It was in the East Anglian Derby in 2015 when I first saw Tyrone Mings play.
Mings, along with 17 other members of Mick McCarthy’s merry men, were those who descended on Carrow Road in February that year, for 90 memorable minutes playing the pantomime villains that Alex Neil’s promotion-winning heroes sent back to Suffolk red-faced and well-beaten.
And, while Mings – and not Mings alone – was one of the most visible antagonists that day and has gone on to continue such exploits throughout his burgeoning career, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say the whole of the Norwich City community would have united behind him in Sofia on Monday night.
We all saw it. We all heard it. Amplified by ITV’s brilliant half-time coverage – narrated by the equally brilliant Mark Pougatch and Ian Wright – Mings, and several others, were the subject of racial abuse so abhorrent it prompted Borislav Mihaylov, the Bulgarian Football Union president, to resign from his post.
Mings, for all his flaws, of course did not deserve this. This was a man on international debut, justifiably earning his place after a string of stellar performances in claret and blue to both catapult Aston Villa into the Premier League and now help them to a solid start this season.
Instead of his England bow being remembered for a dependable defensive performance and a clean sheet to help his country on their way to the European Championships, it will be remembered as a night of footballing infamy as miserable as us fans can probably remember.
But this was nothing new. Rather than a watershed, Monday night instead represented the most conspicuous and audible example of this virulent European racism, made all the more visible by England’s defiant response.
Think of Podgorica earlier this year. Think of all the incidents that take place in Italy’s Serie A, instances that rather than diminish, only seem to grow in volume year on year. What happened in Sofia was merely the most flagrant manifestation of a problem that will not go away.
But Gareth Southgate’s men dealt admirably in the face of such evil; red beacons of majesty who glowed under the bright Bulgarian lights. Of course, they were completely right to consider walking off. That they didn’t was only testament to UEFA’s – long-overdue – ‘three-step’ policy that, in fact, proved surprisingly effective on the night.
While the game was not abandoned – again, the result of the monkey-chanting and abuse diminishing after half-time as a result of the referee’s actions in the first-half – the notion that a team should play on and ‘let their football do the talking’ in spite of such callousness is pure lunacy. Nobody should be expected to do their job while on the receiving end of unrelenting, wickedly-motivated racism.
How UEFA will now respond is anyone’s guess. As we are all acutely aware, their track record for dealing with such horrific abuse is far from exemplary. Their inability to provide even the most rudimentary of statements condemning those fans on the night of the event spoke volumes. They are part of the problem – not the solution.
Rhetoric from Aleksander Ceferin such as ‘waging war’ on racists is no good unless it is backed up by real, punitive, message-disseminating actions. Ban international football from coming to Bulgaria until the government can prove racism is stamped out. Sack the manager for his ludicrous pre-match comments comparing racism in England and his country. Or, for his blissful ignorance in the post-match press conference where he stated he will not believe racism was present until it is ‘proven’. Punish all those Bulgarian journalists who treated the whole debacle like it was all one big joke.
But back to Mings. He may be, for City fans in particular, one of English football’s more unlikeable characters. Yes, we will never forget his continual attempts to stir trouble in East Anglian derbies, and his – at times – overly-exerted aggression ever since. Most recently, we all know his stamp on Nelson Oliveira appeared far too deliberate for it to be branded an ‘accident’, or not motivated by malice.
On Monday evening, however, he had the apogee of his footballing career transformed from what should have been a moment of unadulterated joy to one of sadness, misery and despair. No-one deserves that. No-one should have to endure such naive, senseless, completely irrationally evil abuse.
As a football community, we can only hope that the response of Mings and his team-mates will serve as a turning point, not an act of resistance that – once again – fails to bring about any genuine, long-overdue, change.
Hi Will
A good analysis of the horrible action off field in Bulgaria.
Having worked in many countries over the last 35 years all the ills in football are put at the English Foitball door, On many occasions when hooligans turn up or there is crowd abuse it is called the English Problem or Virus.
Working in Nigeria in the 90’s our Portuguese Manager would always say that until the trouble and Racism started in the English game no one every had a problem and at the time you couldn’t argue with that assumption.
Do to the Hyshel incident UEFA and FIFA banned the English Clubs and Team from participating in games until we got our house in order, no other country has since had a similar ban.
Lazio got banned for 2 years after problems at an Ipswich game but UEFA have become toothless in rescent years hitting super rich clubs or leagues with a fine means nothing to the supporters they have lost nothing and still can get to game’s.
Banning supporters from going to game’s is not the answer, rescently city banned a supporter from all games, he said he will get friends to buy him tickets and could use a disguise to get to game’s, are clubs allowed to use facial technology but then a beard or cap could stop that unless stewards or police check individuals that are suspected of being under a ban.
Abuse is and always will be abhorrent how can it be stopped is the question Education, Ignore it, stop highlighting it maybe all of these we don’t have the answer.
Monday was an orchestrated first half to disrupt the game once the group had succeeded in causing as much abuse as they could they left, yes there were minor pockets of abuse in the second half and still unwanted but the main culprits had gone.
If the same level of secure that turned up for the second half was there in the first would the group bent on causing trouble have got away with it???
To many questions and no answers
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
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Good Comment Alex. My view of those chanting and saluting. They were not football supporters at all. they came to do what they did and then left. It was about more that being Racist, it veers into the political as well. It wasn’t just about there being players of different skin, because the home country had one player in their side.
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It was in my view their form of racism was used as the transport for their other views, which clearly includes this vile outlook on people.
Most of them have no ideas what the real horrors of those who saluted in that manner all those years ago. They pick the bits they want and leave the rest.
As a country we are by no means free of this. take English Defence League, Britain First and the National Front who have clearly demonstrated their views on our streets. When it comes to any sport that suffers like football did. There is no easy answer.
I say one way is to take that avenue away from them ban all the country at Internationals Levels and club levels from all competitions. Unfair on the rest, perhaps but then they could play a part in re educating, banning these Fascist type groups , from their country all together . I include straight outright Racists too.
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Hi Will
Another good read, notwithstanding it’s such a shame this topic remains an issue.
Complete kudos to Gareth Southgate and his team for the way they dealt with it.
As far as the Carra is concerned I don’t think I’m being naïve if I say we don’t have a problem – the very recent antics of some Villa fans were nothing to do with us after all.
I can honestly say I’ve heard no racist chanting at Carrow Road in thirty years now. The odd shouted, offensive remark, sure, The [borderline to me] homophobic song against Brighton, sure, but I’d like to think even that will be binned when the Seagulls visit us later in the season. Hopefully so because while I didn’t find it offensive I can understand why others might.
We’re a tight but loose little group in the Upper Barclay and the last time this issue affected us was probably around 2005.
This [very] old boy was talking to himself basically in very offensive terms but we could all hear it and despite many of us telling him to button it he simply continued. The half time beer led to a chat between us along the lines of “he’s a silly old $od ignore him” versus “nope next time we’ll get our friendly steward pal in to sort him out”.
Soon after the second half began he started up again big style so we chose the steward option and he was removed from the ground.
We never, ever, saw him again.
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Don’t know what borderline homophobic chant you mean as I’ve Never heard any at Carrow road , but I’d be appalled at anything even borderline considering what happened to Justin Fashanu , one of our own .
I agree about everything being thrown back at England’s door. Any hint f hooliganism … blame the English. They wouldn’t hesitate to throw us out of competitions if it was here. As for the Bulgarian coach denials unbelievable and he too should face sanctions .
Agree what you said about Mings. . He was booed at Carrow road this season for his antics with Ipswich and the stamp on Nelson, , but I felt sorry for him and what he had to endure on his england debut . Totally unacceptable
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Its the hardest topic in sport to comment about. I am going to take a starting point that racism is alive and well in all the old ‘Eastern European countries’ Bulgaria , Romania Hungary Poland Russia Belarus etc. Sadly as we have seen over the last year it still has a foothold in Italy, Spain , France UK et al.
The sad fact is these tendancies have had big boosts on the international stage since 2016 with the election of ,what can only be described as a white supremacist to the white house. UK politicians and others in western Europe do not come out of it too well either. Antisematism , Islamaphobia, and the dehumanisation of migrants and immigrants.
Given that background is it any suprise that the neanderthals are encouraged in the behaviour. Football again is being asked to hold itself up a a mirror to the microcosm of society and allow itself to be beaten by politicians on all sides, scoring points, whilst not putting their own houses in order. I guess it makes the politician feel better when he can drone on about racism in Bugaria whilst not mentioning it happening at Stamford Bridge , The Olympic Stadium, and New White Hart Lane.
Sadly it is going to take a lot of ‘education ‘ and progressive social policy work to get to where I think we want to be , but I dont think the will is there to tackle the societal problems. Its just easier to blame football
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Hi Berni
Not being a political animal I full agree with your sentiments.
As in all walks of life those in power will always find the most popular to blame for the ills that effect society.
It is the ignorant and uneducated that are blamed and Lead by the nose that creates problems.
If as all suspects the antiracism and hooligans were organised then it was for a perceived political gain or just to cause trouble.
Bulgaria and England have both been reported by EUFA/FIFA, Bulgaria I can understand but why was England supposedly for somebreach during the Anthem.
To me it looks like they don’t want to be seen as letting anything slip and trying to build up their coffers
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I volunteer for one of the largest junior football leagues in the country and we have seen rise over the last two seasons of racist and homophobic cases
Last Sunday a 12 year old was sent off, sadly there are a minority in society who peddle this filth to the next generation.
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Really nice piece, Will. Sums up my owns thoughts nicely.
Important to remember that while UEFA sanctions for this appear punitive, they have gone further than our own authorities when it comes to fines and ground closures. Our own house is most definitely not in order either.
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