When Millwall's match against Swansea was halted for seven minutes this week after alleged racist chanting aimed at Korean midfielder Eom Ji-sung, the referee followed established protocols. The game stopped, officials consulted, and play eventually resumed.
But Millwall manager Alex Neil's response afterwards showed exactly why sports leadership needs better racial literacy training.
"Stopping the game doesn't deal with anything," Neil told BBC Radio London. "All it does is kill the momentum."
That comment has rightly drawn criticism from Kick It Out, who pointed out that "player welfare should always take precedence over the momentum or flow of a match."
Why the Protocols Exist
These stoppages aren't arbitrary interruptions. They serve three crucial purposes:
Immediate safety: They remove the targeted player from ongoing abuse and signal that the behaviour is unacceptable.
Evidence gathering: Officials can identify perpetrators whilst the incident is fresh, improving chances of accountability.
Clear messaging: Every stoppage tells everyone present – players, fans, children watching – that racism has consequences.
The Leadership Test
Neil's frustration about tactical momentum is understandable from a coaching perspective. But his public framing failed a basic leadership test.
When incidents happen, how leaders respond shapes everything that follows. Do they centre the harm caused, or their own inconvenience? Do they reinforce that racism is unacceptable, or suggest it's less important than the game continuing?
Swansea manager Vítor Matos showed the alternative approach: "The referee followed the protocol for these sort of situations, they did the right thing. Millwall did the right thing by announcing there is no place for this sort of thing. I'm happy with how it was handled, but really sad that it happened."
What Schools Can Learn
This incident offers clear lessons for educational settings:
Protocols matter: Just as football has clear procedures for racist incidents, schools need transparent, practised responses to discriminatory behaviour.
Language shapes culture: How senior staff talk about disruptions to "normal" operations when addressing racism signals what the institution truly values.
Support the targeted: The priority must always be the person experiencing harm, not the convenience of others.
Use the moment: Every incident becomes a teaching opportunity about institutional values and individual responsibility.
Neil later acknowledged the abuse "has been reported and it's not acceptable." But damage was already done by his initial framing.
In schools as in stadiums, the first response often matters most. When racism interrupts the lesson plan, the assembly, or the sports day, leaders have a choice: treat it as an unwelcome distraction, or as exactly the moment when their values become visible.
The game matters. But some things matter more.
Source: The Guardian
