Kerr states his case

On the eve of the second uniteagainstracism conference in Barcelona, former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr delivered a rallying call to delegates from the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network during a fringe meeting involving grassroots groups set to attend the main event.

Proper publicity
Kerr, who recently put the problem of racism in Irish football on the agenda for the first time after receiving racist literature and letters due to the involvement of non-white coaches and players in his Ireland squad, put forward his own suggestions from personal experiences to ensure the problem receives proper publicity.

'Front-page news'
"I spoke out recently at a SARI (Sport Against Racism in Ireland) event in Dublin," Kerr said. "I had lost my job three months beforehand and I had not really made any statements about that fact so the media were all assembled there. But only one thing was going to make the papers that day. Until then, I never had a problem with racism in football, but what I was going to say was about to be front-page news."

Reversal
Kerr's statements kick-started media interest in the topic in Ireland, a country traditionally involved in the export of human resources worldwide, but more recently a country which has become, for the first time, a popular destination for immigrants from eastern Europe and Africa. "I believe that sport is a catalyst in terms of heightening awareness to social issues," said Kerr. "Sport always gave me the opportunity to meet people who were not the same as me. I have always been positive towards this and education is central to all of this. Sport can help in that regard."

Role model
But just as Irish sport has highlighted the need for Irish society to come to terms with the changing ethnic mix of its population, the issue of racism in Irish sport also received an unexpected role model, with Kerr happy to fit the bill - although he hopes that others will follow across the continent.

Call for coaches
"The players are serious about this issue, especially as they are the ones on the receiving end," he continued. "Players can make a difference, but we need to co-ordinate the impact. But coaches can also make a difference if the issue is brought to their attention. It is they who appreciate the ability of the players regardless of their background or origin. Coaches pick the best possible team in order to achieve the best possible result. Why don't coaches stand up to this problem? The supporters react to what the coaches say."

Different races
Having roots in the Irish travelling community and a father with Belfast-based Presbyterian origins, Kerr came into contact with different races and creeds early in life, an uncommon situation for a family in Ireland at that time. With his father employed as a boxing coach in a Dublin university, the knock-on effect for the Kerr family meant "you never knew who was going to be in the house one day from the next".

'Diversity'
It was a situation that served Kerr's coaching career well. "I began coaching at the age of 16 and from that point all my teams were multicultural. My teams had diversity and it was something I sought out. At that time there were not many black players in Ireland, but nevertheless supporters warmed to these players as they gave something different. They gave a different flavour to our game."

Energetic debate
With his own personal experience, Kerr has put an issue that bubbled under in Irish society on to the agenda, although challenges lie ahead across Europe. "Although organisations (in the FARE network) are disparate groups...your work is at grassroots level," he concluded. "If objectives are streamlined your voices collectively will need to be heard." Buoyed by what Kerr had to say, the delegates were warming to the task of making the second uniteagainstracism conference a truly energetic debate.