2019-05-01_World_Soccer

Should Montenegro and their putrid
racist fans be thrown out of international
football? They certainly deserve it after
the malicious abuse of England’s black
players in their side’s 5-1 loss, and the
excellent Raheem Sterling has called for
Montenegro’s next match to be played
behind closed doors.
Another talented black player, the
defender Danny Rose, clearly troubled
by the abuse, had an unhappy game in
every way and has spoken of giving up
playing – which I sincerely hope doesn’t
happen. It would be a perverse triumph
for the morons who abused him.
The more obscure and backward the
host country, the more likely that such
primitive behaviour will alas occur. In
such bleak circumstances, stadiums

Racism is still to be found in our own
football. It is now something of a rarity
by comparison with the case of such as
Chelsea’s Paul Canoville, who was so
viciously abused by racist fans that he left

It was good to see Gareth Southgate

rewarded with an honour. He did a very

decent job in the recent World Cup when

England punched somewhat above their

weight and has done even better this

season with those two five-

goal displays in the Euro qualifiers.

It is greatly to his credit that he is

ready to take chances with very young

players, picking 18-year-old winger

Callum Hudson-Odoi and implicitly

criticising Chelsea’s reluctance to give

regular match time to a player of real

ability and promise.

No wonder Hudson-Odoi is said to

want to leave Stamford Bridge.

Good to see Jamie Vardy still scoring
goals at the age of 32. He was, of course,
turned down by his local club Sheffield
Wednesday and did it the hard way,
coming up through non-league football.
Brendan Rodgers, who has taken over
at Leicester City, did not stint in his praise,
saying: “He’s unique. The players I’ve
been fortunate enough to work with
so far have had different strengths.
“Jamie’s a joy to work with. You see
him from the outside he’s one of the best
strikers in the division and has proved it
over a number of years. I’m very lucky to
work with someone like him.
“He does all the things you want him
to do as a manager. When you’re looking
for runs in behind, he’s already on his
way, he’s in. He sets the game up, he’s in

Racism has always been with us in English football

Southgate

deserves OBE

Jamie Vardy’s career has been a lesson for us all

Stadium bans

may not work

should certainly be suspended, though

how much good that would ultimately

do is uncertain.

Countries in whose teams black

the club in misery, but it was

depressing to know that there were

several unpleasant cases of such bigotry

in one weekend recently.

Derby County midfielder Duane

Holmes complained of such abuse at

Brentford, where the culprit was arrested

and ejected from the stadium, Wigan

Athletic’s Nathan Byrne was abused after

his team had drawn with Bristol City, and

Northampton Town’s Timi Elsnik and

David Buchanan reported abuse when

walking in the city prior to their match

against Notts County.

Anti-racism campaign organisers Kick

It Out speak of such behaviour being

deeply ingrained within football. The sole

consolation is it is no longer remotely as

bad and widespread as it was.

the box to score, he’s a threat in every

single game we play.”

How foolish of the previous Leicester

manager Claude Puel to have dropped

Vardy from the team.

And what an inspiration Vardy should

be to players who initially seem to miss

a vital first step in their career when a

major club lets them go or ignores them.

players are seldom, if ever, found

will almost certainly continue to

show such crude prejudice at games

when such players are involved.

Disgraceful...

a Montenegro

fan at the game

against England

Abused...Duane

Holmes (centre)

ORead Brian Glanville’s

weekly online column

at worldsoccer.com

Honour...Gareth

Southgate

Inspirational

...Jamie Vardy