ENGLAND’S FEARS OF racist abuse towards their players were realised during their Euro 2020 qualifying match at Bulgaria on Monday night, with the game temporarily stopped twice in the first half by the match referee following abuse from the stands.
After discussing the matter with Three Lions captain Harry Kane, the match referee requested the following announcement be made over the tannoy: “Because of racist behaviour which is interfering with the game, the referee has indicated he may have to suspend the match.
“Please be in no doubt that the game may be suspended and abandoned if racist behaviour continues.”
England were 2-0 up at the time, following goals from Marcus Rashford and Ross Barkley. Rashford cut inside from the left before firing into the top corner, before Barkley finished off a fine move led by Raheem Sterling. Barkley added a third soon after the match resumed.
A large group of fans wearing black hoodies and with their faces covered were also pictured showing their middle fingers towards the pitch.
England manager Gareth Southgate is reported to have made another complaint to the match officials shortly before half-time, with abuse towards his players continuing after the initial warning on the tannoy.
Southgate’s side currently lead 4-0 at half-time, with Raheem Sterling tapping in from close range in stoppage time to extend the visitors’ lead.
"Absolute scumbags.
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 14, 2019
"There is no place for racism in football or society."@Chris_Sutton73 as a section of fans leave the stadium in Sofia after continued racist chanting.#BULENG #EuropeanQualifiers #VMSport pic.twitter.com/1FgrNaVWYL
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Makes your stomach turn thinking about the scenes in the stadium
And Bulgaria have black players on their team.. what an absolute bellend country.
@Yorkie1892: Obviously those idiots are a disgrace. I suppose the irony of painting the whole country as bellends as a result is lost on you then.
So a few tools get to disgrace an entire country on a broadcast that is being showed all around Europe and the world for that matter,, spotters in the crowd should be identifying the offenders and then the riot police should be waiting outside for them to beat the living daylights out of them, followed by a lifetime ban from football grounds and then name and shame them to all fellow Bulgarians so everyone knows who it was that made a show of them on a world stage…
@Devilsavocado: As happened in the 1980s!?
@Devilsavocado: only problem with that is that you can beat the shite out of a perfectly nice guy/people in the same stand as racists
@McSalmon: and the 90s, the 00s the 10s and as we have seen tonight the teens, racism is alive and well pal, it’s just disgusting to see football being used as its vehicle… now what I mean pal.
@Eoin Murphy: it was kind of wishful thinking on my behalf, I know my comment is definitely not the answer, but what is?? if you ban all fans from games it’s the real fans that suffer, and the racists just find another way at to spew their bile.
@Devilsavocado: to think it’s just a few is disingenuous. Look at how many fines and bans Bulgarian clubs have gotten over the years. It’s a real problem there
From the bbc match feed “ England drown out the racist chants with god save the queen “ My brain just burst !
@Patrick Murphy: Actually from a fan who twitted into bbc feed
“Josh: Got to give the English fans credit for drowning out the nastiness with a cracking rendition of God save the Queen”
Fair play to drown out the hate filled racists!
@Dougal67:
@Dougal67:
@Dougal67: ‘Fair play to the English fans’…. thats rich after they went on the rampage in the Czech Rep. a few days early.
Awful to see, of course.
Funny watching the English going tits about it though, as if they’re angels. Won’t be long until they’re at the racism when a certain Irishman doesn’t wear a poppy
@Shelsblog: true !
Those English fans look well oiled, the streets of Sofia are in for one hell of a night.
Gemma o Doherty’s mates ..dirt bags
Disgusting. No doubt the Bulgarian FA will get hit with a smaller fine than Huddersfield got for the Paddypower jersey stunt. UEFA will do nothing until the sponsors threaten to withdraw all that money!
Yup booing God save the queen! Put them in the the tower! All this anti englishism. Not tolerated. Were the chants in Bulgarian btw?
@McSalmon: Pretty sure monkey chants are the same in Bulgarian as they are in english.
@Dermot Foley: The chants came from a few monkeys. Out they went. Move on.