STAMP OUT THE ABUSE
THE LATEST ON THE BATTLE AGAINST THE TROLLS AS ENGLISH CLUBS LOOK TO FOLLOW RANGERS’ LEAD
WHEN no-one is listening to what you are saying, silence becomes a way to make your point. Steven Gerrard doesn’t expect a week-long boycott of social media to win the war against racist abuse. But it’s a step he and his Rangers players felt they had to take.
Other tactics don’t seem to have made an impact. Change is still awaited in how the giant companies of online communication police their platforms.
Footballers have taken a knee against racism. They have stood in protest. They have spoken out. Player after player has stepped forward to reveal the appalling bile they face when they switch on their phone or iPad.
Glen Kamara revealed this week he had been subject to online abuse ‘every day’ since he accused Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela of making a racist comment to him in last month’s Europa League tie.
Kemar Roofe, too, has been inundated with racist messages and emojis. With increasing exasperation, he has highlighted posts and called for action from Instagram.
Captain James Tavernier believes every single black player at Ibrox has been subjected to racist abuse on social media this season.
The same could surely be said at other clubs across the UK and further afield.
Within Rangers, a seven-day boycott was agreed as the next legitimate step.
Like so many, Gerrard wants to see a system that makes sure social-media users are identifiable and held properly accountable for abuse they send.
‘Glen has been the focus of a lot of it, so has Kemar Roofe, and we’ve had other situations as well,’ said the Rangers manager, who has 9.1million followers on Instagram.
‘We feel it’s the right thing to do. Swansea and Birmingham have done something similar and it came onto the agenda when speaking to the senior players here and to the board over the last couple of days.
‘We decided it was the right thing to do. It’s not going to make a massive change but it keeps it at the forefront of people’s thinking. This will only get changed once the people in power change it — i.e. governments, i.e. UEFA, i.e. the SFA. People who are in powerful positions to make change in football. Because it’s obvious the social-media platforms are not listening.
‘This has been on radio stations and TV outlets for weeks and months. Instagram are not listening. Twitter are not listening. Facebook are not listening.
‘People can just set up false accounts, do what they want to do and get away with it. That’s not right in my opinion. I support my players in taking this stand for a week and from there we will decide what we do next.’
Gerrard is clear about the duty of care he feels to his players.
Kamara, quiet by nature, has been the focus of so much attention ever since the Slavia Prague incident last month.
The hurt he felt that night has been compounded by a constant stream of online abuse. For Roofe, the past few weeks have been a similarly testing experience.
‘It is personal abuse and when you hurt those players, you hurt all of us because we are all one here at Rangers and that’s the message we want to send,’ added Gerrard.
‘We stand right behind those players to support them in any way, shape or form. I’m their manager, that’s my job.
‘It’s not just about football. Some things are above that. When you come down to personal abuse, that’s not acceptable. I want to give these players every bit of support I can.’
As captain, Tavernier was heavily involved in deciding the boycott. The 29-year-old right-back this week agreed a contract extension that will keep him at Rangers until 2024, with Gerrard yesterday delivering rich praise of his character.
Currently sidelined by a knee injury, Tavernier has an ‘outside chance’ of being involved in next weekend’s Scottish Cup last 16 meeting with Celtic.
Already, though, his key part in clinching the Premiership title has delivered reward for the perseverance shown in his earlier years at Ibrox.
‘When you play for a top club you have to be prepared to soak up a bit of criticism,’ said Gerrard. ‘That’s more so in this day and age with all the social-media platforms
and the amount of people that cover the games.
‘I know from experience it’s not all pats on the back and praise. But, I’ll tell you something, you can never question his (Tavernier) mentality or character.
‘He’s soaked up more than most. But he’s tried to improve, he’s put that hard work in. James is an example to everyone at the club in that regard. The pleasing thing for me is he wants to continue to improve, to get better and be a good support to young Nathan (Patterson), who will come through and take the baton eventually.’