Jamie Johnson: CBBC show is tackling racism in football

Racism in football is a big topic that's been in the news a lot in recent months.

It follows events like Euro 2020 and England's World Cup qualifier against Hungary in October which saw a number of black football players receive racial abuse both in person and online.

CBBC show Jamie Johnson is highlighting the problem at grassroots level in some of its latest episodes.

It's introduced a storyline where one of its young black football stars Freddie, played by Keaton Edmund, is racially abused during a match.

Players including Bukayo Saka received racist abuse online following the Euro 2020 final

Some young people were given the opportunity to watch the episodes covering the topic at a special screening and they told Newsround what they thought about them.

"I think the Jamie Johnson episodes were quite moving," said student Leon. "It showed the different aspects of how people deal with racism."

Pupil Aesha was also impacted by the episodes. "I thought the Jamie Johnson episodes were really inspiring as they just taught everyone what we should do about racism and how it's a big problem in our community."

The young people also shared some thoughts on what they think should be done to tackle racism both in the sport, and more generally.

"I think we should pick up on the small things, and show them and make them heard," Leon said. "People might not feel the greatest to say it by themselves, so we should say it as a group and actually help them to make their voice heard."

"I think we should all, as a community, fight against this, against the people who are being racist," student Sacha told Newsround.

"I think we can teach the future generation that we all are the same. We all breathe the same air, bleed the same blood, so we all should be treated as equal as each other, no matter what you are," Aesha shared.

Actor Keaton also spoke about the importance of people being supported if they experience discrimination in a sport they play.

"When you experience something, it could be racism or any form of discrimination, you're not alone. Your teammates should always back you, and if then don't then you know that's not the place for you," he said.

Edleen John is the Director of International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality and Diversity & Inclusion at The Football Association (FA). As part of her role, she helps oversee the FA's plans to tackle issues relating to diversity and inclusion, including racism in the sport.

"If we can get to young people really, really early on and start to talk about some of these difficult issues that they will likely face and be exposed to as they grow up and become adults, for me that can only be a positive," Edleen told Newsround about the importance of shows like Jamie Johnson highlighting racism.

She says the FA is trying to educate and engage with footballers so they know they're supported if they do experience racial abuse or discrimination.

"There's a lot of work, a lot of initiatives, a lot of campaigns," Edleen says. "It's something we've got to continue to talk about, recognising that it isn't just a football issue, it is a societal issue as well."

What do you think should be done to tackle racism in football? Let us know in the comments below.