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John Barnes: most football managers have been racist
Racism was, and still is, rife in sport, but it's society's fault, says Liverpool legend
LAST UPDATED AT 14:09 ON Fri 18 Nov 2011
AS THE issue of racism continues to dominate the football news, former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes has claimed prejudice is so ingrained in society that most former professionals would have used racist insults during their careers.
Talking to Henry Winter of The Daily Telegraph, Barnes said: "A lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon now about Blatter, saying he's wrong - and he is. But if you want to have a South African-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission, get in every manager and player who is over 40 and ask them: 'Say you have never used the N-word?' Most won't be able to. Much more than 75 per cent of people back then in the Eighties would have.
"Football can do nothing about getting rid of racism," he added, "society has to."
Barnes, who suffered abuse during his career and was even pelted with bananas, said: "People have been told for 400 years... that black people aren't as intelligent as white... Black people aren't empowered; 99 per cent of black individuals would be offended being called 'a black so and so' because we've had 400 years of being dehumanised."
He argued that racism worked on a subconscious level and pointed to the dearth of black managers in the game. "Look at the hierarchy of black African football who believe European coaches are better than black African [ones]," he added.
Barnes also claimed that while racist insults were now rare, the sentiment remained. "We've played against players, got into an altercation, looked him in the eye, he's not said anything, but you know he's thinking 'you black ****'. He wants to say it but doesn't because he knows he'll get into trouble. That happens very often."
The former England man also claimed that it was impossible not to judge others. "We all make presumptions about other people based on their colour, culture or ethnicity in variable degrees. We judge people even on their accents," he said.
Racism was, and still is, rife in sport, but it's society's fault, says Liverpool legendLAST UPDATED AT 14:09 ON Fri 18 Nov 2011
AS THE issue of racism continues to dominate the football news, former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes has claimed prejudice is so ingrained in society that most former professionals would have used racist insults during their careers.
Talking to Henry Winter of The Daily Telegraph, Barnes said: "A lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon now about Blatter, saying he's wrong - and he is. But if you want to have a South African-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission, get in every manager and player who is over 40 and ask them: 'Say you have never used the N-word?' Most won't be able to. Much more than 75 per cent of people back then in the Eighties would have.
"Football can do nothing about getting rid of racism," he added, "society has to."
Barnes, who suffered abuse during his career and was even pelted with bananas, said: "People have been told for 400 years... that black people aren't as intelligent as white... Black people aren't empowered; 99 per cent of black individuals would be offended being called 'a black so and so' because we've had 400 years of being dehumanised."
He argued that racism worked on a subconscious level and pointed to the dearth of black managers in the game. "Look at the hierarchy of black African football who believe European coaches are better than black African [ones]," he added.
Barnes also claimed that while racist insults were now rare, the sentiment remained. "We've played against players, got into an altercation, looked him in the eye, he's not said anything, but you know he's thinking 'you black ****'. He wants to say it but doesn't because he knows he'll get into trouble. That happens very often."
The former England man also claimed that it was impossible not to judge others. "We all make presumptions about other people based on their colour, culture or ethnicity in variable degrees. We judge people even on their accents," he said.
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