West Ham players kneel after alleged racist incident during Dallas game: This is ‘bigger than football’

The West Ham United players were injured ahead of their match against Culture against Mo Ali Football Club on Friday following an alleged racist incident that took place during a match against Dallas United on Thursday.

Officials with The Soccer Tournament (TST) in North Carolina who were close to the incident said Thursday the athlete A Dallas United player started using the N-word towards the West Ham player. Officials originally thought the slur was directed at Anton Ferdinand, but later clarified that the player was Frank Noble. Noble faced the Dallas United player, and after the end of the regulatory period of the game, the West Ham players participated on the bench and with the match officials before leaving the field.

Ferdinand spoke about the incident at length after Friday’s game. The long-time former Premier League player has been subjected to racist abuse during his distinguished football career and has praised the efforts of the tournament’s organizers remove Dallas from the competition.

When asked if the Dallas United players had contact with the West Ham United players after the incident, Ferdinand told the media, “I think they wanted to have a conversation. But I think it was only right for the authorities that were TST to deal with, and for it to be dealt with in the right way.” To counter something there has to be a deterrent. TST has sent a strong message that any form of discrimination, racism and other forms of discrimination is not tolerated in a tournament like this. Because of the repercussions and what happened to Dallas, I hope people understand and realize the repercussions of saying such things .I hope you get home.”

what are they saying

“I want to go on record and say that the topic of the conversation that was revealed yesterday is bigger than football,” said Ferdinand. “And the way TST handled it, so quickly — a no-nonsense business. A lot of people around the world, organizations all over the world can take them. The support they gave us as a team and as a team, not only to us but to the staff here with us is second to none. To remember this isn’t just a football issue. It’s a societal issue that needs to be addressed and if more people dressed the way TST did, the world would be a better place.”

On whether the team was considering not playing after the incident, Ferdinand said, “That was definitely a possibility. As I said earlier, the topic of conversation was bigger than football. It’s not just people of ethnic origin who deal with this issue. Every race should.” And Lun to deal with the issue in the same way as ethnic minorities.

“Taking a tough stand because when I was on the other side as a player, playing competitively for a living, if someone said to me ‘get off the field’, the competitor in me would fight in my mind. But I’m not anymore. And I have a duty, in what I believe in myself, To make sure that if I’m in these situations I use my voice in the best possible way. And not just me but the team as a whole. The club as a whole has done that and that’s why I’m proud, my chest is up and with this badge on me,” he said, pointing to the West Ham crest.

Ferdinand said “we are a long way away” from eradicating racism within the sport.

“But we will not stop fighting,” he said. “The most important thing, the message is that this isn’t just a fight of an ethnic minority. It’s everyone’s fight. You need to talk and fight the same way I talk about it. The same way my teammates talk about it. This is something we had yesterday, it wasn’t just It’s black players who talk about it. White players like Matt Jarvis or Jimmy Walker would step up and talk before me. Before Carlton Cole. That’s very important. When someone of white heritage hears someone of my heritage talk about it, it’s like a broken record, “You’ve heard it before. But when you hear it from someone who looks like you, it makes you take note. Everyone has to unite and fight. It’s hard, but football can be a catalyst for change in society.”

background story

TST is a seven-a-side 32-team tournament that takes place in North Carolina from June 1-4. Teams representing famous clubs from around the world, including West Ham, Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham and more, will compete with well-known former players and other representatives along with small-scale amateur teams for the prize of one million dollars.

(Photo: Felipe Cardenas/The Athletic)