Reading’s Jason Roberts set to boycott ‘Kick it Out’ campaign
Reading striker Jason Roberts is refusing wear a Kick It Out shirt at Anfield on Saturday in protest at what he says is the organisation’s lack of action against racism in football in the last year.
‘Kick It Out’s’ annual week of action starts on Thursday and players have traditionally worn shirts promoting it.
But referring to incidents involving John Terry and Luis Suarez, Roberts Roberts said: “I won’t wear one.
“I find it hard to wear a T-shirt after what has happened in the last year.”
Chelsea captain Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by the Football Association for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. While Liverpool striker Suarez received an eight-match ban and £40,000 fine for the same offence against Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
Roberts said that Terry’s apology came ‘a year too late’ and the FA punishment was too lenient.
‘The four-match ban was, for me, not a heavy enough sanction for what happened,’ said Roberts.
‘I’m not happy. Certainly they should have given him a longer ban. The sanction is nowhere near harsh enough.’
Roberts, whose Reading team travel to Liverpool this Saturday, said he knew of other black players who were considering not wearing the T-shirts this weekend.
He added: “I’m totally committed to kicking racism out of football but when there’s a movement I feel represents the issue in the way that speaks for me and my colleagues, then I will happily support it.
Lord Ouseley, chairman of the Kick It Out group, said that he sympathised with Roberts.
“He’s not been slow in coming forward about this and I respect his views,” said Ouseley.
“I can understand his frustrations. If Kick It Out had the power to sort this out then we would have done. Sorry Jason, we don’t have that kind of power.”
On not wearing a T-shirt, Ouseley added: “It’s a matter for him and his club.”
Roberts said the football authorities had been “complacent” in their fight against racism.
Following the shameful scenes in Serbia on Tuesday night Roberts believes that European governing body Uefa will not take adequate action after Danny Rose claimed he was racially abused in an England Under-21 game against Serbia on Tuesday.”Uefa will sweep it under the carpet,” he added, before saying it would take players walking off the pitch for any meaningful action to be taken.
“If Danny Rose, who I think acted excellently in the whole thing, and his team-mates walk off the pitch when they first hear racist abuse, guaranteed Uefa will start to change things.”
