‘Are we waiting for a footballer to kill themselves?” questions Anton Ferdinand as Home Affairs select committee probes social media abuse

Former West Ham star underlined the trauma that he himself had suffered and indicated that not enough is being done to protect the current generation of footballers

CONCERNS: Anton Ferdinand

FORMER DEFENDER Anton Ferdinand fears that a footballer could take his own life if social media abuse is not dealt with.

Speaking to the Home Affairs select committee on September 8, Ferdinand underlined the trauma that he himself had suffered and indicated that not enough is being done to protect the current generation of footballers.

“My worry is what are the social media companies waiting for? Ferdinand told MPs. “Are they waiting for a high-profile footballer to kill themselves, or a member of their family to commit suicide?”

“Is that what they are waiting for? Because if that is what they are waiting for that is too late. That is too late. Let’s deal with the issue now.

“My question always is to social media companies when I have a conversation with them, ‘this comes down to do you really want change’. Do you really want to? This far their words are, they want to, but their actions say different.”

The select committee is investigating the abuse of footballers and also took evidence from ex-player, Marvin Sordell.

Former West Ham and QPR defender Ferdinand was moved to release the documentary titled: Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me on the BBC, which explored his personal experiences with racism in professional football.

Ferdinand was involved in a high-profile incident involving ex-Chelsea captain John Terry and in the documentary, he spoke about the exchange for the first time since 2011.

During a Premier League meeting between Chelsea and QPR on October 23, 2011, Terry was alleged to have aimed a racist slur at Ferdinand in the second half. Terry was later not found guilty by an FA independent regulatory commission

CONTROVERSY: Anton Ferdinand of QPR (left) refuses to shake hands with John Terry of Chelsea before the QPR – Chelsea FA Premier League match at Loftus Road Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images

Subsequently, Ferdinand spoke of his mental health issues. He told The Metro: I’ve had my own issues with mental health. It took me a long time to even realise and acknowledge I had mental health issues.

“I sit here today as someone who classes myself as lucky to be here. I use the term lucky because I was fortunate to get out of the dark place to then understand it. A lot of people don’t get out of it and do something even worse, which is taking their own life.”

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