My generation faced racism on the pitch, terraces and streets. Today it's 24/7 digital onslaughts
Carter's decision to step away from her social media accounts highlighted her vulnerability and she received support from England's head coach, Sarina Wiegman, her teammates and the Football Association. Within hours of her statement, the FA had engaged UK police and begun collaboration with social media companies to trace those responsible – demonstrating an impressively swift and decisive response. In October 2023, the Online Safety Act became law, ensuring social media platforms have a duty to protect users from content such as racist abuse. Platforms have a responsibility to identify and remove harmful content including all forms of hate speech, with Ofcom responsible for enforcing the legislation.
At its core, the fight against racism in football is also a struggle for social justice and human rights. Women constitute 50% of the UK population – collectively a formidable constituency capable of driving cultural change. The unwavering support shown by Wiegman, her backroom staff and the Lionesses squad for Carter illustrates how leadership and community can create a 'safe space' for victims, affirming that togetherness is a powerful counterweight to hatred. But solidarity must extend beyond England's camp.
In February the Jamaica international and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw endured similarly vile online attacks despite her status as a role model in the Women's Super League and her homeland. The strength of condemnation that followed from club, teammates and fans alike showed that confronting prejudice is vital.
The nature of abuse has evolved. My generation often faced racist abuse face-to-face: on the pitch, on the terraces, on the streets. Today's players endure 24/7 digital onslaughts. Yet the principle is unchanged: those responsible must be pursued with every conceivable vigour, subjected to the most serious sanctions available and denied any refuge in anonymity. Zero tolerance cannot be a slogan – it must be a legal and cultural imperative.
Allowing racism to normalise in the women's game would betray the game's remarkable growth. As grassroots participation surges, welcoming girls of all ethnicities and backgrounds, the duty of care to protect them – and to provide clear pathways into coaching and administration – is paramount for long-term sustainability. We must learn from the men's game, where three generations of potential coaches and executives were lost. Despite Black players accounting for 43% of Premier League and 34% of EFL squads, only 4.4% of coaches and 1.6% of administrators reflect that diversity, according to research by the Black Footballers' Partnership. Such underrepresentation is deeply concerning.
Professional football clubs' charitable arms already harness the sport's reach to challenge racial and gender discrimination across society. Equality and inclusion training must be mandatory across all sectors. The highly regarded inclusion training at Charlton Athletic, where I am the vice-chair, exemplifies this, providing powerful insights that promote inclusion and respect. To future-proof the next generation, anti-discrimination and anti-racism education should also be woven into the national curriculum.
Racism in football casts a long, damaging shadow. It is deep-rooted and corrodes society. As the Lionesses rightly demand: 'Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.'
Sign up to The Recap
The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action
after newsletter promotion
The racist abuse directed at Carter intensifies the urgent need for stronger accountability measures within football, highlighting why the establishment of an independent football regulator through the Football Governance Act, which received royal assent this week, is so critical.
Her experience highlights the need for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded not only in club culture but the governance frameworks that shape football's future.
Paul Elliott was the first Black captain in the Premier League and sits on Uefa's human rights board
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Former government minister delivers verdict on Nigel Farage as PM
Michael Gove has asserted that Nigel Farage is not a 'plausible prime minister ' and will not be ready for the role even in four years. The senior Conservative minister praised Farage's communication skills but questioned Reform 's team, policies, and programme for effective governance. Gove suggested Reform 's recent electoral success is due to being a 'repository of anger' against the political classes, rather than offering a compelling vision. He also described Farage as a 'bulwark against greater extremism' and recalled helping him resolve an issue with The Times newspaper.
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jose Mourinho pays tribute as former Porto captain Jorge Costa dies aged 53
Former Porto captain Jorge Costa died on Tuesday at the age of 53 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the club's training centre, the Portuguese side said. The former defender, who was in his second season as Porto's Director of Professional Football, was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. 'Throughout his life, both on and off the pitch, Jorge Costa embodied the values that define FC Porto: dedication, leadership, passion and an unshakeable spirit of conquest,' the club said in a statement. 'He left his mark on generations of fans and became a symbol of Portismo.' Over his career, Costa played 530 games in all competitions, making 383 appearances for Porto and earning 50 caps for Portugal's national team. The centre-back helped the national side make the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and scored two goals for Portugal. The Portuguese Football Federation said: 'The Portuguese Football Federation deeply regrets the death of Jorge Costa. Footballer, coach, manager, and current director of professional football at FC Porto, Jorge Costa was one of the most remarkable players of a generation fundamental to the establishment of Portuguese football.' As captain, he led Porto to UEFA Cup glory in 2003 and a Champions League triumph in 2004 under manager Jose Mourinho. The defender was one of six players to win five consecutive Portuguese league championships with Porto, alongside Aloisio, Drulovic, Paulinho Santos, Rui Barros and Folha. He earned the nickname 'Bicho', translating to 'animal', from teammate Fernando Couto during their partnership in central defence. Mourinho posted a picture of the pair on Instagram, writing, 'I know what you would say now if you could, 'mister stop crying, tomorrow you have a match and your boys need you ready and strong'. I promise you Bicho, I am going to do it. RIP, because your legacy stay[s] with us.' UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin also paid tribute, saying: 'It is with profound sadness that we have learned of the sudden passing of Jorge Costa. 'A legend of Portuguese football, Jorge was more than a football player – he was a leader and a true warrior who inspired generations. He embodied grit, resilience and loyalty. His unforgettable moment lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2004 remains a legendary tribute to his unwavering dedication and spirit. 'On behalf of UEFA and the European football family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, team-mates, and all who are grieving his loss.' The Portuguese prime minister, Luis Montenegro, released a statement expressing his condolences and described Costa as 'an example of dedication and commitment to the teams he was part of and to our national team'. Costa returned to Porto in April 2024 as director under new president Andre Villas-Boas. 'Jorge Costa's legacy will always remain alive in the memory of all Porto fans. You will never be forgotten, Captain,' the club added.
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
What are the pros and cons of introducing digital identity cards?
The prime minister is said to be 'seriously considering' a national system of digital identification, both to make it easier to access online services, including government ones, and to clamp down on illegal working by irregular migrants. Given the push to introduce artificial intelligence in so many areas of our lives, it may be an idea whose time has come. But there are political, as well as practical, complications. What is digital ID? It would in essence be a virtual ID card, and using it in the existing, and enhanced, Government Gateway would make it easier for people to manage everything from tax records and social security entitlements to driving licences, education, citizenship and probate – a vast array of areas in which the individual has dealings with the state. It could also be used, as a passport or driving licence is now, to help with all sorts of other activities, such as banking or getting a job. There is a separate, and obviously sensitive, question about whether digital ID should also encompass someone's medical history, voluntarily or otherwise. Why digital ID now? According to the briefings, the aim is to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the government machine, so that, for example, people don't have to spend hours on hold when contacting a government agency. Unavoidably, though, it is also a way to detect people who shouldn't be in the country or working in the UK. That, the theory goes, means less of a 'pull factor' for certain sorts of migrant. Would it work? In a sense it is working already, in that almost everyone must have a unique tax reference, a national insurance number, a driving licence number, an NHS number and so on, and can, if they wish, share this information with others. But at the moment the system is compartmentalised and clunky, even if more and more interactions are taking place online and with chatbots. What stage are we at? Reports emanating from a 'senior minister' say that the prime minister has ordered a 'comprehensive and expansive look' at the proposal: 'Keir is leading on it,' they said. 'This is a serious piece of work. After a year in government, it is clear that technology is underpinning everything. Digital ID is foundational. Things are moving forward.' Didn't we have identity cards before? They were introduced as plain cardboard documents during the Second World War as a national security measure. People had to use them to get rationed food and petrol, and had to be ready to produce them on demand, a serious infringement of the traditional British way of doing things. The request for 'Papers, please' has always been regarded as an alien phenomenon. In the words of Boris Johnson in 2004: 'If I am ever asked, on the streets of London, or in any other venue, public or private, to produce my ID card as evidence that I am who I say I am ... then I will take that card out of my wallet and physically eat it in the presence of whatever emanation of the state has demanded that I produce it.' (He subsequently brought in compulsory photo ID for elections.) Even now, a driver stopped by the police is granted 14 days to produce their driving licence at a police station. The wartime measures were resented, and were abolished in 1952. Mandatory ID would be a minor revolution. What about the ID cards Tony Blair wanted? He still does, by the way. Much of the present momentum for change comes from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), as if the former PM has never given up the struggle. At any rate, the current prime minister's chief aide, Morgan McSweeney, commissioned the TBI to produce proposals, and is said to be 'forceful' in making the case for them to No 10. Certainly, a more primitive version of this project was very much 'on the cards 20 years ago' when the Blair administration tried to bring in ID cards, but it ran into enormous resistance and administrative problems. The motives, in essence, were no different from today. In 2003, the then home secretary, David Blunkett, argued that cards with biometric data were needed so that 'people don't work if they are not entitled to work, they don't draw on services which are free in this country, including health, unless they are entitled to', and that 'when we find people we can identify quickly that they are not entitled and get them out'. When a limited, entirely voluntary ID card was introduced in 2010, some 15,000 were in circulation, but the incoming Conservative-Liberal Democrat government scrapped the entire scheme, after £5bn had been spent. A voluntary biometric residence permit is available as an option for foreign students or workers. Official photo ID cards for voting have also been introduced in recent years. What does the opposition say? Despite showing little interest in it while in government, earlier this year the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, conceded that digital ID could help tackle 'illegal' immigration. But Nigel Farage remains stubbornly libertarian, and opposes digital ID because he 'doesn't trust this government' and claims that it 'hurts law-abiding citizens'. Labour, and the Tories, could use his reluctance to argue that, given he is not prepared to use every possible measure in the fight against irregular migration, Farage wouldn't succeed in his own ambition to stop the boats. Will it happen? With 40 Labour backbenchers recently calling for change and the Conservatives warming to the idea, alongside the trend towards digitising everything, it feels pretty inevitable, like it or not. Will it work? To some extent, but there are ways to get around any system, and digital is no different from paper in that respect. It could make things worse for some. If a fraudster managed to 'steal' a vulnerable person's digital ID, for example, then it would be 'open sesame' on their entire life, and comprehensive identity theft might become more common. Leaks cannot be ruled out. There's also the grim possibility that a migrant who wanted to come to the UK to work, deprived of any ID, would just melt into the underground economy, and become even more exposed to crime and exploitation. In a worst-case scenario, some criminals or a malign foreign government could execute a mega-hack in which millions of people's data is stolen or frozen and held to ransom. Last, we must reflect on British governments' past lamentable record on grand digital integration schemes – and the fact that the current proposal, which would potentially bring together HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office, criminal records, local authority records, and the NHS database, would be hugely more ambitious, and hazardous, than anything attempted before.
