Andy Cole
England
No one should accept racist abuse.
There's no place for racism at school, football or anywhere in society.
It's up to all us to work together to stamp out racism.
Show racism the red card.

Joe Cole
England
What are your views on racism?
I think it's a shame that there is racism in a lot of walks of life, but the good people are really trying to stop it. It's good that there are programmes like this that encourage people to kick racism out of sport and life in general. It's a problem in society, but I think 99% of people are not racist, and are trying to eradicate it.

Kieron Dyer
England
On suffering from Racism in Football
What are your thoughts on the racist abuse that the England players received when they played in Slovakia in October?
What stuck out most of all is when the stretcher came on. The four stretcher men were making monkey noises at Ashley Cole because when they left the pitch he was preparing to take a thrown-in. When the men with the stretcher are doing that it's quite sickening. If nothing is done players could reach a certain point where they snap and then you might see something like what happened when Eric Cantona attacked a racist fan in the crowd. That's not what we want to see in football so the authorities must act.
On the anti-racist campaign
Campaigns like this are good, because if there is going to be any long-term solution, it has to start with education. That's the only way to stamp it out altogether. This is a good time to step up the campaign to try and encourage FIFA and UEFA to take drastic action to stop this kind of racism. What happened in Slovakia was terrible.

Rio Ferdinand
England
Did you have any experiences of racism, growing up in London?
I was at a football club, I won't say where,at a club watching a game when I was about 18. I had a Saturday off, so I went and watched the team play. I was sitting in the stands and there was a policeman standing behind me about three rows back. The visiting team had a few black players in the side and a few of the black players made a few good tackles and I think one of them scored a goal. And there's this guy right in front of me started saying 'you black this' and 'you black that'. So I looked at my friend and said 'I think I'm going to leave, I can't sit here and listen to this all the time' and the policeman didn't say or do anything. The guy carried on shouting 'you black this and that' and then he turns round and says to me, 'oh, not you mate you're alright, it's just these ones, they get right on my nerves'. I just kind of laughed out of embarrassment for the guy and I looked at the policeman and he looked away, as if to say 'I didn't hear it'. It just makes you shake your head sometimes, they haven't got any self-respect to start talking like that. I ended up leaving the game before the end, so that was disappointing. But, that was one of the main things I've seen in football and it's something that, touch wood, is being driven out.

Jim Magilton
Ireland
On racism:
I've witnessed it during certain games and I've always tried to stand up against it. I don't believe in it and I don't think it has any credence in our game or our society at all...I've been called an "Irish so-and-so"...it makes me feel more determined. I never let it get on my back. I don't know what it's like (to experience racism) because of the colour of my skin. It's a shocking thing that because you've got a different colour skin to me that someone would have the gall to stand up and call you a certain name. It's ridiculous...The first time (I saw it) I was at Anfield and John Barnes was at Liverpool. I was a young pro at Liverpool in a derby game when the Everton supporters threw bananas. It was totally disgusting. That was the first time I had ever seen it at such close quarters.
Advice to young people who hear racism:
Discourage it as much as you can. If you hear someone say it, ask them why they say it - why would they

StOp RaCiSm
stop racism


A BLACK MAN WALKS INTO A CAFE EARLY ONE MORNING AND NOTICES HE IS THE ONLY BLACK MAN THERE.

AS HE SAT DOWN HE NOTICED A WHITE MAN SAT BEHIND HIM, THE WHITE MAN SAID "COLOURED PEOPLE ARENT ALLOWED IN HERE!"

THE BLACK MAN REPLIED...

"WHEN I WAS BORN I WAS BLACK

WHEN I GREW UP I WAS BLACK

WHEN IM SICK IM BLACK

WHEN I STAY IN THE SUN IM BLACK

WHEN IM COLD IM BLACK

WHEN I DIE IM BLACK

BUT YOU SIR...

WHEN YOU WHERE BORN YOU WERE PINK

WHEN YOU ARE SICK YOU ARE GREEN

WHEN YOU STAY IN THE SUN YOU ARE RED

WHEN YOU ARE COLD YOU TURN BLUE

WHEN YOU DIE YOU TURN PURPLE

AND YET YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL ME COLOURED!!"



COPY THIS INTO YOUR BLOG! AND HELP TO STOP RACISM!!!