We had to accept race hate’
PAUL PARKER insists he could never have dared to walk off a football pitch due to racist abuse – because it would have killed his career.
Former Manchester United, QPR, Fulham and England defender Parker, 55, suffered racism from the moment he broke through as a teenager.
And he was dismayed that QPR’S Under-18 team, led by skipper Trent Mahorn were subjected to alleged racist taunts and monkey chants while playing Seville side AD Nervion in a friendly in Spain.
The Spanish referee failed to act, so the QPR youngsters spoke with Academy coach Paul Furlong, who took his players off in the second half, with the match abandoned. An inquiry is underway by the Andalusian football federation.
Parker said: “I don’t advocate walking off the pitch – that would feel as though the racists had won.
Endured
“And I know Paul Furlong and what he endured as a black player growing up. In those days he wouldn’t have walked off either.
“But I was getting racism from the age of 17 and here we are nearly 40 years on and it’s still happening.
“So we are talking about a different generation now. They are human beings and won’t stand for it anymore.
“There were no heroes or crusaders making a stand in football in my day, because they wouldn’t have lasted five minutes.
“I would never have dared walk off the pitch. That wasn’t an option in those days.
“Early in my career I got very upset at the abuse I took one day at Elland Road. It was the first time it had happened to me on that scale in front of a big crowd.
“But I was told in no uncertain terms to get on with it – and if I didn’t like it I should get another job!
“Looking back, that seems an incredibly hard thing to say to a young black player.
“But if I had complained, walked off a pitch during a game, or gone public and been vocal about it no club would have ever touched ever again.”