No time for complacency in the battle against racism
Charles Perrin
Posted on: 28 March 2011 - 16:27
Football
As expected Brazil brushed aside Scotland during yesterday’s international friendly at the Emirates with the type of swagger fans have come to expect from a team with a glorious World Cup history. Unfortunately, the victory has been marred by a disturbing incident in which a fan allegedly threw a banana from the stand at goalscorer Neymar while he was receiving treatment for an injury. It has yet to be confirmed exactly who threw the fruit - the object appeared to emanate from a rowdy section of Brazil’s own fans rather than a ticketed section of Scots – although either way, the sorry episode has done little to enhance the image of ‘the beautiful game.’
A real banana skin
Intriguingly denial has been the name of the game since the incident was made public yesterday evening. Speaking to The Metro a Scottish FA spokesman stressed, “Scotland supporters are known the world over for their impeccable behaviour and we have no reason to believe that after speaking to the relevant authorities, they have been anything other than exemplary.”
His words were backed up by a statement released by the Tartan Army, the official Scotland supporters’ group, which added: “Racism has no place in the Tartan Army and if it did it would be stamped out immediately because we are self-policing.”
That Brazil’s head coach, Mano Menezes, seemed oblivious to what had happened further added intrigue to mystery. “We didn’t have the displeasure of watching that. If it happened it is lamentable, but I have not had confirmation of that event,” he told The Guardian.
For the integrity of the game, the guilty-party needs to be found and punished, although that will only happen if all parties work together.
Haven’t we been here before?
Football unfortunately has an inglorious history of racism. While it is undeniable that progress has been made in Britain with regards stamping out the torrid abuse which was aimed at black British players during the 1970s and 80s, it is wrong to complacently suggest the problem has been completely eradicated. Indeed, within the game much has been made of the fact that only two black managers are currently employed across England’s top four divisions - Chris Powell at Charlton Athletic and Paul Ince at Notts County.
The Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football campaign, established in 1997, has prided itself on challenging discrimination in the game and ushering in an era of equality within the sport. It does though, as the Neymar incident proves, have much work to do in making sure its message fully penetrates the modern football fan’s consciousness.
Give the man a break
While the tormenting of Neymar came in a friendly match between two football sides at opposite ends of the soccer spectrum, other incidents in matches of lower profile also reveal the game’s ugly underbelly.
Following a match against Accrington Stanley, Port Vale’s Exodus Geohaghon was so subjected to abuse by his own fans that he confronted them after the match and subsequently became involved in a scuffle. His was a reaction borne purely out of frustration and he has since, quite rightly, decided to seek legal advice in a bid to draw a line under the situation.
Every person deserves a chance in football and if players are to blossom in the game, we as fans must learn that they too have a responsibility to uphold the name of the game. In some sense, football can learn a lot from sports such as rugby where ‘fair play’ and civility are more often associated as being at the core of its sporting values.
Learning from its mistakes
It is without doubt that the Premier League and the Kick It Out campaign have done sterling work in changing attitudes on the terraces. Indeed football in England is arguably one of the most tolerant environments for foreign players to operate in. Other leagues, particularly those in Eastern Europe, Italy and Spain are regularly in the press for the actions of fans towards black and ethnic minority players. Of course, as with much in life, what happens inside football stadia is a reflection of that society as a whole. Britain prides itself on being a multi-cultural nation and the progress made in educating people about equality has helped promote diversity in the terraces. Other parts of Europe are yet to reach such a stage.
The Neymar and Geohaghon may be isolated incidents, but they are still noteworthy reminders of an era which must never be forgotten. The Kick It Out campaign must investigate and use the latest setbacks as a means to continue their valuable work. Punishment must be swift, thorough and unrelenting – banning those who break the rules is the only way forward.