UK Edition
Sports minister calls summit to tackle new wave of abuse in football
The Government is demanding a summit with football leaders to address fears a new wave of racism is blighting the game. The “urgent” meeting with the Football Association, Premier League, Football League and players’ representatives is one of the first major initiatives by Mims Davies since she took over as sports minister in November.
Stonewall and Kick It Out will also be invited to the meeting in a bid to agree on a new “zero tolerance” approach to discrimination at matches.
Chelsea, Tottenham and Millwall have all faced allegations of racism on the terraces this season. The Football Association could use recently beefed-up powers to sanction Millwall after fans were recorded discriminating against the Pakistani community in the FA Cup on Jan 26.
“Together, we must find a way to tackle this,” Davies said. “Those involved in abuse are not football fans. They are using football as a cloak for discriminatory, and often criminal, behaviour. They are not welcome in our stadiums.”
The debate around racism in football reignited in December after the Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling was abused during a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. It came a week after a banana skin was thrown at the Arsenal attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Davies has vowed to also speak to players, fan groups and coaches about their experiences of discriminatory abuse in football and discuss what action can be taken to eradicate it.
“Football reaches into every community in this country, and can play a big part in helping to champion the values we want to see as part of society today,” Davies said.
“But we will not stand by and watch people threaten these values with ugly acts of hatred.
“Zero tolerance means just that. We cannot allow the minority to ruin it for the majority of us who love the sport.”
In addition to discrimination against black players, Kick It Out has recently raised concerns over levels of anti-Semitism this season. In 2017-18, the charity revealed 52 attacks – 10 per cent of all reports to the organisation – related to anti-Jewish sentiment. Overall, reports of discriminatory abuse within football were up 11 per cent last season, the sixth successive annual rise.
During the recent League Cup semi-finals, Scotland Yard officers issued a warning to fans, having become concerned by a string of high-profile allegations of abuse at Chelsea in recent months. Chelsea twice issued statements condemning their own fans in December after offensive chants were heard.
The club have previously expressed concern that more direct action may be required as their words appear to have had little effect.
Maurizio Sarri’s side are still being investigated by Uefa after supporters were heard singing anti-Semitic songs during a Europa League game against Vidi in Budapest in November.
In recent months, Andros Townsend, the former Tottenham winger, was also abused when he was in possession at Selhurst Park during the win over Crystal Palace and a section of Chelsea fans used the Y-word in a song about Willian away to Watford four days earlier.