Show racism the red card

Eddie Tucker examines a working class report against racism in football:

Official club and FA anti-racist schemes have been a welcome recent development in football, but are often primarily token statements. Youth Against Racism in Europe, the Independent Newcastle United Supporters Association and the local Race Equality Councils (CREs) in the North East have produced a fans' statement of intent and action which is rooted much deeper in the real world of the football supporter.

Backed by international footballers and UNISON it is a working class response to racism still endemic in the now fully-seated stadiums. In its second year, its annual report boasts an endorsement by Tony Blair, obviously oblivious of the YRE's lefty roots.

Credit where it's due, the YRE saw a problem here and confronted it in an effective way - through videos, the media, in schools and club-based initiatives - and on a European-wide scale. Perhaps the most telling evidence of success is the death threats aimed at Show Racism The Red Card's organisers.

Copies of the report and further details: Send a large sae to SRTRC, 1 Drury Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 1EA. Please mention LLB when writing.

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