MICAH RICHARDS: If a black player makes a mistake in a game, then goes on social media, it’s there waiting. A banana emoji, a monkey picture or words that make you sick to your stomach – it NEEDS to stop!
- Black players being racially abused online is so depressing but also predictable
- It’s become normal for them to get vile messages if they make an error in a game
- I know from experience that racism is there every single day for a black player
- The next step needs to be consistently identifying those who are offensive
- It cannot continue and the bigots who are doing cannot keep getting away with it
It has been a depressing and disheartening few days. A spate of stories involving players being racially abused on social media has become big news and prompted people to start talking about the subject.
Many will have been shocked by the vile things that were posted to the accounts of Manchester United trio Marcus Rashford, Antony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe, along with Chelsea’s Reece James and Romaine Sawyers of West Brom.
Personally? I wasn’t shocked nor was I surprised. Sadly, I knew it was coming for them. the same way I knew it was coming for Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham when he missed a penalty in the 2019 European Super Cup.
Marcus Rashford is one of three Man United stars to have recently received racist abuse online
Monkey emojis were posted on Axel Tuanzebe’s Instagram after a loss to Sheffield United
I say this from a position of experience. You might think that racism towards footballers only happens sporadically but I can tell you now that it is there every single day for a black player.
If a black player logs on to Instagram or Facebook or Twitter after a game in which they have made a mistake or wasted a chance to score, it will be there, waiting. It might be a banana emoji; it might be a picture of a monkey or it could be words that make you sick to your stomach – but it will be there.
It has got to the point where abuse of this nature is regarded as ‘normal’ but this is as far removed from normal as can be. The reason why some black players had stopped talking about it is because what they were saying was falling on deaf ears.
Chelsea’s Reece James was also subjected to vile abuse on his social media account
The Chelsea defender shared a screenshot of the racist messages he received on Instagram
I know an article of this nature will have some rolling their eyes and saying “here we go again” but we cannot stand by and allow this to continue. Judging by the reaction I have had since my documentary Tackling Racism aired on Sky last week, I know many fair-minded people feel the same way.
For a section of the programme, I spoke to people at Instagram to see what they are doing to combat the trolls. I understand it is a physical impossibility to remove every piece of racism on their site but they are aiming to clear it up. I could embrace what they are trying to do.
What the next step needs to be, however, is consistently identifying those who are offensive. I understand there will be resistance to registering for social media by submitting an official document, whether it is a passport, driving licence or something else. People do have a right to privacy.
Tammy Abraham was abused after missing a penalty in the 2019 European Super Cup final – when a black player makes a mistake, racial abuse is always waiting for them online
But knowing a person’s identity is not the same as preventing their right to free speech. We should always have free speech. What some have done, though, is warp the right to free speech and twist that into a narrative that suits themselves so they can spout hateful stuff.
How do the social media companies stop that? One thought I have had involves putting a tool in place that makes it physically impossible to type out any of these racist phrases, in the same way that predictive text on your phone will automatically correct a swear word.
If someone wants to post a message that involves racist language, it should flag up immediately with administrators, who are constantly monitoring what is being published. These companies waste no time pulling down sporting content that breaches copyright rules, so why are they slow with racism?
Unfortunately, I would say half the people who post these kind of messages are racist to the core and will never be changed. No amount of education will work on them, no amount of explanation will get through. They are bigots and will always be bigots.
Anthony Martial (L) and Romaine Sawyers (R) were also targeted on social media this week
The other 50 per cent who do it are stupid and do not understand the implication of their actions. They have seen others get away with it and think they will be able to get away with it too. They cannot get away with it and they shouldn’t be given a platform to cause such hurt.
Marcus Rashford has been targeted because he is doing so much good and has achieved so much in his life that some bitter people cannot accept their own shortcomings. Axel Tuanzebe would have been targeted because, as a less established member of United’s squad, he was an easy target.
The sorry thing is I could have predicted it. I have seen it all my life. If we want to have real change, we have got to work together. The abuse of black and ethnic athletes on social media can no longer be regarded as normal. It must stop.
