York City's Clarke Carlisle calls for ban for Serbia (From York Press)

York City's Clarke Carlisle calls for ban for Serbia

11:21am Thursday 18th October 2012 in Sport

Clarke Carlisle

Association chairman and York City defender Clarke Carlisle has backed calls for Serbia to receive a “significant” international ban after “utterly deplorable” scenes at England Under-21s’ game in Krusevac on Tuesday.

The FA has complained to UEFA after England players were subjected to racist and physical abuse at the end of the European Championship play-off second leg.

Serbian supporters, players and other officials appeared to get involved while England defender Danny Rose was sent off after the final whistle for reacting angrily to apparent racial abuse. Carlisle watched the chaos and violence unfold in the ESPN studio alongside former England midfielder Paul Ince, who called for Serbia to be kicked out of the next ten qualification campaigns for major tournaments.

And the 33-year-old Minsterman agreed a hefty punishment was the only answer.

“You should not have to experience those scenes in this day and age. It was utterly deplorable behaviour,” said Carlisle.

“It’s quite farcical. A guy is racially abused and then he gets punished for his reaction to that.

“We saw how the whole debacle progressed into punching, kicking. We saw photos of headbutts going on in the staff. But Danny Rose for kicking a ball away ends up getting himself sent off. This is just wrong.

“UEFA need to make a standpoint here and more importantly FIFA, I feel, because it was a FIFA qualification tournament.

“The message has to come from the top down that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”

England U21 manager Stuart Pearce had spoken before the game of his confidence that the issue of racism would not raise itself.

A match between the two countries at the 2007 Under-21 European Championship in Holland was marred when England defender Nedum Onuoha was racially abused. Serbia were fined £16,000 by UEFA.

Carlisle believes a lengthy ban would force Serbia to address the issue.

“It’s immaterial where it is, who the perpetrators are,” he said. “What’s material is that the governing bodies lay down extremely harsh sanctions so that they deter countries and people from acting in this way.

“You can draw parity with what happened to English football when we were kicked out of Europe for the violence (following the 1985 Heysel disaster) – that instigated a period of self-governance.

“I believe Serbia should be banned because it’s a repeat offence.

“Banning them for a start, from any tournament, would be progress but I think if it’s significant – if it’s a couple of tournaments – then that would cause that nation to address the issue.”