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JUST Bulletin

09/01/2012Feature Article

Racism in FootballThe problem of racism in football is being

described by many as "endemic".

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A week on from Stephen Lawrence

National News:

At least 96 people have been killed in attacks with a racial element since themurder of Stephen Lawrence 18 years ago, claims the Institute of Race Relations.

http://www.irr.org.uk/2012/january/ha000002.html

A judge in Wales, has criticised sentencing powers that restricted him to fining anex-soldier who openly admitted to being racist and said that he wanted to 'shootMuslims in the head' and blow up a mosque.http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/01/05/judge-criticises-sentencing-powers-as-racist-escapes-tough-punishment-91466-30066272/

Advances in forensic science could re-open inquiry into the death of Surjit SinghChhokar who was murdered by a white gang.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16456132

Allegations of Racism against the Police up by 32% in four years.http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/10/allegations-of-racism-against-the-police-up-by-32-in-four-years-115875-23692417/

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Police Officers 'racially abused' Bath pub doormanhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-16474127So where are all the black police officers?http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/04/where-are-black-police-officers

Stephen Lawrence: a victory but Police racism continues.http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/articles/opinion/15390

Abuse of stop and search powers is a crime, says Lawrence inquiry adviserhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/jan/07/abuse-stop-search-crime-police

Northamptonshire Police constable who sent racist and sexist texts still in jobhttp://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/northamptonshire_police_constable_who_sent_racist_and_sexist_texts_still_in_job_1_3380098

How Stephen Lawrence and his family jolted a nation's consciencehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/03/stephen-lawrence-jolted-nation-conscience?intcmp=239

Disabled man punched in racist attackhttp://www.london24.com/news/race_rant_camden_road_manhunt_by_police_1_1170549

Racially motivated attack leaves a woman, 41, in hospitalhttp://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/racially_motivated_attack_leaves_a_woman_41_in_hospital_1_1167742

Asian man attacked and racially abused in Salfordhttp://www.manchesterwired.co.uk/news.php/215021-Asian-man-attacked-and-racially-abused-in-Salford

Oldham's Tom Adeyemi suffers 'racial abuse' in Liverpool FA Cup tiehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/06/oldham-tom-adeyemi-liverpool

Twenty-four years after this picture, we ask how much the UK has changedhttp://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4046821/Twenty-four-years-after-racist-football-fans-threw-bananas-at-John-Barnes-how-much-has-the-UK-changed.html

News from West Yorkshire

Article: Three wards of city among the most deprived hotspots across thecountry. More than 35,000 children in Bradford are growing up in poverty,according to research published today.http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9461140.35_000_children_living_in_pove

rty/?ref=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Article: Leeds City Councils 1 million traveller

pitches http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/leeds_city_council_s_1_million_traveller_pitches_1_4116831

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Article: Six hundreds jobs will be axed at Bradford Council as part of of a 31million cuts packagehttp://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9455956.600_Council_jobs_to_go_in___31m_savings_package/?ref=mr

Article: Huddersfield Police Car Crash Injuries Seven, Including Two Baby Boys

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/07/huddersfield-police-car-crash-injures-seven_n_1191140.html?ref=mostpopularArticle: Bradford goes into 2012 perhaps with more reason for optimism than 12months ago.http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/news_behind/9447595.A_parking_poser_as_Bradford_picks_up/?ref=fap

Article: Our agony, by family of July 7 mastermindhttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/our_agony_by_family_of_july_7_mastermind_1_4113704Article: I thought I was voting to consult on location - Another councillor misledover library votehttp://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/business/i_thought_i_was_voting_to_consult_on_location_another_councillor_misled_over_library_vote_1_4114584

Article: More than 11,000 speeding drivers snapped by M62 cameras in our areain 2011 - A 1100% rise on 2010http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2012/01/05/more-than-11-000-speeding-drivers-snapped-by-m62-cameras-in-our-area-in-2011-an-1100-rise-on-2010-86081-30062480/

Take ActionBradford Council Budget Consultationhttp://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/Consultations/priorities_for_2012_2013_budget

Leeds Initial Budget Proposalshttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/Council_and_democracy/council_budgets_and_spending.aspx

Amnesty International Petition - Gibson Torture Inquiryhttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22488

Article: Join panel to help shape Leedss futurehttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/join_panel_to_help_shape_leeds_s_future_1_4104035

Article: Wakefield: Hundreds sign up to fight nursery closure planshttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/wakefield_hundreds_sign_up_to_fight_nursery_closure_plans_1_4100996

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Feature Article

Racism in football

Over the last few weeks, the trial of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the callouskilling of Indian postgraduate student Anuj Bidwe have been playing out against abackdrop of investigations into the prevalence of racism in football. The news that JohnTerry, captain of the England and Chelsea team is to be prosecuted for a raciallyaggravated public order offence for alleged racist remarks to Anton Ferdinand, QueenPark Rangers player, highlights that 15 years after the Kick It Outof football racism initiative and campaigning racism continues to plague the gamedespite the increasingly multi-ethnic society nature of the game and its supporters. Theunconditional support for John Terry issued by the England and Chelsea Football clubs,in a press and media statement highlights the failure of leadership at the highest level

within the game.

Likewise the donning of t-shirts by Liverpool players in support of their team memberLuis Suarez, who was penalised with an eight-match ban for racially abusingManchester Uniteds Patrice Evra by calling him El Negro, merely serves to highlightthe entrenched racist culture that still persists within sections of the game today.

The ill judged act of defiance by members of the Liverpool team who are role models tomany aspiring young footballers is tantamount to condoning racism within the sport.Likewise the lack of regard for the huge international following, which brings in lucrativerevenue streams for the club (Chelsea 209.5m and Liverpool 184.5m), shows that

footballers expect to be economically remunerated but fail to exercise their social andmoral responsibility to their fellow-players and followers.The failure of leadership at both the national and international level first hit the headlineslate last year when the FIFA Board failed to fire the Associations president, Sepp Blattersuggesting that victims should just shake hands with their abusers and get on with

playing the game.

JUST condemns the failure of both Chelsea and Liverpool football clubs, for appearingto condone the alleged racism of Suarez and Terry by failing to conduct their ownindependent investigation. JUST supports the call by Peter Herbert from the Society ofBlack Lawyers (SBL), to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) urging that they treat theSuarez affair as a racist incident, in line with the response to the John Terry case.

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To our knowledge, neither club has bothered to conduct its own independentinvestigation or hold a disciplinary hearing. If such serious allegations of racismhad been made in the workplace, any reasonable employer would consider itselfto be under a strict duty to conduct a full, detailed and impartial investigation intothe allegations, and not simply to state that they stand behind the denials of theplayer concerned.The punitive effects of racism are felt by thousands of people in Britain each day.

The response of the Football Association (FA) and the CPS must be robust toprotect others from the humiliation, pain and suffering that this type of hate crimeinflicts. There is no reason why Suarez should not face criminal charges. Whenindividual football clubs and fellow players both black and white endorse thiskind of behaviour, they themselves become part of the problem because theystand in the way of the total eradication of racism from the sport. Their denial andappeasement reflects an abdication of their role as responsible players oremployers.

Whilst JUST agrees that progress has been made over the last few decades in trying tocombat racism, as Sir Alex Ferguson puts out on the Kick It Out website: "The situation

today is better than it was 20 years ago, and 20 years ago it was better than 30years ago,clearly there is still some way to go.

In the face of a spate of racist incidents over the last few months, Lord Herman Ouseley,the most influential and respected anti-racist campaigner in English football, deliberatedwhether to quit the FA Council. His decision was dependent on the outcome of theinvestigation into the England captain, John Terry's alleged abuse of Anton Ferdinand.Lord Ouseley said:

"Whether or not I have had enough of it all will depend on what happens next. Theimportant issue here is that we have made great strides and progress over the lastdecade and a half in challenging unacceptable and racist behaviour and we are allvery keen to maintain that momentum. It must go on beyond this incident andensure we set the standards that must not be breached in the future. What is doneon that score will determine what I do next."

As Lord Ouseley contemplates his future in the organisation, the human cost of thosewho are at the receiving end of racist comments is clear from the testimony of JohnBarnes who faced racism on a daily basis, not just from opposing supporters but alsofrom his own team in the dressing room, on the training pitch and the canteen.

In training you would get abuse from your own team-mates. They would call youracial names. 'Eh, nigger.' I would think, 'Oh, whatever.' It's incomprehensible topeople, but this was part of society."

The emotional impact of racism was clearly evident last week when Oldham's footballerTom Adeyemi, was reduced to tears when he was racially abused twice by a supporterduring a match against Liverpool. A witness reported hearing a fan shout, You fuckingblack bastard.Other witnesses reported seeing two fans wearing t-shirts of LuisSuarez, mirroring the actions of Liverpool players after their team mate was found guiltyof racism.

Tackling racism is more important than any player or any club can ever be, given itswide appeal in society. It is therefore incumbent on players to uphold the highest

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standards. As a start the leadership within football associations should ensure that theirteams are given appropriate anti-racism training outlining what is acceptable andunacceptable behaviour or conduct. Racist jokes or names should not be tolerated andmanagers must be trained adequately on dealing with such behaviour when it occurs.Furthermore those in a position of leadership must take appropriate and swift action withthose involved in racist incidents. In this context it is vital that justice must not only be

done but must be seen to be done. When individual football clubs and fellow players both black and white encourage and endorse racist behaviour, they themselvesbecome part of the problem because they stand in the way to eliminating racism fromthe sport and society at large.

Kash Ahmed & Ratna Lachman

Facts of Note

1. In 2003 there were 6 Black managers in the Football League and in 2012 thereare only now 2.

2. The overall number of racist incidents recorded by the police in England andWales in 2010/11 was 51,187. A 'racist incident' is

any incident, including any crime, which is perceived to be racist by the victimor any other person.

3. In the 2008/09 season there were 36 arrests for racist chanting at footballmatches in England and Wales, a rise from the previous

season's tally of 23

4. Ten years ago you were 5 to 6 times more likely to be stopped & searched bypolice if you were black than white. Now the

overall rate is about 7 times more likely.

5. The changing demographic profile of the population inside youth jails inEngland and Wales also shows an increasing

proportion of young Muslims, up from 13% last year to 16%.

6. Young black men now account for nearly 40% of the population of youth jails inEngland and Wales

7. Between 2007 and 2011 there was a 37% reduction in white children in custody,compared with a 16% reduction in black and

ethnic minority children.

8. Black people of all ages are three times more likely to be arrested than whitepeople.

9. Black people constitute 2.7 percent of the population aged 10-17, but represent8.5 percent of all those arrested in England

and Wales.

10. Black people are just over six times more likely to be stopped and searchedby the police than white people.

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11. Black young offenders are significantly less likely to be given unconditionalbail compared to white young offenders andblack young offenders are more likely to be remanded in custody compared to

white reoffenders.

12. Black people and young people of mixed ethnicity, when sentenced, are more

likely to receive more punitive sentencesthan young white people.

13. In the three years to 2009, there was a 164% increase in the use of stop andsearch powers.

14. Allegations of racism against the Police up by 32% in four years.