‘We thought racism was licked but sadly it never went away’

“The enhancement of technology is bringing out the ugliness of people,” says Elliott, an ambassador for Kick It Out. “I don’t get involved in Twitter or Facebook but I’ve been shown some of the most vociferous abuse I’ve ever seen: homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, it’s been disgraceful. Social media has given racists another platform and they can hide. If they go to a stadium and behaving like that, they won’t get away with it. If somebody’s calling me a black c*** I’m very confident a supporter will say, ‘That’s out of order, steward,’ and intervene. Twenty years ago he would have been joining in. Now we’ve got a better breed of English supporters.”

But it is the absence of this better breed of Polish and Ukrainian supporters that has seen the Euros plagued by racism.

Dutch players were subjected to racist chanting during an open training session in Krakow while Russian fans allegedly abused the Czech Republic’s Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is of Ethiopian origin. UEFA have charged Croatia with racist behaviour following the match against Italy after a banana was discovered on the pitch, having reportedly been thrown at Mario Balotelli when he was substituted.

The striker has threatened to walk off the pitch if he is abused but Elliott said Balotelli should approach the referee first. “If the referee takes no action, then the player is justified in taking action himself. I wouldn’t walk off because I come from that school of ‘don’t show weakness’. That is my Jamaican background. My p­arents showed great ­fortitude in the face of extreme discrimination when they came to this country. As players, we went through booing, monkey chanting, spitting, bananas, batteries and coins thrown at us and, of course, fellow players abusing us. But my parents taught me to rise above the challenge, not to show any reaction.”

Does this not suggest that Elliott’s generation was a bit too submissive compared to Balotelli’s, who was only four when Elliott was forced to retire because of injury in 1994?

“We were not more submissive, no,” says Elliott firmly. “But we were more tolerant. The players of today earn vast salaries, they’re very powerful and influential. As a 16-year-old at Charlton I was on £16 a week, Balotelli is on £125,000 a week. But the issue is how degraded you feel when somebody is throwing bananas at you or shouting monkey chants because of the historical connotations with slavery.”

It was just this worry of how his son might feel if he were subjected to racist abuse that made Danny Jordaan, the organiser of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, decide not to go to the Euros. Jordaan had tickets for the semis and final but the family’s fears were aroused by a Panorama ­programme showing racist violence against Asians during a club match in Ukraine.

As I narrate this story to Elliott he says: “I also saw the programme but I disagree with those who say don’t go.” Then, in words that Jordaan will find richly ironic, Elliott says: “What were people saying about South Africa? Don’t go. You’ll be mugged, women are going to be raped, you’ll have all sorts of violence there.

“What happened? South Africa staged one of the best World Cups ever. It was right to award Poland and Ukraine the Euros because the power of football is so great it can break down barriers and challenge racism and xenophobia.”

Elliott went to the tournament’s opening game between Poland and Greece in Warsaw and was heartened by the experience. “The atmosphere was sensational. I was very engaged with the locals, who were warm and welcoming.”

Elliott, who will return for the semi-finals and finals, spoke at a conference on racism organised in Warsaw by the Polish foreign ministry. He believes the Polish and Ukrainian authorities are not in denial on the issue but then draws a contrast with Liverpool’s handling of the Luis Suarez affair.

The Uruguayan was found guilty of racial abuse when he called Patrice Evra of Manchester United “a negrito”. Suarez claimed the word was not racist and Liverpool players showed their support for their team-mate.

“It soiled Liverpool’s brand. When I went to Italy [to play for Pisa in 1987] they went out of their way to educate me. They sat me down with the manager and the president and I was told about the customs of the country, what was acceptable, what was not. When players come into this country, they have to know the boundaries. Liverpool should have done that with Suarez. The club, as an employer, have a duty of care to explain the culture.”

But what about the duty of care for Rio Ferdinand? England manager Roy Hodgson denies he omitted the Manchester United defender from his squad because John Terry was in it. A week after the tournament, Terry will stand trial on a charge that he racially abused Ferdinand’s brother, Anton; an allegation the Chelsea captain denies.

Elliott, without wanting to criticise Hodgson, says: “Rio was good enough to have been selected and he still has much to offer England. Rio and John are both grown men. They have to get on for the sake of the team and I would’ve liked to have thought that they were professional enough.”

Follow Mihir on Twitter @mihirbose