You’re sat at your desk, your monitor filled with the inane characters that you are meant to make sense of.
It’s a usual day, and you’re attempting to ignore the clock that is taunting you with its sedentary progress toward 5pm.
While you’re responding to emails and setting up meetings, all the things that don’t actually matter, you see one of your colleagues stand up.
They then start performing an impression of a monkey, complete with arm actions and noises.
They then rope in others, and all of a sudden, you have a cacophony of primate sounds – and it is directed at you.
All because of your skin colour.
Would you stand for it?
England boss Gareth Southgate and his squad have faced opposition from the Bulgarian FA after Tammy Abraham and other members of the team declared they would walk off the pitch should they be subject to racist chanting.
The Bulgarian FA have argued that this is “unjust branding of local spectators as people inclined to discriminatory behaviour.”
This is anything but unjust.
The game in question was played partially behind closed doors, with 5,000 of 46,000 capacity to be left empty. Why? Because Bulgarian fans were found guilty of racist behaviour against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June.
This isn’t just having a reputation, this is fresh conviction. Their fans are known to have a racist element and of course, our media pressed the English players into answers should they be inflicted with the same.
There has been a fresh, and needed, focus on racism in the game recently. Pushed by figureheads like Raheem Sterling, it has been welcome to hear global names talk on the subject.
Playing Bulgaria, much like when England played Montenegro recently, brings with it a chance for racism in the stands. Do the players have a duty to carry on in their roles even in the face of such hatred though?
Not a chance.
In any other workplace, this simply wouldn’t fly. What does a players earnings have to do with vilification and infringement on human rights?
If a man or woman is subject to racism, sexism etc, then the gloves are off.
For too long, the approach has not been stern enough – and that is why bodies such as ‘Kick It Out’ are still in place, existing long after they should be. Racism shouldn’t have a place in sport.
Sport has always been a leveller for all classes, and man, woman and child should be able to enjoy the action without fear of such hate.
Should the Bulgarian fans rain down abuse at any game, I for one look forward to their reaction and the attention it brings. Without this, then racism will always be a part of the game we adore.
The very fact we are going into a professional football match with an inkling of this to be expected, brings shame to the game’s governing bodies. Every week we hear new stories, especially in Italy, of players being subjected to chants based solely on their skin colour.
This must stop sooner rather than later. The very fact it exists shows that the preventative measures in place right now are simply not working.
So, walking off to end a game prematurely might just be the moment the game stands up and finally wakes up.
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