During ITV 1's coverage of Sunday afternoon's FA Cup clash between Manchester City and Manchester United, something commentator Clyde Tyldesley said got me to thinking. As United's captain Patrice Evra took a throw-in, he was showered with abusive language and gestures from the City fans. Tyldesley then commented that "Abusing players is habitual. It'll never go away. It's the nature of the beast."
True as this may be, the context was an interesting one, Evra of course being at the centre of the Luis Suarez race-row that has dominated recent footballing discourse.
But the vastly different ways in which we respond to those fans or players who swear at one another and to those who make racist remarks is telling. And positive. Obviously insulting someone for the colour of their shirt and insulting someone for the colour of their skin are entirely different, and we should react in different ways. However, just as we are happy to brush off the vitriol of generic abuse as 'banter' and part of the game, there are still those who consider the same to be true of ethnic slurs.
In 2004, Ron Atkinson was sacked by ITV after calling the then Chelsea centre-half Marcel Desailly a "lazy n****r" thinking he was off camera. Correct decision. However, many of the 'old school' deemed this an inappropriately harsh punishment. Fellow pundit Jimmy Hill suggested that the use of the n-word was morally equivalent to calling him "Chinny" for his hilariously large facial appendage. These were in the minority, but suggested that overt racism was still present in football, and condoned.
Perhaps more worryingly though, the incident suggested that latent racism was still present, the tacit acceptance that someone's race is an acceptable source of mockery. Latent racism is not a question of actions, but of attitudes, and is thus harder to combat.
The same attitudes were present late last year, and in the highest station possible. Reason number 83 to hate Sepp Blatter arrived when he suggested that racism was no longer a problem in football, and that any disputes on the field could be settled by a handshake at the final whistle. Whilst he subsequently and cowardly backed away from his comments, the suggestion was clear; racist attitudes - whilst still existing, aren't that much of a problem - should be accepted and we should get on with the game. When the man at the head of the game holds these views, it's a miracle we've advanced as far as we have.
By and large, the n-word chanting and banana-throwing racism of the 1980s has been eradicated from the English game. But the attitudes persist. Luis Suarez was handed an eight match ban by the FA after levelling what was deemed to be a racial slur at Patrice Evra, Suarez's claims that it was a South-American term of endearment was not deemed to be sufficient excuse by the authorities.
Correct call. Suarez does not appear to be a racist, and a genuine clash of cultures does seem to be the source of the conflict; however, the only way to stamp out the lingering spectre of latent racism is to clamp down in incredibly harsh ways to make examples of players. Show that no racism at all will be tolerated and over time even the most regressive attitudes can be chipped away at.
Liverpool's reaction to the affair was thoroughly embarrassing, as the players were allowed to warm up in tops emblazoned with an image of Suarez when just days after the charge was handed down, portraying him as a martyr when in fact he'd just been charged of a racially-aggravated offence. Manager Kenny Dalglish praised his players for showing solidarity with one of their own. But implicit in the wearing of the T-shirts was that Suarez, not Evra, was the victim, and that the charge was something of a ridiculous joke, reinforcing the Blatter-esque attitudes.
Clearly then, the eight game ban, whilst an effective statement, is not a panacea. When a player as universally loathed as Evra is subject to the comments, it doesn't exactly create the necessary sympathy.
But on Friday night, Liverpool FC was once again embroiled in controversy. During the FA Cup tie against Oldham Athletic, black right-back Tom Adeyemi appeared visibly distressed and furious, as he alleged racist remarks were shouted at him from the Kop end (for which a man has since been arrested).
Tom Adeyemi is not the brash antagonistic Patrice Evra. He is a quiet, unassuming young man barely out of his teens. And in front of 45,000 people he was brought to tears by comments allegedly about the colour of his skin.
The universal condemnation of the 'fans' who allegedly shouted the comments, and the universal support for Adeyemi by Oldham and Liverpool players, as well as the wider media are encouraging. Liverpool Football Club issued a statement which can be read here.
The ability to see the effects of racism on a very human level makes one more attuned to the seriousness of the issue. This, coupled with a dedication to punish those who breach the rules, can, is and will continue to change perceptions. There is still work to do. But, with commitment, football can consign the neanderthal views of Mr Blatter and his ilk to the past.