Racism in Football

[IlikeBacon]

Sorry Rio is a bellend, trying to take the moral high ground about racisim. Wasn't Rio at Leeds when Bowyer and Woodgate were charged, did he make a big deal about that? Not mentioning the driving bans and cheating on your wife, what a upstanding citizen Rio is.

[dom9]

Sorry Rio is a bellend, trying to take the moral high ground about racisim. Wasn't Rio at Leeds when Bowyer and Woodgate were charged, did he make a big deal about that? Not mentioning the driving bans and cheating on your wife, what a upstanding citizen Rio is.

Justice was perhaps served the Woodgate / Bowyer cases.

[Red_Polo]

Sorry Rio is a bellend, trying to take the moral high ground about racisim. Wasn't Rio at Leeds when Bowyer and Woodgate were charged, did he make a big deal about that? Not mentioning the driving bans and cheating on your wife, what a upstanding citizen Rio is.

What's right is right regardless of his history; it's not about him or his character, it's about the issue. Not sure Woodgate/Bowyer can rightly be used as a stick to beat him with, he had no personal involvement nor was he at Leeds when the incident happened. He does display some hypocrisy IMO given his crass laughter at Ashley Cole being called a choc ice, and I don't doubt he's a bit of a dick, but I think you have to take whatever arguments he puts forward on their own merit.

[kris90210]

The PFA clearly scared by the prospect of a black players union:

Racism row: PFA issues six-point action plan
The Professional Footballers' Association has issued a six-point action plan to deal with racism.

Criticised for not doing enough to tackle the problem, the PFA says it is now time for tougher penalties.

Culprits could be sacked and ordered to attend awareness programmes.

The response comes after Reading striker Jason Roberts, a member of the PFA's management committee, expressed frustration that his recommendations had not been acted on.

The PFA's plan calls for:

1. Speeding up the process of dealing with reported racist abuse with close monitoring of any incidents
2. Consideration of stiffer penalties for racist abuse and to include an equality awareness programme for culprits and clubs involved
3. An English form of the "Rooney rule" - introduced by American football's National Football League in 2003 - to make sure qualified ethnic minority coaches are on interview lists for job vacancies
4. The proportion of black coaches and managers to be monitored and any inequality or progress highlighted
5. Racial abuse to be considered gross misconduct in player and coach contracts (and therefore potentially a sackable offence)
6. Not losing sight of other equality issues such as gender, sexual orientation, disability, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Asians in football

PFA chief Gordon Taylor also called for unity following reports some players were considering forming a breakaway organisation for black footballers.

"If they want their own particular select group who they feel they can influence everybody more than the whole PFA as a union together, I would say they are seriously mistaken," said Taylor.

"If we are not careful, this will set us back years. It would not only set back the game, it would set back the anti-racist initiative."

His views are echoed by former West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal defender Brendon Batson.

Batson, a former PFA administrator, told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't think there would be any benefit.

"What we need to do is address the concerns of current black players, hear their voice and see if we can do something about it.

"We need to harness the anger of the current players and let it be an instrument for change, but I don't think a split will help the situation."

Football Association chairman David Bernstein announced on Tuesday that the governing body will review the sanctions for racist abuse following the John Terry case.

The Chelsea defender was banned for four games after being found guilty of abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, a punishment Bernstein felt was "about right".

[kris90210]

The PFA's plan calls for:

1. Speeding up the process of dealing with reported racist abuse with close monitoring of any incidents
2. Consideration of stiffer penalties for racist abuse and to include an equality awareness programme for culprits and clubs involved
3. An English form of the "Rooney rule" - introduced by American football's National Football League in 2003 - to make sure qualified ethnic minority coaches are on interview lists for job vacancies
4. The proportion of black coaches and managers to be monitored and any inequality or progress highlighted
5. Racial abuse to be considered gross misconduct in player and coach contracts (and therefore potentially a sackable offence)
6. Not losing sight of other equality issues such as gender, sexual orientation, disability, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Asians in football

I have a serious issue with points 3 and 4, personally. I don't see how this fosters 'equality.' I think we can all agree that giving someone preferential treatment because of the colour of their skin is morally wrong. For me, that works both ways. I feel very strongly about this.

[dww]

I have a serious issue with points 3 and 4, personally. I don't see how this fosters 'equality.' I think we can all agree that giving someone preferential treatment because of the colour of their skin is morally wrong. For me, that works both ways. I feel very strongly about this.

I can see your issue with point 3. However, I think this is where history and inertia in the system has to be acknowledged. It's probably not a level playing field now so an attempt to redress the effects of historical prejudice seems like it might be a good idea.

On point 4 I can't see how monitoring to ensure that prejudice is not a significant factor is a bad idea.

[McDermotX]

I have a serious issue with points 3 and 4, personally. I don't see how this fosters 'equality.' I think we can all agree that giving someone preferential treatment because of the colour of their skin is morally wrong. For me, that works both ways. I feel very strongly about this.

Valid point.

Nice and reactive from the the PFA.

[Assassin]

Originally Posted by kris90210
The PFA's plan calls for:

1 Speeding up the process of dealing with reported racist abuse with close monitoring of any incidents
2 Consideration of stiffer penalties for racist abuse and to include an equality awareness programme for culprits and clubs involved
3 An English form of the "Rooney rule" - introduced by American football's National Football League in 2003 - to make sure qualified ethnic minority coaches are on interview lists for job vacancies
4 The proportion of black coaches and managers to be monitored and any inequality or progress highlighted
5 Racial abuse to be considered gross misconduct in player and coach contracts (and therefore potentially a sackable offence)
6 Not losing sight of other equality issues such as gender, sexual orientation, disability, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Asians in football

I have a serious issue with points 3 and 4, personally. I don't see how this fosters 'equality.' I think we can all agree that giving someone preferential treatment because of the colour of their skin is morally wrong. For me, that works both ways. I feel very strongly about this.

I agree with you.

One other thing number 6, there is nothing in here covering "role reversal" for instance being called a "****ing white cunt" The new rules and regulations should be to protect all

[kris90210]

I can see your issue with point 3. However, I think this is where history and inertia in the system has to be acknowledged. It's probably not a level playing field now so an attempt to redress the effects of historical prejudice seems like it might be a good idea.

On point 4 I can't see how monitoring to ensure that prejudice is not a significant factor is a bad idea.

That's not the way to readdress the balance imo. All that will do is increase tensions. The best applicants should get an interview, regardless of skin colour. I find what they're suggesting to be hypocritical really.

Regarding point 4, I think it's short sighted. If there are less black coaches in the game than white coaches, that doesn't neccessarily mean there's evidence of inequality. There are all sorts of reasons as to why that might be the case. And it works both ways. If there was suddenly a surge in black coaches, that wouldn't mean that inequality had been addressed. Ultimately, I don't think these figures alone will give an accurate picture.

[The_weatherman]

Would it then be up to each club to sack their player? Or would the FA (sorry David Gill/Ferguson) decide to who should rightly be sacked? I take it they could then terminate the contract without having to pay it up. But what about the transfer fee? A club will hardly sack a 20 million player, although for Downing I would maybe make an exception.

It would not be a level playing field, some clubs can afford to take the moral high ground and sack the alleged offender but others (most) can't, unless it sets them back a couple of years.

Imagine us having to sack Suarez, and what happens then does he just sign as a free agent somewhere else? Is he banned from the Premier League? I can't see this being a do-able.

[Alex]

It hasn't increased tensions anywhere its been introduced. Infact its been fairly positive as I understand it.

I have absolutly no problem with it. If they are good enough is a totally different matter, but to have them at least considered is good.

[Alex]

Just looked at Wikipedia:

Since the Rooney Rule was established, several NFL franchises have hired African American head coaches, including the Steelers themselves, who hired Mike Tomlin before their 2007 season[2] (The Steelers, however, had already interviewed Ron Rivera who is a Hispanic minority to fulfill the Rule before interviewing Tomlin, and Rooney himself contends that Tomlin's hiring did not result from the Rule).[3] At the start of the 2006 season, the overall percentage of African American coaches had jumped to 22%, up from 6% prior to the Rooney Rule.[4]

Tell me thats not a good thing for equality? It worked well enough in america that they want to introduce it to College football.

[Alex]

It would also stop this God awful merry-go-round of the same 5-6 managers being linked to every job.

[kris90210]

Just looked at Wikipedia:



Tell me thats not a good thing for equality? It worked well enough in america that they want to introduce it to College football.

It depends, doesn't it. If those black coaches only got the job because they are black, then to me that's not a good thing for equality at all. Makes a bit of a mockery of it if anything.

[Kenneth]

It would also stop this God awful merry-go-round of the same 5-6 managers being linked to every job.

I don't know if that's true. It would probably mean that Paul Ince will be interviewed for every job.