So much has been said and written after Sunday’s final I wasn’t sure whether I had anything worth adding but I feel I have a responsibility to add my voice to those condemning the hateful abuse the players have received.
The Racist abuse directed at the England Football team and, in particular those three heroic young men who stood up to take penalties in the Euro 2020 Final is abhorrent and unacceptable.
I, like millions of others, felt immense pride as the England Football team progressed towards Sunday’s final on the pitch, but throughout the tournament and the months preceding it, I have had even more pride in the way this group of players have conducted themselves, called out issues in our society and helped to galvanise communities.
Each and every England player who stepped up to take a penalty in that final, as well as those who knew that they would be number 6, or 7 or 8 etc did so in the certain knowledge that, to the fickle members of our society, to score and win would make them heroes and to miss and lose would make them villains.
And they still stepped up and took that penalty – To me and many millions more, they are heroes.
Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho had the added pressure of knowing that, in their words, racist abuse was going to be the inevitable response if they missed.
And they still stepped up and took that penalty – To me and many millions more, they are heroes.
Racism exists in this county, of that there can be no doubt and we must all come together to stamp it out, not by ignoring it, not by just improving our own individual behaviour, but by calling out the unacceptable behaviour of others, whatever position they hold in our society and whatever their platform for spouting their abuse.
There are millions of people who are appalled by racism but too many of those people stand by and do nothing when they witness it.
Racism exists because we allow it to.
To those people who called the players taking the knee ‘gesture politics’ and then cheered Raheem Sterling’s goals – have a look at yourself.
To those people who booed the opposition’s national anthem – have a look at yourself.
To those people who think a casual racist comment is acceptable – have a look at yourself.
To those people who stand by and listen to the ‘gesture politics’ comments and say nothing – have a look at yourself.
To those people who stand next to someone booing the opposition national anthem and say nothing – have a look at yourself.
To those people who hear a racist comment and say nothing – have a look at yourself.
We all have a collective responsibility to tackle racism and it must become the number one priority.
We can be better as a society and as citizens, Marcus, Jadon and Bukayo have shown us that.
David Watson, Chair Swim England North East Ltd
