Sharp action from the top can halt racism Years ago, when I was starting out, someone who occasionally advised me on my future spotted a promising opening. He made inquiries on my behalf but came back deflated. It wasn't going to work. The boss of the organisation was keen, but his most senior staff member, whom I knew, had become "hysterical" at the suggestion of my joining. My adviser said he had been sworn to secrecy, but her reasons had nothing to do with my professional competence. Some years later, when I pressed again, my adviser told me that the senior staff member had objected to working with a Jew. Time had passed, I had heard it third-hand, she would deny it, and her boss had taken no action. I decided to show I could make a career without her. I have suffered blessedly few such incidents, but I have an inkling of what Sol Campbell, the black former England footballer, meant when he summed up his feelings after watching BBC documentary footage of racist abuse at grounds in Poland and Ukraine: "Sick, empty, hurt." The BBC film showed anti-Semitic chanting, abuse of black players and a harrowing physical assault on Indian spectators at a Ukrainian stadium. The Polish and Ukrainian governments, about to host the Euro 2012 football tournament, assured visiting players and fans that there would be no problems. But, with the tournament in its first week, there have been some, and officials have provided a demonstration of how not to deal with them. Racism is not confined to football. It appears in many organisations. London's Metropolitan Police force, which has had persistent problems in the past, has recently had to deal with new allegations of racism. Individual officials" ability to deal with racism on the streets is limited. With the economic upset of Europe, we are probably going to see more. But people can take responsibility for their own organisations - whether in the office or on the training ground. It starts with managers making it clear that it matters. When Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, the international football body, said that racist abuse on the field could be sorted out with a handshake at the end of the game, he could be dismissed as someone no longer fit to be in charge. He had already suggested women wear tighter shorts to boost interest in their game. We might have expected more from the Dutch football association. When their team, practising in Krakow, moved to the far side of the ground after hearing monkey chants from some spectators, the Dutch FA declined to make an official complaint. It said: "A few players have heard sounds, which could be described as possible monkey chants. However, the training staff on the pitch were not aware of this. The response to doubters from Mark van Bommel, the Dutch captain, should be printed out and taped above every managerial desk: "Open your ears. If you did hear it, and don't want to hear it, that is even worse. The black Dutch players must take some comfort from their captain's firmness, but the message from their morally flaccid officials is: we don't want to make a fuss, so you're on your own. The English FA, which has taken a more resolute stand against racism than almost any other, has fumbled its biggest test this year. John Terry, its former captain, faces trial on charges of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a domestic game last October. This isn't an easy one: Terry denies the charge and nothing has been proved against him. But the FA stripped him of the captaincy and then allowed him to play as an ordinary member of the team. Roy Hodgson, the manager, refused to select Rio Ferdinand, the alleged victim's brother, ostensibly on footballing grounds. Many do not accept that this is the reason. They believe that management fears the two players cannot share a changing room and that they prefer Terry. It is pretty tawdry and suggests, again, that racism doesn't really matter. What is required is firmness at the top. The Dutch FA should have said: "Not everyone heard the abuse, but our players did, and they are the ones who matter to us." It is not just that racists thrive when they sense that condemnation of what they do is half-hearted. It is that there is no bigger failure of leadership than giving those who work for you the feeling that you are not on their side.