KICK IT OUT campaigner Troy Townsend fears racism is growing again in English football.
Townsend — father of Crystal Palace and England international Andros — has noticed a worrying trend in reports pouring into his office that have not plagued the game since the 1980s.
This includes a sports facility called Kick Off in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, where a Muslim community play football, having the word ‘Paki’ sprayed across its window.
Townsend admitted: “I never thought I’d see that.
“These are young Muslim people who want to play football. Yet they get that sprayed on to their facility.
“This is the kind of stuff football must challenge on a daily basis now.”
Since the European Referendum in June, there has been a spike in hate crime where vile extremists have targeted ethnic minorities or foreign nationals.
Townsend fears a minority element have hijacked the Brexit result as a licence to bring racist behaviour into the game.
He said: “With the country leaving the EU, we now have more issues. Every day people are being victimised.
“Even with stuff said like, ‘Get out of my country’ — that is hate and should not be said to any individual.
“When you’re in an unpoliced environment such as grassroots football, it can be open to that kind of nature that we thought we’d long left behind.”
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Along with increased reports of racism in football, there has also been a worrying return of hooligan problems in the shape of violence inside and outside West Ham’s London Stadium.
That was on the back of thugs attacking the Manchester United team coach outside Upton Park in May.
And Townsend is worried all the things that plagued the game before could quickly return. In matches involving Russian clubs bananas still get thrown on to pitches and monkey chants ring out around stadiums.
Townsend wants clubs found guilty of fans’ abuse punished hard.
He insisted: “The punishments are paltry. The effective thing would be a fining or banning system.
“Fifa and Uefa should say, ‘You’re not doing enough to challenge discrimination, so we’re sorry, your champions will not be allowed to play European football’.”
Townsend also fears huge problems at the Russia World Cup in 2018 — and wants government action to help ensure a trouble-free tournament.
He added: “This should go right to the top. Our Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin and other world leaders need to get a grip on it.
“Inside the stadia worries me, outside massively worries me. There’s going to have to be an unbelievable police presence.”
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