Walcott brother and dad fear Nazi yobs in Ukraine at Euro 2012
Ashley Walcott and father Don will now support Theo from home instead amid
fears Nazi thugs could target black fans.
And Ashley blasted football bosses for staging Euro 2012 in an East European
country notorious for its extremist soccer yobs.
He said on Twitter: “Unfortunately my dad n i have taken the decision not to
travel to the Ukraine because of the fear of possible racist attacks
confrontations.
“Somethings aren’t worth risking, but begs the question why hold a competition
of this magnitude in a place that can not police itself for foreigners of
any creed to feel safe, but I’ll be watching every minute.”
Ashley, 25, added: “Racism has no place in the modern world.”
Last night French ex-Newcastle ace Olivier Bernard, now an anti-racism
campaigner, said: “It is sad to see but people are scared. Theo’s family may
not be the only ones who are not going to travel.”
And Ged Grebby, chief executive of Show Racism The Red Card, said: “It is
shocking that it has come to this for his family but it is probably a
sensible precaution.”
Arsenal winger Theo, 23 — subjected to monkey taunts with other black stars
in Bulgaria last year — is in the squad which will play France and Ukraine
in the eastern mining city of Donetsk and Sweden in capital Kyiv.
Kevin Miles, international director of the Football Supporters’ Federation,
said racism was “an endemic social problem” in Ukraine, which is co-hosting
the tournament with neighbouring Poland.
He added: “The advice to citizens of black or Asian heritage is to exercise
caution.”
Last month The Sun revealed how local Nazi paramilitaries were secretly
training thugs to wreak havoc during the Ukraine v England match.
An undercover Sun team filmed members of extreme right-wing militia The
Patriots of Ukraine at a secret camp.
And in Kyiv a hooligan leader called Andrey told us: “We have nothing against
blacks as long as they stay in their own countries — but we will not
tolerate them here at Euro 2012.”
Lazing lions
ENGLAND’S Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart are recovering from this week’s dramatic
Premier League finale by relaxing in the sun — before Euro 2012 starts next
month.
Man Utd ace Rooney, 26 — pipped to the title by Hart’s Man City — arrived for
a Las Vegas break.
Meanwhile, goalie Hart, 25, and girlfriend Kim Crew, 29, kissed by a hotel
pool in Dubai.
A source said: “I don’t think they realise you can’t do that here.”
Final rip-off
CHELSEA fans are being charged up to £20,000 for a pair of black market £300
tickets for tomorrow’s Champions League final.
Madrid-based agency ticketBis wants £16,941 for two tickets, plus a £3,049
“admin fee”, to see striker Didier Drogba and his teammates face Bayern
Munich in Germany.
Bayern say they have received more than a million ticket requests for the game
at their Allianz Arena.