ERADICATING racism is not easy. There are often two steps forward and one step back. It can’t be a popularity contest, there can be no relaxation in the fight and crucially it requires those with a platform and those in power to speak with one voice. The reaction by some on social media to Sunday night’s Euro 2020 final in which England lost to Italy on penalties was a reminder to many of us, that no matter how hard we try and escape it, racism and all its ugliness is never far away.

As soon as Marcus Rashford stepped up, my heart sank. As a Scottish woman of colour every straining fibre of my body wanted him to succeed. Not because I wanted England to win or lose, but in that moment I realised the repercussions. If he scored he’d be an English hero, if he didn’t, his ethnicity would be weaponised against him. The strength Rashford had taken from his team members taking the knee against racism despite booing from some of their own fans, his courage fighting to provide free meals to over a million children during school holidays and his campaign to provide kids with books has earned him my respect and attention.

But, as he walked up to the goal to take England’s third penalty his face did not seem to reflect the confidence of his achievements. As a 23-year-old, active on social media and full of self-awareness and emotional intelligence he must have known that his failure would result in much more than the mild ribbing Stuart Pearce received when he missed his penalty for England in the 1990 World Cup semis. His failure would be worse.

His hesitation as he approached the ball seemed to me to reflect his lack of belief in the way in which many of the rest of us approach racial equality – by using excuses that involve questioning whether racism really exists, saying it doesn’t happen here or excusing ourselves because ‘it’s just a bit of banter’.

Even the Scottish team’s initial hesitation about taking the knee against England during the tournament must add to the doubt. Saying that the tiny minority who racially abuse on social media are not 'real football fans’ – thereby popping the problem into a box, closing the lid and ignoring it – gives us an escape hatch.

The worst thing we do is say racism will always exist – it’s simply human nature. All these excuses weaken those who rightly want to use their talent, position and platform to bring about a racism-free society.

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The hitting of the post by Rashford was the perfect but utterly depressing metaphor for those who have been trying for decades to wipe out racial injustice in our society. Barriers like the government’s must maligned Report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities which concluded that a ‘new story’ needed to be told about the slave trade, the complaints against diversity and inclusion initiatives and the incessant ‘whataboutery' are often erected at the last minute, just seconds before the goal is reached.

No wonder Rashford looked like a man with the worries of the world on his shoulders, and God he was right to worry. Even before they had left the pitch the three black players – Rashford, Sancho and Sako – whose penalties had not been converted found their social media accounts full of the vilest, most disgusting racial abuse.

The N-word, monkey, banana and watermelon emojis were liberally applied as if to remind the three players that they might think of themselves as well-paid and super talented but to some English fans they could be cut down to size with a few strikes of a keyboard. The FA issued a statement in the middle of the night condemning the abuse and offering support to the players, but the damage to the young players and the England’s reputation was done.

The Herald:

The Prime Minister, who had previously refused to condemn booing by English fans at the taking of the knee said: “This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media,”

The Home Secretary who had complained about the taking of the knee as ‘gesture politics’ now wrote: “I am disgusted that @England players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media. It has no place in our country…”

The cognitive dissonance of those who had contributed to the tacit acceptance of not taking a stance against racism, now condemning it once it was out there in black and white for the whole world to witness, was utterly astonishing.

Johnson and Patel’s desperation to stay popular with the so-called ‘anti-woke’ folk literally blowing back in their faces in real Twitter time. Social media companies including Facebook and Twitter eventually removed thousands of racist tweets and condemned the abuse.

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Those three young men had more than just a penalty to think about. They faced a perfect storm in which pent-up toxic masculinity, culture wars and mixed messages from our political leaders all combined to offer them up as sacrificial lambs.

Thankfully, there were many in their team and in the country who offered hearts and hugs, but just imagine for one second how much more confident those players would have been if they had walked up to the ball in the full knowledge that all their fans, and their political leaders, were 100% behind them?

Imagine if Patel and Johnson had supported the struggle against racial injustice by taking the knee themselves. That is the only way we can win both football matches and the fight against racism.

Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.