Alan Brazil: England’s message on racism won’t be missed by anybody

England have long talked the talk when it comes to standing up against racism.

But it won’t surprise me if they walk the walk in Bulgaria.

The build-up to tomorrow night’s game in Sofia has been dominated by fears of racist chanting from home fans.

The Buglarians have previous, after all.

In fact, sections of their stadium will be closed for England’s visit as a result of racial incidents in previous games.

So it’s no surprise that England’s players and management have been asked how they will handle things if there’s another outbreak.

And I’m not shocked that the players have taken a hard line and decided to adopt UEFA’s three-stage protocol.

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham revealed that the England squad had discussed the situation, with captain, Harry Kane, taking the lead.

The England players deciding the game is a bogey would be an extreme reaction – but it feels like something like this has been coming for a while now.

During my playing career, black players just had to ignore the racists in the crowd.

They turned the other cheek to the numpties and got on with the game, probably with a wee bit of extra fire in their bellies.

But things are different these days, and rightly so.

England’s squad is packed with young black players who have grown up in a modern country where racism is completely unacceptable.

Other countries lag behind when it comes to racial attitudes.

But that doesn’t mean English players should have to put up with being abused for the colour of their skin.

UEFA have put a set of rules in place for how racist incidents should be dealt with.

The governing body first want players to alert the referee.

The referee must then ask for a public address announcement, warning fans to button their lips.

If that goes unheeded, the players are temporarily removed from the field.

But if, on their return, the dissent continues, the referee is cleared to abandon the match and march both teams from the field.

That sounds fair enough in theory.

But England’s black players have been put through the mill before and found it not fit for purpose.

Spurs full-back Danny Rose, Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi and Manchester City star Raheem Sterling were subjected to racial abuse whilst playing for England in Montenegro back in March.

They felt they didn’t have an option other than to get on with the game.

The Montenegrin FA were later fined £17,000 and ordered to play one game behind closed doors – a punishment that left Rose “lost for words”.

So it’s no wonder England’s players have had enough.

If – and it remains an “if” at this point – they hear racial abuse in Sofia tomorrow night, by walking off the park together, they will be sending an incredibly strong message to the football world.

And because it’s England, it will not be missed by anybody.

That’s why I understand Gareth Southgate’s squad being prepared to walk.

Whether they should or not is another argument.

But if they are going to do it, now seems as good a time as any.

Friday’s defeat against the Czech Republic means England’s place at the European Championships has still to be nailed down.

They should get the job done in Sofia.

But if they feel they have something to gain by taking a stand while trying to get the points required, fair play to them.