Ex- Albion star Chris Ramsey recounts racism during cup final

Ramsey joined Albion in 1980, spending four years with the club playing as a right-back. But growing up, it was difficult as a black footballer due to the threat of racism at the time.

He said: "I played for Charlton as a schoolboy. I had to catch the train to and from training, and I would wait on the bridge above the station so I could see the platform and make sure there were no skinheads.

"Then I would run onto the train if there wasn't any of them and then sit and hoped that none of them were already on the train or would get on at the next platform so that they could give you a kicking.

"Sometimes, you might be chased and have to catch a bus or another train to get home. By then, you would have run out of money, so you'd have to bunk the fair and hope you didn't get caught.

"Your teachers at school were racist, they would call you names. What chance did we have then? There was a book called Little Black Sambo. We were shown that at five-years-old so for white kids who were reading that it would become ingrained behaviour."

• READ MORE: Albion linked with Ligue 1 Clermont's Lukaku style striker

Ramsey would join Albion from Bristol City, where he played in the youth academy, and despite an injury havocked period, he would go on to appear in the 1983 FA Cup for the club.

Although what should have been a happy occasion was marred by racist abuse aimed towards Ramsey.

The 59-year-old said: "The final in the 1980s was the biggest thing on television and how the whole world stopped for it.

"I received hate mail before the final. I kept it quiet for a long time because my mum didn't want it out there. The letters were about the colour of my skin, but I didn't want to go against my mum.

"It was a bit terrifying, but you're 21, and you've been through a lot worse than that. I remember being on the way to a game when there were opposition fans on the train, and I hid in the toilet.

"I've done all that, I've been in physical danger, I've had people come up to me and spit in my face."

Chris Ramsey waves to fans ahead of the 1983 FA Cup final

Despite the hate mail, the abuse and the broken leg Ramsey would suffer in the final, being Albion's first black player to represent the club in a major final is a natural source of pride for him.

The former defender said: "Manchester United have always been the biggest club in the world, but at the time they hadn't won anything for a while.

"The pressure was all on them, we went out with a lot of confidence. We didn't have much to lose based on the fact that we were a small club.

"What you want to do when you've got everyone watching is to perform to a level that everyone remembers you for on that day.

"I was only the second black player to play for Brighton after David Busby. It's a source of pride to be a part of Brighton's history, and when you look at how normal racism was then you realise how much of a milestone it was, as I believe I was actually the only black player on the pitch at Wembley that day.

• READ MORE: Albion boss hopes international duties will improve players

Brighton would draw the final against Manchester United 2-2, but due to his injury, Ramsey missed the replay in which the Red Devils ran out 4-0 victors.

After leaving Albion in 1984, Ramsey would play for Swindon Town and Southend United before becoming a coach in Malta and the United States.

Ramsey became the first black male manager of an England team taking charge of the Under-20s. Now, after a year of being the first-team manager at QPR in 2015, Ramsey is the London club's technical director.