Words by Jeffrey A.
The racist abuse of players and lack of action from authorities means ‘the beautiful game’ is becoming very, very ugly.
It’s often said that few things bring people together – regardless of politics, faith or creed – like sport, and football, especially. 3.5 billion people across the world have pledged allegiance to a team, with flags, kits and a love of players proof of their oath of support.
In schools, few topics are more fiercely debated – and in life, few activities can match the passion ignited by the sport. But whilst our teams, favourite players and national allegiances might mean that for 90 minutes we don’t see eye to eye, we all agree that football is ‘the beautiful game.’
To outsiders, the fuss is pointless. 11 people chasing a ball around is not a big deal, a much less important part of a much bigger and complex world. That argument, though, misses the point. Instead, we should all see the game for what it inspires.
Football is about the small child who plays with a ball bigger than they are; a fan who saves up for months, sometimes years, to attend their first game; the parent who washes their child’s team kit the night before a Sunday game; the manager who wrestles with different tactics and systems; the ball boy who’s eager to save his team a few seconds of embarrassment; and the player who limps off in tears at the thought of not being able to help his team win a match, league or cup.
And yes, it’s the excitement of staying up on transfer deadline day to watch Harry Redknapp emerge from his office with one hand on the window of his Range Rover.
It’s also – if I might add – about those moments the game inspires: who could forget Maradona’s ‘hand of God’, Messi’s “away from two, three, four..” goal or any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s innumerable, passionate rants?
Whilst all this makes the sport a constant fixture in our lives, something else, with more damaging consequences to society, threatens its appeal: racism.
In recent weeks alone, Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe and Antony Martial, Chelsea’s Reece James and Rangers’ Glen Kamara, among others, have received racist abuse on social media. The frequency of this abuse towards players – with some as young as 18 – means pressure on the authorities, especially social media companies, is growing.
The need to do more is plainly obvious. From offensive messages to random accounts created to hide its owner’s identity, more must be done to ban and prosecute offenders. Some clubs have vowed, that where persons are identified, they’ll talk action, with punishments including permanent bans for fans caught. The problem, in part, is our routine reaction to incidents of racism in football: issued statements, social media campaigns, hashtags, threats of severe consequences if caught. Then, after a few weeks, the conversation returns to top scorers, the need for mid-season breaks and the newest stadiums.
Increasingly, there’s pressure on social media giants to act, to stamp out hate on their platforms. But given that lockdown has rendered most stadiums empty, focusing solely on social medial platforms will hardly solve the problem. For all its beauty and passion, football can at times be consumed with hatred, abuse and threats – and the nature of the problem goes far beyond the words used, emojis sent or ‘jokes’ made. Instead, it’s the threats to life, the wishes of ill-health and the promise to harm loved ones that make the issue all-the-more severe.
And all for what? Missing a goal, or misplacing a pass?
From supporting players who walk off the pitch to demanding that more be done, we all need to take an active interest in confronting the sport’s biggest demon, regardless of our club allegiances or the players we love the most. At the same time – as repeatedly suggested by victims – the punishments handed out for racism in football need to be much, much tougher.
This week, Thierry Henry, one of football’s biggest names, announced his departure from social media due to racism in football and the lack of action from authorities: “Hi guys, from tomorrow morning I will be removing myself from social media until the people in power are able to regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright,” he wrote.
Given his influential position, social media giants will notice his stance – and if they’re not careful, some of the sport’s biggest names will soon follow suit.
Players and fans across the country are fed up with endless talk and no action about the same issue. Our well-rehearsed responses – from slogans to black squares – simply don’t cut it. Yes, those things are necessary to raise awareness. But in isolation, they simply aren’t sufficient.
Soon, if real action isn’t taken against racism in football, with serious consequences for perpetrators, the sport will – maybe not in the next year, or even decade, but in time – begin to lose its global appeal.
If not for everyone, for me.
On the subject of players, here’s why, at the moment, Marcus Rashford can do no wrong.