No place for bigots

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 22, 2009

IT was set up in Whitley Bay 10 years ago, but today Show Racism the Red card is recognised across the UK as a campaign which can change attitudes.

Anyone who attended football matches in the seventies and early eighties know only too well how prevalent racist chanting was.

Born out of ignorance, it created a hostile atmosphere, with North East crowds among the worst offenders.

A campaign of education and the huge rise in the number of black footballers who have gone on to become role models has transformed the situation.

So what better way to spread the message even further than at the World Cup in South Africa next year - a country still re-inventing itself from the days of apartheid.

The behaviour of some supporters at international games - most notably in Eastern Europe and Spain - towards black players shows there is a need to change attitudes.

The world governing body of football, FIFA, has often been criticised for turning a deaf ear or blind eye to the problem.

Here is an opportunity to change and partner a campaign which involves, and has won, the respect of players from across the globe.

This powerful, successful campaign deserves the chance to truly go global..