Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, who had been a victim of racial abuses by English Captain John Terry last year, has now refused to join the Kick It Out campaign by not wearing T-shirt along with two of his QPR team-mates. His racial abuse case against Terry concluded just in last week and where he has been imposed with a £220,000 fine and a four matches’ suspension. His decision to boycott wearing the t shirts came within 24 hours of Rio Ferdinand’s, his brother, decision to boycott the support of Kick It Out anti racial campaign here at Loftus Road. During Kick It Out campaign, all premier league players are asked to wear a t-shirt bearing an anti-racial massage: “one game, one community” during each of their pre-game training session to withdraw the attention towards the biggest evil of soccer. Moreover, according to Rio and his brother, Ferdinand’s racial abuser Terry should have been punished little more harshly rather imposing a moderate fine, and that’s why they are against of this symbolic campaign without any real ground effects.
Reportedly, any racial remarks are greatly criticized from every corner of the world, and in this case too, Professional Footballers’ Association is keeping a check on club’s behaviors towards these protesting players. Clarke Carlisle, the PFA chairman said, “We will definitely monitor the situation very closely and make sure Rio Ferdinand’s rights as a human being, never mind as a footballer, are not undermined in this position.”
He further added, “Everyone has a right to free speech — just like you can’t coerce anyone into shaking hands, you can’t make somebody wear a T-shirt — although I do personally believe that joining in with the campaign is the best way forward.”
Moreover, another England defender: Sol Campbell has asked European football’s governing body to introduce a point deduction system to eradicate any racial remark in a soccer game being played on European soil. QPR’s next EPL clash is against Everton and these mentioned players will protest in their said manner before that match which could be their first active attempt to beat the racial heat. Importantly, besides QPR, many other players have agreed to participate in this campaign like Manchester City defenders: Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott, who have also refused to wear t-shirts before their match against Bromwich Albion.
Broadly, each of the players, who have refused to wear the anti-racial t-shirts, is not happy with the ways racial abuses are being handled by soccer governing bodies. So, they have decided not to participate in this campaign, which, according to them, brings a lot more media attention than wearing them.