Re: England footballer: "Worst racist abuse" By Martina Pisárová Vol 8, No 40, Oct 21 to 27
As a UK resident who utterly rejects racism, I think we have to be careful about judging the racism of Slovak fans too harshly. Racist behaviour has been common for years in UK football.
I am not saying that Slovak people are more racist than others - I spend a considerable amount of time in Slovakia and no 'outsider' would be surprised at my shock concerning the socially and institutionally racist attitudes openly expressed about the Roma. There is also, I suspect, a less articlulated, anti-Semitism bubbling away under the surface. If I am wrong about this I apologise.
Geoff Ward
