Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Kick it out: Watch shocking footage of racist abuse aimed at Diouf that has 'appalled' Millwall chiefs

"That behaviour is unacceptable in any football ground in the country and at Millwall we will ban the individuals for life," says Andy Ambler

El-Hadji Diouf of Leeds has words with ref Mark Halsey during the npower Championship match between Millwall and Leeds United at The New Den on November 18, 2012






















Millwall chiefs have promised to ban fans who appear to be shouting racial abuse at El-Hadji Diouf in video footage which emerged last night.
Lions chief executive Andy Ambler says he is "appalled" by the clip shown by Sky Sports News last night, which appears to show Leeds forward Diouf being subjected to abuse in a match at the Den on November 18 last year.
"Like all Millwall fans and football fans generally, we're appalled by the footage we've seen," said Ambler.
"Clearly that behaviour is unacceptable in any football ground in the country and at Millwall we will ban the individuals for life and we hope that Sky will pass the footage to the police so that further action can be taken."
"Sadly racism exists in our society and certain individuals want to bring it into football grounds. It's down to us in football do to more.
"We think football is the solution to the problem and the work that we do will continue and we need to continue it.
"That day against Leeds obviously there was an allegation of abuse made online initially. We investigated it straight away.
"We interviewed stewards, police, players, we looked at the TV footage too as it was live on Sky.
"After speaking to the player who had the alleged abuse at him during the day, he said that he heard no abuse on the day so that was basically at that point the end of the investigation - although we're going to open it again now."
It's not the first time Millwall supporters have been accused of racial abuse.
Last year a 13-year-old boy has been banned from Millwall matches and offered a place on an equality and racism education course after he admitted verbally abusing Marvin Sordell.
Sordell tweeted at the time: "Putting the match aside, its 2012 in england and people are still shouting racial abuse at a football game!? £Shocking.
"Chungy, Pratts, Benik and i had all sorts of things said to us. The police were standing yards away and did nothing..."
Marvin Sordell: "We can't be silent about it"
Julian Finney
After Sordell made his complaint a banner claiming "Sordell is a c***" was unfurled at a later game.
Sordell said: "We're a developed, multi-cultural society. It's surprising it can still go on - but it doesn't exactly shock me.
"We can't be silent about it. We need to make people aware that there is a problem going on and only when people are aware of the problem can it be sorted out.
"As long as people are brave enough I'd say to come out and say exactly what's happened to them then I think we'll be going in the right direction because the first thing that needs to happen is that we can't be silent about it."
But he added: "Sometimes it gives me that bit more fire to prove people wrong and that I can rise above it."
David Bernstein, the FA chairman, told Sky Sports News: "These issues bother me intensely. They have become top of my agenda in terms of moving these things on and combating these things.
"The awareness of it could not be higher."

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