Suarez. The chair of the inquiry, John Whittingdale MP believes that the recent reports of UK racism highlight the fact that there is still a significant problem.

Homophobia, say MPs, may now have become the most widespread form of discrimination. When Liverpool’s Suarez was found guilty of racial abuse against Evra from Manchester United he was fines £40,000 by the FA and a ban. Meanwhile John Terry, ex-England captain was cleared in July of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, his fellow football player. Mr Whittingdale said that the committee believes the FA should set an example for all football authorities to follow.

Outside of British football, there were moments of racist chanting during Euro 2012 both during matches and at training sessions. A fine of 80,000 euros (£65,000) was given to the Croatian Football Federation for abusing Italian striker Mario Balotelli. During the 1970s and 80s abuse, both racial and otherwise, was common, fortunately the atmosphere and behaviour at football matches has changed hugely.

The report added that charities and initiatives like Show Racism the Red Card helped to reduce the problem where it is worst – in the grounds, on the streets and online – but more work is required. A joint statement from the Football Association, the Football League and the Premier League stated that the progress made in these matters has been substantial but there are still challenges to be met.

 

PM Cameron gets involved in football racism rows

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PM Cameron gets involved in football racism rows Prime Minister David Cameron has involved himself in football’s recent racism scandals, announcing his own plans to get rid of the problem once and for all at the launch of an anti-discrimination project at Downing Street.

Cameron revealed that he has given the FA a two-month deadline to come up with a scheme for tackling the apparent increase in racist incidents within the English game; an indication of just how seriously the issue is being taken at all levels of the game and beyond.

The Prime Minister, while concerned about individual cases, was more worried about the impact that racist behaviour on the football pitch would have on the streets, adding that many young people are influenced by the behaviour of their footballing idols; even if that behaviour is unacceptable and discriminatory. Cameron added that football has the potential to affect people’s opinions and behaviour for the better, and that the FA should not miss their opportunity to take a stand on the racism issue.

English football has been hit by a series of high-profile racism scandals in recent months, most notably the cases of Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Chelsea and England captain John Terry. Suarez recently served an eight-match band for racially abusing the Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, but the incident was back in the headlines recently, when Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand before the two sides played each other.

Despite his somewhat reluctant apology in the aftermath of the furore caused by the missed handshake, the story refuses to go away; those old combatants Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson have been trading veiled insults in the tabloid press ever since. Ferguson’s comment that if Suarez had been a United player he would have sold him rather than keep such a disruptive influence at the club provoked a particularly strong reaction from the Liverpool boss.

Meanwhile, Terry faces a criminal trial in July on a charge over allegations he racially abused QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. The decision by the FA to temporarily replace him as England captain, until the result of the trial was known, led to the resignation of England coach Fabio Capello, only a few months before the Euro 2012 competition in Poland and the Ukraine.

The results of the FA inquiry into racism in English football and how to tackle it will have been published before Terry goes to court – but the 25-year-old defender can expect serious consequences within the game of he is found guilty, with some pundits even calling for him to be dropped from the England squad altogether.

The eight-match ban imposed on Suarez, the longest ever for this kind of offence, has made it clear that the FA is taking the problem seriously, and is prepared to take action even against some of the biggest names in the sport if they racially abuse another player.

It is unclear what the FA will propose when they speak to the Prime Minister in two months’ time; most anti-racism initiatives in the game have been aimed at the terraces and preventing racial abuse from fans, but it seems that David Bernstein and his FA colleagues may need to look a little closer to home when it comes to developing their next anti-discrimination scheme.