15th September 2005

Snow Patrol singer in call for more tolerance

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has thrown his weight behind a new drive to kick racism out of Scottish society.

The Glasgow-based band's singer was at the Scottish Parliament to back the launch of a new anti-racism video which will be sent to every school in Scotland.

The film has been made by Show Racism the Red Card, which uses football to spread the tolerance message.

Scotland stars Nigel Quashie, Craig Gordon and manager Walter Smith are in the film and talk about racism's impact on Scottish football and society.

Snow Patrol's song Spitting Games provides the background to the video.

Lightbody said: "I had the great fortune of being brought up in a household where we were taught 'each to his own'.

"Even in Northern Ireland, there was no bigotry or any hate, but a lot of kids don't have that environment to grow up in.

"It maybe falls to footballers to make a difference. I think kids probably listen to what their heroes would say off the pitch.

"It's a brilliant video and I think it's going to affect a lot of kids, especially if they don't quite understand why other kids are different."

The Evening Times, 15 September, 2005