Cod Almighty | Article
by Simon Wilson
16 October 2003
Saturday, in case you haven't noticed, is the club's anti-racism day. (You might have arrived at Blundell Park early enough to see members of the Cod Almighty team receive Des Hamilton's shirt from 'Disco' himself.) That football clubs need to have an annual anti-racism day in this day and age initially seemed ludicrous to me. Here we are, 20 years on from Thatcherism's contempt of multiculturalism and liberalism, still combating the prejudice of what I thought was a few.
Last year the British Social Attitudes survey revealed that 25 per cent of the population admitting being prejudiced against people of other races. That's one in four. Or, in a crude example, if we had a full Blundell Park, that equates to one of the four stands. In comparison to the figure in 1985 - 34 per cent - you would consider this progress. But is it enough progress over 17 years?
In the 2001-02 season 46 people were arrested for racist behaviour at football grounds across the country. The previous season 82 people were arrested on the same charges. In the space of 12 months, the number of racist arrests was halved. That's the official line. But is the number of arrests indicative of the problem?
Seven per cent of the British population is black or Asian. Apparently around 880,000 people attend weekend football games in the Premiership and the Football League. In an ideal world something like 66,000 people who are black or Asian would be attending these games. However, this isn't the case. A Mori poll carried out for the FA revealed two striking points. Firstly, 80 per cent of black and Asian fans said that racist abuse would put them off attending a game. This was compounded by a majority of white fans saying these supporters would feel unwelcome. Draw your own conclusions.
On the pitch black footballers have won their way through on ability alone. Can you remember the time of the 'Three Degrees' at West Brom? John Barnes had to put up with unbelievable grief - remember the infamous 'banana-ing' at Upton Park? The 16 players selected by Grovesie for today's game could feature four black players - Des, Simon Ford, Darren Mansaram and Iffy Onuora. Is this Town's most ethnically diverse squad ever?
Despite this showing on the pitch, I won't suggest that Blundell Park is free from racism. We all know that would be a hideous lie. I experienced racism most recently at the QPR game. Marcus Bean was subjected to the witty quip "he's a black bean, huh huh, no, he's a cocoa bean." The remark caused stony-faced embarrassment in those nearby - but no-one lifted a finger, me included. Last season Leicester was accused of being "a town full of Pakis" by a solitary voice in the Pontoon. Few supporters at a game will take action against a loud-mouthed racist, for fear of abuse, vocally or, worse, physically.
And yet racists are in the minority. When you sit at a game there are more people around you who object to racism. A few years ago at Bradford one of my mates pointed out the idiocy of a person's remarks (which came complete with the pre-requisite guffawing and giggling). While the short conversation got heated, the racist remarks subsided, the offender seemingly shamed as people agreed with my mate's opinions. If you don't want to point out the error of someone's ways then make a steward aware. That's what they are there for. You're not 'grassing'. You are doing the decent thing.
Our club is trying to do something to stamp out racism. Throughout this season the club has published a reminder in the matchday magazine that it will not tolerate racism within Blundell Park and points out the measures it will take. But don't read this article, shrug and dismiss the issue as "someone else's problem" just because the powers that be at Blundell Park are trying to address the issue. By attending Blundell Park, you make it your problem too. You are part of the club. Overall fan behaviour has improved over the past 20 years. But racism still hangs over football. It's time we did kick it out.