Prince William has condemned the “outrageous” racism in modern football, saying he is “fed up” with the damage is it doing to players and fans.
The Duke of Cambridge, an Aston Villa fan and president of the FA, said he was determined to “do something” about the scourge of racism affecting the game.
William said he felt as though the issue was previously under control, but that he had been disappointed at recent shocking accounts of explicit abuse, such as Chelsea's Tammy Abraham and Inter Milan player Romelu Lukaku, who was subjected to monkey chants as he prepared to take a penalty.
During a visit to Hendon Football Club, which is considered a beacon of good practice for its project to help those with mental health issues, he raised the issue of racism directly with coaches and called for something to be done.
The duke said he thought it was still a challenge for high profile players to discuss the abuse they were subjected to.
“It’s quite hard,” he said. “People are now talking a little bit about mental health issues but I imagine talking about racism is still quite a difficult subject, especially when it’s happening in such a public fashion with Premier League matches or Champions League.”
After being told it was an issue that had been talked about for “too long”, William added: “We’ve got to do something about it. I’m fed up with it. I’m so bored of it.”
William said it had felt like it was "getting under control here" with players feeling more confident in calling out offensive behaviour.
But he noted an apparent resurgence in abuse had led him to fear the sport was "back there".
Referencing recent abuse suffered by Abraham and Lukaku, he said: "It’s outrageous what’s happening, it really is."
High profile football players are increasingly speaking out about the racism they face online, both on social media and on the pitch.
Twitter claimed this week that it had taken action on more than 700 examples of "hateful conduct" in the past two weeks following several cases of racist abuse involving Premier League footballers.
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Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Kurt Zouma are among the top flight players to have been targeted with the new season less than four weeks old.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard have been among those asking for social media companies to do more to curb racist behaviour on their platforms.
William said Heads Up, his campaign which is aimed at improving mental health, is planning to do more to raise the profile of the issue and put pressure to bring about a culture change.
“Heads Up is about mental health but we are going to start doing stuff on racism as well because it is affecting mental health,” he said. “Not just the players but also fans.”
Darren Smith, a programme leaders for football and coaching management at UCFC Wembley who discussed the issue with the Duke, said it was important for racism to be put on the agenda.
“We’re trying to help people feel part of the community through football, but there’s still a barrier there,” he said. “It does have an effect on mental health.”
Speaking of a lack of accountability on social media, he said: “People are using different platforms to express it and think they can get away with it.”
Jimmy Gray, manager of Hendon FC, said: “Football is so high profile it needs to take a zero tolerance stand. It’s sad that it has to be on the agenda, but it has to be.”
The duke was visiting Hendon FC to learn more about the club’s mental health projects, including an outreach programme for local youngsters with mental health issues to attend training.
As a match was played behind him, he spoke to young players whose lives have been improved by joining training and making friends at the club.
In an hour-long visit, he asked them whether it was a “big deal” for them to talk about their mental well-being, and praised them for having the confidence and passion to now help others.
“Well done for the work you do,” he told Richard Hay, coach and support worker. “It’s a lot of responsibility and pressure, but you’re the linch pin of the community.”
It is the latest stage of the FA’s Heads Up campaign, which will run all season and is intended to encourage fans and players to feel comfortable talking about their mental health.
The visit coincides with the launch of The FA’s new guidance for grassroots coaches and managers, distributed to FA affiliated adult clubs.
The leaflet includes advice on how to spot mental health issues in players and how best to help them.
A spokesman said the campaign would “use the influence and popularity of football to show the nation that mental health is just as important as physical health.
“It will support the important work which is already taking place across the UK to end the stigma surrounding mental health, and will strive to raise awareness, spark conversation and signpost support for those in need.”
The Heads Up campaign is supported by England manager Gareth Southgate and footballers including Peter Crouch, Thierry Henry, Danny Rose and Jermaine Jenas, and will culminate during the Emirates FA Cup Final on 23rd May, 2020.