IAN WRIGHT - Columnist
But equally, I've come to the sorry conclusion it will never be
totally wiped out of our game — because it will never be totally
wiped out of society.
You can have as many notices as you like inside stadiums, as
many campaigns as you like, but it will continue to be an issue as
long as it's an issue in life.
The one thing I've realised over the years is that it all boils
down to how you deal with it — and that isn't through anger and
aggression.
The only way you will ever get a grip on this is by educating
ignorant people in a sensible, dignified and intelligent
manner.
Now in the case of John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, clearly I
wasn't on the pitch and don't intimately know what was said by whom
and when.
Only Terry himself knows exactly what was said and in what
context.
What I do know is that, if Terry was proved to be guilty of
hurling racist abuse, then his real punishment would come when he
goes back to the Chelsea training ground.
That's when he would have to look into the eyes of team-mates
like Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, Daniel Sturridge, John Obi Mikel,
Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou, Ramires, Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas
Anelka, Michael Essien and Co.
He's their captain, their leader and the feeling would not be
pleasant for him. I'm sure there are a lot of black players who
he's respected and only JT himself fully knows what was said.
But if he's guilty, I can guarantee he will be punished for life
— he will never, ever get over it. What more punishment would he
need than that?
When an England captain is caught in a controversy like this, it
makes you feel all the hard work in the past has come to
nothing.
It's all well and good campaigns like 'Kick It Out' focusing on
racism in football. But shouldn't we all be focusing on society in
general?
What is good is how it simply isn't accepted by everyone as
'just part and parcel of the game' any more. The number of people
offended by it shows we are making major progress.
There are a lot of mixed race relationships, clubs have so many
different cultures within them nowadays. It all comes down to how
it's dealt with.
We need to know how to put these fires out when they do flare
up, so that when they come again, we handle it properly.
People need to be able to say 'OK, we handled it this way
before, that's how we do it again.' Otherwise it will flare up
again and we'll have a problem like this every season.
I am just so disappointed Terry is at the centre of these
allegations.
He's been around the world, seen so many different cultures — he
works with plenty of players from different nationalities.
Even if it is established John was guilty, I must say that if I
bumped into him, I'd look him in the eye and shake his hand,
because you don't deal with this issue through aggression.
You do it with dignity and intelligence, because anyone who has
those sort of feelings is ignorant in the extreme.
I must say, though, when Chelsea came out so quickly to back him
100 per cent, you'd have to question their wisdom.
Of course you expect them to be loyal to their player, but did
they really have time to investigate it thoroughly?
It's the same thing with Liverpool and their rapid defending of
Luis Suarez, after similar allegations from Patrice Evra. Yes, back
him to the hilt. But you've got to hold your own official inquiry
to look fully into the situation as well.
And although I know Liverpool's game against Norwich last week
was picked as one of the Kick It Out, anti-racist promotion
matches, seeing them run out in anti-racist T-shirts added to my
sense the matter could have been handled in a different way.
That is the view of Les Ferdinand, former Three Lions striker
and cousin of QPR defender Anton.
National skipper Terry faces an FA probe over allegations he
hurled a racist comment at Anton in Chelsea's 1-0 defeat at Loftus
Road on Sunday.
And last night Sir Les, who suffered abuse during his career,
insisted JT must be hit hard if the FA find against him.
He said: "If John Terry has said something he needs to come out
and say it. If he hasn't, let's get it sorted and out of the
way."
Video footage of Terry allegedly mouthing abuse at Anton
appeared on websites after Sunday's ill-tempered clash.
And Les, talking at last night's Black List Awards, added: "I
was asked to look at it on the internet and I've seen what's said —
unfortunately you are not privy to the whole conversation.
"The FA, FIFA and UEFA have been in positions where they have
been able to stamp out a few problems which have reared their ugly
heads in the last few years and they haven't done so or they
haven't done it diligently enough.
"When you look at the punishments dished out, it lets you know
these people don't think there is a racist problem in football.
"They need to make a statement. That means bans instead of fines
— that's the only way it's going to work."
Former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott, a leading anti-racism
campaigner, said: "A man is innocent until proven guilty. But there
must be zero tolerance if someone is found guilty, no matter who
they are — even the Queen!"
