Interim manager Darren Byfield voiced frustration after goalkeeper Myles Roberts reportedly pointed
Walsall interim head coach Darren Byfield has called for greater urgency in addressing racism within football after his goalkeeper Myles Roberts was allegedly subjected to abuse during a League Two fixture at Barrow on Monday.
The match was temporarily halted during the first half after Roberts reported an alleged comment to referee Scott Oldham. The goalkeeper then went a step further, pointing out the specific home supporter he said was responsible for the remark — an act that Byfield felt should have prompted immediate and decisive action from those in authority.
Referee’s initial response drew frustration
What compounded Byfield’s concern was not just the alleged incident itself, but how it was initially handled on the pitch. When the Walsall manager approached Oldham to understand what had been said, he was told the remark did not constitute a racist comment — a response that left Byfield feeling as though his own player was being let down in a moment that demanded clear support.
The sequence of events placed Byfield in a difficult position. With the referee indicating no racial element had been involved, the interim coach felt the situation made it appear as though he himself was failing to stand behind his goalkeeper, when in reality he had every intention of doing exactly that. The perception that the incident was being downplayed, he said, was deeply troubling.
Supporter ejected as club announces zero tolerance stance
The situation did eventually result in action. The supporter in question was reportedly removed from the ground shortly after the incident, and during the half-time interval, an announcement was made inside the stadium reminding supporters of the club’s zero tolerance policy on racism.
For Byfield, however, those steps did not go far enough in terms of the speed and clarity of the initial response. A player identifying and pointing out an alleged abuser, he argued, should be met with immediate action rather than an instruction to continue playing as though nothing significant had occurred. The psychological toll such incidents take on players, he stressed, is real and should be treated as such.
A broader call for change
Byfield’s comments reflect a frustration that extends well beyond a single match at Barrow. Racism in football, particularly at the lower levels of the English football pyramid where media scrutiny is less intense and resources are more limited, remains a persistent problem that many within the game feel has not been addressed with sufficient force or consistency.
For players who experience abuse on the pitch, the manner in which those incidents are handled in real time matters enormously. A dismissive or delayed response can compound the harm, sending a message — however unintentionally — that the complaint is less urgent than keeping the match moving forward. Byfield made clear that attitude is one he finds unacceptable and one he believes the game as a whole must work harder to eradicate at every level.
Source: BBC Sport / Chris Harby