SO. You get racially abused by an opponent six months ago. You also get racially abused by a set of supporters so Neanderthal as to beggar belief.

Fast forward half a year, against a team from the same city, you then get abused by kids, who could even be children of the original abusers, in an action that was as shameful as it was depressing. 

The game took place in front of 10,000 schoolchildren. Why? Because adults connected to the club are deemed too racist to be able to watch a football match without resorting to abusing human beings, because of the colour of their skin.

Is this a dystopian nightmare? A far-fetched scenario never likely to happen? Or is it a scandalous act of racism that took place in the heart of Europe this week?

Unfortunately, it is the latter. 

Let’s fill in the details. Glen Kamara is a footballer for Rangers. A fine player and by all accounts a good person. He also happens to be black. For this “crime” he was racially abused by an opponent from Slavia Prague last season, when the clubs met in the Europa League. 

Ondrej Kudela, the Slavia player who felt the need to racially denigrate Kamara last spring was ultimately sanctioned through a ban, that, as a Czech Republic international, also saw him miss Euro 2020 — including his country’s clash against Scotland at Hampden Park over the summer. 

Many felt the ban was not long enough, with some calling for a year-long suspension, or even one lasting a lifetime. They should have been listened to. 

Because, when the football gods decided that the Glasgow giants would be required once again to travel to Prague in this season’s Europa League — this time to face Slavia’s city rivals, Sparta — racist abuse was once again aimed at Kamara. 

Yet where did the abuse aimed at the former Arsenal man come from this week?

Racist abuse and general booing aimed at Kamara came from — wait for it — 10,000 children and their “chaperones” who singled out the 25-year-old Finnish-born midfielder. 

How utterly dreadful. Adults subjecting a black man to racism is disgusting. For children to do the same is just as appalling, even more so perhaps because they are so young.

It just proves racism is learned. No-one is born racist. You’d like not to think so at any rate.

So where does racism come from? It comes from copying elders’ racist behaviour. It comes from environments where racism is deemed acceptable. It comes from situations in which racist abuse isn’t challenged. It comes from a lack of education. And a lack of sanctions. 

Why were the children there in the first place in such numbers? Because Uefa in their infinite wisdom changed their mind – yet another poor decision to add to the litany of weaknesses they’ve shown in failing to combat racism. 

Uefa decreed that the stadium they had previously instructed to close – due to racist abuse aimed by Sparta’s fans against a previous opponent, Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni — was now allowed to remain open — so long as it was mostly filled with children, in a decision with predictably depressing consequences.

“Unacceptable, desperate and ridiculous,” was a line that was used in the aftermath of Thursday evening’s match, which Rangers lost 1-0 with Kamara being sent off. But it didn’t come from Rangers. Incredibly it came from Sparta. Who did what many racists do – and simply refused to face facts. 

No wonder Rangers boss Steven Gerrard called for stronger sanctions. It’s the only way to make racists see sense. The eight-week jail sentence handed down earlier this week to the West Brom “fan” who racially abused one of his own players is a start. But it has to be backed up everywhere – and it has to be backed up with consistency. 

I said it after Kudela abused Kamara and I’ll say it again. There has to be a serious, concerted effort from the authorities everywhere to hand out justice that is commensurate with the crime.

This means handing out one-year bans, as well as lifetime bans. Then education. Make the abusers spend time with victims of racism. Make them understand why it is unacceptable. Make them understand there have to be consequences. 

It should happen with the most recent abusers of Kamara. But they probably wouldn’t be allowed out of school. 

And that is the most worrying aspect about this sorry saga. The fact the next generation are already primed and ready to continue perpetuating the disgusting cycle of racism. 

……..

PS — On a completely separate note – and a far happier one for those of the red persuasion – I have to say North London Is Red. Not just because Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal routed a sorry Spurs team 3-1 on an utterly glorious afternoon at the Emirates last Sunday. But because Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal Women’s side did the same by easing past Spurs Women 5-1 on a memorable night at Meadow Park on Wednesday. 

I took my youngest daughter and her cousin to the FA Cup quarter-final at Borehamwood. The pair — along with so many other youngsters in the crowd — thrilled at watching a diverse Arsenal side take apart a diverse Spurs side while sat amongst a diverse crowd. 

Women’s football is on the crest of a wave – if you haven’t sampled it yet, I heartily encourage you to do so. It’s brilliant on so many levels for so many reasons. 

Not least because the diversity that my children celebrated — and children of many other parents at the game celebrated — gives me hope in an uncertain future.