Kerr handed over 'vile' racist hate mail to gardai

Gardaí were asked to investigate a campaign of racist hate mail sent to the former Republic of Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, while he was still in charge of the national senior soccer team, it has emerged.

In Croke Park yesterday, at the launch of an anti-racism soccer tournament, Mr Kerr said he had received letters with racist content while in the job. He immediately gave the items to the Garda.

"While I was manager of the Irish team I had to put up with a series of letters, fairly vile and abusive letters, about the multiculturalism of the Irish team because I had Chris Hughton, a very Irish black man, on the staff and because I had black players on the team, Clinton Morrison and Stephen Reid.

"It was vile stuff but it was sad really and it just shows you that there are some twisted minds around the place. I passed that stuff on to the guards. It also emphasised to me how narrow-minded people can be at times but also the responsibility of people in sport to rid ourselves of that type of thinking."

Mr Kerr said the letters were sent by "different sources". "They weren't always very good at putting their names on them as you can imagine. Names and addresses were scarce."

He declined to say how many items he had been sent. It was the first time he had encountered racism of this kind.

"I took very little notice of them other than to say they were rather sad. It shows you the mentality that can be around the place, instead of seeing the gifts that these players had and coaches had, and how they had done a fantastic job and are as Irish as Irish can be."

While he had been disappointed to receive the letters he did not believe soccer in Ireland was racist. Foreign nationals and black players had been accepted in the League of Ireland and in junior and underage leagues. Sport could assist in both the combating of racism and also in the "real" integration of foreign nationals into Irish society.

He was speaking at the launch of the Brian Kerr Inter-Continental League, the opening game of which took place between China and Poland at Dalymount Park last night. The tournament involves 16 teams from African and European nations made up of foreign nationals living in Ireland.

An Irish team has also entered, as has a composite team made up of members of the Roma and Irish Traveller communities.