1 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,000 DARREN MARA: In England, football is more than a game. 2 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,400 MAN: I can't imagine my life without football. 3 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:35,440 Just the feeling of 30,000 people together chanting, all in it for one. 4 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,240 That feeling is indescribable. 5 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:45,160 DARREN: For supporters like Ifshaan Mahmoud, it's a way of life. 6 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:49,440 But like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, 7 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,040 the beautiful game can't shake its ugly side... 8 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,000 SPECTATOR: Fucking Muslim cunt. 9 00:00:55,160 --> 00:01:00,440 DARREN: ..fuelled by hooliganism, racism, Islamophobia and online hate. 10 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,960 Later this year, the game's global showpiece, the FIFA World Cup, 11 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,640 will be watched by over a billion people. 12 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,680 The advertising blitz already well under way. 13 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,000 So with its image on the line now more than ever, what's being done 14 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,520 to remedy football's racist reputation? 15 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:41,400 It's Saturday, and in the north of England, Middlesbrough FC has 16 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,640 a crucial match in the country's second tier competition, 17 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,720 the Championship. 18 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,160 I'm meeting one of the club's biggest fans. 19 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,840 Ifshaan, nice to meet you. 20 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,240 IFSHAAN: Yeah, finally. Please come in. 21 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:57,520 DARREN: Thank you so much. 22 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,680 - Big match today. - Yeah, it's a massive match. 23 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,040 Three points today keeps the play-offs alive. 24 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,040 DARREN: Yeah, sure. 25 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,960 IFSHAAN: It's been six years since we last got promoted. 26 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,320 DARREN: Wow, there's so much on the line. 27 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,600 - IFSHAAN: Yeah, we need a win today. - Do you ever miss a match? 28 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,880 IFSHAAN: No, we plan everything around the fixtures. 29 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,800 We travel up and down the country. 30 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,480 DARREN: Oh, wow. You've got your own football field. 31 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,440 IFSHAAN: Yes, we're football crazy. 32 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,200 Who's the best player? 33 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,320 Oh, yeah, OK. 34 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,400 You've got some competition, Ifshaan. 35 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,760 After the warm-up, it's time to get to the main event. 36 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,880 - MAN: Have you got the tickets? - IFSHAAN: Yeah, got the tickets. 37 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,960 I always knock on wood before a match. 38 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:48,160 - For good luck? - Yeah. 39 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,640 - Nice. - MEN: Up the Boro! 40 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:51,880 Up the Boro! 41 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,320 For Ifshaan and his family, it's the beginning of a long day 42 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:04,800 full of rituals. 43 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,640 IFSHAAN: So this is my place of worship. 44 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:11,160 So we come here on a match day for Zuhr prayer, 45 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,440 which generally takes place around 1:30, 2pm. 46 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,880 - OK. - So it fits in ideal to a match day. 47 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,200 So your two passions in life, you've got your faith 48 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,240 and then your football. 49 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,440 Yes, they're a way of life, really. And obviously, family as well. 50 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:23,920 - Of course, the three F's. - Yeah. 51 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:25,200 Right. 52 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,600 DARREN: Middlesbrough is home to the largest Muslim community 53 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,280 in England's north-east and it's grown rapidly over 54 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,320 the last 20 years. 55 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:38,680 Its relationship with football could best be described as complicated. 56 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:53,720 DARREN: So has he been afraid to go? 57 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,760 You could say, yeah, he's been afraid. 58 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,200 DARREN: With Islamophobia on the rise, 59 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,320 tensions in the community flared in 2014 60 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,560 when three Middlesbrough supporters ripped up and appeared 61 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,720 to burn pages of a Koran during a match. 62 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,960 Other fans were shouting and chanting. 63 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,800 IFSHAAN: There was outrage at the time. 64 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,760 Why would someone take a book of worship into a stadium just 65 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,640 to antagonise a population? 66 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,320 And obviously, burn it, tear it, in front of the camera to make a point? 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,680 It upset the whole BAME community as a whole. 68 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,520 DARREN: The term Ifshaan uses, BAME, is shorthand for 69 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,040 black, Asian and minority ethnic. 70 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,040 IFSHAAN: I think that's highlighted underlying tensions 71 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,280 within the community. 72 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:37,400 People feel like they have more freedom to express their views. 73 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,680 And obviously, since Brexit, there's been an uptake 74 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,720 in the percentage in hate crimes. 75 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,640 Majority of them being racism crimes. 76 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,360 (PRAYER CONTINUES) 77 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,840 DARREN: As fans pour into the stadium, 78 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,440 I leave Ifshaan to meet lifelong Middlesbrough supporter 79 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:01,880 Danny Chapman. 80 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,560 For him, religion and football are one and the same. 81 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,320 So this is your house of worship? 82 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:08,640 Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah. 83 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,760 We drive down the A66, which is obviously the main road 84 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,960 next to the stadium and you go, "Oh, there's church." 85 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,640 And, for us, it's every Saturday you're going. 86 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,680 If you're not travelling away to watch the Boro, 87 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,000 then you're coming home. 88 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,600 3-nil Boro! 89 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,280 Riley McGree hat trick, we're going up! 90 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:25,400 Up the Boro. 91 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,160 DARREN: So you've got passionate fans like that and then you've got 92 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,120 another element in the crowd, which might be a bit more 93 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,760 antagonistic towards people of diverse backgrounds, right? 94 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,920 - That racism does exist in the game. - Oh, it does, yeah, definitely. 95 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,800 Certain areas where you go in the country where certain people 96 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,840 won't feel comfortable going there. 97 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:47,120 Like, I know certain away games, certain coloured people, 98 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:52,200 certain ethnic people won't travel there because of what's going on. 99 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,240 DARREN: As this community has changed, Danny and Ifshaan can see 100 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,480 there are underlying tensions that are rising to the surface. 101 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,040 (WHISTLE BLOWS) 102 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,800 Most clubs monitor for racism and hooliganism on match day, 103 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,120 but many incidents fall through the cracks. 104 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,320 And it can manifest like this. 105 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,360 This clip shows the abuse of Mo Salah, 106 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,920 who stars for Liverpool in the Premier League. 107 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,600 And here, a fan captured more abuse of Salah after another match. 108 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,600 This social media post shows anti-Semitism. 109 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,280 This post, abusive chants against a black player. 110 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,920 And this post is anti-South Asian. 111 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,400 It's racism experienced not just by fans, but players too. 112 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,200 DARREN: As a professional footballer, Louis Saha experienced racism 113 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,000 up close and personal. 114 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,560 As a 25-year-old, Saha was thrust onto the world stage when he signed 115 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,960 with arguably the world's biggest club, Manchester United. 116 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:34,440 He later moved to Everton FC, 117 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,960 where he was targeted on social media with this racist post. 118 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,760 DARREN: And it wasn't just in England. 119 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,600 Saha also experienced racism playing in Italy. 120 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,880 He says football across Europe, and globally, is creaking 121 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:25,960 under the weight of racism. 122 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,520 DARREN: And not just at club level. 123 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:01,400 The European Championships and World Cup have also been impacted. 124 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:06,000 As this clip shows, Nazi salutes at a Euros qualifier in Bulgaria 125 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,840 in 2019, which was stopped twice by officials. 126 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:11,960 This footage shows monkey chants 127 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,400 at a World Cup qualifier in Hungary last year. 128 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,160 COMMENTATOR: A recent gesture towards Sterling. 129 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,920 DARREN: It culminated last year, after the European Championships 130 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:31,880 final at Wembley in London. 131 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,160 Racism that shook the game to its core and sparked a national 132 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,720 outcry in England and around the world. 133 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:44,200 Three England players - Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka 134 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,480 and Jadon Sancho - were subjected to a tidal wave 135 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,720 of online racial hate 136 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,600 after missing crucial penalties in the final against Italy. 137 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,240 DARREN: At the University of Cardiff, 138 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,240 a team led by Professor Matt Williams has been analysing 139 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,880 the social media racist attacks against those three 140 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,640 England players last year. 141 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:36,640 Hey, Matt. How are you doing? 142 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,360 MATT: Most players come in for some flak when they underperform, 143 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,480 but when it's a black player underperforming, 144 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,720 they very often have their identity targeted in this very negative, 145 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,600 and in this case, very deeply racist way. 146 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,600 So we see here Italy scoring the equaliser. 147 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,520 And this is where we start to see the hate speech increase. 148 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,040 So we see this humungous spike in hate speech 149 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,080 around the first penalty miss. 150 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:04,400 And we see hate speech posts reach around about 380 per hour 151 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,040 at the maximum there. 152 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:10,200 And it continues as the misses keep coming. 153 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,240 And it's all anti-black hate speech. 154 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,480 It's targeting Rashford, Sancho and Saka, specifically. 155 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,080 Either directly targeting them on Twitter, 156 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,400 but also on Facebook and Instagram. 157 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:28,400 And that lasts until around midnight, after the match. 158 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,480 So what was the nature of the racial abuse 159 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,280 the players were facing at this time? 160 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,440 What you can see here is particular keywords, 161 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,760 particular racial slurs being very, very prominent. 162 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:40,880 It's some of the worst hate speech you could really come across. 163 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,320 Yeah, it's pretty ugly stuff. 164 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,880 And what we find is, around about 50% of the accounts 165 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,400 that say they're in the UK were the ones that were sending 166 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:48,800 the hate speech. 167 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,440 The remainder were coming from outside the UK. 168 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,920 DARREN: A police investigation led to a handful of arrests 169 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:58,880 and a few prison terms in the UK, but the online abuse coming 170 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,080 from abroad remains unpunished. 171 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,760 So it begs the question, how does FIFA protect players 172 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,960 across international jurisdictions at a global event like a World Cup? 173 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:10,280 MATT: It's a huge problem. 174 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,920 It's a huge problem that requires a lot of coordination 175 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,800 between governments, between the social platforms themselves, 176 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,200 FIFA and the players. 177 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,720 So it's entirely plausible that at the Qatar World Cup later this 178 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,720 year, we could see the exact same racial abuse that we witnessed 179 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,400 last year in the Euro final? 180 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,640 Unfortunately, yes. And we entirely expect to see it. 181 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:42,360 DARREN: A recent survey by anti-racism group Kick it Out 182 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,760 highlights the abuse Professor Williams speaks of. 183 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:51,640 It showed 71% of fans had witnessed racist comments on social media 184 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:56,400 directed at a footballer, while around half had seen racism 185 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,080 directed at another fan. 186 00:12:58,080 --> 00:12:59,880 And it's not just online. 187 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,240 One third of them said they'd heard racist comments 188 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:04,880 or chants at a match. 189 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,760 Back in Middlesbrough, it's half-time, 190 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,640 and I've found Ifshaan at the game. 191 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:20,960 He tells me being in the crowd can be confronting 192 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,200 as a person of colour. 193 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,760 IFSHAAN: You experience it now, still, when the football players 194 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,720 take the knee, there's booing around the stadium, 195 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,400 which for me is intolerable, really. 196 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,520 DARREN: Many players began taking the knee as a statement against racism 197 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,720 during the Black Lives Matter movement. 198 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,920 But as this clip from 2020 shows, even that became divisive... 199 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:47,080 ..with many fans booing rather than supporting the players. 200 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,960 IFSHAAN: It upsets me quite a lot because, obviously, taking the knee 201 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:54,200 is how the players want to express their support for movements 202 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,560 of discrimination in the game. 203 00:13:56,560 --> 00:14:00,400 My question to the people that do boo is, what is the alternative? 204 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,440 DARREN: So in collaboration with the club, 205 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:06,840 Ifshaan and his friend Amjid Khazir created a special supporters group 206 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,720 to act as a voice for the black, Asian and minority ethnic community. 207 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,880 They called the group Boro Fusion. 208 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,560 IFSHAAN: One of the aims of Boro Fusion 209 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:17,600 is to obviously break down barriers, 210 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,280 tackle the racism problem, get more of the BAME community 211 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,480 feeling like the stadium is a safe environment for themselves. 212 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,200 But Amjid says diverse supporter groups and safe spaces 213 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:28,920 can only go so far. 214 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:30,160 AMJID: Education is the key. 215 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,080 People don't understand what Black Lives Matter is. 216 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,840 People don't understand why we're so passionate about anti-racism. 217 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,360 So when they're booing taking of the knee, it just goes to show 218 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:44,360 how much more work needs to be done to educate people about racial 219 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,440 and social justice, not only here in the UK and in our town 220 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:48,880 but right around the world. 221 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,520 DARREN: Ifshaan, does it feel like you come to a game 222 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:54,520 with a certain amount of baggage because of that? 223 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,600 (CROWD ROARS) 224 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:19,680 DARREN: On the other side of the stadium, 225 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,640 I catch up with Danny Chapman. 226 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,440 I want to know how he views the racism and the uneasy divide 227 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,200 in his football community. 228 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:28,960 DANNY: It should never have come to that. 229 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,000 It should be that anybody of any area, of any country 230 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,480 should be able to come, walk into a stadium and support - 231 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,040 well, not even support, just be able to watch the football. 232 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,440 DARREN: But is this divide a hang-up from hooligan culture? 233 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,080 DANNY: The hooliganism's more of a tribal thing. 234 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,240 It's this is our patch, that's your patch. 235 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,160 And I think that's more to do with the old-school generation. 236 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:56,040 And a lot of fans watching stuff where it's trying to be territorial, 237 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,600 like, sort of like the alpha male. 238 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,760 Like the racism, 239 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:05,040 you tend to see more racism on the social media side of things. 240 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:09,280 DARREN: There must be some certain attitudes towards non-white people 241 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,280 ingrained in that hooligan community. 242 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:13,920 DANNY: I'd say there is. 243 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,160 You see a lot of them with the far-right groups 244 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:20,960 and going on the marches, and racism chants and stuff like that. 245 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:24,560 And it's all white power, but you don't see them 246 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,240 in the stadiums singing their chants. 247 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:29,960 DARREN: But they say, a lot of people, once they get 248 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,240 out of the stadium, that's where the racism comes out because there aren't 249 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,040 the consequences of getting a season ban. 250 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,640 Yeah, that could be... that could be a thing, 251 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,120 and I know that happens, especially away days. 252 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,520 And people can shout abuse and there's no consequences, 253 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,920 so people still believe they can get away with it. 254 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,080 DARREN: Professor Matt Williams has identified three main 255 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,320 hate speech culprits in football. 256 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,600 The first, he calls mission offenders. 257 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,400 MATT: They kind of are the full-timers. 258 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,360 They're the individuals that live by a code 259 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:06,080 that's hateful in some way. 260 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,240 They're a small group. 261 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,880 They would make up those kinds of hooligan groups. 262 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,040 DARREN: Next, defensive and retaliatory haters. 263 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,000 MATT: These are individuals who essentially react 264 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,240 to their territory being invaded. 265 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,080 DARREN: And thirdly, thrillseeking haters. 266 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,520 Those that embark on hateful discourse because it seems 267 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,120 like something others are doing 268 00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:29,600 and it seems like a fun thing to do in the moment. 269 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:36,000 (SUPPORTERS CHANT) 270 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,360 DARREN: Research from the Radicalisation Awareness Network 271 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:43,320 shows far-right groups continue to see football fans 272 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,920 as fertile grounds for recruitment. 273 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:47,120 MAN: Wanker. 274 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,840 ALL: (CHANT) E-E-EDL. E-E-EDL. 275 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,280 DARREN: In 2009, the English Defence League formed... 276 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:55,880 We're all together. 277 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:57,680 Nothing to do with football hooliganism, this, lads. 278 00:17:57,680 --> 00:17:58,680 We're all together. 279 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,600 DARREN: ..as various hooligan firms coalesced 280 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,200 under a single banner, opposing Islam. 281 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,560 We are reintroducing patriotism, Britishness, Englishness. 282 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:10,600 DARREN: And more recently, a group called 283 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,320 the Democratic Football Lads Alliance, 284 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,000 accused of peddling anti-Muslim bigotry 285 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,280 and attracting thousands to rallies around the UK. 286 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,320 MATT: So this in-group, out-group dynamic is actually what we identify 287 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,120 as a key ingredient to hatred in society more generally. 288 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:28,480 So this notion of us versus them, and that is something that's 289 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,880 embedded into the game itself. 290 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:35,800 And it is starting, I believe, to bleed out into more general fans. 291 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:46,600 - Morning. - Morning. 292 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:48,600 Or afternoon. How we doing? Alright? 293 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:53,840 DARREN: But some are fighting back by trying to start a conversation. 294 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,920 (SPEAKS ARABIC) 295 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,600 None of you speak Arabic, no? 296 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,680 The words I've just spoken in Arabic translate to 297 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,560 "May the peace and blessings of Almighty God be upon all of you." 298 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,840 DARREN: Amjid, who I met at the Middlesbrough football match, 299 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,440 is holding an anti-extremism workshop for the club's under-16s team. 300 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,600 AMJID: We started them after my Uncle Zabir passed away. 301 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:22,200 He was assaulted in 2011 by a young man 302 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,360 who was formerly a football scholar himself. 303 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:27,840 Who's heard of the EDL or Tommy Robinson, yeah? 304 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,240 English Defence League? Tommy Robinson? 305 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,240 The far-right had marched in this town, the first time they'd come 306 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,280 this far north in nearly 20 years 307 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,720 and they marched in Middlesbrough in 2011. 308 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,440 My Uncle Zabir, a taxidriver, picked up a fare, 309 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,840 and as my uncle turns around to face forward, he strikes him 310 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,120 over the back of his head with this bottle of Beck's. 311 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:47,560 My uncle's injured and he's bleeding from the back of his head 312 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:52,040 and the lad, what we can only presume goes through his mind next is, 313 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,560 "I haven't done enough damage." 314 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,440 So he runs back to where my uncle is stood, jumps off both feet 315 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:01,320 and fly kicks my uncle in the chest, what we call a drop kick. 316 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,040 Six weeks after that incident, my Uncle Zabir died 317 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,040 of a massive double heart attack. 318 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,520 And they found a message that the lad had sent on his phone - 319 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,320 and I won't use the language here today but he basically said 320 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:15,360 he was going to do a person of... a Pakistani person in. 321 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:19,080 AMJID: We have charged language on immigration post-Brexit, 322 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:20,680 post-Black Lives Matter. 323 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,760 We've had issues of racism on the increase post-COVID. 324 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,240 Chinese communities have been blamed, 325 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:28,920 immigrant communities have been blamed, 326 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,080 Jewish communities have been blamed. 327 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,560 If we don't address this, we are going to have an issue 328 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,080 of people fighting in the streets. 329 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,480 And what I want each of you to do, 330 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,400 grab a pen or a pencil from here 331 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,520 and just write down one value that means something to you. 332 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,560 - I've put equality. - AMJID: Equality. Brilliant answer. 333 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:48,280 - Next one. - Positive. 334 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,080 AMJID: Why positive? 335 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,200 Through tough times, always be positive. 336 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,680 - Makes everyone more happy. - AMJID: What a great answer. 337 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,720 Can we get a round of applause for that one? 338 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,960 I think we have to get away from this sloganistic approach. 339 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,600 Kick It Out, you know, wearing T-shirts, all well and good, 340 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,440 but is the message actually being heard 341 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,040 by the people it needs to be heard by? 342 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,600 There do seem to be some elements and some clubs 343 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,720 to who it's just lip service. 344 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,080 It's ticking a box, it's a post-it on the wall. 345 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,280 DARREN: Dateline approached over a dozen professional clubs 346 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,680 and only Middlesbrough FC would speak with us. 347 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,600 Amjid says for his strategy to work, 348 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,600 all clubs must be part of the discussion. 349 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,240 MAN: We had a racist incident last year with a boy, 350 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,880 and he failed to say anything for about two years 351 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,640 and he just kept it to himself. 352 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,360 And then eventually broke down, 353 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,720 told his mum, and then Mum contacted the club. 354 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,840 Does it alarm you to know that, you know, there are thousands 355 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:56,400 of football clubs across this country and if the experience 356 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:00,360 that that young player had here is replicated across the country, 357 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:03,360 how much of it might be going unreported? 358 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:05,360 And how many people who are experiencing racism 359 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:06,880 may never speak out about it? 360 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,920 Yeah, it's probably like an iceberg. 361 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,800 But I think, if we, as a football club, are happy to share 362 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,600 that we've had issues, I think that's massively important. 363 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:20,160 Can we get a decent smile, lads, or not? 364 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:26,160 If one person can be taken off that trajectory, 365 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:30,040 on that pathway of hate, that could save so many lives. 366 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,600 This is literally about life and death. 367 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,280 DARREN: Football has a fight on its hands against racism 368 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,200 and not just in the professional game. 369 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,320 I want to know if the racism problems at the elite level 370 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,440 are mirrored at the grassroots level. 371 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,920 So I've come here to Mile End football pitches in East London. 372 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,400 It's pretty much the essence of grassroots community football. 373 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:16,080 There's a push for greater diversity at both the elite and amateur levels 374 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:20,760 of football, but some say that change is coming too slowly. 375 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,480 MAN: These kinds of subconscious biases are still around, 376 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,320 whether we want to hear it or not. 377 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:28,760 But that's the truth. 378 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,080 And if you think there's racism at the top level of the game, 379 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,600 just imagine what it's like at grassroots. 380 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,200 Because this is society, this is community. 381 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,840 DARREN: Imrul Gazi used to manage a team called Sporting Bengal, 382 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:41,640 here at Mile End. 383 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,680 It's one of the UK's biggest clubs for South Asian players. 384 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,240 IMRUL: It's a different type of racism here in 2022. 385 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:50,520 DARREN: What's different about it? 386 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:51,920 IMRUL: It's not so much in-your-face. 387 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:53,800 It's the way someone might look at you, 388 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,760 the way they might talk to you. 389 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,920 Talk down to you, little things like you'll go to shake their hands 390 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,760 and they won't shake your hands. 391 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,920 DARREN: In 2019, Imrul's team were on the receiving end 392 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,920 of what he says was some of the worst racism he's ever experienced. 393 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,640 But it wasn't coming from the usual source. 394 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,080 This wasn't players, this wasn't opposition management, 395 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,960 this wasn't supporters in the stands, these were officials. 396 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,400 DARREN: Officials employed by the local league but ultimately 397 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,480 part of England's national Football Association, the FA. 398 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,560 IMRUL: That's the one that got sent off, the assistant. 399 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,440 So they were, like, squaring up to each other. 400 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,600 MAN: Are you fucking having a laugh?! 401 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,000 And you're the fucking ref?! 402 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,920 IMRUL: Where it all started was the linesman said 403 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,560 to my assistants and my staff, he said it a few times, 404 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,200 "Why is it youse lot always have to make noise?" 405 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,240 You lot being you South Asian players? 406 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,000 Yeah. It's the way, the tone. 407 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,680 And all evening he'd been saying things to us. 408 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:47,840 Right. 409 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,320 And it was the tone in which he said it. 410 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,040 So at that stage, that player ran over to me, 411 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,880 grabbed me by my shirt, says, "Ims, Ims, come here. Say that again." 412 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,400 He went to the ref, "Say what you just said to me again. Say it again." 413 00:24:58,400 --> 00:24:59,480 Yeah. 414 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,480 And the ref was, like, just started smiling and walked away. 415 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,640 DARREN: Imrul walked his team off the pitch, 416 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,680 citing covert racism from the officials. 417 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,840 He lodged a formal complaint with the local FA, 418 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,720 which found the assistant ref guilty of improper conduct. 419 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,120 But Imrul says the process of reporting was so gruelling 420 00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:21,720 he ultimately stepped away from the game. 421 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,680 IMRUL: We were the victims, yet it seemed during the whole 422 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,760 process that we were the guilty party. 423 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,040 I think it's come to a stage not just with me, where with most 424 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,400 incidences of racism in grassroots football, 425 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,040 people just don't bother reporting it. 426 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:37,680 DARREN: So a lot would go unreported? 427 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,160 Of course it will. Because of exactly what we've...what I went through. 428 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,560 I would never report an incidence of racism ever again, 429 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,800 because of the heartache and the time and the effort that goes into it. 430 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:48,640 (ANGRY SHOUTING) 431 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:50,400 Where does the buck stop for this? 432 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,560 The buck ultimately stops with the authorities. 433 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:53,960 - DARREN: With the FA? - With the FA. 434 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,000 With the professional clubs. 435 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,080 They have a massive role to play in this. 436 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,640 DARREN: But with racial tensions charged 437 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,800 and the World Cup on the horizon, 438 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,040 I want to know where Imrul thinks all this could lead. 439 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,840 If we get to a semifinal and we get the likes of Saka, 440 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,000 the likes of Sterling taking a penalty and they miss, 441 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:18,320 110% you will see exactly what happened in that European Cup final. 442 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,000 I have absolutely no doubt. 443 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:21,240 Sad. 444 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,480 DARREN: In a statement to Dateline, the FA said 445 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:29,720 it "stands firmly against all forms of discrimination". 446 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,640 It's launched new research to gain feedback on discrimination reporting 447 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,280 processes in grassroots football 448 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,880 and it's working with the UK government and social media platforms 449 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,840 to tackle online hate faster. 450 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:47,480 The various football bodies at the UK, European and global levels, 451 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:51,200 all impose various sanctions, fines and bans 452 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,520 to combat online abuse and anti-social behaviour at matches. 453 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:09,120 Football remains the world game and a universal medium 454 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,320 that cuts across country, culture and language. 455 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,840 Its inherent ability to break down barriers 456 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,360 rather than erect them remains. 457 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:24,240 It's that message, advocates say, which must carry the day. 458 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:28,080 AMJID: The world is going through a reckoning of where polarisation 459 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,320 and xenophobia need to be tackled head-on, 460 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,160 and football has the power to deliver anti-racism message 461 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,480 and anti-hate message which, for me, 462 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,200 no other sport or no other medium at this time can do. 463 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,840 IFSHAAN: We need to engage more with the community 464 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,120 and not just with the fans in the terraces. 465 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:12,600 Try to get people in power at each level through the game. 466 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,680 I think that's the only way that it can be saved. 467 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,800 DARREN: Next week on Dateline, we meet the digital crusaders 468 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:30,480 trying to catch and stop India's call centre scammers. 469 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,560 And find more Dateline streaming on SBS On Demand.