GUY BRANSTON
Gareth and his England troops sent a message in Bulgaria
GROWING up in the city of Leicester, I was surrounded by people from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds. Neighbours and friends, the people in my classes and football dressing rooms. The level of diversity was unbelievable.
And that was the 80s. So to still be talking about racism in this day and age is a complete disgrace.
First things first. As a white man, I know I will never understand what it feels like to be racially abused. It’s simply impossible.
Nevertheless, the insults hurled at Tyrone Mings, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling during England’s 6-0 victory in Bulgaria made me so, so angry. Now, something has to change - and fast.
Gareth Southgate and his players played their part. They didn’t walk off the pitch, but they kicked off, made their point and made the world take notice.
Enough
It was deliberately dramatised, and credit must go to the TV broadcasters. They showed everything that was going on in the stands - the Nazi salutes, the gestures, the monkey chants and the insults.
People need to see this stuff. People need to see that it is going on. Just to make everyone, particularly the authorities, recognise what footballers have to deal with. And to be confronted with the fact that it is happening at the highest level of the game.
Maybe now Bulgaria will take measures to change attitudes to minorities in society. Because abuse in the stands is always a reflection of prejudice in the streets.
As for the football team, why are they even in the competition? Chuck them out, ban them for the next one, and we won’t be having this discussion again. Nor can other supporters just stand mute. What gets me about fans everywhere - and this is in England, too - is that supporters don’t do enough to police each other.
In Sofia, the other Bulgarian fans were just standing about looking at these guys as if they weren’t bothered. It made it look like the norm. And it’s not the norm. I’ve been to Bulgaria recently and visited a wonderful club over there that was immaculately run.
Issues
They had French African players who played week-in, week-out and I didn’t hear a word of racist abuse.
Unfortunately, a minority are making them all look bad, and it’s the same for any club or country that has these issues.
If someone is being racist, why aren’t the people around him shouting ‘Get him out’? Why aren’t the stewards throwing him out?
You see loads of people with coats on, what are they actually doing? Stopping people celebrating goals, mainly.
What happened in Bulgaria rammed the issue down everyone’s throats.
I don’t live in a dream world, but I’d like to think that something so high-profile will make a decisive impact. It’s about time.