Perfect Storm

Football is not like other sports. Rugby and cricket, demonstrate how the adherence to the rules and fair play give players a sense of honour and integrity. Football players and administrators alike seem to regard the rules of the game as an occupational hazard to be avoided whenever possible.

And into that moral vacuum has stepped racism and bigotry where it has no traction in other parts of social life. This week's BBC Panorama 'Stadiums of Hate' was a horrifying prelude to the Euro 2012 tournament where racist violence appears guaranteed.

The presenter, Chris Rogers, was pretty staggered to witness a couple of thousand fans in Ukraine giving the Nazi salute with acommpanying Sieg Heils. The spineless response from officialdom was simple denial and claiming the supporters were simply "pointing." The police and stewards were hopeless and were clearly subordinate to the Ultras.

The hate groups in both Poland and Ukraine are deeply anti-semitic and racist and have adopted as their symbol the Celtic Cross (above). It will be ironic and pretty sickening for the Irish fans who have been abused by fascist unionists in the past to see a national symbol used to propagate such bigotry.

In the programme, former England defender, Sol Campbell was quite right to suggest black British fans should not consider travelling to the tournament as they would be walking targets. The families of Theo Walcott, and Oxlade-Chamberlain have already said they won't be going. Why exactly are we playing in a tournament where such poison pervades that black players will not be able to feel the pride in having their families there? What is the point of any of it?

At a recent Europa Cup game Man City were fined 10K euros more for being a minute late resuming the field than Porto were for allowing their supporters to racially abuse City players Toure and Balotelli. So there is EUFA's moral lead and as for FIFA, Blatter has already failed to condemn racism out right, saying effectively it's all in the game. Our FA are hardly any better for allowing John Terry to play just prior to his day in court on racism charges. And Roy Hodgson should not have picked him for the same reason.

The stage is set for a huge conflict between several national firms of hooligans. It will be a fitting tribute to the administrators' amoral view where only commercial rather than human interests are to be protected.