Pitch Black : The Story of Black British Footballers

When Paul Canoville took to the pitch for Chelsea in 1982, he was prepared for abuse. When the monkey chanting and the banana throwing started, he wasn't surprised. He wasn't prepared, however, for the abuse to be coming from his own side. Canoville was the only member of the team whose name was booed instead of cheered, the only player whose kit wasn't sponsored. He received razor blades in the post. He took to waiting two or three hours to leave the ground after a match, fearing for his safety. So minimal was the presence of black players in the game, the few who managed to break through wer. Read more... Abstract: Pitch Black takes a frank and controversial look at the history of the world's most popular sport - and its future. Read more... When Paul Canoville took to the pitch for Chelsea in 1982, he was prepared for abuse. When the monkey chanting and the banana throwing started, he wasn't surprised. He wasn't prepared, however, for the abuse to be coming from his own side. Canoville was the only member of the team whose name was booed instead of cheered, the only player whose kit wasn't sponsored. He received razor blades in the post. He took to waiting two or three hours to leave the ground after a match, fearing for his safety. So minimal was the presence of black players in the game, the few who managed to break through were subjected to the most graphic abuse from all sides. Today, 30 per cent of English professional footballers are black, and amongst their number are some of the biggest heroes of the beautiful game. But just how far have we come? With unprecedented access to current and former players ranging from Viv Anderson to Cyrille Regis to John Barnes, Emy Onuora charts the revolutionary changes that have taken place both on and off the pitch, and argues that the battleground has shifted from the stands to the board room. In this fascinating new book, Onuora critically scrutinises the attitudes of FIFA, the FA and the media over the last half-century, and asks what is being done to combat the subtler forms of racism that undeniably persist even today. Featuring startling revelations from all levels of the footballing fraternity, Pitch Black takes a frank and controversial look at the history of the world's most popular sport #x96; and its future Content: Cover Title Page Dedication CONTENTS PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: PRE-THREE DEGREES CHAPTER 2: THE LEGEND OF CES PODD CHAPTER 3: VIVA ANDERSON! CHAPTER 4: THE THREE DEGREES GET HOT CHAPTER 5: UPRISING CHAPTER 6: MOSS SIDE MANIA CHAPTER 7: DRESSING DOWN IN THE DRESSING ROOM CHAPTER 8: THE CROWD GO BANANAS CHAPTER 9: BLACK ACROSS THE BORDER CHAPTER 10: PUSHING ON WITH THE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAPTER 11: MAKING A STAND CHAPTER 12: YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ANY MORE CHAPTER 13: DOING SWEET FA CHAPTER 14: BUT CAN THEY MANAGE? CHAPTER 15: COACHING FAI R PLAY AND FURTHER. APPENDIX: THE GREATEST BLACK BRITISH TEAMBIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A, B, C INDEX D, E, F G, H, I J, K, L M, N, O P, Q, R S, T, U V, W, X Y, Z Copyright.