Neo-Nazi hooligans target black football stars > =============================== > Special report: race issues in the UK > > Denis Campbell, Sports News Correspondent > Sunday November 26, 2000 > The Observer > > A gang of neo-Nazi football hooligans linked to the > killers of Stephen > Lawrence is targeting black soccer stars amid a > sharp upsurge in > racism throughout the game. Police are investigating > the English Volunteer Force (EVF), which organises > racial harassment at matches > involving England and the south London club, > Charlton Athletic. > > The group has attacked rival fans near The Valley, > Charlton's ground, > and is active on the fringe of racist England fans > who cause trouble > abroad. Its literature bears a swastika and boasts > that they are 'fucking racists'. > > Charlton is one of several clubs where black players > suffered racist > abuse last weekend. Fans who made monkey noises at > Chelsea's Marcel > Desailly are thought to be EVF members. > > Norwich City fan Peter Bloomfield was fined £250 and > banned from > domestic football for three years after he hurled > racist jibes at > Bolton Wanderers' Michael Ricketts when he scored. > > At the FA Cup tie between Ilkeston Town and Swindon > Town, several > hundred home supporters subjected visiting black > players to similar > taunts. > > In some incidents this season several thousand fans > have taken part in > racist chanting, systematically bar racked black > players and sung > xenophobic songs. Campaigners claim such incidents > disprove claims - > voiced by Emile Heskey, the black Liverpool and > England striker, > among others - that black players now only suffer > abuse abroad. > > Piara Power, co-ordinator of the Premier > League-backed Kick Racism Out > of Football campaign, said: 'Racism is a huge > problem in parts of > Europe... But we shouldn't think that racist abuse > and violence within > stadiums has been eradicated from the British game. > It hasn't.' > > The police, the stewards and the clubs needed to > take tougher action > against racist fans, he said. Offensive chanting is > now a criminal > offence, but stewards and police are often reluctant > to act against > offenders in case they provoke other fans. > Closed-circuit television > is rarely used to identify racists. Only 32 people > were convicted > of racist abuse at English grounds last season. > > Lord Bassam, the Home Office Minister responsible > for football > hooliganism, said he was 'disturbed' by the rise in > racist incidents > this season. He urged police to follow the lead set > by Millwall where > police and club officials ensure that fans involved > in racist chanting > are arrested, ejected and prosecuted. Since 1997 the > club has banned > 29 fans for such behaviour. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited > 2000 > > > _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
