Bradford Junior Football Club boss links Suella Braverman’s ‘invasion’ comments to racist abuse

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The founder of a youth football club has accused the Home Secretary of fueling a rise in racist abuse at matches. Mohammed Waheed, who runs Alpha United Juniors Football Club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, said Suella Braverman’s use of the word ‘invasion’ to describe the number of migrants entering the country in small boats was inflammatory.

He said: “When you use words like ‘invasion’, [the players] come from these countries. Look around you…these families come from these countries.

“They’re legally allowed to be here, but because there’s this invasion story, they’re painted with the same brush.”

Shortly after being reappointed as Home Secretary in October, Ms Braverman called her work ‘stopping the invasion on our south coast’, in reference to the number of people crossing the English Channel.

Mr Waheed said that since then players as young as seven have been subjected to racial slurs and threats of violence.

He has written to Kensington Palace about the issue, citing what he feels is a lack of action by the Football Association.

Prince William responded, describing the racist behavior as heinous and said he had raised the matter with the FA, of which he is chairman.

His team’s letter read: “The Prince was particularly saddened to learn of the effects this intolerable action can have on those who simply want to play football.”

Responding to Mr Waheed’s comments, the Home Office said the UK had a proud history of protecting people arriving through “safe and legal channels”.

A spokesman said: “The public rightly expects us to control immigration, at a time when the number of people arriving in the UK via small boats has reached record levels, which puts pressure on the asylum system and expands our ability to support those in need.

“We are using all the tools at our disposal to deter illegal migration, disrupt the business model of smugglers and relocate to Rwanda those who have no right to be in the UK.”

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