We have no doubt at all that there are many white men in football who react adversely to “outspoken black men” (Stan Collymore interview: ‘The thing white men hate the most is outspoken black men’, 11 June). However, the difficulties encountered by people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds in football stem not just from the racial prejudices of individuals, but the processes of whiteness and institutional racism that pervade football as they do UK society.
This is aggravated by the common argument that racism in football has been addressed and now dealt with, sometimes because there is reasonable representation of minoritised individuals as players. That Collymore is still pressing the case for the introduction of the Rooney Rule after so many years is indicative of the entrenched institutional resistance in football to racial equality. We of course endorse the idea of adopting the Rooney Rule, which would ensure black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates at least get on to the shortlist for managerial appointments, but that is only scratching the surface. We say this at a time when boardrooms, committees, disciplinary panels and key decision-makers in football remain so white. In such circumstances it is unsurprising that white players disproportionately benefit from privileging through informal tutoring, mentoring, social networks and freedom from the racism that risks driving excellence out of the game. Such processes of course affect far more people at grassroots level away from the world of professional football.
In case you are wondering, one of us is white and one black. And yes, we are well aware that women and those who identify as LGBT are likely to fall foul of similar norms.
Emeritus Professor Jonathan Long
Professor Kevin Hylton
Institute for sport, physical activity and leisure, Leeds Beckett University
So now football fans will have to subscribe to Amazon Prime as well as to Sky and BT Sport to be sure they can watch the matches they want to see (Report, 8 June). The Premier League’s chief executive is acclaimed for driving up the television rights from £1.78bn to £5.13bn since 2013. But this is a case of competition working to the disadvantage of the consumer. The bidding war that the league encourages simply increases the cost for the fans. And why? To pay players and managers even more than the impossibly high salaries they already earn. Another example of modern capitalism securing a redistribution of wealth from the not very well off to the filthy rich.
Derek Neil
Newcastle upon Tyne
I was interested to learn that “rail seating, which has rows of rails with flip-down seats closely spaced” is proposed as an alternative to the traditional terrace standing at football grounds (Standing review is a big step but remains an emotive issue, 6 June). Many years ago I wrote to the Guardian suggesting a variation of the medieval misericords in churches, where clergy could pretend to stand while resting their bums on similar flip-down seats. Perhaps the humorous carvings under misericords could be replicated for football, with Steve Bellian 3D cartoons mocking the opposition, or the management?
Louis Hellman
London
Your picture caption says that England coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane were being presented with “a football-themed cake” in Saint Petersburg (Soviet-style spectacle: Trained smiles as Earth’s greatest show kicks off, 14 June). I think it much more likely that it was the traditional Russian greeting of “bread and salt”. Let’s hope they had been better briefed than your caption writer and knew how to receive it by breaking off a piece of bread and dipping it in the salt before eating it.
Phil Coppard
Rotherham
Is there some rule of etiquette attached to the taking of photographs of footballers? Looking through your admirable online guide to all 736 players involved in the World Cup in Russia, it seems that very, very few of them have been pictured without their mouths hanging open. Or do footballers shout and talk at all times?
Timothy Leese
Holkham, Norfolk
The 2026 World Cup won by a joint bid from the US, Mexico and Canada (Report, 14 June)? This could be a little awkward if, thanks to Trump’s legacy, the three countries are still at war.
Toby Wood
Peterborough
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