Ex-Saint Anton turns the spotlight on racism for BBC
Former St Mirren defender Anton Ferdinand is to explore the controversial issue of racism in football in a new documentary for BBC One.
The 35-year-old, who helped the Buddies avoid relegation in the 2018/ 19 Premiership campaign, has spent the last year speaking to players, managers and policy makers about the subject.
The 2019/20 campaign was marred by multiple incidents of racism, and Ferdinand is determined to shine a light on the topic as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to be highlighted at the start of every Premiership game.
He said: “Racism is still a prominent issue in football and during the filming process alone, there have been numerous incidents on and off the pitch.
“I hope by sharing my own personal experiences of racism I can help people understand this subject better.
“It’s of huge importance and should matter to us all.”
The hour- long Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me programme will also feature his brother and ex- England skipper Rio Ferdinand, who will talk about his own encounters with racism during his career and how it has affected him and his family.
BBC One has also announced two other one-off celebrity-led documentaries.
Race, Coronavirus And Me with David Harewood will explore the link between COVID-19 and race, while Patrick Kielty: My Nation, Its Border And Me will see the presenter look back on the history of Northern Ireland to coincide with 100 years since its creation.
Racism is still a prominent issue in football and during the filming process alone there have been numerous incidents