It was just before a game against Manchester City that the Sodje's got perhaps the most chilling reminder of some football fans' bigotry. 'Susannah received a letter at the hospital where she works just before the game, and another a week later, from someone claiming to represent a group calling themselves the Manchester City Governors, telling her that she was a disgrace for going out with a black guy. I wasn't worried but it panicked her a bit. I would have been more worried if they had arrived at our home.'
A lack of action by the clubs and the FA does not surprise Jon Garland, a Leicester University sports academic whose research into football racism stretches over a decade. 'It's still a significant problem in England, especially in the lower leagues, where there are fewer police,' says Garland. 'But it happens in the Premiership, too.
'Last season at Filbert Street, the Everton and Leeds fans both sang "Town full of Pakis" at the Leicester supporters and some of the Leeds followers called Muzzy Izzet "Turkish scum". At both games there was shock and anger among home fans but the police and stewards did absolutely nothing. That's dispiriting and frustrating. Nobody was arrested or ejected, even though they were breaking the law.'
According to Garland, many clubs think that 'Let's kick racism out of football' means leaving leaflets on seats and putting messages on the scoreboards - 'That if they do that, that's it dealt with and they're off the hook.' Clubs must be more pro-active in their approach, he says. 'If, for example, Ipswich Town are serious about combating racism, they need to tell their stewards that. Likewise the police and stewards have to act on all incidents of racism. The police take it more seriously than they used to, but still not consistently seriously enough. The policing of racism at football is still not good enough. Too often people make racist comments without fear of arrest or ejection.'
They also do so without fear of being reported. Few supporters will challenge a fellow spectator, for fear of a mouthful of abuse, a punch in the face or worse. Supporters know that many stewards will do nothing. And stewards very rarely enlist police assistance to deal with racists.’