ALEX SCOTT has revealed the torment she went through after being racially abused and trolled online.
The former Arsenal and England star, 37, has carved out an incredibly successful career as a broadcaster, presenting events such as Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Scott has also taken over from Dan Walker as the host of Football Focus.
But her success has coincided with sickening racial abuse as trolls have singled her out on social media.
And Scott admits it has had a major impact, leading to her “briefly turning to drink” after the Olympics last year.
Speaking to The Times, she said: “I can slip into dark places. And once I slip into dark places, I don’t stop.
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“I loved being out at the Olympics, but afterwards I realised the mad pressure that I’d put on myself to take everything – the trolling, the racism, Lord Digby Jones.”
The reference to Jones relates to a tweet he sent accusing her of negatively impacting BBC’s Olympic coverage with her East End accent.
He said: “Enough! I can’t stand it any more! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word.
“Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin.”
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The criticism understandably affected Scott, who was even forced to deal with death threats.
She continued: “That was at a level that I was scared for my life. I was scared to leave my house to even go to the shop.
“That’s the stage that we’d got to – that, oh my gosh, someone black might be replacing a national treasure could cause such hatred.”
Scott is preparing to release her memoir “How (Not) to Be Strong” in which she discusses the harrowing abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her father.
Scott’s dad frequently beat her mother, scenes the ex-footballer recounts in frightening detail.
“I felt helpless,” she said. “All I could do was lie there and pray my mum would be alive in the morning.”
Yet Scott, who has not spoken to her dad since he text her asking for Strictly Come Dancing tickets in 2019, admirably insists she did not write the book to punish him.
She said: “I didn’t write this book to shame my dad – actually, I’ve forgiven my dad.
“I take lessons from what’s happened to me. I wouldn’t be the person I am without all this.
“At football, you don’t show emotion. You’re tough; you get on with things. You don’t talk about stuff. You roll your socks up and do your best.”
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
