The racism, violence and abuse are problems the sport can police, but only wider political and societal forces can solveAnd so, back to black. The Wembley gates have been rushed. Anthems have been booed, stewards punched, murals defaced, racism paraded across social media. The lads are gacked up on Cake and Russel Dust outside Bella Pasta, flicking Vs in little Italy, abusing passers-by in the tube station.A prime minister who has done more than any other person in Britain to enable division and stupidity, has sent a message condemning division and stupidity. A home secretary who employs cynical and divisive rhetoric is “disgusted” to find people have taken her seriously. Related: Boris Johnson's Euros bandwagon-jumping won't get him far |...
The cricket authorities have failed the black community for years. They punish Ollie Robinson – but no one punishes themI think England cricketer Ollie Robinson should be punished for his racist tweets. Young man or not, he knew what he did. But the real problem is that he is a product of an environment created over the years by the cricket authorities, among other agencies.In 1948, there were 30,000-50,000 black people in Britain. There were British-born black rugby league players, rugby union players, footballers and boxers of repute, but not one black British cricketer of note. Why? If black people were here and they weren’t playing cricket there must have been something stopping them. Related: Lonsdale Skinner: 'Most of the...
I feel utterly disconnected from England as a nation, but supporting their football team has brought me happinessIt’s the morning after my wedding. I’m sitting down to brunch with some friends of the family. While we’re waiting for the food to arrive, I pull out my phone and browse the latest sport headlines. “Oh look,” I announce to nobody in particular. “We won the Under-20 World Cup last night.” At this, my sister-in-law’s boyfriend narrows his eyes accusingly. “Who’s we?” “England,” I respond. He looks at me like I’ve just sprinkled salt on my cornflakes. “Huh,” he says eventually. “‘We’. That’s interesting.”I support England. England is by many objective measures a terrible country ruled by terrible people with a terrible...
The La Liga side rightly left the pitch against Cádiz over alleged racial abuse, so why did they end up coming back on?Every time the camera focused on Mouctar Diakhaby sitting in the stands, and Juan Cala still on the pitch, it felt worse. An opportunity lost, everything the wrong way round. On Sunday afternoon Valencia became the first top-level team in Spain to walk off the pitch in protest at alleged racist abuse suffered by their player, only to turn and come back on again.Now the game, which no longer felt like a game, had started again – without the abused and with the alleged abuser. Diakhaby sat in silence, arms crossed, the mask over his face not really...
The Manchester United forward and other players have become lightning rods in a debate which is yet to be resolvedOnce again it falls on Marcus Rashford to lead. The Manchester United forward used his voice this weekend to bring clarity and focus to a problem that should not exist. This time it was not child food poverty that he wanted to talk about, but racism. Racism and the pernicious effect it has, not only on its victims, but on the society that allows it to fester.Rashford was one of several Premier League footballers to have abuse directed at their social media accounts this past week. He wasn’t even the only one in his team. No one knows how many players...