Racism in football - is there a problem?

[VladimirIlyich]

1 hour ago, JohnnyH said:

I’m going to comment on this as a middle aged white man, so obviously best positioned to share my views. 
 

But I wonder were those comments coming from a position of ignorance as opposed to flat-out racism?  So often we hear successful sports people who came from extremely deprived backgrounds say that if it wasn’t for sport they’d be dead or in jail as many of their childhood friends now are. And he’s them parroted that but worded it poorly?  I don’t know of the man though so he could just be a racist bellend. 

I do suppose it's possible as I've Sterling say football gave him a way out of a tough area. But,it does help to just run through what you might say in your head briefly before engaging your mouth. He could easily have said 'trouble' 'gang culture' 'dead end jobs' 'no real future career path' or other things rather than 'jail' specifically. Not that I always believe these reports word for word anyway.

[skend04]

2 hours ago, whtwht said:

 Context as always is everything. I'm not kneejerking on headlines. These newspapers couldn't give a flying fuck about racism and will report how they want to sell. 

 

By all accounts if Joey Barton didn't have a modicum of footballing ability he could have ended up in jail. Yet he's just plucked out names of black players.

 

I mean, why would black players only have jail as an option if football didn't work out?

 

Don't white people end up in jail?

 

At best it's casual racism. 

[whtwht]

I have a zero tolerance for racists ..the ones with power and influence of the likes of Farage ,Anderson.,Johnson. are the most dangerous and.should be fined and jailed tbh. They set the bar and the tone for the country.Those perpetuating the idea that's its "all in our minds"like Sewell.. Braverman and Kemi also need to be but thats just my opinion all.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68708981

 

[Lee909]