Premier League players ready to 'disrupt games' over racism - Livingston's Marvin Bartley
- Published
Marvin Bartley has been angered by Ondrej Kudela's 10-game ban
Players from English Premier League clubs are among those ready to "disrupt" games if racism is not taken more seriously by football authorities, says Livingston's Marvin Bartley.
The midfielder is now an adviser on the subject to the Scottish FA.
He is angry that Slavia Prague's Ondrej Kudela only received a 10-game Uefa ban for abusing Rangers' Glen Kamara.
"I'm talking about top players who I've never spoken to before who have now reached out," Bartley said.
"They've said, if Uefa aren't going to do something about it, we'll do something about it. I'm talking about top players in the English Premier League who are now saying we are taking it into our own hands."
Kamara was banned for three games after being deemed by the governing body to have assaulted Kudela in the tunnel after the stormy Europa League game in March and, following the European governing body's own decision, Police Scotland has sent a report on both incidents to the procurator fiscal.
Livingston captain Bartley told BBC Scotland's Sportsound he has agreed with his squad that, should there be an incident of racism, they would walk off the pitch and not return - and that rival captains have done likewise.
"If they say they are going to fine us, then fine, we are not going out to play any more," he said. "If we have to stand up, not just black players but all players, and start disrupting football games by walking off if there is racial abuse then something will be done about it because financially it is going to affect the broadcasters and force Uefa and certain FAs to act."
Bartley thought that Slavia Prague should have been thrown out of the Europa League and the player banned for a year to set an example.
He also cited what he suggested have been "minimal" fines for clubs whose fans had chanted racist slogans.
"I'm embarrassed by what Uefa have done here - 10 games in the bare minimum as we all know and he's been given that," he said. "I'm telling you as a black man, they don't care about racism and, speaking to other players, we've lost confidence in Uefa now.
"They've talked the talk and now was their time to firmly say we are against racism and they have failed us miserably. We've tried taking the knee, we've tried standing together, we've tried to wear the t-shirts and talking about education and it's getting worse."
Uefa has been approached for comment.