The player boycott of Kick It Out T-shirts was sparked by a belief John Terry had been let off lightly, according to Cyrille Regis.
The former England and West Brom striker, part of the generation of black players that first made the breakthrough into the English game, is the uncle of Reading striker Jason Roberts, who refused to wear the T-shirts at the weekend along with Rio and Anton Ferdinand.
He believes that unhappiness with the four-match ban given to Terry for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand is behind the protest.
"There is a feeling that John Terry has been let off lightly," said Regis, quoted in the Guardian. "You are not going to stamp out racism with laws - it is intrinsic to some people. But where it rears its ugly head the authorities have to stamp down and, if they don't do it with the right force, it gives the impression that it's okay.
"Black players have been voicing their opinion for a long time but feel it hasn't been listened to. They were unhappy at the time it took for the FA to sort things out - a whole year in the John Terry case.
"Then Luis Suarez got eight games, while Terry got four - what is the difference? The panel's assessment was that Suarez said the word several times while John Terry only said it once?
"Come on. Do we have zero tolerance or not?
"This is a different generation from mine. We had to put up with abuse. They are more articulate, they have more confidence and they want a clear and vehement message given."
Meanwhile, a national anti-racism organisation has called for a summit meeting to tackle the grievances of those players who boycotted the T-shirts.
Show Racism the Red Card says it understands why the players refused to wear the shirts.
A statement from Show Racism the Red Card said: "We fully understand the anger of the Ferdinand family and Jason Roberts in relation to the FA handling of the John Terry case. Both Rio and Jason are long-standing patrons of our campaign and are recognised in our Hall of Fame for their work.
"The issue of not wearing the Kick It Out (KIO) shirts at the weekend highlights the displeasure of certain players in relation to the footballing authorities' handling of the incidents of racism in the game.
"We call on the players involved to now sit down with us, KIO and the PFA to draw up a plan of action to present to the footballing authorities and Government."
Meanwhile, Wales and Aberdeen keeper Jason Brown claimed black players could be driven towards setting up a breakaway anti-racism group.
He told Sky Sports News: "People come out and say there can't be a breakaway, I'm all for that. We don't want to be rebels and break away, but if they're not doing enough, they're driving us to go down that road.
"I know four to five players who have met with Kick It Out and the PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) and gave them suggestions, but it seems they must have got lost because they have done nothing."
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has urged his members not to take that route.
"We have moved forward as much as we have done so far by being together," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.
"It might not be as quick as people would like but when you look at our staff there is so much experience there.
"A breakaway group would only serve to weaken us and prevent us building bridges with the people who can affect change."
what do you think?
Rob Shaw
People are still forgetting he was found innocent in a court of law. Why people are still branding him a racist I'll never know
paddyj
I too don't think he is a racist person, but the words he used and the manner he shouted them on live tv when millions are watching - families/children is what disgusts me.
Liam Burdett
Simply People with a chip on their shoulder because they are not as good as John terry playing the racist card. if they were so discgruntled with the lack of action for the Kick it out campaign why not take positive action to adress the situation.
Pat TWOMEY
A court case over five days found Terry NG with witness testimony and lip reading experts and an unclear edited clip the arguing points of the case. The FA broke their own rules in order to punish him, setting themselves up as judge, jury and executioner to appease the media led frenzy and factions in the game bringing their own grievances and agendas out into the open in an effort to get a prize scalp by hijacking the affair, you only need to look at their behaviour before, during and since to know who are driving this and continue to do so. The FA were also duty bound to find Terry guilty in order to justify their sacking of him as captain, losing Capello and then having Terry end his England career and choosing not to play ball with them any more, especially as Terry's defence offered no new testimony at the FA hearing, instead relying on the testimony gathered before the court case and the transcripts and findings of the court case and treating it as a show trial, whilst Ferdinand was never cross examined by the FA at all at any stage, his version of events accepted as gospel. Their written reasons are laughable and inaccurate and self-serving and an exercise in covering their own backs with indifference to their own rulings ahead of the hearing, and even point to a sending off v Barcelona as counting against Terry, when his charge sheet had events happening five months earlier. Terry has been punished enough for a supposed slur that not one person actually heard and can say it was said as an insult 100%, instead the best they can offer is that it should never be said at all, with any context going out the window. Context, that all those commenting since have been afforded, but not Terry. People want to compare with Suarez, whilst ignoring that Rio Ferdinand's rap sheet before the FA (for his thoughts on Ashley Cole) read the same as Terry's, with two very different outcomes, whilst the younger Ferdinand was allowed to abuse the former England captain with vile abuse and provocation with inpunity, with the FA allowing that to go unchecked in the cold light of day. Kick Hypocrisy Out .
Grant Ross Davis
Well put
NevilleAtkins
There has been racism ever since the year dot, be it black, white, catholic,protestant,its something the human race has got to live with
BOB macdonald
The racist anti-white coloured players won't be happy until they have taken over and driven white players out of our national sport. Come on FA and put a restriction on the amount of foreign players per team. P.S. No matter what colour.
Neil C
To true it's harder for young white players to break through today. Most clubs only take 5.10' height 12 stone players and 8lack "fact".
FOWLER 23
Kick it out dont hand out punishments, the decision has nowt to do with them, they have tried their upmost to bring equality to our game only for the buffoons at the FA to make a farce out of it, if players really wanna put their money where their mouth is, boycott playing footie and the FA and give up their huge pay cheques, tho fat chance of that happening!!!
Neil C
Boring boring boring!!!!! Over paid whining girls, grow up.
Iain Kemble
6:48am on 23/10/2012
it was fair suraz repeated what he said. but maybe there should be level ground.
paddyj
8:29am on 23/10/2012
.... and Suarez admitted he had said it straight away (albeit in retaliation to an insult from Evra). I actually thought Terry would be banned for at least half the season because of the words he used and the way he shouted them.