Football’s persistent darkness reflects the human condition

Much like the persistence of racism, to be still talking about a problem that existed in the days when Graeme Souness had a moustache and a perm feels like a depressing indictment of humanity’s inability to change for the better, writes Tommy Martin.

There is a flashback scene in the new series of The Handmaid’s Tale where Emily, a young, lesbian academic, and her boss, a middle-aged, gay professor, talk about the encroaching climate of bigotry that eventually leads to the establishment of Gilead, the ultra-religious dystopia in which the show is set.

When Emily is outed, her professor takes her off teaching duties in an attempt to placate the university’s disapproving board of management. Emily objects, refusing to be cowed by the suddenly intolerant atmosphere.