We can’t change racist parents but we can educate the kids

ANDRE GRAY EXCLUSIVE

AMID a rising tide of hate in football, Watford’s Andre Gray has a heartwarming story about love.

After joining Brentford from Luton five years ago, he repaid his single mum Joanna for the sacrifices she made by buying her a house on Mothers’ Day.

“It was emotional,” said the 28-year-old striker. “I’d had it in my head since I was a kid. When I signed for Brentford I got a decent signing-on fee so I saved some money and did it.

“The house she’d been in she was struggling to pay the rent and obviously I’d been helping her out. The heating wasn’t working properly and the house was falling apart.

“It was horrible. So to go there that morning and give her a card with the picture of the house and the keys, well, she just started crying. It wasn’t far from where she was living at the time in Wolverhampton. Nothing will ever top that feeling.”

With racism in football in the spotlight, Gray is keen to be a part of Watford’s insistence on getting their own house in order.

The Hornets have launched a campaign urging fans to report offensive behaviour of any kind anywhere in their community, not just in the stadium.

The club will work with police. Luke Mitchell, community safety sergeant for Watford and Three Rivers, said:

“This project will ensure we continue to eliminate hate crime not only in sport, but from our communities. The message is clear,

Watford welcomes everyone and is a safe place to live and visit.”

Gray added: “All we can do is make our own stand within our clubs. It’s for the younger generation because it’s them we need to help and change. Especially young racist kids.

“If they’ve racist parents then the kids need to be educated enough to know we’re all equal.

“I don’t agree that a lot of adults need education. They know enough to know it’s not right. We’re not going to change their opinions. The adults have probably all been to the doctor or hospital and had an Asian or black person treat them, in some cases maybe save their lives or their children’s lives. So I’m not interested in people who want to sit in the stands and spout foolishness.

“They obviously need lifetime bans and we as black players need to speak to people in our clubs to make sure if it’s our fans then that’s what happens to them.” Gray sympathises with Haringey Borough players who walked off in protest at abuse from Yeovil Town fans in an FA Cup tie on Saturday (above).

He added: “I’m in two minds. On the one hand you’re letting people win. You have to think of our predecessors and the stuff they had to stand and fight for to put us where we are now.

“But then at the same time, I feel like nothing’s happening anyway, so maybe walking off the pitch and whatever probably should be tested to see where the hierarchy takes us.”

In another life Gray could have been the kind of inspirational teacher kids listen to. His larger-world perspective sees our conversation move between politics, education and criticism of the media.

Gray’s face was slashed in a fight as a 20-year-old – his views on knife crime are well documented – and he remains a huge asset as Watford look to connect with their community.

“I’ve made my own mistakes,” he said. “But at school I had a fantastic PE teacher, Lloyd Stobart, who helped me stay focused. We need teachers like that who can give young kids tools to help them in the real world. It’s going to take years to reach the next generation but we have to start somewhere.”

WATFORD have set up their own ‘We’ campaign, in partnership with Hertfordshire police, to tackle racism and all forms of prejudice – without the help of external governing bodies.