When did racism become part of a ‘lad’s day out?’

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“We’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it,” chanted a group of Chelsea football fans as they shoved a black man off a Paris Metro train.

Again and again the black passenger attempted to board the waiting train, only to be pushed back onto the platform by a torrent of limbs and hateful words.

The man went home to his wife and three children and, having lost his phone in the melee, was initially unaware the incident had sparked a global debate about racism that spilled far beyond the sports stadium.

The ugly scene, caught on camera by a horrified onlooker, showed racism is very much alive and kicking — and it’s not just football’s problem.

“There’s a strand of male culture you see in the UK, and to some extent other Anglo Saxon societies, prevalent among 20, 30 and even 40-year-olds, which is: you go abroad, you drink a fair amount, you sing songs and engage in banter, and pick on someone who is different to you,” said Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

“The boardrooms are almost exclusively white and male — and senior administrative positions are the same way,” said Ouseley.

“We’re seeing some progress, but it’s slow. At the start of this season there were no black managers — now there are five, including one in the premier league.”

Queens Park Rangers boss Chris Ramsey is that one black manager in the English Premier League and he insisted blame for the incident in Paris shouldn’t be left at football’s door.

“I don’t believe they are Chelsea fans or fans of football,” said Ramsey. “I believe they are acting in a manner which we all think is a thing of the past,” he said.

“Those views are intrinsic in everyday life. I’ve been saying for a long time these are social issues which manifest themselves in the football world.”

And as the incident in Paris showed, racism in football needn’t be confined to the playing field.

CNN