Monday, 10 August 2009
Kick racism out of football: Very Best of role models
Though his current job with the Bermuda Department of Corrections is a very long ball indeed away from the game in which he made his name, Clyde Best has been much cheered this weekend by two items of news: the first, that the proposed takeover of his old club, West Ham United, is in difficulties; and the second, that the latest stage in the Let's Kick Racism Out of Football campaign will get under way in Britain next week and run until the end of the month.
What kept Best's resolve high when he came to Britain as a 17-year-old striker of high promise but raw experience was the welcoming family atmosphere he encountered at Ron Greenwood's West Ham, an atmosphere that he insists is what made, and continues to make, the club so special.
"For anybody to come in and just take it over would not feel right," he said. "You have had generations of people supporting the club, with season tickets passed on through the family. One day I was sitting in my living room here in Bermuda when there was a knock on the door. It was a West Ham supporter who was over from England and just wanted to say hello. That's the sort of club it is."
As for kicking racism out of football, Best would have welcomed such an organisation in the late Sixties and early Seventies, when he suffered the brunt of prejudice as the leading black player of a very small group in the Football League. "Racism existed then, let's not deny it," said Best, while stressing he faced few problems at Upton Park, "apart from one or two stupid people."
His most miserable moments, he says, came on trips to the north of England, where the word "nigger" was hurled from the terraces of clubs he opts not to name.
"It would have been easy to pack up, put your tail between your legs and go home, but that wasn't going to happen as far as I was concerned. Friends still ask me, 'How did you put up with it?' I tell them that I knew I had a responsibility as a role model for black people. I tried to do it to the best of my ability, and I think I did a pretty good job.
"Somebody had to be the front-runner. I don't know if it was a God-given plan, but He chose me. I was keen to play my football and do well, but I had to think of those coming behind me rather than myself. When you look at how things have changed today, if I had anything to do with that coming about, great. That's what I was there to do."
The documented experience of other black footballers highlights what the modest Best suffered. At West Bromwich, Cyrille Regis felt the abuse he received was "the supporters rebelling against me because I had taken a white guy's place in the team". And when Vince Hilaire started warming up before coming on for Crystal Palace at Port Vale in 1976, he recalled: "I couldn't believe the abuse that was coming at me... animal noises and all the names you think of calling a black person.
"It frightened me a bit, so I couldn't wait to get back in the dug-out, and I thought, 'Well, if this is the sort of reception I'm going to get, then I don't really want to know'."
In addition to the fatherly presence of Greenwood (who called Clyde "the best 17-year-old I have ever seen"), Best was boosted by the inspiring example of his team captain, Bobby Moore. "Bobby took abuse wherever he went, not because of the colour of his skin but because of how good he was. From him I learned that it doesn't make sense hiding, you have a job to do.
"Being in Bobby's company every week gave me the support I needed. He was a fantastic person. My being able to keep things under control and not losing it was down to playing with Bobby. You never saw him waver, and I tried to copy that. Being in that sort of company teaches you how to handle situations."
The ability to handle situations is something black footballers still need, as Best notes, in Eastern Europe. "If you allow these people to get into your mind, they are going to affect your game." He feels much more could be done on an official basis. "Clubs, associations and Fifa must take action in Eastern Europe. In England the problem seems to be under control, but in those parts of the world they need help.
"When you think we are in 2006, something needs to be done urgently. Close down the stadiums, hit them in the pocket."
That Western, as well as Eastern, Europe nurtures racism was highlighted when the Spanish national coach, Luis Aragones, called Thierry Henry "a black shit" and still managed to keep his job. "Hey, show him the door if he makes comments like that," said Best. "It's inexcusable."
What a 17-year-old Best was entitled to find inexcusable was that there was no one from West Ham to meet him when he flew into Heathrow from Bermuda to join the club. "Right then, I wished I had never come." He took the Tube to West Ham, not realising the station he needed was Upton Park, but was helped by a Hammers fan, who directed him to a house where the club's young players lodged.
Best made his first-team debut against Arsenal in 1969, recalling in Brian Belton's newly published book The Black Hammers*: "I took the No 7 shirt that had been Harry Redknapp's for much of the previous year." His first goal came against Burnley in October of that year, and in 218 games Best scored 58 times.
Despite playing at Old Trafford in front of a bigger crowd than Bermuda's 60,000 population, Best never lost his sense of perspective. He did come close to losing his cool, though, when he was omitted by John Lyall from the West Ham team for the 1975 Cup final, and it led to his departure for a new career in North American soccer with Tampa Bay, then two seasons in the Dutch League at Feyenoord before a return to North America at Toronto and Portland.
Admitting he "wasn't happy at the time" about his omission from the Cup final, Best says: "You can't afford to be bitter. In fact, if I had my time over again I would still go back to West Ham because we were one big, happy family. I've got claret-and-blue blood, and every time I go back to England I go to the stadium."
Best's most recent visit was in June, to collect from Buckingham Palace the MBE awarded to him for services to football and the community of Bermuda. Those services have not been in football for some time. He was appointed as technical director of the Bermuda national side in 1997, but his contract was not renewed in 2000. Since then he has worked in a transitional centre for prison inmates, "advising those who are ready to be released back into society".
That advice will surely be cherished from someone who has achieved, and been through, so much in football, of which Clyde Best says in summation: "Whenever a goal is scored nobody looks at your race, do they? That's the good thing about the game."
JOHN CHARLES
Johnny the One - but he wouldn't be the only one
Self-styled "Johnny the One", Charles was the first black player to appear for West Ham, making his debut in May 1963. He was born in Canning Town in Sept-ember 1944, the son of a white mother and a West Indian seaman father, and the eighth of nine children. The ninth, Clive, also briefly played for the club.
Having turned down a trial with Essex at cricket because he was mourning his father's death, Charles joined West Ham straight from school in 1959 and signed professional forms two years later at 17, captaining the FA Youth Cup-winning side against Liverpool. His five England Youth caps were the first won by a black player at any England level. A left-back who played 132 times alongside Bobby Moore, Charles said he did not encounter any racism at West Ham. "You got the odd 'black bastard' but that never worried me."
From 1969 he was plagued by recurring hamstring problems, leaving the club in 1971 and joining his wife's father in running a market stall. "At West Ham I was earning £65 a week, my first week as a barrow boy I got £200," he recalled. But Johnny the One descended into alcoholism, suffered bankruptcy and spent time in a mental hospital before dying of cancer, aged 57, in August 2002.
PAUL INCE
Abused - but only because he wore a Man Utd shirt
Capped 53 times by England in midfield, Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince was born at Ilford in October 1967. Having played for Essex Schoolboys, he was spotted at the age of 12 by John Lyall, then a Hammers coach, signed as a trainee at 14, joined the Upton Park youth training scheme aged 15 and turned pro a year later.
He made his full debut at 19 in November 1986 against Chelsea and quickly became a regular in midfield, playing 81 games and scoring eight goals, before leaving in sour circumstances to join Manchester United. West Ham supporters never forgave Ince after a picture of him wearing a Manchester United shirt appeared in a national newspaper before the transfer had gone through, and whenever he played at Upton Park subsequently the boos which greeted him were mistaken for racist abuse.
His time at Old Trafford (278 games, 28 goals) also ended in argument, Alex Ferguson dismissing Ince as a "big-time Charlie" and selling him to Internazionale in 1995. In Italy he suffered racist chanting at away games before returning to England with Liverpool, going on to play for Middlesbrough, then Wolves, and closing his playing career last week at Swindon. Management beckons.
MARC-VIVIEN FOE
'Racism is a big problem everywhere. It is in Africa'
Born in Cameroon in May 1975, the man known to all as Marco had won 54 caps for his country by the time he joined West Ham from the French club RC Lens for a club-record £4.5 million in January 1999, having seen an earlier projected move to Manchester United fall apart when he suffered a broken leg during training with Cameroon just before the 1998 World Cup finals in France.
In his 14 months at Upton Park, Foé scored twice from midfield in 48 appearances. He said that he encountered no racism at West Ham - "the fans were always very good to me" - but he claimed: "Racism is a big problem everywhere. There is racism in Africa."
Though he settled quickly in the friendly atmosphere at West Ham at a time when African football and African footballers were making their mark on the world game, Foé regularly fell foul of referees, collecting two dismissals and nine yellow cards in his final year.
At the end of the 1999-2000 season Foé came close to a much-anticipated £4.6m move to Liverpool. Instead, the then Hammers manager Harry Redknapp sold him to Olympique Lyonnais for £6m. In June 2003, playing for Cameroon against Colombia in Lyon, Foé collapsed and died of a heart attack. He was 28.
ANTON FERDINAND
Out of the shadow of big brother steps a home boy
The youngster born in Peckham, south London, in February 1985 signed professional forms for West Ham at 17 in the same week that his older brother, Rio, completed a £30 million move from Upton Park to Manchester United.
Anton abandoned thoughts of a singing career in order to sign YTS forms for West Ham, the only club he has known or, he claims, wants to know. He pays tribute to his previous and present managers, Glenn Roeder and Alan Pardew, for helping him to develop into a valued regular at centre-back.
Already an England Under-18 international, he made his Hammers debut at the start of the 2003-04 season following the club's relegation, a campaign which ended with him being named Young Hammer of the Year by supporters. The special moments of his career to date are helping West Ham regain their Premiership place and scoring (against Fulham) at Upton Park, something brother Rio never managed.
"I have experienced racism in football," said Anton, "but you get that everywhere. It's in a very small minority at West Ham." He believes that publicity to help ethnic minorities feel more welcome at football stadiums is something which would make a difference.
What kept Best's resolve high when he came to Britain as a 17-year-old striker of high promise but raw experience was the welcoming family atmosphere he encountered at Ron Greenwood's West Ham, an atmosphere that he insists is what made, and continues to make, the club so special.
"For anybody to come in and just take it over would not feel right," he said. "You have had generations of people supporting the club, with season tickets passed on through the family. One day I was sitting in my living room here in Bermuda when there was a knock on the door. It was a West Ham supporter who was over from England and just wanted to say hello. That's the sort of club it is."
As for kicking racism out of football, Best would have welcomed such an organisation in the late Sixties and early Seventies, when he suffered the brunt of prejudice as the leading black player of a very small group in the Football League. "Racism existed then, let's not deny it," said Best, while stressing he faced few problems at Upton Park, "apart from one or two stupid people."
His most miserable moments, he says, came on trips to the north of England, where the word "nigger" was hurled from the terraces of clubs he opts not to name.
"It would have been easy to pack up, put your tail between your legs and go home, but that wasn't going to happen as far as I was concerned. Friends still ask me, 'How did you put up with it?' I tell them that I knew I had a responsibility as a role model for black people. I tried to do it to the best of my ability, and I think I did a pretty good job.
"Somebody had to be the front-runner. I don't know if it was a God-given plan, but He chose me. I was keen to play my football and do well, but I had to think of those coming behind me rather than myself. When you look at how things have changed today, if I had anything to do with that coming about, great. That's what I was there to do."
The documented experience of other black footballers highlights what the modest Best suffered. At West Bromwich, Cyrille Regis felt the abuse he received was "the supporters rebelling against me because I had taken a white guy's place in the team". And when Vince Hilaire started warming up before coming on for Crystal Palace at Port Vale in 1976, he recalled: "I couldn't believe the abuse that was coming at me... animal noises and all the names you think of calling a black person.
"It frightened me a bit, so I couldn't wait to get back in the dug-out, and I thought, 'Well, if this is the sort of reception I'm going to get, then I don't really want to know'."
In addition to the fatherly presence of Greenwood (who called Clyde "the best 17-year-old I have ever seen"), Best was boosted by the inspiring example of his team captain, Bobby Moore. "Bobby took abuse wherever he went, not because of the colour of his skin but because of how good he was. From him I learned that it doesn't make sense hiding, you have a job to do.
"Being in Bobby's company every week gave me the support I needed. He was a fantastic person. My being able to keep things under control and not losing it was down to playing with Bobby. You never saw him waver, and I tried to copy that. Being in that sort of company teaches you how to handle situations."
The ability to handle situations is something black footballers still need, as Best notes, in Eastern Europe. "If you allow these people to get into your mind, they are going to affect your game." He feels much more could be done on an official basis. "Clubs, associations and Fifa must take action in Eastern Europe. In England the problem seems to be under control, but in those parts of the world they need help.
"When you think we are in 2006, something needs to be done urgently. Close down the stadiums, hit them in the pocket."
That Western, as well as Eastern, Europe nurtures racism was highlighted when the Spanish national coach, Luis Aragones, called Thierry Henry "a black shit" and still managed to keep his job. "Hey, show him the door if he makes comments like that," said Best. "It's inexcusable."
What a 17-year-old Best was entitled to find inexcusable was that there was no one from West Ham to meet him when he flew into Heathrow from Bermuda to join the club. "Right then, I wished I had never come." He took the Tube to West Ham, not realising the station he needed was Upton Park, but was helped by a Hammers fan, who directed him to a house where the club's young players lodged.
Best made his first-team debut against Arsenal in 1969, recalling in Brian Belton's newly published book The Black Hammers*: "I took the No 7 shirt that had been Harry Redknapp's for much of the previous year." His first goal came against Burnley in October of that year, and in 218 games Best scored 58 times.
Despite playing at Old Trafford in front of a bigger crowd than Bermuda's 60,000 population, Best never lost his sense of perspective. He did come close to losing his cool, though, when he was omitted by John Lyall from the West Ham team for the 1975 Cup final, and it led to his departure for a new career in North American soccer with Tampa Bay, then two seasons in the Dutch League at Feyenoord before a return to North America at Toronto and Portland.
Admitting he "wasn't happy at the time" about his omission from the Cup final, Best says: "You can't afford to be bitter. In fact, if I had my time over again I would still go back to West Ham because we were one big, happy family. I've got claret-and-blue blood, and every time I go back to England I go to the stadium."
Best's most recent visit was in June, to collect from Buckingham Palace the MBE awarded to him for services to football and the community of Bermuda. Those services have not been in football for some time. He was appointed as technical director of the Bermuda national side in 1997, but his contract was not renewed in 2000. Since then he has worked in a transitional centre for prison inmates, "advising those who are ready to be released back into society".
That advice will surely be cherished from someone who has achieved, and been through, so much in football, of which Clyde Best says in summation: "Whenever a goal is scored nobody looks at your race, do they? That's the good thing about the game."
JOHN CHARLES
Johnny the One - but he wouldn't be the only one
Self-styled "Johnny the One", Charles was the first black player to appear for West Ham, making his debut in May 1963. He was born in Canning Town in Sept-ember 1944, the son of a white mother and a West Indian seaman father, and the eighth of nine children. The ninth, Clive, also briefly played for the club.
Having turned down a trial with Essex at cricket because he was mourning his father's death, Charles joined West Ham straight from school in 1959 and signed professional forms two years later at 17, captaining the FA Youth Cup-winning side against Liverpool. His five England Youth caps were the first won by a black player at any England level. A left-back who played 132 times alongside Bobby Moore, Charles said he did not encounter any racism at West Ham. "You got the odd 'black bastard' but that never worried me."
From 1969 he was plagued by recurring hamstring problems, leaving the club in 1971 and joining his wife's father in running a market stall. "At West Ham I was earning £65 a week, my first week as a barrow boy I got £200," he recalled. But Johnny the One descended into alcoholism, suffered bankruptcy and spent time in a mental hospital before dying of cancer, aged 57, in August 2002.
PAUL INCE
Abused - but only because he wore a Man Utd shirt
Capped 53 times by England in midfield, Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince was born at Ilford in October 1967. Having played for Essex Schoolboys, he was spotted at the age of 12 by John Lyall, then a Hammers coach, signed as a trainee at 14, joined the Upton Park youth training scheme aged 15 and turned pro a year later.
He made his full debut at 19 in November 1986 against Chelsea and quickly became a regular in midfield, playing 81 games and scoring eight goals, before leaving in sour circumstances to join Manchester United. West Ham supporters never forgave Ince after a picture of him wearing a Manchester United shirt appeared in a national newspaper before the transfer had gone through, and whenever he played at Upton Park subsequently the boos which greeted him were mistaken for racist abuse.
His time at Old Trafford (278 games, 28 goals) also ended in argument, Alex Ferguson dismissing Ince as a "big-time Charlie" and selling him to Internazionale in 1995. In Italy he suffered racist chanting at away games before returning to England with Liverpool, going on to play for Middlesbrough, then Wolves, and closing his playing career last week at Swindon. Management beckons.
MARC-VIVIEN FOE
'Racism is a big problem everywhere. It is in Africa'
Born in Cameroon in May 1975, the man known to all as Marco had won 54 caps for his country by the time he joined West Ham from the French club RC Lens for a club-record £4.5 million in January 1999, having seen an earlier projected move to Manchester United fall apart when he suffered a broken leg during training with Cameroon just before the 1998 World Cup finals in France.
In his 14 months at Upton Park, Foé scored twice from midfield in 48 appearances. He said that he encountered no racism at West Ham - "the fans were always very good to me" - but he claimed: "Racism is a big problem everywhere. There is racism in Africa."
Though he settled quickly in the friendly atmosphere at West Ham at a time when African football and African footballers were making their mark on the world game, Foé regularly fell foul of referees, collecting two dismissals and nine yellow cards in his final year.
At the end of the 1999-2000 season Foé came close to a much-anticipated £4.6m move to Liverpool. Instead, the then Hammers manager Harry Redknapp sold him to Olympique Lyonnais for £6m. In June 2003, playing for Cameroon against Colombia in Lyon, Foé collapsed and died of a heart attack. He was 28.
ANTON FERDINAND
Out of the shadow of big brother steps a home boy
The youngster born in Peckham, south London, in February 1985 signed professional forms for West Ham at 17 in the same week that his older brother, Rio, completed a £30 million move from Upton Park to Manchester United.
Anton abandoned thoughts of a singing career in order to sign YTS forms for West Ham, the only club he has known or, he claims, wants to know. He pays tribute to his previous and present managers, Glenn Roeder and Alan Pardew, for helping him to develop into a valued regular at centre-back.
Already an England Under-18 international, he made his Hammers debut at the start of the 2003-04 season following the club's relegation, a campaign which ended with him being named Young Hammer of the Year by supporters. The special moments of his career to date are helping West Ham regain their Premiership place and scoring (against Fulham) at Upton Park, something brother Rio never managed.
"I have experienced racism in football," said Anton, "but you get that everywhere. It's in a very small minority at West Ham." He believes that publicity to help ethnic minorities feel more welcome at football stadiums is something which would make a difference.
In a week-long series, CNN are currently investigating the issue of racism in sport. Covering four continents and many different sports, the international news network will hear from those that have suffered racism and those who have helped to tackle it.
The series will feature interviews with the likes of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o and UEFA President Michel Platini, as well as former Chelsea stars Graeme Le Saux and Paul Cannoville.
A preview of the series can be seen by visiting CNN's website, which also features full-length written interviews with some of the stars of the series.
Interview with Samuel Eto'o
As a player who has won African and Olympic titles with Cameroon and Spanish league and Champions League titles with Barcelona as well as three African footballer of the year awards, Samuel Eto'o expects to command respect.
Yet Eto's spectacular career in Spain, where his goalscoring prowess have made him one of the world's most feared and admired strikers, has been punctuated by incidents in which he has been the victim of sickening racist abuse.
Memorably, Eto'o started to walk off the pitch in protest during a match at Real Zaragoza in 2006 after being taunted by home supporters chanting monkey noises only to be persuaded to return by his Barcelona teammates and the club's coach, Frank Rijkaard.
"I was leaving the field and if it wasn't for Rijkaard, my teammates and the referee, I would have done it," Eto'o recalls. "In that moment you start thinking whether there is something wrong with being black, you know? But I think we are all humans, everyone's blood is the same color and we all have the same heart. I don't see any differences in skin color."
AttitudesWhile Spanish football's reputation for sophistication and flair has made la Liga one of the most attractive and marketable competitions in world football, attitudes in the stands have not always kept apace with the cosmopolitanism on display on the pitch.
Nor has positive leadership always come from the top. Real Zaragoza were fined just 9,000 euros ($13,800) for the abuse directed by their supporters at Eto'o. And in 2005, the Spanish national coach Luis Aragones -- currently steering Spain through Euro 2008 -- was at the center of controversy when he used a racist slur to describe French striker Thierry Henry, now a teammate of Eto'o's at Barcelona.
Eto'o admits that racism is so widespread in Spain that he no longer dares take his family to matches.
"Racism can happen anywhere and I don't want them to see it," he told CNN. "It's a sad situation in football. In my opinion the problem is getting bigger and the people that should come up with a solution are not doing it. So to protect my family, I don't take them to the game."
ActionWith black players regularly subjected to monkey chants in Spanish stadiums, Eto'o believes determined action is needed before verbal abuse spills over into physical violence.
"The authorities are working to find solutions. But they must find them. We can't wait until some crazy fan jumps from his seat and kills a black player before measures are taken. The players are revolted by it and we try to help each other. But the authorities must find a way to set an example."
One of the saddest aspects of racism in football is that many of those who participate in taunting colored players would never dream of behaving the same way on the street, at work or at home.
But Eto'o fears attitudes in stadiums may reflect wider social attitudes which find expression amid the passion, emotion and anonymity of the football crowd
Reflection"Football stadiums are just a reflection of what is going on in society," Eto'o says. "Many times in stadiums people just feel more relaxed and say what they think when they're somewhere else."
He believes the Spanish media has a key part to play in tackling racism in football, not just by highlighting incidents of abuse but in creating an environment in which racism in the stands is no longer quietly condoned.
"I don't make the decisions, but something needs to be done. Right now, the media here pays attention to the incidents of racism, but doesn't discuss solutions. That's the tragedy. They use these images to create an impact rather than to identify racism as a problem and to urge people to find a solution. TV has a lot of weight on public opinion and what the industry must do is make people feel a social responsibility to stop this kind of behavior."
Weeks Of Action
The One Game, One Community Weeks Of Action are one of the most prominent equality and community engagement initiatives in the country.
The weeks have a strong community focus and play a role in celebrating diversity and inclusion.The 2009 Weeks of Action will take place between the 15th and 27th October.One Game, One CommunityThe period sees the game's biggest names stand alongside communities across the UK under the banner of 'One Game, One Community'.
Grassroots clubs, schools, community groups and fans join the professional game in coming together in symbolic activities promoting inclusion.
In 2008 more than 1000 events took place during the weeks of action, including a match day activity at all 92 professional clubs in England and Wales.
The weeks of action is the biggest series of activities of their kind in Europe. Kick It Out offers a wide range of resources to support activities taking place during the weeks of action. European actionThe weeks of action is a European wide event. On the continent our partners in the Football Against Racism in Europe(FARE) network are co-ordinating activities.
Activities on the continent continue to grow each year, and although events in Britain are bigger than the rest of Europe together, fan groups and ethnic minorities from countries ranging from Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain take an active part in the weeks.
For more information visit www.farenet.org Black History MonthThe weeks of action is held during Black History Month and has previously coincided with Ramadan, Diwali and Jewish festivals. This enables opportunities for us all to learn about and celebrate these important periods.
Rio Ferdinand
Having recently captained his country for the first time, and with Manchester United flying high both domestically and in the Champions League, Rio Ferdinand must be enjoying the 2007/08 season.
Kick It Out spoke to him.
Tell us about racism you have experienced.
I was at a game when I was about 16 - it was a London team - and a man started shouting "black this, black that" at the players. He turned to me and said: "Not you mate, you're all right." I looked at a nearby policeman as if to say: "What are you going to do?" But he looked through me, he wasn't going to do anything. I just got up and left. As a player you get a certain amount of racism from crowds here and there, but it is not as apparent as it was before. When players like John [Barnes], Ian Wright, Viv Anderson were playing it was a lot worse. I grew up on an estate in Peckham, near where Damilola Taylor was killed. When I was older I got a BMW convertible and used to drive around Peckham and areas like New Cross, Deptford and Hackney, and I'd get stopped on a regular basis. I wasn't really known as a footballer at the time and they'd ask me: "Where d'you get the money for this? Are you dealing? Are you nicking stuff?" I would say: "I earned this car, I wouldn't drive it if I didn't earn it." I don't get stopped now.
How does it affect you when you are faced by it?
On the pitch I go in a bit stronger and challenge them. Not verbally, I let the football do the talking and embarrass them. I'm not the type of person to confront people but I will try to win the game so I can look them in the eye.
Have you had any problems while playing abroad for England?
I was playing for England under 21s against Yugoslavia in Spain when Emile Heskey got abused. There were only a handful of people doing it but one man stood out - he even had dreadlock-style extensions yet he was making monkey noises. I think things in the rest of Europe are worse than here.
I was playing for England under 21s against Yugoslavia in Spain when Emile Heskey got abused. There were only a handful of people doing it but one man stood out - he even had dreadlock-style extensions yet he was making monkey noises. I think things in the rest of Europe are worse than here.
What would you say to any aspiring young Asian players?
They are at the same stage of the cycle that black players were at 20 years ago. If Asian boys want to play football they've got to know there is a place for them in the English game. There are a lot of Asian leagues but I don't think there should be separate ethnic leagues. I think there should just be football leagues so scouts can see everybody playing, rather than segregating them.
You were at school with Stephen Lawrence. How did his murder affect you?
It was mad. The whole day got frozen. People were coming in saying: "Stephen Lawrence got stabbed." I was a first year and he was a fifth year but we knew each other. He was a quiet, nice boy, into art and music; he had a purpose and wanted to do something in life. For him to be taken away that way seemed so unreal; people didn't know what was going on, or why.
What would you say to young people who may be the victims of racism at school or in the streets?
At school you've got to tell your teachers. If they don't sort it out, tell your parents, get them to go down to the school and tell the headteacher. It's got to be sorted out straight away. If you ignore it, it can escalate and become worse and worse. If you don't deal with it, the bullies will think you are accepting it.
Kick It Out- Building Bridges
Central to Kick It Out's strategy is the development of partnerships that bring together footballing organisations with communities to work in partnership on problems of exclusion and discrimination.
At a national level the coming together of representative groups in the game with Kick It Out allows the campaign to raise issues from communities directly with those at the highest level of the football industry.
At a local level Kick It Out works to bring together appropriate groupings in the different areas of our work. For example, in working to eradicate the problem of racism in the amatuer game partnerships of ethnic minority football clubs, local authorities, County FA's and local leagues are formed.
Similarly, in redressing the problems of racism within the professional game - partnerships between the club, local community groups, supporters representatives and local authorities are developed in order to ensure that the expertise to deliver plans of action is available. Those who have been historically excluded from the game have a key role to play through the involvement of community groups.
Many of the key successes of the Kick It Out campaign, if not all, are as a result of dynamic partnerships.
Kick It Out Is Football's Equality And Inclusion Campaign.
The brand name of the campaign - Let's Kick Racism Out of Football - was established in 1993 and Kick It Out established as a body in 1997.
kick It Out works throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and work for positive change.
The campaign is supported and funded by the game's governing bodies, including founding body the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), the Premier League, the Football Foundation and The Football Association.
2004 marked ten years of campaigning.
Internationally Kick It Out plays a leading role in the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network and has been cited as an example of good practice by the European governing body UEFA, the world governing body FIFA, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, European parliamentarians and the British Council.
Our core priorities are:
Professional football
Working with the professional game by offering advice and guidance on all aspects of race equality within professional football.
Young people
Using the appeal of the game to address young people within schools, colleges and youth organisations, through the development and delivery of resources and educational materials.
Amateur football
Working at grassroots and amateur levels to tackle racial abuse and harassment in parks football.
Asians in football
Raising the issue of the exclusion of south Asians as professional footballers from the game.
Ethnic Minorities and Sport
Capacity building ethnic minority communities to engage with professional clubs, the structures of the game and access funding.
European football
Developing partnerships to raise the debate and tackle racism in European football.
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