Tottenham boss
Harry Redknapp can't believe
racist chants are again being heard at English stadiums.
Redknapp experienced intimidation from fans when he moved to
Southampton from rivals Portsmouth - and he has been disgusted by recent
incidents and allegations.
West Ham striker Carlton Cole
claimed Millwall fans made monkey chants at him, while this week
Blackpool's Jason Euell accused a fan of racial abuse.
"That is disgusting, there's no place for that in the game,"
Redknapp said. "When I was a player at West
Ham we had that every week with Clyde Best because he
was a black player. It was disgusting.
"He was a fantastic fella and a great player and he was the
first real black player to really, apart from maybe Albert
Johanneson, to make it. But it's all over, surely we can't have
that sort of behaviour.
"Anyone who does it should be put to prison - not banned from
football. Stick them where they belong in the nut-house somewhere.
It's wrong."
Redknapp has a zero-tolerance attitude towards racism and also
feels strongly about chants aimed at the family or personal life of
players.
"There is other stuff that goes on as well that is sick," he
said. "I hear things, I listen to the radio people talking about
chants and singing songs to people at different clubs that just
turns me over, I can't believe.
"You've got to be some kind of nutter to do that. That's not
banter, that's sick. Sick. They're sickos who've got to be locked
up somewhere. Put them away and don't let them come to football
anyway."
Redknapp has seen the emergence of black players in the top
flight over the last 30 years, meaning racial abuse should be a
thing of the past.
"It just can't happen any more because without the black players
you wouldn't have teams - because they're full of fantastic black
players, everywhere all through the leagues," he said.
"I mean, how can supporters give grief to black players on the
other teams when they've got them in their team. It can't
happen."