Racism in Football
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-1214, in the name of Bill Butler, on stamping out racism in football.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament condemns all racist incidents in and around football at every level; welcomes the work of "Show Racism the Red Card" in spreading the message amongst players and fans that racial discrimination within the game must be stamped out, and considers that the 42 Scottish Premier League and Football League clubs should sign up to the UEFA Ten Point Plan which sets out a framework for action to challenge racism in football.
I thank everyone who signed up in support of the motion and I am delighted at the extent of that support—50 members from all parties. I also acknowledge the contribution of the major sponsors of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, including the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Professional Footballers Association, the Scottish Executive, Amnesty International and the trade unions Unison, the GMB and the Educational Institute of Scotland. I also thank all those at Show Racism the Red Card—especially Roddy McNulty, the Scottish development officer—who have provided assistance and support in helping me to highlight the campaign in my constituency.
One of the main ways in which the campaign has been valuable is in gathering the support of so many players and high-profile figures in giving their views and talking about their experiences of racism within the game. It is often the case that it takes admired professionals such as Henrik Larsson, Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry to speak out on the subject before the media pick it up. Those players should be applauded for doing that.
Although the Show Racism the Red Card campaign commands the support of some of the biggest names in football, it is just as important that extensive work to combat racism be undertaken with young people and players at junior and amateur levels. With my colleague Des McNulty, I recently visited players and staff of Clydebank Football Club junior football team and their supporters at the Peterson park pitches in Yoker. I am sure that Des McNulty will agree that there was great awareness of the campaign and of the continuing problem of racism in football, especially at levels of the game other than professional level.
I have had strong support from community organisations in Glasgow Anniesland and I thank particularly Maurice Fieldman, who is chair of Drumchapel Community Forum, for his backing of and support for the campaign.
High-profile racist incidents involving professional players are likely to be reported in the press; however, it is equally damaging when racist incidents occur at junior and amateur levels, which do not receive much media exposure. Although we are rightly appalled by headline-grabbing racist incidents, the day in, day out abuse and unreported incidents that take place in the lower leagues and amateur game cause most harm.
Racism is not just a football-related issue. If we are to combat it, it is vital that we educate young people about it from an early age. The Show Racism the Red Card campaign does much valuable work with schools; it encourages them to develop links with football clubs and authorities. Some 10 per cent of Scotland's schools registered to participate in its anti-racism campaign, which was run in conjunction with the Educational Institute of Scotland, which is greatly to be welcomed.
The campaign also offers a range of excellent resources that are readily available and I urge all members to work with schools, boys and girls footballs clubs and youth organisations in their constituencies and regions to help get the message across that racism cannot be tolerated whether it occurs on the football pitch, in the stands or on the terraces or elsewhere in our communities.
There is no doubt that the problem of racism in Scottish society is reflected in our national game. Although the racism towards black players that existed in the past has dissipated to an extent, it would be complacent to assume that the problem does not exist. Such vile displays of prejudice as bananas being thrown at black players may no longer be common—thank God—but racism is still there, insidious and pernicious. Recent comments by Livingston Football Club's Marvin Andrews highlight the current level of racist abuse that is directed at black players in the Scottish game. We should recognise the challenge in that.
I am sure that nobody has to be reminded of the disgusting and cretinous comments that Ron Atkinson made recently. That someone who has worked closely with black footballers at the highest level in the game in recent years can still hold and express such views shows how deep-seated this intolerance can be. It also shows that we are not going to get rid of racism overnight. It is a long-term challenge that we must not shirk.
The huge increase in the number of black players from Britain and all over the world who play in Scottish and English football leagues has played a considerable part in highlighting and, to an extent, in tackling the problem, but there is still a considerable amount of work to do. It is encouraging that a number of famous players have responded positively to the campaign. When Henrik Larsson was asked about racism, he acknowledged that there was a real problem and is on record as saying:
"to not like somebody because he or she has a different skin – that's stupid. You have to look beyond that"
to the "human being."
Such wise words from players of Henrik Larsson's stature will do much to press home the campaign's decent commonsense message. However, if we are to succeed comprehensively, football's governing bodies and the clubs must act resolutely and ban permanently those who are caught shouting racist abuse from the stands. I realise that it can be difficult to pick out individuals, but when people are caught, they must be subjected to the harshest penalties.
Just as there can be no excuse for racism, there can be no excuse for hiding from the problem and backing away from the actions that are needed to combat it. The Union of European Football Associations has set out a 10-point action plan, which it has asked clubs to sign up to and implement. The plan outlines a range of measures for clubs to adopt so that they can avoid racist incidents and tackle them if and when they occur. The measures are not overly complicated and their implementation does not require huge amounts of money. They include, for example, taking action to prevent the sale of racist literature in and around grounds and encouraging stewards and the police to adopt a common strategy on dealing with racist abuse—those are straightforward plans that can be implemented.
It is disappointing that only one professional Scottish club—St Johnstone Football Club—has signed up to the UEFA 10-point plan but, on the positive side, several Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League clubs have shown willingness to implement the plan fully in due course, and the SFA has recently reminded clubs about their obligation to demonstrate progress towards implementing the plan. All 92 professional English clubs have officially committed themselves to the plan; that commitment is being used as a building block to stop abuse at and around games.
Scotland, as the birthplace of football, should not be too proud to take a lead from its English neighbours.
This morning, I heard for the first time that there has been reluctance in Scotland to sign up to the plan. I am pleased to hear that some clubs are considering doing so, but why has it taken so long? It worries me that clubs did not sign up right away to something that is so worthy.
I accept Linda Fabiani's point, but I do not wish to give the wrong impression. Although only one Scottish football club has formally signed up, that does not mean that the rest have failed to act. During the season, the Show Racism the Red Card campaign worked with all the major clubs in Scotland to get the anti-racism message across to fans. The Show Racism the Red Card weekend of action gave fans Scotland-wide an opportunity to show their backing for the campaign. I must put it on the record that I commend the support that has been shown by the SPL, the SFA, the SPFA and the clubs towards stamping out racism in football and in society. All 12 SPL clubs gave their enthusiastic assistance to the weekend of action. However, I hope that all clubs will take one additional step and sign up to the UEFA 10-point plan. We must all recognise the extent of the problem of racism in football by supporting the Show Racism the Red Card campaign.
I conclude on a positive note. The pleasure and joy that football gives to millions of people worldwide who follow and play the game is something that we can use to bring people together. At its best, the shared experience of football can unite people regardless of race, religion or origins. I ask all members to write to clubs in their constituency or region to ask them to adopt the UEFA 10-point plan. Members should encourage those clubs to get in contact with the Show Racism the Red Card campaign and to get involved in it.
We must continue to get the message across to football's governing bodies, to the clubs, to the managers and playing staff, to the media and to the fans that we all share responsibility for identifying, combating and eradicating racist behaviour whenever and wherever it occurs. Racist comments, gestures and violence must be confronted and dealt with in a thorough and consistent fashion. Scottish football, and indeed Scottish society, can only benefit from the coherent approach that is advocated by the Show Racism the Red Card campaign. I commend it to members.
I thank Bill Butler for instigating this debate on an important issue. The debate is about stamping out racism in football but, as we all know, the tentacles of racism do not start and stop at football grounds. I take this opportunity to congratulate St Johnstone, which has been mentioned already, on signing up to the UEFA 10-point plan. The Show Racism the Red Card campaign and the clubs that are taking part in it are to be applauded, but its aims would be enhanced if all Scottish clubs signed up to the UEFA plan. The abuse of a person just because they happen to be of a particular race should not and cannot be tolerated in modern Scotland. As Bill Butler said, a number of players from all over the continent come to Scotland to play for Scottish football clubs, and in a world that seems to be shrinking it is beyond belief that racism is still practised.
We see racism every day not only in football grounds but in the streets. Like other members, I have been involved in work with asylum seekers; I have seen racism affect them and their communities, which is a sad state of affairs. Unfortunately, in Glasgow in particular we hear racist chants and see racist drawings, paintings and graffiti, which sprout in certain areas in which asylum seekers congregate. Such incidents perhaps happen after people come out of football matches. We should hang our heads in shame about that. I hope that those who are involved in such racist abuse are caught and told that their deeds do nothing for Scotland as a whole. Their racist message is not the one that we in Scotland want to send out to the rest of the world.
I agree whole-heartedly with Bill Butler and I take on board what he said about MSPs writing to their local football clubs, whether amateur or professional, and telling them to sign up to the excellent UEFA 10-point plan. I know that various initiatives are going on within football clubs throughout Scotland and that they have done a marvellous job, but signing up for the 10-point plan would enhance that and it would show people out there that we in Scotland mean business.
If I may, I would like to touch on another form of racism by quoting a definition:
"Racism is the belief of the superiority of a particular race, religion or ethnic group."
That definition of racism implies a much wider remit. Bill Butler referred to people's race, but we in Scotland must be honest and admit that racism involves religion as well as ethnic origin; we should look seriously at that. We have a particular problem in Scotland that we call sectarianism, but it is racism. We should perhaps tackle that in an holistic approach that tackles all forms of racism.
It does not matter whether someone is abused because of their colour or because of their religion. Nobody should be subjected to such abuse and we in Scotland should not just sit back and accept that it happens. The recent incident involving graffiti about Neil Lennon, which was scrawled all over a road, is particularly upsetting, not just for the chap but for everyone in Scotland who looks upon footballers as decent people who are just doing a job by playing a game of football. They should not be subjected to that type of racism.
Again, I congratulate Bill Butler and I hope that something will come out of the debate. I will certainly be writing to all the clubs that I know of, both amateur and professional, to encourage them to sign up to the 10-point plan. However, we must tackle the other form of racism in Scotland, which is obviously sectarianism.
We can all agree with the terms of Bill Butler's motion and I congratulate him on bringing the debate to the chamber.
Racism has no place in any aspect of our society, but it is particularly offensive to all right-thinking people when racism rears its ugly head in the world of sport and recreation. We have, in fairness, certainly come a long way, though. One can recall well the offensive conduct of some Scottish fans, who threw bananas at the Rangers Football Club player Mark Walters, who was the first black player to play in Scotland. Such childish and offensive behaviour had no place in Scotland and it did not reflect the Scottish people's reputation for tolerance and moderation. It sent out an appalling message.
It is encouraging that there has been a reduction in that type of behaviour over recent years. However, it is disturbing that Bobo Balde of Celtic Football Club continues to be verbally abused and barracked because of his race and that Neil Lennon has received death threats. Of course, those threats have been sectarian in nature, but we should not forget that the sectarianism in Scotland is just as divisive and destructive as racism.
It is also encouraging that, despite the fact that many more black players operate in Scotland than did some years ago, people's attitudes have definitely improved. However, there is no room for complacency. It would be appropriate to congratulate the clubs and the players on their sincere and frequently determined efforts to combat racism, but we must always be aware that the problem has not entirely gone away and that it needs only a few irresponsible individuals to stir up the difficulty again.
Show Racism the Red Card has definitely been successful and there is much to commend in the UEFA 10-point plan, which contains practical measures that clubs can adopt to send out the firm message that racism is not welcome in their clubs. However, a European organisation is again attempting to impose a one-cap-fits-all solution and is failing to recognise that the problem is greater in some countries than it is in others. There is common sense in the provisions, however, and I urge clubs to sign up to the 10-point plan, but that must be a decision for individual clubs, because they can put the message across best.
In recent times, the national team that most successfully amalgamated different races was France, as a result of which that team won the world cup. Recently, I was delighted to hear that South Africa will host a future world cup, which Nelson Mandela has said will be held on behalf of the whole African continent. I, for one, look forward very much to that.
I commend Bill Butler for lodging this excellent motion and especially for his point that the problem not only exists at the highest level of football—if one can describe anything in Scotland as that—but goes all the way down to community teams at different levels, including both adult and children's teams. It is a serious issue that we must address.
It is lamentable that the Scottish professional football clubs have not yet signed up to the UEFA 10-point plan. I have read the plan and it seems to be a very sensible document. It is up to the clubs to lead and set an example, which other people may follow.
Football in Scotland has a huge potential for good or for ill. We take football very seriously—possibly far too seriously. In numerous discussions that I have had over the years, I have found that many politicians—even elected politicians—are far more interested in football than in politics and would far prefer their club to win the cup than their party to win the election. Football is a very serious issue. It has the potential to bring people together and to generate huge community effort and support for clubs that unexpectedly win competitions. However, it can also bring out the worst in people. The problem is not restricted to racialism. When I was helping to start a community sports facility in Edinburgh, I used to spend Saturday mornings watching teams of school pupils play football. The children's parents who were watching used to make awful remarks. The abuse was not racial—it was abuse of the referee and everyone else present, including their children. At football matches, people go a bit mad.
Part of the problem is that football creates a sort of tribal loyalty, which has both good and bad aspects. Some people feel that because a war is taking place between their cave and someone else's, no holds are barred and they can say anything that they like, including all sorts of things that they would never say normally. We must get people out of that way of thinking and show them that they can be positively loyal to their club or tribe without saying totally unacceptable things about other people.
Other members have mentioned the religious issue, which goes with the racial issue. Reference was made to the example of Neil Lennon. We must deal with all forms of prejudice, both racial and religious, together. The clubs must take a lead in educating people and changing attitudes. We have a part to play, but the clubs must help to educate their supporters and indicate that behaviour of this kind, whether on the pitch or on the terraces, is simply not acceptable.
One of the first meetings of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on sports, which I, as convener, helped to organise, was an excellent presentation by the Show Racism the Red Card campaign. That meeting took place more than four years ago and, since then, various efforts have been made to move the campaign on. Sadly, however, racism and racist abuse continue to plague Scottish football.
We sometimes like to think that racism is not as prevalent in Scotland as it is south of the border, but I am not sure about that. It is not very long since so-called football supporters in Scottish stadia were throwing bananas at black players.
Bill Butler and others mentioned Marvin Andrews, who has been an outstanding player for both club and country. Marvin Andrews spoke out strongly and courageously about the racist abuse that Bobo Balde suffered in the most recent old firm match. However, when reference was made to that incident on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, a listener sent in a text message that claimed that Balde got a hard time not because he was black but because he played hard and sometimes put the boot in. It is true that Balde tackles hard and it might also be true that he sometimes tackles too hard, but that is a matter for the referee. There is no excuse for any spectator to taunt any player with ape-like noises and gestures and obscene references to the colour of his skin. Racist abuse must not be tolerated in football or anywhere else.
I applaud Amnesty International and the Show Racism the Red Card campaign for encouraging clubs, players and supporters to team up against racism and for urging all 42 clubs in the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League to sign up to the UEFA 10-point plan. It has been reported that, so far, only one of those 42 clubs, St Johnstone, has signed up to the UEFA plan, but I am not sure that that is accurate. I recently wrote to Falkirk Football Club about the matter and I received a positive response that pointed out that Falkirk was among the first clubs in Scotland to take part in the let's kick racism out of football campaign and that the club supports the principles in the UEFA plan. I hope that all 42 clubs will soon sign up to the plan, because all clubs have a responsibility in that regard.
If clubs fail to face up to their responsibilities, they should be penalised. I accept that it is difficult to hold clubs responsible for every misdeed by every so-called supporter, but if there is conclusive evidence that the actions or omissions of a club are causing racist abuse, the club should be punished financially or by the deduction of points—or both. I am also in favour of tougher measures by the police and the courts to deal with people whose racist behaviour in football stadia would not be tolerated on the streets of Scotland.
I thank Bill Butler for securing the debate and I hope that the debate helps to ensure that football clubs, players and fans work together to get the message across that racism has no place in sport or in a civilised society.
I join with others in congratulating Bill Butler on securing this important debate. I also apologise to members, because I have another commitment and will have to leave the chamber before the minister responds to the debate.
I will take the opportunity to make a few comments and observations. I wholly support the call in Bill Butler's motion to football clubs throughout Scotland—whether they are amateur or professional—to sign up to the Show Racism the Red Card campaign and to the UEFA 10-point plan. Members have echoed that call. However, it is important that we also acknowledge that a huge amount has been done, as Bill Butler said. Some speeches have perhaps not sufficiently recognised just how much has been done in Scottish football and it is important that we put across a balanced message. We certainly call on Scottish football to do more and truly to show racism the red card, but we also recognise and applaud what has been done up to now.
It is important that action plans translate into practical action on the ground. I will briefly touch on some local examples of the kind of practical action that we should encourage. Members must forgive me for using Hibernian Football Club to illustrate my point; I acknowledge that many other clubs have undertaken similar initiatives. Hibs has proactively supported the Show Racism the Red Card campaign with regular donations and player appearances at events. The club has distributed more than 10,000 posters in support of the campaign, as part of its ever-growing programme of school visits in the local area. In addition, Hibs supported the football against racism in Europe action week last year, as did many other Scottish clubs. In the case of Hibs, its support was particularly significant, as the club invited to the tie that week Edinburgh's first multicultural team, which was invited to take part in a half-time 10-minute challenge event to promote equal opportunities at Easter Road.
Furthermore, just as other clubs have done, Hibs has brought people into its ground to take part in discussions about these very issues. In February, the club supported a Show Racism the Red Card event in the stadium, which was attended by 100 Edinburgh schoolchildren. The children were given goody bags and were able to meet with the great and good of the club, past and present, to discuss racism. That is the kind of practical stuff that we need to build on. It is also important to capitalise on and exploit the wider community links that are being developed by many parts of the sport throughout Scotland.
In my discussions with Hibs, I have been very struck by the way in which the club has gone about this work. Some of its work on racism has come directly from—believe it or not—some of the work that it has been doing on health. Through joint working with NHS Lothian, for example, the club is meeting thousands of school pupils, both in the stadium and in the classroom. The club is able to use those opportunities to get across messages both about health promotion and about issues such as racism and sectarianism. There is something quite big and powerful in that work that we can build on both in football and in sport more generally across Scotland.
I will end by quoting Richard Caborn—if I am allowed to quote a UK Government Minister for Sport and Tourism in the Scottish Parliament. He said:
"Sport is a fantastic vehicle for achieving social change and equity. Football, in particular, can bring many millions of people together in shared experience, which in itself has the capacity to lead to greater mutual understanding and respect."
That is absolutely accurate. In Scottish football, we have a good foundation on which to build. As in so many other areas, however, there is much more to be done. I hope that we can work together with football and other sports to make further progress.
I join in the congratulations to Bill Butler on securing the debate. I share his support for initiatives such as Show Racism the Red Card.
I share the concerns that were expressed by Linda Fabiani, Dennis Canavan and Donald Gorrie about the failure of the Scottish clubs, with the honourable exception of St Johnstone, to sign up to the UEFA 10-point plan. The position in Scotland is in marked contrast to the 92 clubs that have signed up south of the border.
I agree with Mark Ballard up to a point, but we are in danger of emphasising the negative rather than accentuating the positive. I made specific reference, which will be in the Official Report, to the fact that all the SPL clubs, and many other clubs, have made positive advances towards joining the Show Racism the Red Card campaign or are actively involved in so doing.
I am asking people to write to clubs to request that they take the final step of going for the 10-point plan. We should congratulate the clubs on what has been done so far and, at the same time, ask them to do that little bit more.
I agree fully with Bill Butler. We have to recognise the hugely positive steps that clubs have taken over the past 20 years. That said, there is still more to be done.
I went to my first football match about 20 years ago. It was a Leeds United match, at the time that Leeds had one of the most severe racism problems in the whole of the UK. Going to the ground—walking up to Elland Road with its massed ranks of National Front paper sellers and then hearing lots of racist chanting in the ground—was a scary experience. Twenty years on, things have changed dramatically for the better at Leeds United. That change came about because of the actions of groups of fans, the setting up of Leeds United against racism and the interventions of leading black players such as Lucas Radebe.
Although the situation at Leeds United and the other UK clubs that had racism problems is much improved, much more needs to be done. The key thing that happened at Leeds is that the link was broken. The vast majority of fans no longer regard racist chanting as an acceptable way of getting behind their team. They no longer regard racist abuse as an acceptable way of taunting a player on the other side. There is still a tiny hard core of racist fans who are attached to football matches, but they have been edged out. Breaking that link is the important thing to do.
I share Sandra White's concerns about sectarianism. The link that I was talking about exists in that regard as well. I know lots of Rangers fans who sing the songs not because they believe them or because they are sectarian, but because that is what people do when they go to a footie match. It is about getting behind their team. We have to say that it is not acceptable to sing racist or sectarian songs. People might think that because they do not mean what they are singing and because it is only a football song, it is not important, but we have to say that singing such songs has an impact on society. We have to break the link.
There will always be a hard core of racists and sectarians who need to be challenged, but the vast majority of football fans who sing those songs do so not with racist or sectarian intent, but without thinking about what the words mean. That is why I welcome the creation of the new football chant laureate, whose mission is to create new songs for football matches. That will put behind us the racist and sectarian chants of the past and create a new way of bringing people together, which is what football matches and the singing of songs at football matches do wonderfully.
I declare an interest, as I am a director of Motherwell Football Club, the finest exponents of Scottish football. Motherwell has not signed up to UEFA's 10-point plan as we do not have a problem with racism. There are problems in Glasgow, but they are not to do with racism.
At Motherwell, we had Eliphas Shivute and Benito Kemble, two black players—two of my best friends in football, actually. Eliphas comes from a little desert country in Africa and, even on the low pay that he got at Motherwell, he earned more than the president of that country. He scored a winning goal at Ibrox and Benito, who came from Holland, scored a winning goal at Parkhead. They are both my favourite players for various reasons.
I have been going to Scottish football matches for 64 years.
I understand Mr Swinburne's point that there might not appear to be as great a problem at Motherwell as exists elsewhere. However, does he agree that it is important that the campaign be taken to all fans because, no matter how small the problem, certain things can still be getting said on the terraces and that it is important to counteract any form of racism, no matter how small it might be perceived to be?
I agree that racism is despicable; anyone who indulges in racism is totally despicable in my book. However, racism is not the big problem in Scottish problem. The big problem in Scottish football is sectarianism. People talk about bananas being thrown at a player 10 or 12 years ago, but a fortnight ago people were throwing potatoes at Celtic players. Where are we coming from? Such acts are down to the sectarian sickness that permeates the old firm. Neither of the clubs wants to stamp it out, although they pay lip service to doing so. In the Rangers programme from the Rangers v Motherwell match, there was a postage-stamp-sized corner of page 3 with a lovely bit of rhetoric about how Rangers want to stamp out sectarianism in football. However, while I was reading the programme, my thoughts were drowned out by the "The Sash", which is a popular song that Rangers fans sing—Celtic fans have an equivalent song that they sing at Parkhead. Sectarianism is the big problem in Scottish football, but it keeps the gates at a high level at all old firm games and that is why it is not being stamped out.
At one match, as has been pointed out, my team and all the opposing players stood and raised their red cards against racism. We are against racism. At our board meeting tomorrow night, I will propose that we sign up to the 10-point plan and I guarantee that we will do so. However, doing that will only be paying lip service to the problem. We can sign all the pious resolutions we like, but concrete action must be taken—such as fining clubs points if they cannot control their supporters. That would soon hit the old firm. It would also hit the clubs if a whole block of supporters from one part of their ground or another were not allowed in. I say a whole block because it is not one person singing, but thousands singing in unison.
The biggest problem in Scottish football is bitter sectarianism. People die out in the streets after old firm games. I have yet to hear of anyone who has died because of racial prejudice out on the streets of Glasgow, but people die regularly after old firm games. That must be stamped out.
I, too, thank Bill Butler for securing this debate, which I welcome. I agree that progress has been made and we should applaud that progress. Campaigns such as Show Racism the Red Card and others are targeting young people. However, I agree that we have some way to go.
It was absolutely right that Ron Atkinson resigned following his appalling remarks, but what happened in the aftermath indicated just how far we have to go. The following day I listened to a phone-in on Five Live and was appalled by the comments and the texts as people tried to defend Ron Atkinson. Even more appalling was the column that Jimmy Hill wrote to defend the remarks. Major commentators are saying that the insults were no worse than insults about Jimmy Hill's chin. That shows how far we have to go. There were no mitigating circumstances; it was racism and that is all there is to it. Ron Atkinson was right to resign and those who defended him should be ashamed of themselves. Their attitude has to be challenged. Racism has no defence; it is absolutely unacceptable.
Show Racism the Red Card can be part of the multipronged approach that we need to deal with the racism in our society that is reflected in football. The good thing about the campaign is that it is aimed mainly at young people. It is important that we aim at the new generation. It is also good that football fans are linking up—not just in Scotland or in Britain, but across Europe. Through this campaign and others, fans across Europe are joining together to support their teams—as Mark Ballard said—but also to say that racism is not acceptable. With Euro 2004 coming up, it will be important that such campaigns are visible. If racism raises its head and racist chants are heard, they must be challenged. Show Racism the Red Card will play a role in that.
There are anti-racist heroes in the game. Many black players have been heroes. After the appalling murder of Stephen Lawrence, Ian Wright was an absolute hero. The stand that he took in south London was fantastic. He reached many white people. It is excellent that Show Racism the Red Card has been able to involve very high-profile players in getting the message across.
Another good thing about Show Racism the Red Card is the schools pack, which was drawn up by the young school students. Drawing up the pack was a chance for them to consider their attitudes and to find ways of getting other young people to consider racist and anti-racist attitudes. It is a couple of years since I saw it, but I think that the video or CD-ROM in the pack is still the same. It is not only about tackling racism among young people but about getting to a layer of young people who are anti-racist but might not know how to tackle racism when they come across it in a football ground or at school. One part of the video or CD-ROM asks young people, "What would you do if you heard a racist remark at a football ground?" It then asks, "What would you do if you heard that racist remark being made by your mum or your dad? How would you deal with that?" The campaign is not just about tackling racism; it is about equipping people—young people in particular, but also society as a whole—to know what to do when they hear racist remarks at a football ground or elsewhere. It will help them to answer the question: "How do you challenge those remarks?" That is very important.
I have a friend who challenged the racist chants that were being made behind him when he was at Celtic Park not long ago. The chants were not dealt with, but we will not go into that. That is why we need the clubs to sign up to the 10-point plan. We cannot just leave the matter in young people's hands. We need to equip them to challenge racism. Once football supporters have challenged that at a football ground, will they have back-up? We need to encourage a climate of challenging racism and of clubs backing up supporters who do that. That is why it is important for clubs in Scotland to sign up to the plan. Progress has been made. It would be a bad mistake to tar all clubs in Scotland with the suggestion that they are reluctant to sign up to the 10-point plan. The clubs have played a good role, but they need to sign up to and implement the plan.
I congratulate Show Racism the Red Card on its work since 1996, as it has added to the challenging of racist attitudes.
I, too, join in congratulating Bill Butler on securing tonight's debate on stamping out racism in football. I also welcome members' speeches, which have shown Parliament's commitment to ridding our country of the scourge that is racism.
We are committed to shaping a Scotland that is open, welcoming and safe for people who want to come and live here and make a valuable contribution to our diverse and multicultural society. The Executive has invested significant sums of money in local race equality work. In addition to our support for the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, we invest in the ethnic minorities grant scheme and in the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations' race equality development unit. Our funding of social inclusion partnerships addresses social exclusion issues for people from ethnic minority communities. The Executive is happy to support Bill Butler's motion and is fully committed to eradicating intolerance and discrimination wherever it surfaces and in whatever shape.
Many members have talked about sectarianism, which also needs to be tackled. That is a problem throughout Scotland. I caution that we do not think that sectarianism is an issue only on the west coast or for those who support the old firm teams; rather, it is an issue for many communities and it needs our attention just as much as racism in football.
Football is our national sport. It is played by many and watched by many either from the comfort of their armchairs or from the stands and terraces of grounds throughout Scotland. It has enormous influence. Football is a passionate game that generates many emotions and what happens on and off the pitch stimulates much discussion. I am aware of the racist chants that have, unfortunately, been recently aimed at several high-profile players. Those must be deplored and condemned.
Today's debate presents an opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous work that the Show Racism the Red Card campaign does, and to recognise that much work remains to be done to change attitudes among a group that may comprise a relatively small minority of narrow-minded people, but which needs to be tackled.
The Executive's anti-racism campaign—entitled "One Scotland. Many Cultures"—celebrates diversity and promotes a multicultural Scotland. Football is a prime example of that. No one can doubt that the domestic football scene has been made richer by the likes of Henrik Larsson, Mark Walters, Bobo Balde and many others who have been mentioned.
Sadly, some people in our society use football to peddle their brand of racist politics. We must ensure that those cowards are properly dealt with, so I am pleased that football has taken steps to address the issue. The club licensing scheme that the Scottish Football Association has introduced is a positive contribution to that effort. The scheme places a responsibility on clubs to provide a clear policy against racism and sectarianism and requires that policy to be incorporated in supporters' charters.
One of the ways that has been suggested through which clubs can demonstrate their support is adoption of UEFA's 10-point action plan, which has been mentioned. It is true that, at the moment, only St Johnstone has officially signed up for the 10-point plan; however, as we have heard, many other clubs have shown that they are working towards fulfilling the aims of the plan. It is important that football take appropriate steps to rid itself of its unwanted image.
Let me be clear, however: I am not saying that football is sitting on its hands or working in isolation. The SFA is a willing and full partner in the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, as are the Executive and a number of other bodies such as the SPFA, the EIS and Unison. Several initiatives have been undertaken, some of which have been mentioned this evening. One day in January, at all six SPL matches, the teams and referees supported the campaign by displaying red cards before the games. The clubs also issued statements saying that they would not tolerate racism, made public address system announcements condemning racist chanting and used a full page in their match-day programmes. All that was part of the UEFA 10-point plan.
Such has been the success of the initiative that it is being extended to the SFL this coming season. I welcome that. Clubs have clearly demonstrated their support for the UEFA 10-point plan and are more than happy—as Susan Deacon and John Swinburne said—to assist with any local project connected to the campaign. Footballers are regarded as being role models by young and old alike, so their involvement in the campaign is to be welcomed. It is heartening to hear public statements of their view that discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated.
As part of the campaign, a Scottish advisory group has been established to ensure long-term planning. The group will also work to ensure the involvement of fans and clubs. To that end, the Supporters Direct case worker, whose post is partly funded by the Executive, recently met Roddy McNulty to discuss how supporters' trusts can help to support the campaign. It is an essential part of the campaign to ensure that supporters' organisations are also signed up.
All measures that combat racism in football and any other sport in Scotland must be welcomed, which is why the Executive is committed to working with sportscotland to ensure that more young people—regardless of their cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds—have more opportunities to take part in sport in Scotland. In March, sportscotland published its equity strategy and it is working closely with the governing bodies of sport in Scotland to eliminate discrimination.
The Show Racism the Red Card campaign reinforces the valuable work that is already under way in Scotland's schools. No one should be in any doubt that we are committed to stamping out racism in football. However, it is incumbent on everyone to do their bit, from the football authorities down to individual supporters.
I congratulate Bill Butler again on securing today's debate, which has demonstrated Parliament's clear commitment to creating a Scotland where diversity in every shape and form should be celebrated and where discrimination in every shape and form must be eliminated.
Meeting closed at 17:54.