Round Table Discussion: Tackling Racism in Football

Round Table Discussion: Tackling Racism in Football

Hosted by:

The Consortium of Liverpool National Black & Anti-Racism Organisations

For

Liverpool Football Club & Local Leaders

            27^th March 2012 6p.m. till 730.p.m.

Background:

The issue of racism in football has emerged as a matter of national concern. The events involving John Terry of Chelsea and Luis Suarez of Liverpool Football Club (LFC) are two of the most prominent incidents that have attracted worldwide attention. Behind the headlines lies the reality that behaviour seen on the pitch today is replicated by young people and fans throughout the country. The findings of the FA investigation into the racially abusive comments made by Luis Suarez were rejected by LFC. The black communities of Liverpool responded to both the Luis Suarez issue and the subsequent inept handling of the issue, by LFC with disappoint and anger. This was also felt by many residents in white communities within the city of Liverpool and beyond. The reputation of both the City and the Club, for its commitment to race equality was damaged as a result. In addition, it was believed by many, that the actions of LFC  was seen to be encouraging and promoting racism more generally.   

As a result a letter was sent to the club offering advice about how to better manage the situation. This advice was not taken or acknowledged. The Consortium of local black and national anti racist organizations then formed and wrote to LFC seeking a meeting to discuss how best we could all work together to address these issues and restore the reputation of both the City and the Club. The key aim was to help to reverse the promotion of racism among fans and wider society.

That offer has so far been refused with LFC insisting that they are working with a range of national diversity organisations that have no links or track record with working with Liverpool's black community. This is unacceptable. LFC also stated that they are also working with the Liverpool City Council to address these issues. This is to be welcomed. Councils play an important role in providing civic leadership in challenging racism however this cannot be at the expense of the active involvement of communities and partnership at a strategic level. This matter flagged up an urgent need for LFC, to move beyond their work at grass roots level with local black communities and respect the need for community involvement at a strategic level.

To facilitate further discussion around these important matters, the Consortium, comprising of local communities from diverse racial groups and national black and anti racist organizations, through their campaign, Love Football Hate Racism, has organised a national roundtable debate. This is an attempt to facilitate discussion, enhance accountability and promote partnership. Working between LFC and Liverpool's black community, the consortium seeks to provide effective and sustainable local and national leadership on these issues.

The Consortium has won support and admirers locally and nationally, most notably from the Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Revd James Jones, who said;

“This is a hugely important issue and I am encouraged to know that you are taking the initiative to set up this discussion with Liverpool Football Club.”  

The Liverpool City Council has signed up and endorsed its commitment to points 3 and 4 of requests, in our statement of intent knowing that points 1 and 2 are not within their gift to do so.

The work effort, resources, human and physical is “big society” in action. The critics are growing fewer in numbers, daily, as we continue to win over hearts and minds and move closer to a sensible consensus on the way forward. The Consortium and its many supporters will continue to work to secure solutions; our lived experience and learned expertise can offer LFC and the city for the benefit of all of communities.

Round Table Discussion

Chairing this roundtable discussion will be Colin Parry OBE. Colin is a tireless campaigner for Peace and has become a prominent authority and speaker in the years following the IRA bombing in Warrington in which his son was killed. Following this tragic event, Colin and his wife Wendy founded the Foundation for Peace and created their unique Peace Centre in Warrington.

Colin was awarded the O.B.E in the Queen's birthday Honours list in 2004 and has received many other awards and accreditations including Rotary International's most prestigious award for 'World Understanding and Peace' before an audience of 10,000 in the Osaka Baseball Dome in Japan.

Invited guests to join the debate include:

                                               Councillor Joe Anderson- Leader of Council

                                           Jon Murphy- Merseyside Police Chief

                                           Mick Ord- Radio Merseyside

                                           Sir Terry Leahy- Business Rep

                                           Liverpool FC representatives (2)

                                           Simone Pound- Professional Footballers Association

                                           John Barnes- Former LFC Player

                                           MP Louise Ellman

                                           MP Steve Rotheham

                                           Councillor Anna Rothery

                                           Alistair Machray- Liverpool Echo

                                           

Consortium                                                    

                                           Gloria Hyatt MBE- Teach Consultancy

                                           Eric Lynch- Slavery History Tours

                                           Earl Jenkins - Kingsley United

                                           Femi Sowende - Merseyside Black History   

                                           Month

                                           Alec Mc Fadden - Merseyside Coalition Against 

                                           Racism and Facism - Merseyside and TUC

                                           Simon Woolley - Operation Black vote

                                           Peter Herbert OBE - Society of Black Lawyers

                                           Lee Jasper- London Race and Criminal Justice

                                           Viv Ahmun- Core Plan UK

                                           Charles Critchlow - National Black Police Association

                                           

Others & Community        Arun Kang - Sporting Equals

                                            Sir Herman Ousely -Kick Racism Out Football

                                            TBC rep- Show Racism The Red Card

                                            Clare Dove MBE- Blackburne House

                                            Anthony Walker Foundation

                                            Michelle Charters - Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre

The roundtable will focus on three key issues; 

1.   How do we work with others to highlight and reduce racism in football in light of the LFC’s handing of the Luis Suarez incident and the issues as laid out in our statement of intent?

2.   What can football clubs do to challenge racism in football and join the debate about tackling racism in wider society?

3.  How do we move forward in partnership, taking into consideration the 4 requests made by the Consortium of Liverpool National Black and Anti-racist Organisations?

The Consortium’s Statement of Intent and Four Requests;

• that LFC publicly accept the findings of the FA into the Suarez case.
• that LFC and Suarez publicly apologize to Patrice Evra.
• that LFC in partnership with Liverpool and national black and anti-racist organisations commit to and sponsor an international conference on the issue of eradicating racism in football.
• that civic leaders in addition to LFC sign up to a public declaration reaffirming their commitment to combating racism and promoting race equality through pro active actions.

Desired Outcome

Our focus is to ensure that Liverpool Football Club, Liverpool City Council and key leaders in the city

acknowledge the issue of racism and work in partnership strategically with Liverpool's black community and the Consortium in seeking to address these important issues. 

·         NB: We acknowledge that not all invited guests will be able to attend the debate though they may inform it.

 

 On Twitter follow @LFHRUK  

For further information about the consortium go to: http://lfhruk.blogspot.com

The Consortium of Liverpool National Black & Anti-Racism Organisations

Campaign: Love Football Hate Racism

FA director Heather Rabbatts interviewed for Telegraph - “Liverpool found themselves a lone voice"

John Terry had to be removed as England captain, says FA director Heather Rabbatts

Heather Rabbatts’s introduction to the Football Association board has not been a gentle one. At her first board meeting, the first woman to take a seat round the Wembley table found the toxic issue of John Terry’s England captaincy top of the agenda.

View from the top: Heather Rabbatts is the first woman to be appointed to the FA board Photo: GEOFF PUGH

(First published at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Even for a businesswoman with Rabbatts’s breadth of experience it was a challenging start to a new role.

Having been appointed as one of two independent non-executive directors — businessman Roger Devlin is the other — she might have anticipated a quieter initiation. But where some might have taken a softly-softly approach while they got their feet under the table, Rabbatts had no hesitation.

Once Terry’s trial on charges of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand was adjourned until after Euro 2012, in her mind the FA’s course was obvious. Informed by her heritage — she is of mixed race, born to a Jamaican mother — and her diverse business background, she argued that Terry’s captaincy was untenable.

If chairman David Bernstein had any doubts about standing Terry down, Rabbatts’s counsel would have helped ease it.

As a result she is associated with the most contentious decision the FA has taken in some time, but there are no regrets. It was, she says, a matter of leadership.

“It is not rocket science, given who I am, that this was an issue that I would feel strongly about,” she says, in her first extensive interview since taking the FA role."

“The principle of innocent until proven guilty is absolutely paramount. But in other walks of life, if an employee who carries additional reputational responsibilities is subject to charges, they are suspended."

“Given the FA’s policies and priorities, and given the reputation that the England captain absolutely has to stand by, it was not appropriate for him to be captain. I think the board and in particular the chairman showed leadership. It is a decision the board can stand by.”

Leadership is a theme of conversation with Rabbatts, who has wide experience from a diverse career.

Her CV includes spells as chief executive of Lambeth Council, deputy chairman of Millwall, and directorships at the BBC, the Bank of England, the Royal Opera House, Crossrail and her own media company Shed Media.

This mix of experience, and a lifetime’s interest in football from grass-roots to the professional game, including a long commitment to anti-racism campaign Kick It Out, led the FA to appoint her.

“English football is a pretty heady cocktail. It comprises business dynamics, it is a massive entertainment industry, it is a national passion and it is political. I am strange in that I have worked in all those different sectors."  

“I felt I brought a pretty unique skill-set in terms of what the FA is trying to achieve. I am also a woman and I am mixed race. So I think I bring an additional lens.”

Inevitably in a season scarred by racist incidents, her perspective on the issue is informative. She is encouraged by the progress the English game has made, but says more has to be done.
Liverpool’s at times blind support for Luis Suárez dismayed her, though diplomacy restricts her to a limited comment.

“Liverpool found themselves a lone voice, and the fact they found themselves a lone voice says it all. But the reaction to Suárez and other incidents demonstrates how committed many millions of fans are to stamp this out.”
She identifies the double-edged sword of social media as an area of concern:

“Social media is a fantastic way of connecting to people, but some black players are being racially abused because people think they are anonymous on Twitter. The chants on the terraces are not replaced by abuse on social media, but it is creeping in. You can’t stop moving [on racism] because it changes.”

Increasing diversity at the top of English football, particularly among the next generation of coaches, will be a priority. Her logic for broadening the talent pool is not ideological but practical.

“There was a time when great English managers managed European clubs. Jose Mourinho learned his trade under a great English manager [Sir Bobby Robson]. It is almost impossible to imagine that happening today.

One of my objectives is to ensure that we have the calibre of coaches and future managers who are in demand. To do that you have to have the best of talent, and that talent comes from all different parts of this country.

There are precious few candidates that one talks about for very senior high-profile jobs. Wouldn’t it be nice in future to say we have the choice of five or 10 candidates for those roles?”

Selecting the next occupant of the highest profile job of all, England manager, is the next major decision for the FA board. Rabbatts is clear that whoever it is should be English, or at least appreciate the particular dynamics of the English game.

“It is preferable [to have an English manager] though we don’t rule out someone who isn’t. But it is important that it is someone who understands the English DNA of the game. Each country has its own culture. We have ours, and it’s a massive part of this country’s psyche, so you do have to get it.”

Of course there would have been no appointment to make had the board, influenced in part by Rabbatts, not taken such decisive action over Terry, prompting Fabio Capello to walk. Despite the unintended consequences, she stands by it.

“You make the right decisions for the right reasons. Ultimately what it comes back to is leadership, and the chairman and this board making the right decisions for the good of the game. We stand by it, and we move forward.”

Formal complaint re: Steve Rotheram MP

Love Football, Hate Racism UK - Twitter: @LFHRUK

5 March 2012
Mr Ed Miliband MP
House of Commons
Open Letter, sent by email

Dear Mr Miliband,

I am writing to you with a formal complaint about a member of your party, Mr Steve Rotheram, MP.As both a trade union and community activist I have campaigned against racism all my life. I am a member of the PCS Union National Executive Committee, the TUC Race Relations Committee and co-founder of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK, a national organisation established to campaign against the disproportionate impact of cuts on black workers, service users and communities, as well as a member of the Consortium of Liverpool and National Black and Minority Organisations.The Consortium has raised concerns about the handling of the Suarez and Evra affair through a letter to Liverpool Football Club and establishing the campaign Love Football Hate Racism. We established an online petition details of which you can access here:http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/racism-and-liverpool-fc.html

The petition has four key demands as follows:
We the undersigned call on Liverpool Football Club to meet four key demands;
(1) Publicly accept the findings of the FA into the Suarez case.
(2) Liverpool FC and Luis Suarez to publicly apologize to Patrice Evra.
(3) In partnership with Liverpool and national black and minority ethnic organisations commit to and sponsor an international conference on the issue of eradicating racism in football.
(4) Together with civic leaders sign up to a public declaration reaffirming commitment to combating racism and promoting race equality through proactive actions.On Friday 2nd of March 2012 some Liverpool fans tweeted their opposition and criticism of the petition and the authors of the petition and called on people to ‘educate’ us.
On the same day one of these individuals tweeted @ Steve Rotheram MP ‘Hi Steve I think you should look at the rather dodgy labelling of Liverpool city on this online petition’. He included a link to the petition and went on to tweet to Mr Rotheram, ‘it’s basically tarnishing both the city and LFC as racist. Dangerous’
Mr Rotherham tweeted in response also on the 2nd of March ‘Lads you can’t stop people intent on causing trouble from this sort of action other than ignoring them’
I have taken screen shots of both tweets should you require them. My complaint is about Mr Rotheram’s blatant disregard of the serious issue of racism and concerns raised about racism. Petitions are widely used tools in campaigning that are recognised, raise wider awareness of issues and can bring about positive results. The fact that Mr Rotheram regards me as someone who is intent on causing trouble by setting up a petition is of grave concern. By branding me and others involved in the campaign as trouble makers he is demonstrating that he does not see racism as an issue and if he has a different opinion does not believe in engaging, communicating and working to resolve issues.
I am concerned that as a member of parliament representing a diverse constituency he believes that anti racists and those who campaign against racism are intent on making trouble and believe that his expression of those views on a public forum such as Twitter bring the Labour Party and its values into disrepute and that he is acting irresponsibly as a member of Parliament. MPs are supposed to engage and take seriously the concerns of their constituents. Whilst I am not personally a constituent several members of the consortium and members of the communities they represent are residents in Liverpool the city that Mr Rotheram’s constituency is based in. Racism in football is a serious issue which must be tackled rather than ignored as Mr Rotheram has suggested. When discrimination is not addressed it empowers those who discriminate and leads to increased discrimination as we have seen recently with a rise in racism at football matches.
In addition to the petition already mentioned in this letter our campaign has submitted a petition aimed at government, which is currently awaiting approval, calling for a parliamentary debate on racism in football.
I am requesting that you raise my concerns with Mr Rotheram and seek an apology for his comments and call on him to engage with anti-racist organisations such as Love Football Hate Racism, Kick it Out, Show Racism the Red Card and others with a view to working to meet the aims of our petition and to campaign against racism in football, communities and society.
Yours sincerely,
Zita Holbourne
On behalf of the Consortium of Liverpool and National Black and Minority Organisations

Update: response from Steve Rotheram MP: http://lfhruk.blogspot.com/2012/03/steve-rotheram-mp-responds-to-our.html

Correspondence between LFC & Consortium of Liverpool/National Black & Minority Organisations

1st Letter from consortium to Liverpool Football Club:

We the undersigned wish to express our grave concerns about the inadequate responses of Liverpool Football Club to the findings by the FA regulatory commission that determined Luis Suarez was guilty of racially insulting the Manchester United player, Patrice Evra.

Football is a unifying sport providing pleasure and entertainment to billions of people across the planet. Young people from every corner of our world passionately support their team. Football players are held in high regard and viewed as positive role models.

Clubs, players and managers have an important and globally recognized responsibility to demonstrate their commitment to the principle of common decency and fair play. Throughout the world, both on and off the football pitch they inspire and socially educate billions of young people who admire and mimic their actions.

The issue of racism in football is one that requires unambiguous anti racist leadership. The actions of LFC in the run up to and following the publication of the FA’s findings fell short of the high standard of leadership expected for a team of their standing in the football community.  

LFC actions, in vehemently rejecting the findings of the FA inquiry, their public displays of support for a player found guilty of racist abuse and his subsequent refusal to shake the hand of Evra at a recent game is completely unacceptable. These actions we believe could be considered as inciting racial intolerance.

Whilst the subsequent apologies for the failure to engage with the traditions of a pre game “hand shake” are to be welcomed, there remains deep concern, about LFC’s absolute refusal to accept the findings of the FA’s investigation. As such these apologies fail to meet the test of genuine remorse and understanding. This is further negated by LFC’s failure to apologise for racism either through the club or Suarez.

Neither have LFC recognised or acknowledged the consequent damage to race relations resulting from their actions and   recognised by many people of all races across the country. As a result, efforts to combat racism in football and the wider society in general have been critically undermined.

Compounding these serious errors is the failures of Liverpool’s civic leaders, many of whom have remained silent on these critical issues and have failed to publicly condemn LFC’s decision not to robustly and effectively challenge racism. 

Such is the overwhelming power of the Premier League and the influence of clubs such as LFC it is imperative that this situation cannot be allowed to stand.

The international reputation of Liverpool as a city committed to race equality is at stake.  In addition there is a real and urgent need to restore confidence in the campaign against racism in football, both here, in the UK and across the world.

To this end we have four key demands;

• that LFC publicly accept the findings of the FA into the Suarez case. 
• that LFC and Suarez publicly apologize to Patrice Evra. 
• that LFC in partnership with Liverpool and national black and ethnic minority organisations commit to and sponsor an international conference on the issue of eradicating racism in football.
• that civic leaders in addition to LFC sign up to a public declaration reaffirming their commitment to combating racism and promoting race equality through pro active actions. 

Love Football, Hate Racism:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LFHRUK
Twitter: follow @LFHRUK

Consortium of Liverpool and National Black and Minority Organisations:

Gloria Hyatt MBE Teach Consultancy Limited

Liverpool Black Leadership Forum

Femi Sowande Merseyside Black History Month Group

Eric Lynch Slavery History Tours

Alec Mcfadden Merseyside Coalition Against Racism and Facism

Alec Mcfadden   Merseyside TUC

Paul Sesay Smith Diversity Group and National Diversity Awards

Earl Jenkins Kingsley United

Paul Jenkins North West Unite Against Facism

Zita Holbourne Black Activists Rising Against Cuts

Shantele Janes Cheshire Halton and Warrington Race Equality Centre

Tracey Hylton Edit Consultancy

Lee Jasper London Race and Criminal Justice Consortium

Peter Herbert  OBE Society of Black Lawyers

Simon Woolley Operation Black vote

Charles Crichlow National Black Police Association

Dave Weaver 1990 Trust

Stafford Scott Tottenham Defence Campaign

Viv Ahmun Coreplan

__________________________________________________

Response from Liverpool Football Club to Consortium:

FAO: The Consortium of Liverpool & National Black & Anti-racism Organisations.

Thank you for your letter of February 19th expressing your concerns. I very much appreciate your thoughts on the issue.

I think it is important to state again that Liverpool Football club remains absolutely committed to playing its part in the fight against racism and discrimination of any sort. The club has a long and successful track record in the area of social inclusion at both home and abroad. We are committed to supporting racial equality and social inclusion and are actively involved in numerous programmes including achieving the 'Kick It Out' Equality standard and support the 'Show Racism the Red Card' program. The club has also been involved in the production of key media including 'Into the Red', an LFCTV Production celebrating the influence and success that black footballers have had at Liverpool Football Club,  The club supports the Black History Month program and runs its own Truth 4 Youth program which has been delivered to over 100,000 children in schools across merseyside. We will continue to build on the work we have already done by working alongside the game's authorities and other relevant agencies to continue to make a real difference.

Regarding the FA Regulatory Commission, both Luis Suarez and the Club accepted the decision, The player did not appeal the sanction, served his suspension, paid his fine and apologised to anyone he had offended. in addition the club also made unambiguously clear its disappointment with what occurred at Old Trafford more recently. The player publicly acknowledged he had made a mistake and apologised, as did the manager for his comments during a post match interview.

In light of events, the Club have met with a number of key national and local stakeholders on these issues and those discussions have been honest and collaborative. We are also working with Arun Kang, Chief Executive of Sporting Equals, an independent UK-wide charity and one of the leading experts in equality and diversity in sport, who will be reviewing our policies, processes and practices. In addition, Sporting Equals will help us execute a strategy empowering staff, volunteers and stakeholders on race equality and they will assist us in engaging relevant governing bodies to ensure LFC is inclusive in all its operations. We will work with additional organisations such as Kick It Out, The Premier League and other stakeholders in football to help us develop and deliver a strategic action plan encompassing both our staff and external stakeholders.

What is important is that Liverpool FC is judged on what it does now, and that the lessons learned over the past few months are translated into solid measures moving forward.

Respectfully

Thomas C Werner
Chairman
Liverpool Football Club

_________________________________________________________________

Consortium response to LFC letter:

F.A.O. Chair Man - Tom Werner, Managing Director- Ian Ayre, Manager - Kenny Dalglish

Liverpool FC

Anfield Road

Liverpool

L4 OTH

By email and post

23^rd February 2012

Dear Mr Werner,

Thank you for your letter received on 22nd February in response to our letter to you of the 19th February from the Consortium of Liverpool and National Anti Racism Organisations. 

We note your responses to the some of the issues raised in our communication to you. The record of Liverpool Football Club is impressive but falls short of what is required in relation to the Suarez affair; good practice in terms of effective community engagement; and race relations.

Gloria Hyatt is personally disappointed as she offered the hand of friendship in a private letter and her free expertise in a letter to Kenny Dalglish and LFC, earlier in the year, to help point out how this situation could be better managed. As you will know, the good work you have managed to achieve thus far, can be dramatically undone if LFC does not remain vigilant and continue to exemplify the highest standards of integrity in relation to tackling racism. We have become acutely aware of this as LFC fans quote unquote your messages and communications that undermine our message of peace and reconciliation in our movement to achieve peaceful race relations in our city.

Central to this mission is leadership and in this regard LFC have undermined both their own achievements and those of others working to combat racism in the modern game by a consistent refusal to hear, respect or give value to our lived experiences. Our members have been subject to many forms of abuse at their business and personal addresses, the evidence is mounting that Liverpool’s good community relations are being damaged as racism is on the increase fuelled by the situations we speak of.

We also note your comment that Suarez has, in relation to the Evra racial abuse incident, already “apologised to anyone he offended" This is in effect a non-apology. Saying "I'm sorry that you felt insulted" to someone who has been offended by a statement is no apology at all.  Such a statement does not admit that there was anything wrong with the remarks made, and additionally, it may be taken as insinuating that the person taking offense was excessively thin-skinned or irrational in taking offense at the remarks in the first place. When it comes to the issue of racism we need to ensure a clear unambiguous statement is made that leaves no room for doubt. 

Your letter compounds that failure in that you also fail to address the quite specific demand that Suarez and LFC provide a public apology to Patrice Evra for the racial abuse he suffered. The significance of this non apology is not lost on fans or the general public and has been interpreted as an obstinate refusal to acknowledge the central allegation of racist abuse. This has provided subliminal comfort to racist and bigots all over the country. This is entirely separate from and in addition to the player apology that was provided by LFC for Suarez's refusal to shake Evra's hand at a recent match. 

Whilst we note your work with Sporting Equals, however, we urge LFC to open up dialogue and partnerships with local black and anti racist organisations in this city. We have a huge amount of experience, skill and commitment. National mainstream organisations being parachuted into Liverpool to work on issues of race, without any local links or having their work informed by a local historical context is unacceptable. This is no substitute for working in genuine partnerships with local organisations, history has shown this in the success of others gone before. We are heartened that our Prime Minister is taking this issue seriously, and happy that the Anthony Walker Foundation endorses our message, though of course we look to LFC for a direct, respectful and appropriate response to the pertinent issues shared by our communities in response to the conduct of LFC, its player, its employees and management.  

In relation to Black History Month we are aware you are currently in early negotiations about how LFC may work with communities to support the MBHM programme. We support any initiative that positively impacts on good race relations in Liverpool and beyond. I’m sure you will be aware that the Chair for this group has signed up to the concerns we continue to highlight in our letters to you. Could you please provide us with further details cited by you of LFC's work with Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out over an above their national programmes or campaigns?

We restate our original requests and ask that you formally respond in writing to each specific point and the points highlighted in this letter. We repeat our offer to meet with you to discuss these matters and in effort to facilitate joint consensus on these issues. This is a very serious matter and the absence of both a serious and considered response to our concerns is very disappointing. This issue cannot be simply swept under the carpet and requires that you engage with us in a genuine effort to provide genuine anti racist leadership in our fantastic multiracial city.

 Yours respectfully,

Consortium of Liverpool and National Black and Anti- Racism Organisations:

Gloria Hyatt MBE Teach Consultancy Limited

Liverpool Black Leadership Forum

Femi Sowande Merseyside Black History Month Group

Eric Lynch Slavery History Tours

Alec Mcfadden Merseyside Coalition Against Racism and Facism

Alec Mcfadden   Merseyside TUC

Paul Sesay Smith Diversity Group and National Diversity Awards

Earl Jenkins Kingsley United

Paul Jenkins North West Unite Against Facism

Zita Holbourne Black Activists Rising Against Cuts

Shantele Janes Cheshire Halton and Warrington Race Equality Centre

Tracey Hylton Edit Consultancy

Lee Jasper London Race and Criminal Justice Consortium

Peter Herbert  OBE Society of Black Lawyers

Simon Woolley Operation Black vote

Charles Crichlow National Black Police Association

Dave Weaver 1990 Trust

Stafford Scott Tottenham Defence Campaign

Viv Ahmun Coreplan

Radio Merseyside Upfront Programme - racism in football

Radio Merseyside Upfront Programme -
 presents the news and views of Liverpool's black community. 

Click link to listen:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=upfront%20phina%20oruche

Programme content: 

Target: John Barnes backheels a banana off the pitch during match at Everton in 1988 Photo: GETTY IMAGES

John Barnes sets out his view on racism in football. He sets out his defence of LFC. Liverpool & National Black And Anti - racist Organisations speak to the issue of racism in football, the LFC Suarez saga and racism in Liverpool. Vinny Thomlinson, former chair of Merseyside Black Police Association outlines racism its impact on the city of Liverpool and society, Eric Lynch a member of LNB & ARO talks about racism and his historical perspective and Neil Danns premier league footballer talks of his experiences.

 

Neil Danns

Radio Merseyside Upfront

Liverpool and Luis Suárez 'critically undermined' anti-racism efforts - Guardian

By Andy Hunter

(Originally published at: guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 February 2012)

• Liverpool Black Leadership Forum writes to Kenny Dalglish
• The club 'presided over worst racism incident in recent years'

A prominent group of black leaders has criticised Liverpool's handling of the Luis Suárez racism affair. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Liverpool have been accused of critically undermining "efforts to combat racism in football and the wider society in general" with their handling of the Luis Suárez controversy and asked to issue an unreserved apology to Patrice Evra by a prominent group of black leaders.

In an open letter delivered to the club and the manager, Kenny Dalglish, signed by local and national black leaders plus several anti-racism organisations, Liverpool are fiercely criticised for contesting the findings of an independent tribunal appointed by the Football Association which led to Suárez receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing the Manchester United defender.

Though Suárez apologised for using the word "negro" in his confrontation with Evra at Anfield last October and for refusing to shake the France international's hand at Old Trafford recently, when Dalglish also apologised for his post-match television interview with Sky's Geoff Shreeves, the letter calls on the club and the striker to apologise directly to Evra.

The letter says: "LFC actions, in vehemently rejecting the findings of the FA inquiry, their public displays of support for a player found guilty of racist abuse and his subsequent refusal to shake the hand of Evra at a recent game is completely unacceptable. These actions we believe could be considered as inciting racial intolerance.

"Whilst the subsequent apologies for the failure to engage with the traditions of a pre-game 'hand shake' are to be welcomed, there remains deep concern about LFC's absolute refusal to accept the findings of the FA's investigation. As such these apologies fail to meet the test of genuine remorse and understanding. This is further negated by LFC's failure to apologise for racism either through the club or Suárez.

"Neither have LFC recognised or acknowledged the consequent damage to race relations resulting from their actions and recognised by many people of all races across the country. As a result efforts to combat racism in football and the wider society in general have been critically undermined.

"Compounding these serious errors is the failures of Liverpool's civic leaders, many of whom have remained silent on these critical issues and have failed to publicly condemn LFC's decision not to robustly and effectively challenge racism."

The open letter is signed by members of the Liverpool Black Leadership Forum, Merseyside TUC, North West United Against Facism, the Society of Black Lawyers and the National Black Police Association, among others.

Gloria Hyatt MBE, of the Liverpool Black Leadership Forum, said: "Liverpool Football Club has presided over the worst incident of racism in football seen in recent years. Their misguided handling of Suárez/Evra has let down all of those in the city who worked hard to challenge racism and make Liverpool a better place to live for everyone."

Lee Jasper, a human rights and race equality campaigner, said: "The club, including the owners, the players and the manager, need to realise the enormous damage caused by their reluctance and obdurate behaviour. Kenny Dalglish used to manage Celtic; he ought to know the importance of stamping out bigotry. The club failed the city, the nation as a whole and in particular Britain's black communities. Their abysmal lack of leadership on this issue has given a green light to racism. They must make urgent repetitions and make a clear and unequivocal apology."