Football and Racisim

The recent disputes on racism in Football and the loud voice of the Football Association (FA), is an interesting look into double standards and how deep corruption in Fifa as a whole cuts.

Sepp Blatter, is by no means an authority on anything football related, anymore, as his position has become untenable over the last few years due to a number of other reasons. For the FA to call for his resignation on such thin grounds as “not taking racism seriously”, is weak and badly timed. This is a man who has more goose fat on him than David Cameron. What was interesting is the defence of the president of Fifa, by his friend and colleague, Mosima “Tokio” Sexwale.

Mr Sexwale, brought it all into context in how Mr Blatter had supported the South African struggle against apartheid by using football to recognise what would otherwise be politically alienated. He also pointed out that the comments were unfortunate and not well put. But what I found most interesting about all he said and put it into a good context for me, is that the FA are the loudest voices, yet they have the power to make a clear call to stop racism in the United Kingdom, if nowhere else.

The fact is this. John Terry has a background of having no respect for his fellow team-mates, when it stands between him and instant gratification. He also comes from a family that might be judged to have a faulty moral compass. His lips are as readable as the rest of ours and when he shouts racial abuse on the field of play, then the FA should not call upon Sepp Blatter to resign when he belittles the situation. The fact is that the FA itself is responsible for acting in this matter and when they send out a clear signal that it is not serious enough to suspend John Terry until after a hearing, then they cannot call upon Fifa to more strict. Why is this thug still playing for England? He is hardly a role model.

Society draws certain lines as our species moves up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. One of those lines is respect for one another as a basis for all relationships. Another is that regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality, we are all human and we all should respect one another. When you allow your captain to break that law, you end up sending a signal that what he did was not serious enough to worry about. Perhaps it is not Sepp Blatter, but the FA who have a faulty moral compass and should stand up and be counted, or shut-up in shame.