October 05, 2008	Sunday	Shawwal 05, 1429

LONDON, Oct 4: Portsmouth will lodge an official complaint with the Football Association over the abuse their defender Sol Campbell received from Tottenham supporters during last week’s Premier League match at Fratton Park.

The move follows discussions between the club and Campbell himself, as well as an announcement by Hampshire police that they intend to investigate a complaint made by at least one spectator.

Campbell, 34, has been a target for some Spurs fans since he left their club in 2001 to join their north London neighbours Arsenal.

“Both Sol and the club feel no player should be subjected to personal abuse of this nature and that it has no place in football,” Portsmouth said.

“The club will be urging the FA to look into this as a matter of urgency and will co-operate fully in any investigations which take place, either by the FA or by Hampshire Police.”

Campbell’s case may set a new benchmark for the policing/stewarding of football matches in England with the FA having pledged to impose bans on any individuals they can identify as having been involved in the incident.

Although abuse of a racist nature is covered by legislation and has become rare in the country’s football grounds, vitriolic personal abuse remains relatively commonplace and opinion is divided as to whether it is something that needs addressing or is just something players and managers have to put up with.

At the end of last year, Campbell accused the FA of letting players down over the issue and argued that serious personal abuse should be put in the same category as racist slurs emanating from the stands.

“There is no difference for me,” he said. “It’s harmful. They are trying to belittle you and it is downright out of order. If this happened on the street you’d be arrested.”

Campbell’s determination to make a stand on the issue was supported by his former manager Arsene Wenger, who has himself had to put up with particularly unpleasant abuse from opposing fans based on scurrilous rumours about his personal life.

“The abuse only becomes singled out when it is racism but racism is not the only sort of abuse you get,” Wenger said. “Sometimes stupidity is contagious.

“If you respond to it you become mad and upset. I ignored it because I was old enough to know who I am and who I am not, so it didn’t affect me.”—AFP