Zayed steps up anti-racism crusade

Shamrock Rovers striker Eamon Zayed is ready to formalise his long-standing opposition to racism in football by becoming a director on the board of Show Racism The Red Card.

“It’s something that I’d love to get involved in,” he said. “If I can help and bring some fresh new ideas to the organisation, well, great.”

Along with Jason Sherlock, Zayed was due to attend the Awards Exhibition for the organisation’s 2014 Anti-Racism Creative Competition for schools and youth services at the Aviva Stadium yesterday but had to pull out after an x-ray revealed he had fractured his elbow in Rovers’ 3-2 win against Drogheda United on Friday, even though the striker not only saw out the game but got on the scoresheet.

His initial feeling after falling on his right elbow in the first 10 minutes had been that the discomfort was related to a previous shoulder niggle but, to his disappointment, he has since learned that the new injury is more serious and is set to keep him out of action for a number of weeks.

“My arm is in a sling at the moment,” he explained. “They’re going to x-ray it again in about two weeks and, hopefully, there’ll be some improvement and we can take it from there. But the doctor said usually it’s between two to six weeks with this kind of injury.”

The Irish-born Libyan international’s involvement in combating racism has been sharpened by his own experience of being on the receiving end of incidents of racist abuse, from players and fans, during his career.

“It is a topic we do need to address,” he said. “I was only watching the Barcelona game (against Villarreal ) the other day and I think everyone saw the incident with Dani Alves. It happens at every level of football, we just need to continue to address it and not hide from the fact that it exists. Events like Show Racism the Red Card will hopefully provide awareness and help eradicate the issue.”

Zayed said he applauded the way Alves dealt with the incident, but football’s authorities, he insists, can still do more to tackle the problem.

“When it does happen, I’d definitely like to see some harsher punishments given out,” Zayed said. “I can’t really recall one incident of racism happening whereby afterwards the necessary federation did something really, really strong about it, to say ‘we’re not going to accept this’. With regards to players, a longer suspension (is what’s needed), definitely. It’s the only thing you could possibly do to affect players. With regards to fans and clubs, unfortunately, the fans belong to the club and the club belongs to the fans, so probably just a longer ban of games being played behind closed doors, without the fans. And maybe a heftier fine.”

Ironically, Zayed currently finds himself sharing a dressing room at Rovers with a team-mate who previously received a five-game ban for racist abuse. In 2009, while at Bohemians, Jason McGuinness directed a racist comment at Sligo Rovers’ Romauld Boco. McGuinness admitted the offence, made a public apology and also subsequently offered his support to the ‘Show Racism The Red Card’ campaign.

For his part, Zayed said yesterday that he believes incident was entirely out of character for the man he has come to know well in Tallaght.

“I didn’t know Jason before I went to Shamrock Rovers but I do now and he’s an absolute gentleman. I can certainly say it’s an incident that he regretted. It was in the heat of the moment. He will admit himself that it was probably ignorance towards the topic. There are people who just say things in the spur of the moment and aren’t aware of what they are saying. Jason, against Drogheda United the other day, he was getting stick over the abuse from the Drogheda fans. I know him quite well now, well enough to call him a good friend, and it’s not something he has in him.”