Nathan Ferguson has said that he and his Crystal Palace teammates often speak about racism openly, and has urged those who suffer racist abuse to always come forward and report it. The 21-year-old was speaking to four young adults from the Palace for Life Foundation as part of the Premier League’s Youth Voice project, which sees first-team players meeting diverse groups of young people who are connected to clubs through community programmes and Academies. Joined by his father – a PE teacher – Ferguson opened up on his experience dealing with racist abuse and what advice his parents offered him growing up. He also gave advice on what to do when confronted with abuse, reinforcing the message that those who are discriminated against should always speak up and report it. Crystal Palace’s first-team squad is currently made up of players from all over the globe, which includes a plethora of different races and religions.
Nathan Ferguson said: “I know that we speak about racism very openly in our team. As a team, as a squad, we’re here to support each other. It doesn’t matter about the colour of your skin, doesn’t matter about how you speak, we respect who you are at all times. For me that’s our soul – diversity is our soul. When I was younger, my dad and mum especially always told me to be strong mentally. But don’t be quiet, always speak out, don’t be afraid. Because the colour of your skin isn’t a crime and actually in fact you’re a blessing to the world, so you need to remember that.”
At the top level of the professional game, the Premier League currently have an online reporting system in place for players, managers and their families to report any discriminatory abuse they receive. A dedicated team then investigates cases to identify perpetrators, with legal action taken when required. The league are also trying to raise more awareness of their work, with all Premier Leagues taking place between October 16 and October 24 dedicated to the No Room For Racism campaign. That, plus new education tools that include players like Ferguson speaking out about these topics, mean there is now more being done than ever to help combat discriminatory abuse.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “The Premier League and our clubs are fully committed to fighting racism. Unfortunately, we are reminded far too frequently that there is more to be done. We will do all we can to ensure action is taken, making it clear there is no place for racial prejudice in football and wider society. We will not stand for it in our grounds and we will continue to work with our clubs and the authorities to make sure players, managers, and their families and others do not have to experience online hate. We urge fans to join us and show their support by challenging and reporting any form of racist behaviour, wherever and whenever they see it.”
For more information on No Room For Racism and to find out more about what the Premier League are doing to help, click here.
