Patrick Vernon

The furor over the racist abuse, as well as the comments of political leaders, has highlighted the ugly culture war going on in British society and the need to find a new way forward, according to Patrick Vernon, a social commentator, cultural historian and the co-author of “100 Great Black Britons.”

“It raises the big issues of ongoing systemic racism, what Britain will do about it, and what politicians are going to do about it, especially if they were in denial about it in the first place,” he said.

“Football is the No. 1 premier sport in Britain, and sports bring people together, irrespective of who you are.”

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Players accuse U.K. government of hypocrisy over soccer racism stance

“The fact that players are taking on the government shows you that things are beginning to change. There’s a long way to go,” author Sathnam Sanghera said.