Disunited colours of sport

DENY it if it makes you feel better, but racism is alive and kicking in football. Just look at last week's English FA action against Liverpool's Luis Suarez, banned for eight games for racial abuse, and announcement that Chelsea's John Terry is to be prosecuted for a racially aggravated public order offence.

Both players deny their charges and processes must be allowed to take their course. But football clubs and fans must remember that there are things in life more important than the next three points. Eliminating racism is one of them. Last week Liverpool FC forgot that. When Suarez was found guilty of using "insulting words" towards Manchester United's Patrice Evra that "included a reference to Mr Evra's colour", the response from the Red side of Merseyside was just disappointing. Kenny Dalglish's trite answer was: "Suarez needs our full support. Let's not let him walk alone." Hence, the manager sent his team out for warm-up wearing 'Suarez T-shirts' at Wigan. Liverpool then said it will support the player whatever the outcome.

Suarez, and the club's, defence is based on the argument the word "negrito" can be used as a form of "affection" in Uruguay, where the forward is from. Maybe in a crowded United box, in a bad tempered encounter with Liverpool's most bitter rival, Suarez was suddenly seized with affection for Evra. Overcome with the emotion, he may give voice to these warm feelings in his native tongue over and over again. Ten times to be precise. And it doesn't matter if Suarez has a black grandfather or done charity work to "encourage solidarity among people with different backgrounds". Football must adopt a zero tolerance approach to racism.

Suarez is appealing the verdict and may yet be vindicated. But at the moment he is a guilty man. The least Liverpool could do is show some awareness of that fact. Their great manager Bill Shankly once said "football isn't a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that". Shankly was wrong.