With Luis Suarez being accused by Patrice Evra of racism, and then John Terry having the charge levelled at him by Anton Ferdinand, why all of a sudden is race an issue?
Probably because it never stopped being one. Unfortunately, whilst society in general is far less racist than it once was, football is one of the last places where it remains an issue. It is football of course, where not a single homosexual player has felt comfortable to come out and admit his sexuality since Justin Fashanu two decades ago. And are we to believe that there is no homosexual player who has played the game in the UK in 20 years?
Obviously there has been. But football is still very much a conservative sport, the one in which goalline technology and other initiatives are slow to come in. Go to a match though, and there is still plenty of abuse for players, and the odd racist comment. And is it such a shock that a sport in which the working classes dominate, that this should be the case? They are of course, those most likely to indulge in petty racist abuse.
But there has been nothing proven of course yet. Patrice Evra has a history of accusing people of racism and having the allegation unproven. For John Terry on the other hand, he has a history of controversy which would lead the individual inclined to judge without the facts to presume that he is guilty.
Neither are proven yet, but it should not come as the biggest shock that racism is on the agenda. Football still has a long way to go in the UK to catch up with the rest of society. It is the sport of the politically incorrect classes, and that is also a key point to be recognised in this debate. In wider society racism has gone the other way; political correctness permeates every area of public life that genuine racists look for the last areas in which they can get away with their comments. Football is a prime example of one of these places.
For Terry, if he is proven guilty, it seems ridiculous that he would be able to continue to play for England, let alone be the captain of the national side. He has already lost the captaincy once, and his history demonstrates that he is a poor role model. His contempt for his team mates in their personal lives, as well as his constant sniping at referees on the field, display a character that cares little about anyone other than himself. Here was the man who stepped up to take the crucial penalty in the Champions League final, missing the one which would have won Chelsea the trophy, when better players and more importantly, better penalty takers were available.
For Terry, this could prove the final straw. If the allegation proves true, he should do the decent thing – and jump before he is pushed. The English national team should not be captained by someone found guilty of racist abuse.
