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This powerful day of action was organised by the players' union in response to a number of high-profile racist incidents directed at players earlier in the year. over 90 million accounts took part in the boycott to highlight the racist and discriminatory abuse many PFA members receive online.

Enough also demonstrated how the continued participation of professional players adds significant commercial value to social media platforms.

The 24-hour boycott was the start of a wider campaign aimed at tackling racism in football. All PFA anti-racism work now falls under the #Enough umbrella. The success of the initial boycott focused the industry's attention on an important issue and has led the PFA to:

consistently call for social networks to overhaul their safety policies

demand offline consequences for abusers including bans and reports to police

contribute to the white paper preceding the government's Online Harms Bill

invest in machine-learning reporting to analyse and monitor online abuse

update our equality and diversity workshops to include player experiences

fund research into the overt and covert racism players have to navigate

work with other stakeholders to pressure social media networks to act

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The Professional Player Coach Scheme is a joint programme from the PFA Charity, the Premier League and the EFL, designed to increase the number of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethic players who transition into full-time coaching roles in the professional game.
The scheme provides up to six coaches per season with a 23-month intensive work placement at an EFL club, within the Academy or First Team environment. Each coach works through an individualised learning and development programme during their placement, incorporating a variety of football functions. This usually includes physical performance and conditioning, recruitment, analysis, administration, and coaching different age groups.

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in 2018 the BAME coaching placement programme, was launched. to improve diversity within football, in all aspects and not just on the pitch. over the 3 years of the project the sessions observe coaches at the top level and widen their proffesional networks. in 2020, 6 coaches per season were placed on a 23month intensive work placement within an efl club.

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Asian inclusion is a networking system to allow for an enhanced experience for Asian footballers at all levels from league 1 Sunday league to premier league. It involves Pfa facilitated meting to allow for workshops it allows players to ask for advice and mentoring on a one to one support. It allows them to follow there selected chosen career path in football benefiting from additional support

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When launching Rugby Against Racism, Premiership Rugby made five commitments: work to improve representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people players among coaches and referees. Supporting BAME players to participate in organisations at board levels. Increasing access to the sport for younger people from a BAME background. Reviewing recruitment practices. Engaging with BAME players to ensure all feel safe and protected. There is also an initiative called Rugby against Racism and they sell ‘Rugby Against Racism’ branded bootlaces with 100% of the profits being used to fund rugby inclusion projects.

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The FA has partnered with football’s equality and inclusion organization to launch take a stand, which aims to move from awareness to action by creating a culture where individuals take personal responsibility for being part of the change. Kick It Out is primarily a campaigning organization that enables, supports, and collaborates with football authorities, professional clubs, players, fans, and communities to combat discrimination in all forms in football. Many social media companies have also contributed online by take a stand these combats hate, as well as delivering training sessions with football clubs and police authorities. It will also continue to focus on proactively actioning hateful content, where now more than one in two Tweets or messages are identified and removed without reports.

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The three England players who missed a penalty in the UEFA Euro 2020 final were subject to online racist abuse from supporters after the match.

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/black-history-month-racism-in-football/

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Emile Heskey

Former Liverpool, Leicester and England striker

I would have been about 13. I got chased from a Leicester City football match, from the Leicester City stadium by a Leicester City fan back to the town centre. And I'm a young kid. He's calling me a black this and that. I don't know what he is going to do to me, he definitely wasn't going to hug me.

Being brought up in the 1980s you had to know your surroundings, what’s around you, whether to cross the road, what to do. It takes away your innocence. I shouldn’t have to be thinking about what side of the road I’m going to be walking on and whether I need to go down that road, or not to go to the football.

I played for the England team at under-16s and went to Ireland and got spat at and called the ‘N word’. So we’re all coming through the tunnel and you know it’s hostile – but these are kids doing it. That was probably the first on that sort of level.

I grew up in a different era. My kids grow up with a different mind-set of ‘no I’m not having this, we’re getting together, we’re going to walk off the pitch'. In essence we just had to take it and at the end of the game lodge a complaint and take it further along the chain that way. If I was to play a game now I don’t know if I would actually walk off a pitch because it just wasn’t there for me so I still have that mind-set of 'no, I’m going to show you, I’m going to beat you'.

The toughest thing for a black player coming through the ranks and then making it, is how you’re perceived in the black community and that role model that you’ve got to present yourself in a certain way. That was tough for me because I knew that I was representing a community, so if I did something wrong it was a whole community that would suffer not me.

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England manager Gareth Southgate said the racist abuse aimed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy was "unforgivable". the result of the racism was a united front of support against the racism. Racist abuse of England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho & Bukayo Saka 'unforgivable' - BBC Sport

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England manager Gareth Southgate said the racist abuse aimed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy was "unforgivable".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Football Association also condemned it.

All three players missed penalties in the 3-2 shootout loss and were targeted on social media after the game.

is investigating the abuse and said "it will not be tolerated".

"It's just not what we stand for," said Southgate.

"We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue.

"We have shown the power our country has when it does come together and has that energy and positivity together.

"It's my decision who takes the penalties, it's not a case of players not volunteering or more experienced players backing out."

"The supporter in question's actions on Twitter were alerted to the club late last night, and action has been taken swiftly to issue a banning order," the club said.

England had reached their first final in a major tournament since winning the World Cup in 1966 and, despite taking the lead against Italy, drew 1-1 after extra time before a penalty shootout.

"This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media,"

He later started a Downing Street briefing by praising the players, adding: "They brought joy to this country and to those who have been directing racist abuse I say 'shame on you and I hope you will crawl back under the rock from which you emerged'."

England's players have taken a knee before games at the Euros to highlight the fight against racial inequality.

On the day the tournament started on 11 June, the prime minister did not condemn fans who jeered when England players took the knee during two warm-up games.

Instead, Johnson said he wanted to see fans "getting behind the team to cheer them on" - and was then accused of not having "the guts to call it out" by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

We implore government to act quickly - FA

It added: "We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team.

"We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.

"We will continue to do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real life consequences.

"Social media companies need to step up and take accountability and action to ban abusers from their platforms, gather evidence that can lead to prosecution and support making their platforms free from this type of abhorrent abuse."

In February, the government threatened social media companies with "large fines" if they failed to tackle abuse on their platforms.

Rashford highlighted racial abuse he received on social media in May after losing the Europa League final with Manchester United.

And last year Sancho was among sport stars protesting against racism following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Social media companies have been criticised for a perceived lack of action on racist abuse on their platforms, and in April Instagram announced a tool to enable users to automatically filter out abusive messages from those they do not follow.

Following numerous instances of online abuse, a number of clubs, players, athletes and sporting bodies took part in a four-day boycott of social media in April to encourage companies to take a stronger stance against racist and sexist abuse.

"No one should have to experience racist abuse anywhere, and we don't want it on Instagram," said a Facebook spokesperson.

"We quickly removed comments and accounts directing abuse at England's footballers last night and we'll continue to take action against those that break our rules.

"In addition to our work to remove this content, we encourage all players to turn on Hidden Words, a tool which means no one has to see abuse in their comments or DMs.

"No one thing will fix this challenge overnight, but we're committed to keeping our community safe from abuse."

Twitter said it had removed more than 1,000 posts over the past 24 hours and suspended a number of accounts for violating its rules.

Southgate said his team would "heal together as a team now" and that "we're there for them [Sancho, Rashford and Saka] and I know that 99% of the public will be as well".

He added: "Bukayo in particular has been an absolute star in this tournament, incredible maturity and the way he has played has brought a smile to so many people's faces.

"He's become such a popular member of the group and I know he has got everybody's support."

"Racist abuse causes trauma. It will impact the targeted players, their team-mates, and we know it will also affect their peers," the PFA said.

"It causes hurt to all the other fans who view online hate, and it will inevitably live with the next aspiring generation of young players."

Arsenal proud of Saka - and other reaction

"There are so many positives for social media but also so many negatives," Shearer told BBC Breakfast.

"The positives are that it allows so many of these players and squad to show their personality on the pitch and, most importantly, off the pitch.

"But on the negative side, what on earth are people thinking about - when these guys have been brave enough to take a penalty - to go online and abuse these players?

"What is wrong with some people? It is just so sad and ridiculous. I hope the social media companies expose these individuals. Absolutely disgusting."

Saka, who had his penalty saved by Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, was consoled by his team-mates and England manager Southgate following his spot-kick.

The 19-year-old has been at Arsenal since he was seven and the Gunners said they were "proud" of the winger's exploits at Euro 2020 and told him to "hold your head high".

"However, this feeling of pride quickly turned to sorrow at the racist comments our young player was subjected to on his social media platforms after the final whistle.

"Once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number of black players.

"This cannot continue and the social media platforms and authorities must act to ensure this disgusting abuse to which our players are subjected on a daily basis stops now.

"We have processes in place internally at Arsenal to ensure our players are supported both emotionally and practically on this issue but sadly there is only so much we can do."

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wrote on Instagram it "shows how much work still needs to be done" to tackle the problem of online racist abuse.

"I wasn't surprised in the slightest that I woke up to those headlines," Neville told Sky News.

"I expected it the minute that the three players that missed, missed."

Analysis
BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones
This is the biggest test yet for the social media giants in their attempts to crack down on racial abuse of footballers - and so far it's not going well.

Such is the volume of abusive comments that the companies rely increasingly on automated systems to weed it out. But these have severe limitations. On example - an orangutan emoji was used in an Instagram comment about one England footballer. But the user who reported it got a message saying "our technology has found that this comment doesn't go against our Community Guidelines."

The message from Instagram went on to admit "our technology isn't perfect" - and made it clear that the human moderation team hadn't been able to review the decision because of the volume of reports.

There will be pressure on the companies to make it impossible to use certain words or emojis - but they will point to criticism from others who say they should not be policing speech that may be distasteful but is not illegal.

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England manager Gareth Southgate says online racist abuse of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka is "unforgivable", after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the FA condemn the social media posts.

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Emile Heskey played Yugoslavia and had to play in a neutral stadium which was in Barcelona. It was at their reserve stadium, nice stadium but small, and there was a guy in the crowd shouting "Kunta Kinte, hey Kunta Kinte" every time Heskey touched the ball. Kunta Kinte is just an African slave.
Emile Heskey claims racism in football was 'brushed off as banter' | Daily Mail Online

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'If I made a bad pass, the shout would be "have you been on the wacky baccy?"': Emile Heskey claims racism in football was 'brushed off as banter' as ex-Liverpool star recalls vile abuse he suffered during his playing days

Ex-England international Emile Heskey spoke out about racism within football

Players have recently united in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

They have been determined to unite against global protests about racism

Heskey reflected on experiences with racism to The Gary Newbon Sports Show

Emile Heskey has spoken out about racism within football and revealed how it used to get brushed off as banter during his playing days.

The subject of racism is at the centre of everyone's minds currently with Premier League stars coming together to show their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Stars have been determined to unite behind global protests which followed the tragic death of George Floyd in the United States, and during the first 12 matches of the Premier League's restart, every player replaced their names with 'Black Lives Matter' across the back of the shirts.

And Heskey has since had his say on the racism that still remains in football, claiming that much more still needs to be done while reflecting on his playing days and the vile abuse he used to suffer.

The former England, Liverpool and Leicester striker told The Gary Newbon Sports Show: 'The racism, that we would class as racism, we get in the UK was brushed off as banter.

'Like I said, my parents didn't smoke, but if I was to make a bad pass, the shout would be "have you been on that wacky baccy?".

'I was like I don't smoke, my mum or dad don't smoke, so what do you mean. I kind of just brushed it off. You wouldn't see them saying that to a white player if they did a bad pass or something. It would be something different.'

The 42-year-old then went on to reveal some of the horrific racism he experienced while playing abroad for England.

When asked about the abuse on his travels, Heskey replied: 'Obviously with England Under 21s I got it when we were playing Yugoslavia. Obviously Yugoslavia were going through what they were going through and then split up.

'We played them and had to play in a neutral stadium which was in Barcelona. It was at their reserve stadium, nice stadium but small, and you got a guy in the crowd shouting "Kunta Kinte, hey Kunta Kinte" every time I touched the ball. Kunta Kinte is just an African slave.

'And then you get the monkey chants from when I was playing for England against Slovakia and Croatia.'

But despite his awful experiences in the past, and what many still encounter to this day, Heskey insists there is still not enough support and action from governing bodies such as UEFA and FIFA when players call it out.

Heskey said: 'It's not nice at the end of the day but what can I do. I can complain to the FA, what are they going to do. Complain to FIFA, what are they going to do.'

He then added: 'You know what it is, I don't think they are terrible. But the thing is, it's about understanding. They don't come and ask you, sit down with me or sit down with Rhian Brewster or sit down with Sol or sit down with someone who is going through that and understand, and try to understand, and try to get us to explain what we are going through and why it is wrong.

'Again, the only thing they think about is "oh it's not that bad". And I have heard commentators say that as well. I've heard people I would class as friends saying things like, "it's not that bad here, it's worse abroad".

'Well how do you know? How do you know it's not that bad here but it's worse abroad. You just see what you see. You haven't felt what I feel. So how do you know it's bad?

'And this is the thing, you don't take the time to sit down and listen and talk to the people who are actually going through this. It is getting to the point where people are actually starting to stop talking, and listening to what people are actually saying.'

The Gary Newbon Sports Show, with @Punching.TV , and in association with MailOnline Sport, will be streamed live every Thursday #GNSS

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Emile Heskey claims racism in football was 'brushed off as banter'

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Ex-England international Emile Heskey spoke out about racism within football Players have recently united in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement They have been determined to unite against global protests about racism Heskey reflected on experiences with racism to The Gary Newbon Sports Show Emile Heskey has spoken out about racism within football and revealed how it used to get brushed off as banter during his playing days.

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April: Juventus' 19-year-old Italian forward Moise Kean suffers racist abuse from the stands during a match at Cagliari - with team-mate Leonardo Bonucci's suggestion that Kean was partly to blame called "laughable" by Raheem Sterling

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The rise in reports of racist abuse in football can be linked to Brexit, Kick It Out chief Roisin Wood has claimed.

Statistics gathered by the anti-discrimination charity showed reports of racism in English football rose by 43% - from 192 to 274 - last season.

"I think you can't not link them together," Wood told BBC Sport.

"We're seeing a lot of reports of 'go back to where you came from' which we haven't seen for a while which seems to be on the back of Brexit."

Factoring in all forms of discrimination, reports of abuse in professional and grassroots football increased by 32% to 422, up from 319 during 2017-18. A further 159 reports were received via social media.

Reports of faith-based discrimination - including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism - rose by 75% from 36 to 63, a higher percentage than any other form of abuse during the period.

It is the seventh consecutive year reported incidents of discrimination within football have increased, and the 581 total reports is more than double the figure from five years ago.

"If we're seeing a rise in hate crime, the Home Office is seeing a rise in hate crime and other bodies are seeing a rise in hate crime, it's linked because that's what is going on in society at the moment. If it's there, we'll see it in football," Wood added.

"In some of the cases we have seen, there is a real hatred there which we haven't maybe seen as much of in the past where it's really violent and very targeted, particularly on social media.

"Some of the social media reports we've seen you wouldn't want anyone to see.

"We're talking to people all the time that feel, post-Brexit, that 'maybe this country isn't for me'.

"[Politicians] have to take that responsibility very seriously, they are the leaders of the country and they need to set the tone. Society is reflected in football."

'We have made huge strides' - FA

Responding to the figures, which also showed that reports of abuse in the professional game had increased by 46%, the Football Association said it had made "huge strides" in recent years to ensure English football is a "diverse and inclusive" game.

This includes a new inclusion plan - 'In Pursuit of Progress' - which aims to "create opportunities in football, both on and off the pitch, for people of all backgrounds", as well as funding two extra grassroots officers, based at Kick It Out, who work directly with the County FA network.

"We strongly condemn all forms of discrimination and encourage all fans and participants who believe that they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report it through the appropriate channels: the FA, our County FA network or via our partners at Kick It Out," the FA's statement added.

Kick It Out says the FA has not informed them of the outcome in 79% of the 109 discrimination cases reported in grassroots football - 40% of which were from under-18 football.

Incidents of racism marred the 2018-19 season, with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among several players to face abuse.

In December, Manchester City and England forward Sterling suffered alleged racist abuse from Chelsea fans during City's 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, and followed that the next morning with an Instagram post in which he questioned newspapers' portrayal of black players and said it fed prejudice and aggressive behaviour.

In March, Sterling was vocal in condemning the racist abuse received by England players during their 5-1 win in Montenegro as well as offering support to his younger team-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi.

And in April he was quick to call out Leonardo Bonucci when the Juventus defender suggested that his team-mate Moise Kean was partly to blame for the racist abuse he received from Cagliari fans.

He was presented with his Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award in the same month, with FWA chair Carrie Brown citing his public stance on racist abuse as being just as important as his exploits on the pitch.

Analysis
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
Just over two weeks before the start of the new season, these figures serve as a stark warning to English football's authorities.

They know the game here cannot afford a repeat of the high-profile incidents that marred last year, especially with the government urging them to put tackling abuse "at the top of their agenda".

Six months ago the outgoing Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley criticised the sport for a lack of leadership and collaboration on the issue. So some will be encouraged by the measures announced today, including a review of FA sanctions and education, and a renewed attempt to improve football's dismal record on job opportunities in coaching and senior administrative roles for BAME candidates.

But others will look at the £800,000 total annual funding that Kick It Out has to rely on from the FA, Premier League, Football League and Professional Footballers' Association, and ask whether these bodies should be investing significantly more if such a wealthy sport is serious about making the game more inclusive.

Incidents of racist abuse in 2018-19

December: Banana skin thrown on to the pitch during the north London derby at Emirates Stadium, after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for Arsenal

December: Raheem Sterling suffers alleged racial abuse during Manchester City's defeat at Chelsea. Sterling later says newspapers are helping to "fuel racism" by the ways in which they portray young black footballers

March: Chelsea lodge a complaint with Uefa over racist abuse aimed at Callum Hudson-Odoi during Europa League last-16 second leg win at Dynamo Kiev

March: England report racist abuse of players during their 5-1 win over Montenegro in Podgorica

April: Juventus' 19-year-old Italian forward Moise Kean suffers racist abuse from the stands during a match at Cagliari - with team-mate Leonardo Bonucci's suggestion that Kean was partly to blame called "laughable" by Raheem Sterling

April: Two incidents of alleged racist abuse, towards Derby winger Duane Holmes and Wigan defender Nathan Byrne, are reported in the Championship

April: Troy Deeney and Watford team-mates Adrian Mariappa and Christian Kabasele receive racist abuse on social media

April: Ashley Young receives racist abuse online following Manchester United's Champions League defeat in Barcelona

What is being done about it?

In April, the Professional Footballers' Association asked players to send them evidence of racist online abuse in order to demonstrate to governing bodies the severity of the issue.

The PFA planned to show the posts to the sports minister and a number of football bodies at a meeting in May, while meetings with Twitter and Facebook were also requested after a number of high-profile incidents.

Players were previously encouraged to boycott social media for 24 hours as part of the #Enough campaign.

The release of Kick It Out's figures came as the FA, Premier League and EFL published a joint letter to sports minister Mims Davies, in which they outlined measures they are taking to tackle discrimination in football next season.

This includes a review of how both clubs and the FA sanction discrimination, improved steward training, improved reporting methods and providing more opportunities for BAME people in coaching, refereeing, management and administrative positions.

In a statement, an EFL spokesman said it is "committed to working collectively to ensure football is a game for all".

"While today's announcement suggests more work needs to be done, the results of our recent supporters survey demonstrates clubs are working hard to make football as inclusive as possible. The survey stated 86% of respondents believed their club offered a 'welcoming and inclusive matchday experience for all supporters."

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The rise in reports of racist abuse in football can be linked to Brexit, Kick It Out chief Roisin Wood has claimed. Statistics gathered by the anti-discrimination charity showed reports of racism in English football rose by 43% - from 192 to 274 - last season.

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Both recently and when the former Birmingham city football youngster left the club Jude Bellingham has been subjected to racial discrimination at both Dortmund, England and Manchester United after his footballing decision's.
A link for evidence would be
Jude Bellingham, 17, suffers horrific racist abuse as he reveals vile messages sent to him after Dortmund draw (thesun.co.uk)

The effects it would have is it could cause low motivation, self doubt on whether he has made the right decision. But also could create more motivation and a stronger team.

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England football players Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho  and Marcus Rashford  have been subjected to racist abuse online after missing penalties in England’s Euro 2022 final defeat to Italy.

Racist comments after Euro 2020: Saka, Sancho and Rashford racially abused online after England defeat | The Independent

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Saka, Sancho and Rashford racially abused online after England defeat

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A football fan who racially abused West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers on social media has been jailed for eight weeks. A court heard Simon Silwood's Facebook message was intentionally racist and not the result of autocorrect as he had claimed. Sawyers became aware of the post after West Brom lost 5-0 to Manchester City. Silwood, 50, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the player. Romaine Sawyers: Jail for Albion fan over Facebook racism - BBC News

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A football fan who racially abused West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers on social media has been jailed for eight weeks.

A court heard Simon Silwood's Facebook message was intentionally racist and not the result of autocorrect as he had claimed.

Sawyers became aware of the post after West Brom lost 5-0 to Manchester City.

Silwood, 50, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the player.

Sentencing him at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, district judge Briony Clarke, said: "There is no place for racism or racist abuse online. This clearly, in my view, crosses the custody threshold.

"I assess the remorse you have for your actions as very minimal indeed."

Silwood, a West Brom supporter, of Randall Close, was charged following an investigation carried out by PC Stuart Ward, the UK's first dedicated hate crime officer within a football unit.

After sentencing, PC Ward said: "Sadly we've seen a rise in online hate crime over the last 12 months and we won't hesitate to take action against those responsible, as this case shows."

Silwood had previously admitted being the source of the message, but had blamed his language on a misspelling.

That was rejected in court and on 9 September he was found guilty of sending a racial slur under the Malicious Communications Act.

The post - following West Brom's heavy defeat in January - was made on a "sarcastic" Facebook group titled "Romaine Sawyers - Ballon d'Or"; a reference to the annual award to the world's best player.

Silwood, a steel worker, said he had meant to type that Sawyers should win the "buffoon d'Or".

He claimed a misspelling, of "bafoon", had autocorrected on his device to "baboon".

Simon Brownsey, prosecuting, read out a victim impact statement from Sawyers dated 7 April, which said he "constantly" thought about the incident.

"Every time I play football I am now thinking about comments that could be made about me online about the colour of my skin," his statement read.

"It is now 2021, behaviour like this is completely unacceptable."

Sawyers, who is on loan at Stoke City, was reporting a separate social media post to police when he was shown Silwood's message.

The court heard previously the player was left feeling "harassed, alarmed and distressed" after reading it.

Offering mitigation prior to sentencing, defence barrister Rupert Jones said of Silwood: "He has suffered a very public humiliation, entirely of his own doing.

"He himself has received messages and threats since his conviction. He has now had the opportunity, somewhat ironically, to experience what that is like."

PC Ward had only been in the post a matter of weeks when the offence occurred. He said: "Abusing anyone for the colour of their skin is disgusting and can never, ever be condoned. There's no place for racism in football or society in general.

"Silwood is old enough to know such appalling behaviour is not only wrong, but is absolutely deplorable."

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Romaine Sawyers: Jail for Albion fan over Facebook racism

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A football fan who racially abused West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers on social media has been jailed for eight weeks. A court heard Simon Silwood's Facebook message was intentionally racist and not the result of autocorrect as he had claimed. Sawyers became aware of the post after West Brom lost 5-0 to Manchester City.

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England players were racially abused during their 4-0 win over Hungary in Budapest having been booed when they took a knee prior to the World Cup Qualifier.

The Football Association has called on FIFA to investigate the chants which were aimed at Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham, and world football's governing body is awaiting a report from officials who were present at the Puskas Arena before launching an investigation and taking "adequate actions".

Reporting from inside the stadium in Budapest, Sky Sports News' Rob Dorsett confirmed he had heard "sporadic monkey chants from various areas of the crowd, directed primarily towards Raheem Sterling when he has touched the ball - and including when he set up Harry Kane for the second goal.

"I have seen four separate individuals specifically involved in the racist chanting. The most recent of those was directed at Jude Bellingham, as he warmed up right in front of us, and close to the Hungarian ultras."

FIFA have said in a statement: "First and foremost, FIFA strongly rejects any form of racism and violence and has a very clear zero tolerance stance for such behaviour in football.

"FIFA will take adequate actions as soon as it receives match reports concerning yesterday's Hungary-England game.

"With regards to the previous UEFA sanction against Hungary, please note that as specified by UEFA at the time, this sanction is to be served in UEFA competitions."

UEFA added: "UEFA strongly condemns any discriminatory/racist behaviour and we will continue to lead the fight against racism and discrimination in the game.

"The alleged incidents happened in a FIFA competition and do therefore not fall under the jurisdiction of our disciplinary bodies."

Having been told about the abuse after the game, England captain Harry Kane described the incidents as "totally unacceptable".

Speaking to Sky Sports News in Budapest, England manager Gareth Southgate said: "We weren't conscious of it on the side. I don't know if the players on the pitch were. But everyone knows what we've spoken about for two or three years.

"They know what we stand for as a team and we have to hope we can continue to eradicate racism not only in football but from life in general."

The FA released a statement after the game which read: "It is extremely disappointing to hear reports of discriminatory actions towards some of our England players.

"We will be asking FIFA to investigate the matter. We continue to support the players and staff in our collective determination to highlight and tackle discrimination in all its forms."

The England players had been loudly heckled at kick-off when they took a knee.

The squad had discussed the issue in the build-up to the game, and were made aware of the fact that the Republic of Ireland players were loudly booed in June when they took a knee before their friendly with Hungary in the nearby Szusza Ferenc Stadion.

Loud boos and jeers were clearly audible as England's players made the gesture, which draws attention to the fight against racial inequality in the game and society.

The England players were also pelted with cups thrown from the crowd after Sterling had opened the scoring in Budapest.

A flare was then thrown onto the pitch following Harry Maguire's goal to put the Three Lions 3-0 ahead.

England's players were booed earlier this summer by some of their own supporters when they took a knee for their Euro 2020 warm-up games and again by small sections of the crowd in their Euro 2020 opener against Croatia.

Players taking a knee have also been booed at some club matches since the domestic season started.

Hungarian FA: Minority of fans must be punished

Hungary's Italian coach, Marco Rossi, had said ahead of the fixture that he would be "on the side" of England's players if they were to be subjected to racist abuse, while the Hungarian FA president Sandor Csanyi wrote in the match programme to call on supporters to not make "racist, discriminatory or homophobic chants".

On Friday, the Hungarian FA released a statement indicating that a minority of "disruptive ticket holders" need to be "identified and severely punished", and mentioned that there will be "two-year" punishments for those fans who threw bottles, cups, and flares.

However, there was no inclusion of handing out any punishments for those fans who are found to have abused England's players.

The statement read: "The vast majority of the 60,000 fans present in the Puskás Aréna supported the teams in a sporting manner, cheering on the Hungarian national team even when the team was already losing. It is in their defence that the minority of disruptive ticket-holders need to be identified and severely punished.

"Fans entering the field of play, throwing flares and plastic cups are in the process of being identified. The MLSZ (Hungarian FA) has already filed or will file police reports against them and will pass on any financial penalties to the perpetrators through civil litigation.

"Furthermore, at the end of proceedings, those found guilty can expect a two-year ban from all sporting events.

"The Hungarian Federation and the players, head coach all made an extremely strong communication campaign before the game to call supporters to avoid all kind of racist, xenophobic behaviors during all matches of the national team."

With the game played under FIFA jurisdiction, a full-capacity crowd of 60,000 were present at the stadium, despite Hungary having been ordered to play their next three UEFA competition matches behind closed doors - with one of those games suspended for two years - following racist abuse from supporters and homophobic banners in the stands during their Euro 2020 group stage matches in Budapest.

A homophobic banner was seen in the stands during Hungary's defeat to Portugal in their opening game at the tournament, while monkey chants were also heard during their draw with France.

England united against racist abuse

England boss Southgate addressed the racist abuse directed at 18-year-old Bellingham and praised the Borussia Dortmund midfielder for his "mature" reaction.

"[Bellingham] shouldn't have to suffer that," Southgate added.

"It's fantastic from him that he's shown that maturity and I know our security guys have spoken to him since the game to get his account of that. We don't want to see it. Everyone knows it's not acceptable. He's shown great maturity in how he's dealt with it.

"There's no more this group can do in the fight against racism. We are trying to uphold our part of it and other people have to take the right action to try and make progress.

"It's for other people - and me in the main - to protect the players but the authorities as well. They shouldn't have to be subjected to any forms of racism. Our head of security has spoken with the players and taken their statements and we will deal with it in the right way, through the right channels.

"But it's not fair to criticise all the Hungarian fans, it's a very similar situation to the one we find at home I think.

"The individuals that are responsible need to be dealt with, I think there's evidence of people being filmed and we have to hope it's dealt with in the right way.

"The world is changing and although some people are stuck in their prejudices, they are going to be the dinosaurs in the end because the world is modernising."

After the game, skipper Harry Kane said he hopes football's governing bodies deliver strong punishments to fans who directed racism towards England's players.

The forward told Sky Sports News: "I wasn't aware [of the abuse], I was only told about it after the game.

"It's totally unacceptable we've been in positions like this before. I know the FA will do all they can to resolve the situation and talk to UEFA.

"But look, I couldn't be prouder of the boys, of what we've done and how we performed in a tough place, in a hostile environment, and it just shows the character of this team."

On the pending punishments towards Hungary after similar incidents at Euro 2020, Kane added: "That's out of our hands as players but we hope UEFA are strong with their sanctions, that's all we can ask.

"It's unacceptable on any level and just disappointing. We're here to play football and enjoy ourselves and to put on a show for all the fans, home and away. So it's a shame that some fans decided to act like that. I hope UEFA come down strongly [on Hungary]."

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire told Sky Sports News that some of England's players were unaware of the abuse when it was discussed following the 4-0 win, but hopes that sanctions are placed on the Hungary supporters involved.

He said: "I spoke to a few of the boys in the changing room and nobody heard it. Obviously, we might've been fully focused and in the zone so I really can't comment on that.

"But if that is true, then that's extremely disappointing and I hope they can be punished."

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips tweeted after the game in Budapest: "Great to be back in an @England shirt tonight, proud of the boys and our performance. The best response to some of the crowd. Hate will never win."

John Stones spoke to the media post-match and told reporters: "It is so sad to think that this happens at our games and I hope whoever needs to take care of it does and I'm sure they will.

"We stand together as a team and we will continue fighting for what we believe in as a team and what we believe is right."

Stones' Manchester City clubmate Jack Grealish wrote on social media: "Brilliant win in an unacceptable atmosphere. Well done though boys."

FIFA had two anti-racism experts present at Puskas Arena
Sky Sports News' Rob Dorsett in Budapest...
FIFA had two specialist anti-discrimination experts at the Puskas Arena on Thursday night, Sky Sports News has learned, whose audio and video evidence will be crucial in deciding what punishment will be given to the Hungarian FA , following the racist abuse directed at England's players.

The previous racist and homophobic incidents inside the same stadium during the European Championships in the summer meant that last night's World Cup Qualifier was designated as a "red match" or high-risk game by FIFA's disciplinary officials.

All member associations, including the English FA, were sent new guidelines in the summer of 2019 on how FIFA would police such games.

This is the relevant section of those guidelines: "An observer is appointed for each red match, except for those red matches where additional risk factors are in play and require the appointment of two observers.

"Through its service provider, Fare network, FIFA relies on a pool of trained observers, who are anti-discrimination experts assigned to specific regions.

"At the match itself, each observer will observe and record evidence of any discriminatory incidents in the stadium or its immediate vicinity."

It remains to be seen whether the FIFA observers at Thursday night's game were able to record the incidents of racist abuse in the same way Sky Sports News was.

Attention will turn now to the president of the Hungarian FA, Sandor Csanyi, who has not yet spoken on the matter. He is also FIFA vice-president and a member of the UEFA Exco Committee.

Sky Sports News has also learned that UEFA could have requested the World Cup Qualifier between Hungary and England to have been played behind closed doors, but did not do so.

England's victory in Budapest was marred by repeated racist abuse from small pockets of Hungarian fans among the 60,000-strong crowd - this despite UEFA having already delivered a sanction saying Hungary's next two home internationals under their jurisdiction should be played in an empty stadium, as a consequence of discriminatory incidents that occurred at the Puskas Arena during Euro 2020.

As a World Cup Qualifier, Thursday night's game fell under FIFA's control, but it has now emerged that there is a clause within UEFA's rules allowing them the scope to shift any punishments to other competitions.

The relevant rule in the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, under article 75, reads: "For a UEFA disciplinary body's decision to take effect in the jurisdiction of another confederation or an association that is not a member of UEFA, the competent UEFA disciplinary body must submit a request to this effect to FIFA."

Sky Sports News has approached UEFA for comment.

'Hungary shouldn't be allowed to play in major tournaments'

Kick It Out's head of player engagement Troy Townsend told Sky Sports News FIFA should consider banning Hungary from major tournaments because of the behaviour of some of their supporters

He said: "FIFA should really leave no stone unturned now.

"I'm well aware that they had monitors in the stadium, probably in that section as well where the Hungarian ultras were and we ask for the severest possible punishment, although we haven't seen that yet given to any nation which has discriminated against players in this way.

"For me, it should be elimination from tournaments now, I don't want to see the Hungarians in a tournament again until they can sort things out so that there is no more racist abuse and homophobic abuse, so that they understand the actions of their fanbase."

Chief executive Tony Burnett said Kick It Out was "appalled to see the actions of some Hungary fans".

He added: "We stand proudly in support of the England players and staff, who once again acted with strength, grace and integrity in the face of racism that has no place in our game or our society.

"This is not the first incident like this in Hungary, so we urge FIFA to investigate this matter urgently.

"Those responsible need to be held to account and steps need to be taken to ensure scenes like [this] are not repeated."

Reacting to the latest instance of racist abuse in professional football, Show Racism the Red Card's honorary president Shaka Hislop said: "The Taking of the Knee before games remains a powerful statement of players in recognising each other's equality, and a unified call for the recognition of the equality of all people.

"The players, the coaches, the league the FA have made that abundantly clear. Any other interpretation is an intentional effort to keep sections of our communities voiceless.

"Booing players taking the knee is booing anti-racism. The majority who applaud in response represent the best of us. We may not be perfect, but we're better when we kneel, stand, cheer and support each other.

"This is the truest calling of our humanity."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "It is completely unacceptable that @England players were racially abused in Hungary last night.

"I urge @FIFAcom to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behaviour is eradicated from the game for good."

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland condemned the "deeply depressing" racism targeted at England players.

He told Sky News: "It was deeply depressing, it was appalling.

"The message has to go out loud and clear from leaders in society, from all of us who have responsibility, that these young men are working, they are exemplars to the community, they inspire other young people, they represent what's good in our society.

"That's why we've just got to keep getting the message out there that racism has no space in sport, no place in our society and we should be celebrating these people not denigrating them."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said "strong action must be taken against Hungary to protect players and show racism has no place in football".

Kick It Out reporting racism
Online Reporting Form | Kick It Out
Kick It Out is football's equality and inclusion organisation - working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.

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England players targeted with racist abuse in Hungary during World Cup qualifying win

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England win 4-0 in Budapest but monkey chants aimed at players during game; England players booed by fans when taking a knee prior to kick-off; FIFA expected to launch an investigation; Warning: this article contains footage of a racist gesture

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In March 2019, England played Montenegro, several England players we subjected to monkey chants from the Montenegro fans. UEFA then charged Montenegro  with racist behaviour. This could’ve potentially effected the players performance as they have been subjected to the abuse

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47700628.amp

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Raheem Sterling and Callum Hudson-Odoi condemned the "unacceptable" racist abuse of England players during their 5-1 win over Montenegro in Podgorica.

Racist chanting was directed at several England players, including Danny Rose, during the Euro 2020 qualifier.

England manager Gareth Southgate said he "heard the abuse of Rose" and the incidents will be reported to Uefa.

However, Montenegro coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic said he did not "hear or notice any" racist abuse.

Southgate, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, added: "There's no doubt in my mind it happened. I know what I heard. It's unacceptable. We have to make sure our players feel supported, they know the dressing room is there and we as a group of staff are there for them.

"We have to report it through the correct channels. It is clear that so many people have heard it and we have to continue to make strides in our country and trust the authorities to take the right action."

What happened?

After only six minutes, BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Ian Dennis said he heard racist chants when Tottenham left-back Rose was in possession. BBC football correspondent John Murray also said he heard the chanting throughout the game and spoke to pitch-side photographers who described the abuse the England players received as "disgusting".

Sterling scored England's fifth goal in the 81st minute and celebrated by putting his hands to his ears, a gesture he later said was a response to the racist abuse.

In injury time Rose was booked following a strong challenge on Aleksandar Boljevic, with more racist chants aimed at the 28-year-old.

It is not the first time Rose has faced this situation on international duty.

He was racially abused in Serbia in an under-21 game in 2012. Serbia's FA was fined £65,000, with their under-21s having to play a game behind closed doors.

Football Daily podcast: England hit five again but win marred by racist abuse

Sterling calls for a 'real punishment'

Sterling called on football's authorities to take "a proper stance" and crack down on the racist abuse.

"A couple of idiots ruined a great night and it is a real sad thing to hear," Sterling told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a real sad situation we are talking about after a great win.

"I don't think it was just one or two people that heard it, it was the whole bench. There should be a real punishment for this, not just the two or three people who were doing it - it needs to be a collective thing.

"This place holds 15,000. The punishment should be, whatever nation it is, if your fans are chanting racist abuse then it should be the whole stadium so no-one can come and watch.

"When the ban is lifted, the fans will think twice. They all love football, they all want to come and watch their nation so it will make them think twice before doing something silly like that."

Describing his reaction to his goal, Sterling added: "It was one of those where it was to let them know, you are going to need to tell me more than that we are black and what we resemble to affect us.

"That was the message and give them something to talk about.

"We can only bring awareness and light to the situation. It's time for the people in charge to put a real stamp on it.

"In England we have a diverse country and lots of different faces. I can only do so much; the FA can only do so much. The people in charge need to make a proper stance."

Kick it Out, an anti-discrimination charity, "As we've argued countless times, it's time for Uefa to take strong, decisive action - fines won't do.

"Extended stadium bans or tournament expulsion are what's needed."

Should England players have gone off the pitch?

England had gone behind in Montenegro to a Marko Vesovic effort before goals from Michael Keane, Ross Barkley, who scored twice, Harry Kane and Sterling completed a comfortable win.

However, the talk after the game was dominated by the racist chanting aimed at England's players and Southgate was asked about whether he should have taken England's players off the pitch.

"I'm not 100% certain that that would be what the players would want," he said.

"There would be a mix of views, in terms of when we've discussed the topic in the past, how the players would like it to be dealt with. And they just want to play football.

"Of course, we have the chance to have an impact, but I don't have the answer, frankly."

He added: "Maybe that's something I'd have to consider in the future. I have to say, it wasn't something that came to mind at the time.

"I would want to have a long discussion with my players before to make sure that was a course of action they felt was a) something they wanted to do, and b) thought was something that was going to make a difference."

A Uefa delegate was at the game and Southgate believes the representative from European football's governing body heard the racist abuse.

"I'm reflecting on should I have done more?" said Southgate. "In the end, I think I tried to protect my players as much as I possibly can.

"I'm not the authority on the subject. I'm a middle-aged white guy speaking about racism.

"I'm just finding it a really difficult subject to broach because I want my players to enjoy playing football and not be scarred by the experiences.

"If people feel I should have done more, then I can only apologise for that."

I heard fans making monkey noises - Hudson-Odoi

Chelsea winger Hudson-Odoi, 18, who was making his first international start, told BeIn Sports: "I don't think discrimination should be anywhere - we are equal.

"When you are hearing stuff like that from the fans, it is not right and it is unacceptable. Hopefully Uefa deal with it properly. When me and Rosey went over there, they were saying, 'ooh aa aa' monkey stuff and we just have to keep our heads and keep a strong mentality.

"Hopefully Rosey is OK too. We will discuss it and have a chat. He has a strong mentality and is a strong guy so hopefully everything will be good.

"It is not right at all - I was enjoying the game too. We just have to take the win and go back home."

England's Declan Rice, who was also making his first Three Lions start, was sitting next to Rose in the dressing room after the game and said the incidents affected everyone in the camp.

"It is clearly unacceptable and it is up to the FA and Uefa to deal with it," said Rice. "It is not right, we came here to play a football match, we have been respectful and they need to show respect to us.

"Danny was disappointed. We talk all the time about kicking it out of the game but when is it actually going to stop? It is happening all the time and there needs to be more punished for it.

"We need to be doing more. I don't know what else we can do, there are so many campaigns saying 'kick it out' but then you come to places like this and it happens again, you are back to the start."

'A blight on football and society' - analysis
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty
England's outstanding win in Montenegro should be a cause for celebration - instead it was overshadowed by the shameful racist abuse aimed at Southgate's players.

Those close to the pitch in Podgorica delivered grim reports of what was being suffered by players in what is unquestionably an unforgiving, hostile and unpleasant arena.

Sterling's cupped ear response towards the Montenegro fans after scoring was revealing. It was clearly a pointed response to what he had been hearing on the terraces in this small stadium.

It brought a furious response, with more chants and an object being thrown on to the pitch which was retrieved by Hudson-Odoi.

The most audible chanting came late on when Rose was booked for a late challenge and monkey noises from the Montenegro supporters could be heard from the press box.

It was disgraceful, unacceptable and provided a sour backdrop and unsavoury conclusion to what should have been, when viewed in the football context, a highly satisfactory night for Southgate and England after recording back-to-back five-goal victories for the first time in more than 30 years.

Now is the time for Uefa to come up with the punishment that fits the crime, not simply heavy fines but threats of exclusion from tournaments.

This should have been solely about another outstanding England win - instead a light must also be shone on the dreadful undercurrent of racist abuse that still comes out and puts a blight on football and society.

'Uefa must take strong and swift action' - what other people said

Sports Minister Mims Davies: "Rightly very proud of the England players tonight - a fantastic effort and cracking result - in face of absolutely unacceptable racist abuse. Uefa must quickly investigate then take strong and swift action."

Former England striker Ian Wright, speaking to ITV: "It will probably go to Uefa and they'll be fined a pittance and we'll get the same thing again here the next time or somewhere else in Europe. It's not going to stop them."

Former England midfielder Joe Cole, also on ITV: "We need to shine a light on it. As a nation we need to take a lead on it. It's out of order and England players shouldn't have to deal with it."

Former England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Raheem Sterling has taken a lot of stick from the crowd so why can't he celebrate like that? One week we want players to show passion and emotion and the next we are criticising their reaction when they are getting abused all game."

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Raheem Sterling and Callum Hudson-Odoi condemned the "unacceptable" racist abuse of England players during their 5-1 win over Montenegro in Podgorica. Racist chanting was directed at several England players, including Danny Rose, during the Euro 2020 qualifier. England manager Gareth Southgate said he "heard the abuse of Rose" and the incidents will be reported to Uefa.

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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/raheem-sterling-racism-england-hungary-21483582.amp

Raheem sterling was racially abused by Hungary fans but then played a really good game to shut them all up

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England's World Cup qualifier against Hungary was heavily overshadowed by the chilling racial hatred shown towards their players, which massively highlighted the problems black footballers still have to face in the 21st century.

The shining light in these dark times was, yet again, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling.

In the latest City is Ours Facebook Live podcast, Jai Mcintosh was accompanied by Renuka Odedra and Manchester City fan brands editor Dom Farrell as they discussed all things City, including Sterling.

Dom: "I was delighted to see him score. At that moment where there was just hate raining down, pinging off the pitch and for Declan Rice to pick up [one of the clubs] and have a drink was brilliant.
"There was all that hate and he unveils just a message of love for a friend who passed away. I thought it was beautiful. It is kind of indicative of how Raheem Sterling holds himself in those situations. "After there was the penalty appeal incident and the monkey chants were audible. I then thought I wanted him to score because it was the best way to show those people. But, at the same time, should you be in the position where you want someone to do anything where they're going to suffer racial abuse in their workplace? "Sterling scored against Montenegro when this was going on, he scored against Bulgaria when this was going on. He always has got the best response to these absolute low-lifes. But the real best solution is FIFA and UEFA to just close grounds and get these people out of there. "It is a mixed emotions thing where I was so pleased to see him score, but so gut-wrenchingly upset that he and the other England players have to deal with that again and again. It was so inevitable it was going to happen with Hungary, with what happened at the Euros. It is a situation the players should not have been in, quite frankly."
Jai: "Raheem Sterling is genuinely a real emblem for people who suffer forms of abuse. The way he carries himself, he exceeds the boundaries of being the representative of just racist abuse.
"He has had to deal with tabloid abuse and he has had to deal with so many issues over the last four or five seasons. "Not for any extended period of time, besides the back-end of last season, have you seen his on-the-field performances dip so a massive credit to Raheem Sterling. That's now 16 goals in 24 England games- he is literally unbelievable. "Sterling's positioning... he might have the best attacking positioning in world football. He is definitely up there, he has this knack of finding space in the box." Renuka:"Just seeing him going to that corner flag. He took off his shirt as a tribute to a late friend. But just to see his body posture, the way he carries himself, he is very graceful in that manner. "I don't think he's ever done anything untoward in any kind of way in his activism, he's always been very graceful, very fair. He has never made it about himself. When it comes to racism he has always tried to look at the bigger picture." "No matter the inexcusable and damning abuse aimed at Raheem Sterling and the players from an ethinic minority in the England team, gestures and performances by players like Sterling are an inspiration to millions across the globe. Raheem- we are all with you! "We all know what Sterling is capable of and, yes, he hasn't had the minutes for City [this season] but I think that's the beauty of it. When he comes into the England side it's almost like a reminder of here's what I can do.

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Raheem Sterling showed exactly why he is a hero to millions

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England's World Cup qualifier against Hungary was heavily overshadowed by the chilling racial hatred shown towards their players, which massively highlighted the problems black footballers still have to face in the 21st century. The shining light in these dark times was, yet again, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling.

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An example would be when dani Alves had a banana thrown at him when he was about to take a corner at Barcelona. The effect this has on football, particularly in Spain is that it creates a stigma around Spanish supporters that they are racist and therefore could put off people from joining Spanish clubs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYhp4bqJQA

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An example would be when dani Alves had a banana thrown at him when he was about to take a corner at Barcelona. The effect this has on football, particularly in Spain is that it creates a stigma around Spanish supporters that they are racist and therefore could put off people from joining Spanish clubs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYhp4bqJQA