THE recent tragedy at Gillingham where a fan was stabbed to death after the match against Fulham brought all the horrors of soccer violence to the fore again.

Then there was the episode of the Barnsley referee having to be secreted out of town under police escort after a near riot during a game against Liverpool.

These dreadful incidents are occurring at a time when huge efforts are being made to make football matches into family affairs.

But it is not only physical violence which is thwarting those efforts. The obscene and racist abuse which is hurled at some players often makes soccer stadiums unsuitable venues for children.

So we welcome the proposals by the Government's independent Football Task Force to discipline players and club managers for racism. Like it or not, players and managers set the standards which many young people fellow.

No player should have to be the butt of racist remarks and no player or manager should be allowed to get away with making them.

Under the TasK Force proposals, being found guilty of racism could lead to dismissal. We think it should.

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