Steve Clarke: If I hadn’t called out bigots I’d be no better than them

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke and captain Kris Boyd speaks to the media. Picture:

The 55-year-old courageously raised the issue of sectarianism – one which the powers that be at the SFA and the SPFL shrink from confronting – and that includes the abuse his former Rangers striker Kris Boyd took from Celtic supporters on Sunday, when he was struck by a coin thrown during the match at Rugby Park.

Clarke believed he had no option but to highlight the incident in midweek and he argues that football can play a part in ridding society of the evil of religious intolerance.

“Hopefully, there will be some reaction and we can work towards addressing it in the short term, minimising it and, in the long term, eradicating it completely. That has to be the aim,” Clarke said.

“Every decent person who lives and works in Scotland should try to do their own little bit if they can to help it. If we could all do that, it would be great.”

He has been overwhelmed by the backing he has received since he made his displeasure with the chanting at Ibrox known at his post-match press conference on Wednesday.

“My Rangers-supporting friends have been phoning and texting to apologise,” he said. “I said: ‘Come on guys, you’re my friends – you don’t have to say sorry’.

“I’ve had wide-ranging support and it’s been fantastic but it’s just disappointing that the issue rears its head.

“The Rangers fans have waited a long time to have a go at me. There have been words back and forwards recently between myself and [Rangers manager] Steven [Gerrard]. On Wednesday, circumstances went against us and we were getting thumped.

“Rangers fans are entitled to give me a little bit of stick if they want to do that. They called me a word rhyming with anchor and I gave them a little wave and a thumbs up. That was just to acknowledge them and say: ‘OK guys, it’s your night. No problem’.

“Off the back of that, the next chant came and I think that’s unacceptable in this day and age. I could have let it go but if I do that, I am really no better than them.

“When the chant came at Kris Boyd, it was maybe 25, 50, 100 people shouting and abusing him.

“At Ibrox, it was maybe 200/250 down in that bottom corner that were doing it but maybe the next time it’s 2000. Then it’s 20,000. Then it’s the whole stadium, like it used to be.

“So it’s probably better just to speak out now. I’ve brought a lot more pressure and spotlight on myself now, and I have to live with that but, hopefully, we can find a way to make it better. Will it ever go away? Probably not but if we don’t address the issue, it will  certainly get worse.

“It’s definitely a society issue, in the same way racism is a society issue. It rears its head in football because it’s a popular sport and the majority of people watch it and take interest in what happens in the game, especially in this country.”

On the subject of racism, Clarke takes encouragement from the way Chelsea tackled the racist element within their support in the 1980s.

“They had a massive problem when I joined,” he said. “Now they have had a different problem with anti-semitism which they are trying to address.

“All these problems are in society and manifest themselves through football because it’s such a popular game.

“But if we don’t address it through the clubs, the problem will always be there.

“If we try to eradicate it in football, maybe we can help make it less in society. Will we ever eradicate it? I’m not so sure. But, hopefully, we can.

“If we can get it out of football, it would be a start. Maybe through football, we can help lessen it in society.”

Clarke sympathised with Gerrard, who had to deal with the fallout from his outburst the following day.

“I felt a little bit frustrated for Steven when he was asked in his press conference about me being offered the job before him,” he said.

“That’s a load of nonsense; I wasn’t offered the job. Steven must sit in his office and think: ‘Jeez, not Steve Clarke again’.

“We did what managers do after a game; we sat and we had a beer. We talked around the houses. For me to go in there and say: ‘Oh by the way, Steven, I’ve just had a meltdown in the press conference’ would have been wrong.”