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Dock points over abusive chants says Campbell

Tuesday 03 March 2009 07:04 EST
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Clubs should be docked points if their fans are found guilty of racist abuse says Sol Campbell.

The Portsmouth defender was the target of racist and homophobic insults during the game against his former club Tottenham at Fratton Park in September. The abusive chants led to four Tottenham supporters being fined and banned from going to matches for three years.

Seven other men await trial in May, having pleaded not guilty to indecent chanting.

Campbell believes the only way to rid the game of such behaviour is to punish the clubs, and is calling on the authorities to take control of the situation.

Campbell said: "The only way you can stop it happening is to take points from the clubs. They would definitely stop then, especially if their team were involved in a Champions League or a League game.

"If it's just way over the top and you start taking three points from them, clubs could lose the title, or go down.

"It's quite shocking because if you carry on like that in the streets, you're either going to get arrested or start a fight.

"My situation is a small part. But you also have the racial abuse in the rest of Europe. They have got to get hold of that soon.

"Football seems to think it can keep on going without getting checked. In most other sports on this level, it doesn't happen. You're not going to get that in tennis, rugby, cricket or athletics.

"It's just not accepted."

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