How English racist fans will destroy the Union – Taking the knee to stop the vile racism in football, and in general, before it destroys British society, something that is evidently not helped by home secretary Priti Patel.
I was brought up on the rainy, windswept terraces of St James’ Park in the North East of England as a youngster, long before all-seater stadiums became a reality.
I truly believed in the Beautiful Game and thought football was a great unifier, a sport that would bring everyone together no matter their class, colour or culture.
It goes without saying as a lifelong Newcastle United fan I am the eternal optimist, and yes, everything always looks brighter and more hopeful through the lens of white privilege.
Taking the Knee
Sadly, after England’s courageous performance in the 2020 European Championships, the dark underbelly of the nation’s true character came to the surface when three young, black players missed their penalties in the 3-2 shootout at Wembley on Sunday evening.
The racism and sickening abuse hurled at them is exactly why the England Team were determined to take the knee ahead of every game played. Those who booed at this gesture are probably part of the same scum (English racist fans) who abused Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka on social networks.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Home Secretary Priti Patel ignited the flames of hate when they refused to condemn the booing (by English racist fans at taking the knee), then feigned horror at the fallout and abuse the three lads took.
Home Secretary Priti Patel
England footballer Tyrone Mings called the UK Home Secretary out when she condemned the racist abuse faced by his teammates after she previously called players taking the knee “gesture politics”.
In a Tweet, liked more than 350,000 times, he told her: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.”
You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens. https://t.co/fdTKHsxTB2
— Tyrone Mings (@TyroneMings) July 12, 2021
I live in Scotland these days and while life is not perfect here (issues of sectarianism) the distance has given me a clearer view of the full extent of the institutional racism which riddles the very fabric of English society.
It is in evidence across the green benches of the Westminster Government and down the road at Scotland Yard, home of the Metropolitan Police, institutional racism is firmly embedded.
Other police forces around the country, the civil service, academic institutions, the media and the corporate world all have problems with racism.
You may like to catch up on all the latest coverage on the fallout from the Euro’s – at our News Briefing homepage
White boardrooms and White privilege
Just take a look around the boardrooms at the predominantly pale faces. The truth is England is a racist country and the problem is not just the result of a few bad apples.
The scenes unleashed before, during and after the England v Italy European Cup Final show there is a huge problem with beer-swilling, pot-bellied Eng-er-land thugs and those of us complicit who simply refuse to see the true ugliness of a country that is institutionally racist from top to bottom.
Little wonder the union is decaying and falling apart as the Irish, Scots and Welsh seek to distance themselves from the racist core that is England.
It is not those of us living outside of England who will destroy the Union, it is the racists within who are at the heart of this decay. And never was it more in evidence than during the European Championship.
Three Lions did us proud
Yes, the England team led by coach Gareth Southgate did their nation proudly… sadly the same can not be said for the large number of racist England fans whose behaviour has heaped shame and disgrace on the nation.
Distancing ourselves from the thugs who take so much pride in their bad behaviour, will not absolve the rest of England’s fans because we can no longer say these are the rogue actions of a few.
This month the racists rallied behind football, in recent years they’ve flown the flag of St George for Brexit or waved it wildly to condemn migrants, immigration and asylum seekers.
Like it or not, this selfish entitlement, yobbish behaviour and racism has become an integral part of the English DNA and is now coming to define English culture.
It will ultimately destroy the union, time to take the knee, together!
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Euro 2020: Prince William ‘sickened’ by racist abuse aimed at Lions
How to report racist abuse online?
Thankfully a lot of football and other clubs are taking action individually. If they spot a racist fan in their stadium they are using CCTV to identify and ban the racist English fans from their stadiums
Although Facebook has launched a new scheme to be tougher on racist comments it is no certainty that they will do it properly or consistently. So far non of the social engines have offered to police their platforms or allow Police Officers to gain personal information for investigations and prosecutions.
However, you can report discriminatory posts and comments on social media platforms, which will prompt moderators to decide whether they should be removed.
You can also report it to the police through True Vision, a reporting tool owned by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
The police will assess it and if it does not meet the threshold for a criminal offence it is recorded as a “hate incident”.
You can support organisations that are working to end racism in football by donating, volunteering, and sharing information on your own social media pages for charity organisations like Kick it Out.
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