Not to long ago black footballers in the United Kingdom were frequently faced with monkey chants from the terraces and racial abuse from their opponents. Now the problem seems to have been mostly eradicated from the British game, and it is not unusual to have a black player in the football league (approximately 25% of professional players are of black origin). Yet a series of incidents over the past decade throughout Europe suggests the problem is still rife in mainland Europe.
During the 1970s and 1980s in the British Isles, footballers from different ethnic backgrounds were verbally abused from members of the crowd, singing racist or anti-semitic songs. It is believed that this was all linked to far-right groups who seemed to be using football matches to recruit new members and to hand out literature.
Far-right groups like the National Front (NF) used their magazine Bulldog to promote competitions amongst fans for the title of "most racist ground in Britain". Copies of Bulldog were openly sold at grounds across the country. As a result, clubs like Chelsea, Leeds United, Milwall, Newcastle United, Arsenal, and West Ham were seen to have strong fascist elements. After the Heysel stadium disaster in the 1980s, British National Party leaflets were found on the terraces!
During the 1990s the British government introduced measures to combat racism in football alongside football's governing bodies as well as at club level, supporter level, and organisations like Kick Racism out of Football. The 1990s saw a massive decline in racism in the British game and now football fans will hardly ever hear racist abuse at football stadiums in Britain.
The British authorities and various other parties seem to have grasped hold of the problem and helped eradicate the minority who use football as a tool to vent racism, but the same can not be said for other European nations. The problem of racism in mainland Europe is being described by some as endemic. It seems as though some football federations are in denial of the problem even though players, fans, and ethnic minorities are abused regularly.
Article comments
1 - alessandro nicolo
I saw the game regarding the Zoro incident. Awful. Of Italy and Spain, I think Spain and Aragones have been downright oblivious. It's a black mark on football. Good piece. Well documented.
2 - RJ Elliott
Fine piece.
But tell me, is there any racial abuse when White soccer/football players play in Africa or Asia?
3 - alessandro nicolo
Yeah. And do they know it's Christmas?
4 - Mell x
Well I am only 15 but I am studying racsim in football for a piece of GCSE coursework I am doing. I find it upsetting that people are picked on because of their colour or accent. We are all made of the same organs it is just some people look different. What would the world be like if we were all the same? I just find it a bit upsetting! I am enjoying studying this, and maybe in the future we can do more to prevent anymore racist acts against anyone.