Graham Rix

[Smartie]

The slurs, the language and physical assaults being alleged are deplorable.

The thing is, 20 years before that it wouldn't have been a surprise. What black footballers had to tolerate in the 1970s was totally disgraceful, but I think we can all know and accept that it went on.

This is Chelsea, a big club in a big multicultural city, and only 20 odd years ago. It's not like black players were a rarity any more, and Rix will surely have had many black players as team mates by this point.

I know and remember these times, and it is surprising to me that abuse of this nature would have happened and been tolerated.

The stuff I heard about was similar to the Beckham story above - "rites of passage" stuff that went on everywhere and was very dodgy, but widespread, and I wonder how it might be interpreted 20 years down the line.



I see Peter Beardsley's possibly about to lose his job due to allegations of bullying and racism as well, only much more recently.