We can’t let the racists rebound
THE 40th anniversary last Thursday of Viv Anderson becoming England’s first black international marked an inspirational milestone in football’s fight against racism.
But it also revived some unpleasant personal memories of the grotesque levels of hatred players of colour faced before and after Anderson’s 1978 breakthrough.
It was sickeningly commonplace then to hear black players being racially abused and see the National Front selling their hate-filled
Bulldog rag outside stadia.
Anderson has never forgotten the vile abuse he suffered as a raw youngster when playing for Nottingham Forest, particularly, in two League Cup ties at Carlisle and Newcastle.
At Brunton Park fruit was thrown at him. The abuse was even more vitriolic at St James’ Park.
Thankfully, Kevin Keegan’s spell as a player helped influence the Toon Army to reject racism.
Racism, however, remained widespread in England. The most disturbing incident I ever witnessed was during a Newcastle visit to Stamford Bridge in 1993. Chelsea fans mercilessly taunted their first black player, Paul Canoville, with jeers and vile chants.
It was thanks to brave anti-racism pioneers such as Anderson (below), Cyrille Regis, once sent a bullet in the post, and John Barnes, senselessly booed by far-right England yobs after his 1984 Maracana wonder goal, that gradually the bigots were isolated... if not completely beaten.
The fact Anderson was the only black player in England’s 1982 World Cup squad, while this year 12 of the Three Lions’ 23 in Russia were from ethnic backgrounds, shows great strides.
The big negative for campaigners such as Anderson, who was Bryan Robson’s assistant at Middlesbrough, is so few make it into managerial and coaching roles.
New Macclesfield manager Sol Campbell brings the number of managers from ethnic minorities to just eight from the 92 clubs.
Football must learn from the past and ensure there’s no return to the grim days that made life so hard for black players of Anderson’s generation.