Swansea City's Michel Vorm calls for tougher stand over racism
MICHEL Vorm has called on football to get tougher on racism after Swansea City players did not join in the Kick It Out campaign on Saturday.
It has emerged that Swansea's players did not wear Kick It Out T-shirts ahead of Saturday's game with Wigan because not all the players wanted to.
-
Vorm
It was not the only protest in the Premier League as Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, Reading striker Jason Roberts and Manchester City's Joleon Lescott all refused to wear T-shirts, claiming not enough had been done to stamp out discrimination.
The issue had been highlighted after the under-21 game between Serbia and England in midweek, when England's Danny Rose was subjected to monkey chants and had stones thrown at him by the crowd.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Wednesday, May 22 2013
Vorm said: "I think for the group to wear the T-shirts it has to be a unanimous decision and not everyone wanted to wear them.
"We are either all together or we're not. This has been a problem for a while and I don't think that's doing much to stop racism.
"Of course everybody is against racism, but it's not like we wear a T-shirt and then it's gone.
"They have to really do something to stop racism — it's not going to change because you wear a shirt."
Vorm was part of the Dutch side who were subjected to racist chanting during a training session at Euro 2012.
He also experienced prejudice while playing in Holland.
"In Holland the crowd calls you more names," he said. "There is much more respect here for the players than there is back home.
"They call you so many things during the game there.
"In the Euros we trained in front of 25,000 people in Poland and when we were doing the warm-up we could hear monkey noises behind the goal.
"That was during open training so it still happens, not necessarily in the UK but in Eastern European countries.
"It's been a problem for a while and I just hope after what happened to England Under-21s they're really going to do something about it, not just wear a T-shirt."
There have been calls for Fifa to come down heavily on Serbia following last week's ugly scenes.
Some have even suggested they should be banned from competing at tournaments and Vorm supports a such a hard-line stance.
"Punish the people who shout things like that severely," he added.
"It doesn't belong on a football pitch or even in the world.
"It happens quite a lot in Eastern European countries and they have to do something to make a point.
"I don't know if they can ban a country, but they need to make a statement.
"Maybe next time, if it happens again, they should be ruled out of the Euros, World Cup qualifying or whatever.
"They must do something that they'll feel, not just give them a fine."
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup said: "I think it's an individual thing. It's not a football issue, it's a social issue, and I can't tell the players they have to do it.
"I didn't want to have any influence because there are some things you just have to leave up to each person."
And Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said: "We wanted to show respect to the home team.
"The home team for whatever reason decided not to wear the T-shirts so I don't think it made sense for us to wear them.
"I would expect the same from Swansea if things had been the other way round and we had been at home.
"Swansea's players decided not to wear them and we respected the home team."
Comments
by Philosoraptor
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 8:28AM
“Racists are cowards. Noticed how racists do not go into built up areas of the ethnic population that they despise and say these things which are quite vitriol?
When I watch football, I see only two kinds of people... footballers and racists. And only one of those deserves to be on the pitch kicking the ball. I don't see that one is black, one is white, one is Asian or one is from the Latin area. I see 22 men (minus those who are known racists who as I said are not men, but cowards).”
by Mills26
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 6:37AM
“I'm quite frankly bored of it all. It's within the minority. And if we ignore them and stop giving them this pedestal to allow their pathetic views to be highlighted it will quickly go away. I also believe we need to be carefull where we draw the line between banter and name calling to racism. There is never any fuss and jeering a ref for having a bad game or better still making a players game hell for ninety mins. Eg robbie savage. (He deserves it though ha ha). It's all just banter a lot if the time. Admitly if it becomes vicious Personel attacks that's different. But like a few have commented now. Lets concentrate on football and leave the minority racist to be unheard a slip away into the distance.”
by arnoldlane
Monday, October 22 2012, 3:16PM
“Morton947.
Unfortunatly predudice is not only between people of different races but between people of the same race.”
by trncjack
Monday, October 22 2012, 2:19PM
“i am so totally involved in watching 22 players kick a bladder about, i dont see them as black white ,jews ,scots english ,welsh, or dutch , they are all football players entertaining,,, ME,,, AND MOST PLAYERS FEEL THE SAME ,HOPEFULLY”
by morton1947
Monday, October 22 2012, 12:31PM
“Prejudice is something that is directed against someone of a different race and stands for any colour or creed and should be stamped out of the game but how does one start and where would it end ? Stewards would have to be man enough to jump in as soon as they heard someone abusing players and then could start something confrontational. Players themselves have to stand up and be counted. They are paid thousands upon thousands of pounds to perform each week and should be role models to the younger fans who are watching them. They themselves can stand up and be counted and even if it is their own player who is at fault should be able to stand by their beliefs and report them for any racist remarks. However having said that would they ever do that ? . . Can't see it somehow.”
by arnoldlane
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:57AM
“I was in Cardiff last weeks and overheard black cardiff people yes black cardiff people with cardiff accents ****ging of us whites which I dont have a problem with but if I say anything about them I am a racist.”
by arnoldlane
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:54AM
“I have stopped watching because they seem to want to dicuss evereything but the game, Ferdinand not wearing the shirt this person not weaering the shirt Dave Jones moaning about Leeds fans commentastors who cannot commentate who just roll out endless stats, get me I am fed up with it and most profesional sports.”
by GorsseinonJoe
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:52AM
“The Kick Racism Out of football has failed for the 20 yrs it's been around, it's difficult to see how the issue can be dealt with successfully. Clubs have been fined because they lose control of their players and their fans, this is all very well but doesn't start to deal with the problem of abuse being hurled at players, clubs can control players but thousands of fans?
Usually, it is a section of the crowd rather than an individual and can anyone see the police trying to convict hundreds of "fans" on racism charges? Maybe keeping them in the ground after the game so that everyone can be booked or let free? Old Trafford holds 78,000 impracticable!, I am all for kicking racism out of football but the question is, how best to do it?
Nothing has succeeded so far.”
by sweetiepiedav
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:27AM
“Arnoldlane,
What on earth are you talking about? You've stopped watching football because people want to eliminate racism from it? And what's the red herring about racism not just being white on black/ ethnic? All I can think is there speaks an out-and-out racist.”
by arnoldlane
Monday, October 22 2012, 8:43AM
“Is racism a one way stret only perpetuated by whites on black or ethnic people I think not.
This Kick Racism Out is an absolute load of rubbish so much so I have as of this season stopped watching football.”