"We
are talking about a micro-level with an individual behind the goal but it is
far deeper than that. Ultimately, Ashley was abused in the Bernabeu 15 years
ago in a game I played in and I probably didn't give it a moment's thought
in the dressing room really.
"We are thinking about it as football players. You are sat there in the
changing room and then you hear there is a media storm. The English media
are calling for FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish authorities to deal with it.
Similarly with Bulgaria recently.
"But we have a racism problem in the Premier League in England.
"The Premier League have got to stand up. They hide behind the FA on this
issue. They hide behind the FA, in my opinion. They push disciplinary issues
onto the FA.
"I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we have just had an election in this
country where both main parties and the leaders of both main parties are
accused constantly over the last month of fuelling racism and accepting
racism within their parties.
"If it is accepted at the highest office in the country, we are not talking
about it at a micro level we are talking about it at an absolutely enormous
level, the highest office in the country.
"We have seen an issue today that we might say is down to one particular
person but it is a far bigger issue than that and there has to be something
that happens quickly.
"We maybe have to empower the players to walk off the pitch and stop the
entertainment while it's happening because that's the only way I can see it
changing.
"I didn't walk off the pitch 15 years ago and people might say it's OK to
sit in my ivory tower of a commentary box and tell players to walk off the
pitch but ultimately I am ashamed of myself for not doing it 15 years ago
and I would be absolutely proud of players now if they did something about
it and took it into their own hands.
"The PFA have to act because ultimately the PFA are there to protect
football players in this country and football players in this country are
being abused while doing their jobs. That is unacceptable.
"The PFA might have to take it into their own hands if the Premier League
and the FA don't act and stop pointing the finger at the Bulgarian FA and
the Spanish FA because we have to deal with our own ship."
Neville: 'I wish now that l had been more
offended'
"Ultimately, I accepted it, because I was in the changing room when players
got racially abused for maybe ten years. But l wasn't offended by it at the
time. It was almost as if 'no, we are football players and we concentrate on
football'. But when you get older, you get wiser and you see the issues in
society and you see that football can be a driver for change and it is not
being.
"I have no faith in politicians to do anything. But football can be a driver
for change, it can make a difference. It has proven it can make a
difference. However, it is not doing because it is not taking the issue
seriously.
"Putting a few announcements out or putting a few t-shirts on or putting up
a poster is not going to deal with this issue. It's not. Ultimately, I wish
now that I had been a bit more offended.
"I said the same when I was a coach and Raheem Sterling was abused at the
start of Euro 2016 tournament. It is happening now far too often.
"We are horrified, back page headlines on every newspaper, when our lads are
abused over in Bulgaria. We are happy to tell them what they need to do. But
will it be in the back page of the headlines tomorrow?
"The Premier League is watched by 1.5 billion people every weekend, all over
the world, in Africa, in Asia and in Europe. It is our responsibility to set
the tone, not to point the finger at the Bulgarian FA."
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