Following England stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s missed spot-kicks, for them to be so severely targeted on social media after the game seemingly proves that the vile stigma that has been the Bain of football – in particular, and British society – in general – looks like, in no way, to be at an end.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford apologised for his penalty shootout miss, but said he that he will never apologise for who he is after he – and his two other teammates were subjected to a torrent of racist abuse following England's Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.
In his Withington hometown, a mural of striker, Rashford, was defaced after his penalty miss - before it was covered in messages of support. Captain, Harry Kane, openly criticised the England fans who racially abused the three stars, whilst manager, Gareth Southgate, said that the racist abuse was unforgivable. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Football Association also expressed their condemned it.
Racial abuse in football is proving to be an issue of “pandemic” proportions – so, there’s nothing different there – that’s the reason why they feel the need to have to ‘take a knee.’ And, that in itself created the ‘tone’ of what was expected from the Wembley terraces, as when both England and Italy players paid their respective respect to the equal lives for the culturally oppressed – and, indeed, all-round equality – the shameful booing was load and palpable.
In the 1970s and 80s, racial abuse was rife in football. There was the ‘regulation’ “Monkey chanting,” fans would throw darts, banana skins, and unpeeled bananas, at Black players on the pitch – whichever side he played for.
When former England great, John Barnes, scored his ‘Brazil-esq’ wonder-goal, against Brazil, in the Maracanã Stadium in 1984, it was the major highlight of a famous 2-1 for the Three Lions then. But, some England ‘fans’ declared the result as a 1-1 draw – dismissing one of the greatest ever goals by an England player. It was that blatant. It was also that regular back then.
Nearly 40-years on, dot much has changed. Following England’s defeat, defender Tyrone Mings hit out at Home Secretary Priti Patel following her condemnation of the racist abuse faced by his teammates. This previously calling players taking the knee “gesture politics.”
"I can take critique of my performance all day long,” Rashford (23) said. “My penalty was not good enough. It should have gone in, but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.
"I've felt no prouder moment than wearing those Three Lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of 10s of thousands." In their defence, England captain, Kane, said: "They deserve support and backing, not the vile racist abuse they've had since last night.
"Three lads who were brilliant all summer had the courage to step up and take a pen when the stakes were high. If you abuse anyone on social media you're not an England fan and we don't want you."
"I'm Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old Black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester.
“If I have nothing else I have that. For all the kind messages thank you. I'll be back stronger. We'll be back stronger." The Metropolitan Police is investigating the abuse and said that it will not be tolerated, while the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) has also launched an investigation.
Back in 1984, the powers-that-be back then said that they will not “tolerate racial abuse” that was a “fast-growing” trait back then – and more overt.
Just how much has things changed since Barnes. ‘worldy’strike?
