Football hasn’t done nearly enough. Black players have reached breaking point and are now speaking out
CRYSTAL PALACE v MAN CITY
He didn’t know it, but it was the start of a crusade to beat the racists that still continues.
Williams, 57, has spent the last three decades working in City’s community department after a promising career that realised England Under-21 honours and a place in the PFA’S second division team of the season in 1984 was ended prematurely by a chronic back injury.
The weekly battle he fought on the pitch to change people’s prejudices with his performances between the sticks is now waged every single day from his office at the Etihad Campus.
Despite being awarded the MBE in 2002 for the work he has done with young Mancunians of all colours, religions and sexual persuasions, Williams is sad to say the bigots are still lurking.
Like they were the day he ran out at Goodison Park to be greeted by a burning cross behind his goal.
But when City winger Raheem Sterling spoke out so powerfully against racism after being abused by a Chelsea fan earlier this season, it gave him even more belief that intolerance will eventually be beaten. Williams said: “Racism in football isn’t as widespread or as overt as it was when I was a player – but it’s still there.
“Often it bubbles beneath the surface and when it shows itself some people are shocked.
“But the truth is that racist attitudes are still around, not just in football but society in general.
“And while things are better than they were 35 years ago, I don’t think football has done anywhere near enough. It’s clear that black players have reached breaking point and have started to speak out about the abuse they suffer.”
Williams added: “Look at Raheem. He became a target for fans all over the country when he joined City from Liverpool.
“I’m not saying all of it was all racially motivated – but certainly some of it was – and the picture of him facing up to the man who was abusing him at Chelsea was such a powerful image.
“I don’t think Raheem intended to become a focus for the fight against racism when he spoke out.
“But the courage he showed has resonated with so many people that he has become a huge role model. His attitude seems to be, ‘You can shout and abuse me as much as you want, but that is only going to make me play better’. “How can you fail to admire a man like that? “If the Footballer of the Year award is meant to be given to a player who is a consummate professional who performs at a high level on the pitch and also conducts himself in a proper way off it, then Raheem would be a deserving winner this season.” Williams was just 19 when he made his First Division debut against West Brom in March 1981. The Baggies side contained Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson. But black players were still a rarity – and became easy targets for the bigots who infested the terraces. Williams recalled: “There were so few black players in the game that we didn’t have the kind of anti-racism groups in football that we have today. There was no one you could turn to. It was sink or swim.
“It was prevalent at places like West Ham, Leeds and Millwall. That isn’t to suggest that those clubs are the same today, but back then they were the grounds where you knew you would get grief.
“There had never been a black keeper before and I could hear gasps of disbelief when the teams came out before the game. I remember running out for the second half when we played at Everton and a fan had twisted a matchday programme around a spike on the fence behind the goal that was there to keep hooligans off the pitch.
“I didn’t know what it was, but then he set it alight and it all became clear.
“It was a burning cross, the symbol used by the Ku Klux Klan. Andy Burnham, the Lord Mayor of Manchester, is a massive Everton fan and he remembers it.
“Later in my career, I went up to Scotland to play on loan at Queen of the South.
“In England it had been ‘You black b ***** d’. In Scotland it was ‘You English b ***** d’. Believe me, I appreciated the change!”
it had “In England been ‘You black b ***** d’. In Scotland it was ‘You English me, b ***** d’. Believe the appreciated I change!”