Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Racismstill ‘elephantin theroom’
Former Albion Rovers boss Kevin Harper says racism is“the elephantin the room”offootball – and nothing will change until theauthorities actually address it.
Harper was horrified to see racism raise its uglyhead again when Czech defenderondrej Kudela was accused of making a racist remark to Rangers’glen Kamara during their 2-0 defeat to Slavia Pragueat Ibrox onthursdaynight.
Theex-hibs striker, who was Rovers boss between 2018-2020, spoke up for racial equality during his timeat Cliftonhill and following this latest incidentaffecting aclub in our game, he wants serious punishments to be handed tooffenders.
Harper believesthere needsto bea multi-racial think tank set up to look at t eissue, and says he’s beenmaking thesa h m ecomplaints for 25 years now.
He said:“it’s reallydisappointing that it’s happening but until the powers that betake a stand, nothing will change.
“For me, taking a knee is a gesture, it’s making notice thatthere’s still an issue butas Ikeep saying, and as I’ve said throughout all of it, until something changes, the elephantin the room is always going to bethere.
“If there are teamsor players making racist commentsthen theyhaveto be punished, and not just a slap in the wrist, it has to be a severe punishmentand that we’re taking it seriously.
“Outwithfootball, in society, ifyou get caught doing itthecourts takeit seriously, so why don’t weinfootball.
“That’sthething for me;we needa think tank inscottishfootball that is multi-national, of multi-ethnic people, because with all due respect,howdoes a white person understand racism?
“I’m a blackman, I didn’tchoose to be a blackman, so howdothey understand how it feels?i think they can certainly empathise with it, but they’ve never gonethrough it.”
Clubsin the Premiership took action atthe weekend by refusing to takea kneeingamesinvolving Motherwell, Dundee United and theoldfirmderby between Rangers and Celtic.
Harperadded:“itcomes down to education and we’re not saying all people are bad, becausethey’re not, but at theend of the day it’s easy to call somebody a name becauseof their colour, just becausethey’re getting the upper hand in an argumentor whatever - that’sthe easy routeout.
“I’ve been speaking aboutit for probably over 25 years now, and it’sthe samething.we makea noise about it, wesaywe’re going to dosomething, and thenwe forgetabout it.
“That’s why I say‘the elephantin the room’because racism in sport is still a verydifficultsubject to talk aboutand until it becomesan easier subject to talk aboutand we don’t put it in the room and try to put it in a box, we’re never going to move forward.”