Blues U23s manager and former England international Kieron Dyer says he witnessed “English football at its worst” both during and after Sunday’s Euro 2020 final at Wembley and firmly backs ex-Town defender Tyrone Mings’s comments regarding home secretary Priti Patel.

Dyer, 42, attended Sunday’s game in which England were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Italy after a 1-1 draw.

Following the match the three players who missed their spot-kicks, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, were on the receiving end of racist abuse on social media.

Dyer, capped by England 33 times during his playing days, said he saw the ugly side of football in this country.

“I was actually at the game at Wembley, I saw English football at its worst with regards to the fans before the game, after the game, rioting and trying to get into the stadium, just fighting each other in the streets, just drunken fights,” he told Mark Murphy’s breakfast programme on BBC Radio Suffolk (3hrs 17mins 37 secs).

“And when the penalties were going on, I don’t know if you’ve read my book, but I spoke about one of the big things about playing for England being the fear.

“And I feared for Saka as he was walking up. I wasn’t worried about him keeping us in the competition, I knew that if he missed the stick that would be coming his way would be vile. And that’s proven to be the case.

“I will say it’s a valid point that if a white player had missed a penalty he would have got stick, but I don’t think it would have been the level of stick that the three black players got.”

While home secretary Patel and prime minister Boris Johnson subsequently spoke out against the social media racism, the duo were widely accused of hypocrisy for failing to condemn fans who booed players taking the knee as an anti-racism statement in the run-up to the competition, most notably by former Blue Mings, who was a member of the Euro 2020 squad.

“England were taking the knee before games and the fans were booing,” Dyer continued. “The players, [manager] Gareth [Southgate] , Harry Kane, the England captain, they all came out and said this wasn’t a political stance, this was what the squad felt was needed to try and get a sense of people feeling equal, equal opportunities for black players, and the England fans were still booing.

“I think Declan Rice made a valid point, he said that when you’re winning, everyone can jump on the bandwagon, you find out who the real fan is when you lose.

“And again, it’s taken England to lose and three black players to miss important penalties and we’re here again with this vile abuse.

“I 100 per cent agree with Tyrone Mings, I think she’s a hypocrite, I think Boris Johnson’s a hypocrite, them coming out and saying 'this is all wrong'. They were part of the problem initially. They didn’t get behind this at the start when it needed it.”

Should Patel, Johnson and Ipswich MP Tom Hunt, who spoke out against taking the knee suggesting the England squad should be making their point in a different way rather than via “divisive political gestures”, have shown solidarity with the players from the beginning?

“One hundred per cent. When he [Hunt] says we need to come and show a different way of getting the message across, the only different message I can see is black players refusing to play for England,” Dyer reflected.

“OK, we’ll do that then and what is going to come from that? Black players suffer, the white players suffer, the England football team suffers.

“They came up with a policy they thought would work to show that they won’t stand for racism, it hasn’t worked and it’s sad that we’re here.

“The only reason I went to Wembley was because I wanted to witness history, I wanted to be there to say ‘I was there’ and I come out of that stadium with all the trouble that was happening seeing the ugly side of the English game.”

Regarding the social media companies, Dyer added: “I was on one of the TV platforms, it might have been Sky, and they asked me these same questions and I said it just goes to show how important racism is to certain people that when there was this European Super League, the whole country, every single presenter, every platform was up in arms going crazy about this - ‘they’re ruining our game’.

“It was like the end of the world. I wish they showed the same energy about racism and taking the knee.

“We had three days of staying off social media. Do me a favour. Why doesn’t every top sports star come off social media for the whole year? Let’s see what Twitter and Instagram would do then. I’m telling you now, they would help these people straight away because they need these superstar talents who have got millions and millions of followers.”

Photo: TWTD

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 20:31 - Jul 13 Bert that's what annoys me. I am like Europa and detest racism and what happened to the three who missed the pens is disgusting , but because I disagree with the taking the knee I'm racist . I understand the argument of it but just happen to disagree , it most certainly doesn't mean I'm.a racist.
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Ebantiass added 20:32 - Jul 13 Well said Mr Dyer and 100% on the money. As an Englishman living abroad i can confirm two things with absolute certainty. The vast vast majority of english people are not in the least bit racist or bigoted. I have drawn this experience from years of living and working in britain. Secondly the english are resoundly hated around the world, our double standards, hypocrasy hooligan element, prone to violence at foreigners and ourselves and intolerance of other nations. Of course this is not everyone but generally speaking these two points have been more and more clear through the years. Taking a knee should not be offensive to anyone, no matter your feeble excuses to justify your outrage. Nobody is better or worse than anybody else because of something so arbitrary as ones skin colour....which not one single person on earth actually chose.

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LegendofthePhoenix added 20:38 - Jul 13 I agree 100% with Kieron if you substitute "racists" for "fans". Those were England racists, they weren't England fans. There are a big majority of decent fans in this country, and very sadly the racist minority are ruining football and our reputation. Patel and Johnson have added fuel to the fire, which is all the racists needed. The England team and management set the example that our politicians should aspire to.

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naa added 20:40 - Jul 13 Dozzells bobblehat, what I don't understand is what problem any non racist can have with the team taking the knee. It isn't aligned with BLM, as the players made clear. The gesture itself isn't offensive to anyone. So what is the problem? The gesture started in the NFL long before BLM was a thing.
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62WasBest added 20:59 - Jul 13 Dont agree "Bert". Whether it is desirable or not, a flag and an anthem represents a nation. Booing either is tantamount to disrespecting that nations citizens. That's personal. These people are not enemies. Just people like us who have pride and want to support their country. Just see how things have been reported on the Continent to understand how we are perceived. We may see it that it is a minority that cause the problem but it is a persistent one that has bedevilled English football for years. Add old fashioned racism into the equation, which got a boost with Brexit, justifiably or not, and it is a potent mix that makes headlines. Personally, as an Englishman, I wish to apologise to any person whose anthem was booed by so-called England fans as well the dispicable and cowardly racism aimed at any player of any country.

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bobble added 21:57 - Jul 13 the UK is a very racist place, i remember leaving Sydney in the early 90s and working in the UK for a year, and i was shocked by the awful derogatory racist names used by fellow workers at the time. and with the tories in charge you will always get that"its ok to say what you think"element in your society.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:16 - Jul 13 naa - I am aware of the US history of taking the knee . I don't like it it's subservient but moreover in this country it is whether you like it or not, directly linked to BLM . It never happened here until Floyd and then every politician abd woke celebrity was doing it. BLM are not an organization I would ever support. Thousands of people agree . I understand the team say it represents something else and I believe they believe that . However why on earth would u use that gesture when it is so divisive. Do anything else . That gesture and BLM in my opinion have set race relations back years in this country . I personally wouldn't boo at a match but I wouldn't support it either

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:18 - Jul 13 Bobble i totally disagree. The UK is one of themist culturally diverse countries in the world and the free speech mob are all lefties not tories.
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naa added 22:22 - Jul 13 Dozzells bobblehat I'll have to agree to disagree on that one I'm afraid. It's a gesture, nothing more. Yes, it's become associated with BLM but if someone says they aren't supporting BLM with it who am I to argue? I certainly don't see how anyone can feel it justified to boo.
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algarvefan added 22:24 - Jul 13 I just want to say I agree totally with Keiron on this, I understand why some may be reluctant to support taking the knee, but booing it is totally unacceptable, totally. Does it make you a racist? Probably not but it sure as hell makes you look like one, so shut up and accept it is what the players themselves have decided on and the cause is a good one, against racism. I moved from Britain 10 years ago and now wouldn't move back, it is fair to say that Britain, no make that England, has a bad reputation post Brexit for racism, the figures don't lie guys, you have a problem. Most people are decent and kind though, never forget that, but you have a government who lie and cheat, stoke racial tension and are frankly hateful, but you keep voting them back in!!!! I hope one day the nation re-finds it's it's decency, honesty and respect it once had because the view from abroad is not good. I still love my team and pay to watch every game on ifollow and I will support any initiative to defeat racism and promote diversity that the club selects including taking a knee, please stop booing it's the booing that's the pointless gesture!!

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:38 - Jul 13 naa that's fine mate but what if I start doing a nazi salute and say its in support of hedgehogs? Would people be happy ?
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atty added 22:55 - Jul 13 The Guardian, repeat the Guardian analysis of tweets sent to the England team. 545 of which 44 were racist, including many from abroad. I very much hope that any England player who is selected for the World Cup squad will decline to go. If not they will be the real hypocrites.
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naa added 23:11 - Jul 13 I'm afraid that's a false equivalence dozzells bobblehat. Firstly because a nazi salute is just that, and only that. Taking the knee is not. Also, you also seem to be equating BLM with the Nazis. I think that's going pretty far don't you? I also very much doubt that those that booed their own team had any proper understanding of BLM and felt the need to show their dislike.

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naa added 23:13 - Jul 13 Atty, that's a pretty crap argument. Anyone getting selected to represent their country would surely do so with pride. If it happens to be in a country where a few hundred people posted racist tweets is surely irrelevant. It would be letting them win to give up. If black players didn't play where they received racist abuse they probably wouldn't play at most grounds in the UK either.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 23:27 - Jul 13 naa no I'm not equating them to Nazis ,it was an example .We obviously don't agree and that's fine ,my main anger is those that dictate to me that I'm racist purely based on the fact I oppose taking the knee without knowing anything about me or others who feel the same . I would point out there are a lot of BAME people who feel the same way.
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naa added 23:36 - Jul 13 Well, by using that example you are equating them I'm afr! Anyway, I have no problem with you having an issue with it even if it isn't one I personally understand. My issue is with those that booed their own team who were doing nothing more than attempting to show solidarity. Disagreeing is one thing but booing is another entirely.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 07:02 - Jul 14 naa that's ridiculous. I was not comparing BLM to nazis. It was an example of how a gesture can be associated with an organization .
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Europablue added 07:06 - Jul 14 Bert seems to get it, but some others on here as well as Gary Neville et al, seem to be very disingenuous or too thick to really get that the people who boo the kneeling aren't racist and the people who support kneeling are not communists or whatever. Clearly, British society is the least accepting of racism as it has ever been. The other point is we have probably the least problems with racism of any European country. On the other side, this isn't a made up problem. The England team have been racially abused on multiple occassions (I think entirely at away matches), and there has been a torrent or racist abuse on social media (I am not sure if this is an increase, or it has increasingly been brought to our attention). The symbolism and associations of taking the knee are unfortunate, the fact that black lives matter refers to one race is also inappropriate. If Southgate had the sense to ask the players to change the symbolism and phrasing maybe in cooperation with kick it out to be inclusive and not to use hateful symbolism, the problem could have been nipped in the bud. When Hungary played they wore anti-racism shirts and stood proudly (not to say that Hungary in general is a model society) if we did that we could have avoided the divisive framing of anti-racism activism. The other big problem is that people have been politicizing and racializing the England national team. People were saying that diversity is our strength and the reason we were winning. Diversity is not our strength, egalitarianism is our strength, the players are there because they are the best we have. Clearly, if we frame it such that we are winning because we are diverse and we play an almost entirely white Italian team and we get outplayed and beaten by the better team it will give ammunition to racists/white supremacists. When I watched the penalties and Rashford missed, I just thought he was a little unlucky but the right man for the job, then Sancho missed, and I was thinking that Saka was not the man to be the fifth penalty taker and maybe it should have been a more senior player like Henderson or Sterling, then Saka missed and we had lost. It wasn't until after the abuse that I noticed that it was the white players who scored and the black players who missed. Again racializing and framing the team as strong due to diversity has provided ammo for hateful people. We are almost all on the same side, but not pulling in the same direction.

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Europablue added 07:22 - Jul 14 Jugsy Saying many things are bad does not equate them to one another. Or maybe you like Communism and you don't like hearing people being negative about it? Racism isn't exactly political, but racialization is political. You said "Is the issue that it proves to you that you don't do enough to promote equality and togetherness among your fellow man?" like it's my duty to push and evangelize your agenda. I treat people equally and I support the idea of egalitarianism and don't racialize people or organizations. I'm not responsible for anyone else's words or actions. I will stand up for what I believe in and I'm not afraid to do that, if I encounter racism, I won't tolerate it. I also don't tolerate demonization of white people and lionizing of non-whites. I adhere to the teachings of MLK of judging people by their character.

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Europablue added 07:33 - Jul 14 LegendofthePhoenix Don't you see the racialization and politicization of the national team as giving fuel to the racists? The best response to racists is seeing the non-whites succeed in the national team. Sterling was our player of the tournament. Instead though, people were talking about how diversity made us strong and that was easily refuted when we lost to an almost entirely white team and the black players all missed our penalties. Do you not see that as a problem? People like me (and you) see those players who missed in the same light as Pearce, Southgate, and any other players who have missed penalties over the years.

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Europablue added 07:47 - Jul 14 naa You are the one making the equivalence, not dozzells bobblehat. Why can you accept the stated reasoning behind the England players taking the knee, but not extend that same courtesy dozzells bobblehat who is giving his reasoning? The big difference is that you cannot talk to the England team members, but you have been interacting directly with dozzells bobblehat and tell from his previous posts that he is a reasoned person who is expressing his opinion respectfully. He just happens not to agree with something that is a contentious issue.

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tractorboybig added 09:00 - Jul 14 So in a free country if I disagree with people taking the knee I am a racist????? makes you wonder who the real racists are.
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naa added 09:15 - Jul 14 Europablue. No, by making the comparison dozzells made the equivalence. Inssure not intentionallyaand I'm happy to accept their reasoning. But bringing Nazis into any conversation is always going to be contentious. It was used as an example of an offensive gesture, but I would argue that taking the knee isn't offensive at all, let alone anything like a Nazi salute. Anyway, people have the right to disagree with whatever they like but they have to be responsible for their actions and consequences, whatever they might be. With regards to the government, it was obvious to all that they were stoking up racists and giving them a platform. I will completely agree however with the points here that pointing out race and diversity all the time is not the answer. The answer is indeed to treat everyone the same, in this case just treating them as footballers and not black footballers. Ignoring race completely from the equation is the way we need to go. But we're a long way from doing that. Also social media has made things much worse. After 90 and 96 everyone felt sorry for Pearce and Southgate etc and that was the general feeling. But I'm sure if twitter existed they still would have had some abuse (though not racist, obviously). Social media sadly gives a voice to the idiots of this world who then feel that their opinion has the weight it doesn't.

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Ipswichbusiness added 09:39 - Jul 14 1) racial abuse is wrong and should cease. 2) booing the national anthems and/or taking the knee is unedifying. 3) whether you like it or not taking the knee is closely associated with BLM; for example, I have seen match reports on TWTD referring to the players taking the knee to BLM. I regard BLM as a political movement with an extreme left agenda and I do not support it or taking the knee as a result. 4) Judsy; whilst I accept that Communism is something of a red herring in this debate, nonetheless if you consider the Soviet Union Communism included the genocide of the Kulaks, the slavery, torture and murder in the Gulags and the denial of basic human rights to hundreds of millions of people for seventy years. It was not for nothing that Ronald Reagan called it “The Evil Empire.”

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Europablue added 09:52 - Jul 14 naa I feel like I want to downvote the first part of your comment and upvote twice on the second part. It's great to respectfully disagree. Some might argue that the Nazi salute is more comedic than anything considering how irrelevant Nazis are to the modern day. There was a guy in Scotland going around doing the nazi salute while saying love for all and equality. In America they might have a different association with taking a knee (I think it is basically non-political just kneeling in contemplation of something), but you can't transplant that into English culture where kneeling is a sign of subservience (you kneel to the king). Add to the surrounding discussion of people telling white people that they have original sin for just being white and the fact that people are being accused of being racists just for not complying and there are strong grounds for finding kneeling offensive. I would boo the kneeling because I find it offensive, I would boo racism or applaud an anti-racism message that wasn't verging on (if not entriely strying into being) racist itself, because telling white people that they are inherently bad is about as racist a message imaginable.

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