Kick it Out! | Dylan White

The beautiful game has exhilarated fanatics across the globe for centuries, with its flamboyant Brazilian influence bringing a sense of ecstasy and unrivalled passion amongst enthusiasts. However with this sense of divine genius comes the feeling of opprobrium as the epidemic that is racism implodes upon football. Suddenly, as the shackles within the empire begin to collapse, football no longer evokes that attractive quality that has united millions in triumph and tragedy.English football has had more than its fair share of controversy throughout the decades. Whether we ponder the catastrophe of the 1958 Munich air disaster or the turmoil of the whole Hillsborough investigations, the footballing world has never been more impeded upon than in relation to racism. Our sport has become plagued by this cancer, which stems down to the inability of football’s governing bodies to condemn racists within the game.Weak judgements on the part of talented players have culminated in high profiled court cases and FA inquiries such as the Suarez - Evra case. Although “no one else on the field of play” heard the alleged foul-mouthed rant, Suarez was found guilty of using “insulting words,” fined and handed an eight-match ban. Media outlets began bombarding the topic, with the back of every newspaper highlighting this soul-destroying issue.Just as the flames began to diminish, John Terry came under scrutiny for supposedly aiming racial abuse at Anton Ferdinand. This inevitably erected the debate again, putting immense pressure on officials to act appropriately in diffusing discrimination amongst players. However, one can’t help but feel a sense of injustice, judging by the mere sentence that these villains receive. Many critics argue that extensive legal ramifications would help conquer such malicious behaviour, acting as a remedy to this almost uncontainable disease.Respected figures stand behind the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign, an initiative that generates awareness with the hope of eradicating racism from the playing surface. Despite at times becoming actively involved on behalf of their players, managers recognise its shortcomings in dealing with racism. Sir Alex Ferguson has called on the FA to work closely with FIFA and UEFA in combating this capital offence. It is now time we put a stop to the injustices exercised by the few breakaway offenders, making strides towards a movement that will gather pace in eliminating the n-word from the profession. We must let those who can affect change have their say without ever condemning a man fighting race-related transgressions.Social networking sites have become a means of channelling occurrences of racism in football worldwide. Rio Ferdinand’s infamous ‘choc ice’ tweet, directed at Ashley Cole after the Terry racism trial, was deemed improper conduct as it re-ignited tensions and was seen as a stumbling block on the road to progression. Racism continues to divide the sport, with many influential characters refusing to acknowledge the PFA and other anti-racism groups’ efforts in detaining the spread of anti-sporting behaviour. The idea of a separate Black Players’ Association would appear as something of an apartheid and a huge step backwards in reaching the much sought after ‘promised land.’As long as competition remains rife within sport, there will continue to be the classical ‘banter’ amongst competitors and spectators. However, as in all walks of life, inconsiderate and vulgar minorities remain intent on having their voices heard. These culprits should be singled out and made an example of, which will prove instrumental in the battle against racism. It is about time we silenced the doubters, by allowing the culprits to incur the wrath of those who value human decency within rivalry.