BRIGHTON and Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton admits it will be impossible to ever stamp out racism completely.

Hughton is the only black manager in the Premiership and one of very few in the top tiers of football.

He became the first black boss to win the Premier League’s Manager of the Month Award in March.

Racism has shot back into the national spotlight again this week after a pensioner subjected a fellow passenger on a Ryanair flight to a racist tirade.

Footballer turned TV presenter Dion Dublin spoke of his shock yesterday after being racially abused when a woman directed a racial slur at him.

But Hughton says he doesn’t think these two incidents will adversely affect progress made within football.

He said: “There will always be incidents.

“If we are looking at any progress that has been made over a period of years then I think in general, yes, there has been progress made and I can talk about football or non-football, social, or community.

“I think the country is a far more multi-cultural, multi-racial country than it has ever been but there will always be incidents.

“If we look back here (Britain) in history and the bad racism years it’s impossible for that change to be a complete change in a period of time.

“There will always be incidents, pockets, areas you regard as more racist than others but I think there are enough good people around trying as hard as they can to redress those balances.

“Any incidents like that will never surprise me.

“We’ll continue to get moments in football, racial moments in football, racial comments, whether that’s supporters or so on, so it’s about trying as hard as we can to eradicate that but it would be very difficult to eradicate that completely.”

His comments come as Albion produce a pullout in today’s matchday programme against Wolves to mark Black History Month.

Black History Month is an annual commemoration of the history, achievements and contributions of black people.

The pullout includes an interview with Dave Busby, who in October 1973 became the first black player to appear for Albion.

He recalls his debut with Shrewsbury Town and the underlying current of racism which he says blighted his chances of establishing himself as a professional footballer.

He made just four appearances.

Busby said: “I was unaware of the significance at the time but looking back now I’m immensely proud to be Brighton and Hove Albion’s first black player.”