Show Racism the Red Card statement on alleged racist abuse during Tyne Wear derby
Show Racism the Red Card were disappointed to learn about an alleged incident of racist abuse directed at Sunderland AFC player Lutsharel Geertruida by someone in the crowd at St James Park.
There is never any excuse for racist abuse at a football match, or within any other walk of life, and the fact that this was an intense local derby provides no mitigation should the alleged behaviour be proven to be true.
Once again, we have seen another example of an individual allegedly using racist language to target a professional footballer who was simply doing their job, with this latest incident coming just weeks after four Premier League footballers were sent racist abuse online following their participation in two fixtures last month.
As ever, when we see incidents of racism within football, our belief is that it is only ever a reflection of the racism that exists within society. At a time when racist ideas and attitudes are being shared in-person and online with increasing frequency, it is unsurprising to see people emboldened to use discriminatory language to target someone in this way.
We are encouraged to see that the Premier League’s Anti-Discrimination Protocol was enacted, with the game stopped for three minutes allowing for communication between the referee, team captains and benches. That the incident was brought to the referee’s attention by players on the field is also a positive indication that protocols are well known and that players felt empowered to act.
The statements from Newcastle United and Northumbria Police indicate that an investigation into this incident is being taken seriously and should the incident be proven, we would welcome strong punishments to ensure that this individual suffers consequences for their behaviour.
Show Racism the Red Card will continue to work with partners at Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC to offer support and guidance, whilst continuing to campaign for greater regulation of hate speech online as we see this to be an area that is supporting the development and normalisation of racism within society.