Post by QPR Report on Apr 17, 2009 6:21:33 GMT
The Guardian - Owen Gibson
PFA calls for urgent action against crowd abuse• Cusack says abuse is becoming 'rabid and vituperative'
• Players would be within their rights to leave the pitch, he says
The Professional Footballers' Association has called for urgent action against the spread of "rabid and vituperative" abuse from crowds at home and abroad, claiming it threatens to ostracise decent fans and, in extreme cases, may force players to walk off.
Nick Cusack, a former Leicester and Swansea City player who is now a senior executive at the players' union, claimed that persistent "obscene language and gestures with intimidation" are a growing threat to the game's future worldwide.
"Players have always been subjected to criticism but the kind of no-holds-barred lambasting of players, and for that matter managers and officials, has now gone too far," he told an audience of prosecutors, police and administrators at an event hosted by the Crown Prosecution Service at Charlton Athletic's ground, The Valley, today.
"The optimism and anticipation at the start often disappears, to be replaced by unrestrained swearing and cursing that not only dismays the players but is also a source of huge disquiet among the majority of decent fans," said Cusack.
"As a player you accept criticism and mild abuse as part and parcel of the game but the more rabid and vituperative it becomes the more you feel that you should not have to tolerate it, and the authorities should be more proactive in reducing excess in that regard."
Cusack said that while large-scale racist abuse had been largely eradicated in English grounds, homophobic and Islamophobic abuse is a growing problem and governing bodies must take a firmer line or risk players walking from the field of play.
"The current financial punishments handed down to national football associations hardly send a strong message to players that the football authorities are acting proportionately," he said.
"Unless Fifa and Uefa get tough and deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions for this kind of behaviour, players will be forced to take matters into their own hands and refuse to play when abuse occurs. This has not happened yet but would be fully justified if this was to continue and the authorities fail to do more to protect the players."
The Crown Prosecution Service also promised to step up its drive to build cases against individuals who consistently hurl racist, homophobic or Islamophobic abuse at rival players, fans and officials.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/17/pfa-football-racism-homophobia-islamophobia
The Telegraph/Richard Bright
PFA: Action needed to stop footballer abuse
The Professional Footballers' Association has called on governing bodies to crack down more heavily on racist and homophobic abuse, or risk players going on strike.
The Professional Footballers' Association yesterday called on governing bodies to crack down more heavily on racist and homophobic abuse, or risk players going on strike.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Crown Prosecution Service at Charlton's Valley stadium, PFA senior executive Nick Cusack, a professional for 15 years, said the abuse meted out to those in his profession had reached breaking point.
"The current financial punishments handed down to national football associations hardly sends a strong message to players," said Cusack. "Unless Fifa and Uefa get tough and deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions for this kind of behaviour, players will be forced to take matters into their own hands and refuse to play when abuse occurs.
"This has not happened yet but would be fully justified if this was to continue and the authorities fail to do more to protect the players."
He added: "The kind of appalling abuse that black players were subjected to in the past no longer occurs domestically but worryingly still rears its ugly head in certain parts of Europe.
"Players will not tolerate what has happened in Spain and parts of eastern Europe. This throwback to a shameful chapter in English football has re-opened the debate about how we halt this abuse once and for all."
Although English football has taken great strides to eradicate abusive chants, the recent Sol Campbell affair, when the Portsmouth defender was subjected to vile chanting by a minority of Spurs fans, had reopened the debate, Cusack said.
Cusack said there was still an element of hostility towards certain players with homophobia and so-called Islamaphobia still rife.
Obscene language and intimidation were "very much alive" at English grounds, he said. "Players have always been subjected to criticism but it is my view that the kind of no-holds-barred lambasting has now gone too far."
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/portsmouth/5166874/PFA-Action-needed-to-stop-footballer-abuse.html
PFA calls for urgent action against crowd abuse• Cusack says abuse is becoming 'rabid and vituperative'
• Players would be within their rights to leave the pitch, he says
The Professional Footballers' Association has called for urgent action against the spread of "rabid and vituperative" abuse from crowds at home and abroad, claiming it threatens to ostracise decent fans and, in extreme cases, may force players to walk off.
Nick Cusack, a former Leicester and Swansea City player who is now a senior executive at the players' union, claimed that persistent "obscene language and gestures with intimidation" are a growing threat to the game's future worldwide.
"Players have always been subjected to criticism but the kind of no-holds-barred lambasting of players, and for that matter managers and officials, has now gone too far," he told an audience of prosecutors, police and administrators at an event hosted by the Crown Prosecution Service at Charlton Athletic's ground, The Valley, today.
"The optimism and anticipation at the start often disappears, to be replaced by unrestrained swearing and cursing that not only dismays the players but is also a source of huge disquiet among the majority of decent fans," said Cusack.
"As a player you accept criticism and mild abuse as part and parcel of the game but the more rabid and vituperative it becomes the more you feel that you should not have to tolerate it, and the authorities should be more proactive in reducing excess in that regard."
Cusack said that while large-scale racist abuse had been largely eradicated in English grounds, homophobic and Islamophobic abuse is a growing problem and governing bodies must take a firmer line or risk players walking from the field of play.
"The current financial punishments handed down to national football associations hardly send a strong message to players that the football authorities are acting proportionately," he said.
"Unless Fifa and Uefa get tough and deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions for this kind of behaviour, players will be forced to take matters into their own hands and refuse to play when abuse occurs. This has not happened yet but would be fully justified if this was to continue and the authorities fail to do more to protect the players."
The Crown Prosecution Service also promised to step up its drive to build cases against individuals who consistently hurl racist, homophobic or Islamophobic abuse at rival players, fans and officials.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/17/pfa-football-racism-homophobia-islamophobia
The Telegraph/Richard Bright
PFA: Action needed to stop footballer abuse
The Professional Footballers' Association has called on governing bodies to crack down more heavily on racist and homophobic abuse, or risk players going on strike.
The Professional Footballers' Association yesterday called on governing bodies to crack down more heavily on racist and homophobic abuse, or risk players going on strike.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Crown Prosecution Service at Charlton's Valley stadium, PFA senior executive Nick Cusack, a professional for 15 years, said the abuse meted out to those in his profession had reached breaking point.
"The current financial punishments handed down to national football associations hardly sends a strong message to players," said Cusack. "Unless Fifa and Uefa get tough and deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions for this kind of behaviour, players will be forced to take matters into their own hands and refuse to play when abuse occurs.
"This has not happened yet but would be fully justified if this was to continue and the authorities fail to do more to protect the players."
He added: "The kind of appalling abuse that black players were subjected to in the past no longer occurs domestically but worryingly still rears its ugly head in certain parts of Europe.
"Players will not tolerate what has happened in Spain and parts of eastern Europe. This throwback to a shameful chapter in English football has re-opened the debate about how we halt this abuse once and for all."
Although English football has taken great strides to eradicate abusive chants, the recent Sol Campbell affair, when the Portsmouth defender was subjected to vile chanting by a minority of Spurs fans, had reopened the debate, Cusack said.
Cusack said there was still an element of hostility towards certain players with homophobia and so-called Islamaphobia still rife.
Obscene language and intimidation were "very much alive" at English grounds, he said. "Players have always been subjected to criticism but it is my view that the kind of no-holds-barred lambasting has now gone too far."
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/portsmouth/5166874/PFA-Action-needed-to-stop-footballer-abuse.html
