Racism brings not just football but society into disrepute
In light of Joshua Cryer’s arrest and charge in connection with racist tweets sent to ex-Premiership footballer Stan Collymore, Charlie Scott offers his view on the recent events that have cast a cloud over football and society
Photo: Getty images
The news that Newcastle University student Joshua Cryer has been arrested and charged over the alleged racist abuse of former Premier League star Stan Collymore comes as yet another blow to a sport and a country that are still reeling from a number of recent incidents involving racism.
Racism, in any form, is a vile and inexcusable form of abuse that should not even be an issue in our multicultural present-day society. But, unfortunately it is. Particularly, recent events seem to show, in the world of sport.
Someone uttering a racist thought or opinion is bad enough, but when that pent up ball of hate is directed at an individual it becomes even worse. The personal and calculated nature of directing verbal abuse to an individual or clicking on their profile on Twitter and sending abuse after clicking on ‘Tweet to @’ is just despicable.
It is deliberate. I guess that’s what I am getting at.
Anyone can rant and rave in general to the world. They can be angry, they can be racist, they can be a hell of a lot of awful things, none of which I am condoning, but it takes a certain coldness and cruelness to be able to direct such thoughts and deliver them to a chosen individual.
It is a sad indictment of the society we live in that people feel the confidence to utter racist slurs from behind a Twitter avatar, or a false name, or when part of a crowd. Since when does shouting something from within a large body of people or sitting in front of keyboard make a person immune from knowing what is right and wrong. From knowing what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.
Their blindness to the truth in terms of what is right and wrong should not be contagious. Not long ago black players in England had to withstand bananas being thrown at them and monkey noises being made at them every time they touched the ball. Racism is an affliction within football at the moment that appeared to have been stamped out.
Photo: Getty images
Horribly, there has been a snowball effect following the recent incident between Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in regards to the increased number of racially aggravated incidents involving football. On Friday night the 20-year-old Oldham right-back Tom Adeyemi was on the brink of tears whilst playing against Liverpool at Anfield, by something said to him by a Liverpool fan who was part of a group wearing t-shirts in support of Luis Suarez. Friday night should have been the happiest night so far of Adeyemi’s promising career. Instead it looks to be one that will haunt him forever.
Adeyemi is understood to have told Merseyside police following the game that he was racially abused by the supporter, and a 20-year-old from Aintree has since been taken in for questioning regarding the incident while police investigate CCTV footage from Anfield in tandem with the club.
The t-shirts worn by the group of fans on Friday night were the same worn by the Liverpool team when warming up before the game against Wigan in December in the wake of the charges brought against Suarez. Even Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool manager, wore one.
After Liverpool’s players, fans and manager had proclaimed his innocence Suarez was found guilty, and charged by the FA for racially abusing Patrice Evra.
When Liverpool released their statement that supported Suarez and questioned the validity of Evra’s statement, and then furthermore sent their team and manager out wearing ‘support Suarez’ t-shirts, they span the finger of blame from the offender Suarez to the offended, the victim, Evra.
In what situation should this ever be acceptable?
In the hours since Josh Cryer’s name was released by Northumbria Police, some people have been in uproar that Stan Collymore has created a media storm surrounding the 21-year-old, and how it may leave Cryer’s future career in tatters.
Again, how is this reversal of blame in any way acceptable?
The problem and the offence being committed here, is towards Stan Collymore. He is the victim. His reaction to it should be commended. We as a society should look to eradicate racism in any way we can.
Some have also raised the possibility that due to the time at which the tweets were sent to Collymore, in the early hours of the morning, whoever sent the tweets may have been drunk.
I’m sorry, but how does being drunk excuse racism?
The advent of social technology like Twitter appears to have given people the confidence to say whatever they please to whoever they please with little regard for the impact or consequences of their actions.
There are huge benefits to Twitter, particularly in regards to sportsmen and sportswomen and their interaction with their fans. The abuse suffered by Collymore emphasises one of the darker sides of Twitter, and the damage it can do.
I don’t know if whoever was responsible for the tweets sent to Collymore has been ‘following’ the former footballer for long, but if they had they may have noticed the fantastic work he has been doing, using Twitter as a platform, to help those suffering from depression, in association with Depression Alliance. He recently posted an incredibly brave account of his struggles with the illness, and offered his advice and support for anyone out there who felt the same.
Stan Collymore’s work is a shining example of what can be so great about Twitter. Joshua Cryer’s user account, and the many others that use Twitter solely to send abuse to public figures are a damning example of the exact opposite, and emphasise why Twitter can do far more damage than good.
Only when we accept and acknowledge that racism exists will football as a sport, and we as a society, have the ability to beat it. It takes bravery like that shown by Patrice Evra, Tom Adeyemi and Stan Collymore to confront racism. They need our support.
Let’s not just kick racism out of football, let’s kick it out of our society.
You and other writers need to stop using the Suarez case as an example of racism in football. I have no doubt in my mind that Luis Suarez said something racist, however he should not have been guilty. If you read all 115 pages published the The FA regarding how they came to the decision, it is unfounded. There is no 3rd party impartial evidence to within that report. If there was why haven’t the police got involved to start criminal procedures? Because if it was in a court of law the case would have been laughed at and thrown out immediately. It is incredibly dangerous that Suarez has been found guilty. If any footballer in the future is to claim they have been racially abused, without any other evidence, what action will be taken?
I get the point you’re making but this is poorly written.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Luis Suarez said something racist, however he should not have been guilty.” Slightly contradicting yourself there? If he has said something racist then he must be guilty of saying something racist… no?
Besides, that’s just one example that was given here. What I found more concerning was the Liverpool fans chanting Suarez’s name at Adeyemi. If they weren’t doing it for the racism reasons then what other relevance would there be for singing that particular players name.
Dead good article that! 2 thumbs up!
@Matt
These were my thoughts last night. I personally think the article is more authentic without having polished up every sentence. I realise it may look a bit rough around the edges, but that is kind of the aim. This article is how I immediately articulated my thoughts on the recent events regarding race, football and Twitter, as they came to me.
An overly articulated article would merely distract from a very important issue that the writer is clearly addressing. Emotive issues do not need to be disguised within pretentious texts.
Great article. I’m not a huge football fan but found myself affected by the passion which this article conveys. Racism is deplorable in any context. Those nit-picking here need to concentrate on what this article is saying, rather than complaining about how it is said. Strong work all round.