News in 2006

06th October 2006

Good people have made a difference

John Beresford's more than a former Newcastle United player turned football pundit. He is also one of life's good people.

More than that, he is a fundamentally honest man, whose support for the Show Racism the Red Card campaign has been invaluable. What an acquisition he has proved to be.

During his very first campaign visit to a school, Mr Beresford spoke, as always, from the heart and told how his teenage self had joined in racist chants at football matches.

How he shed his ignorance and grew into a committed campaigner against racism in all its guises is revealed on our sports pages today.

But it is through the efforts of people like him that the campaign started by United fan Ged Grebby can celebrate its 10th anniversary in the knowledge that it has helped bring about an enormous, and welcome, change to life in this country as a whole.

Their work is far from finished, alas, but the racist chants and abuse once commonplace in football grounds are now rarities that the vast majority of supporters will no longer tolerate.

That is not a situation that just happened to come about. It is entirely and completely down to the efforts of people like Ged Grebby, John Beresford and the rest of the campaigners.

Take a bow, gentlemen. You have made a difference and we thank you for it.

Source: The Journal