Race Riot

I argued yesterday that we shouldn't allow the Blatter issue to distract from the problems of our own game, nd with that in mind I'd like to look at the Suarez situation.  

If the constant briefing of innocence and support from Liverpool football club isn't distasteful enough, especially given that the FA asked both clubs not to comment, something we've stuck to - though I hope Sir Alex rips into the subject today at his press conference, given their constant comments - but the actual excuse that Suarez has come up with is frankly preposterous.  The defence - that he was just calling Evra something that is okay to call someone in his native Uruguay - might be acceptable if this was his first season out of Uruguay.  It isn't though, he's played in Europe since 2006.  So we are led to believe that the words he spoke, that were so inoffensive, so common, in his native land, haven't crossed his lips in the previous 5 years of playing in Europe.  Surely, had they crossed his lips he'd have already had it pointed out to him that these words aren't appropriate or accepted in Europe, and he'd have apologised and stopped using them.  But no, 5 years later he, while arguing with Evra, just happens to use these perfectly normal and inoffensive words, for the first time since moving to Europe.  This is self-evidently a crock of shit.  In fact, that anyone would give credence to this excuse is, as far as I'm concerned, borderline racist.  It's the patronising, "but they are a simple folk, he knows not what he does,"  as if all South Americans are unable to tell what is and isn't the "done thing."  It's the equivalent of Basil Fawlty excusing Manuel with "He's from Barcelona."  - "It's ok, he's not a racist - just South American..."

Head Under Water

The fuss created by Sepp Blatter's comments on racism in football, and the reaction of the football community in this country should not make us forget that all is not right in our own football. 

The difference in reaction between something happening outside our borders and something happening inside is obvious. Something happens outside and condemnation is swift and immediate action and punishment demanded. Something happens inside our borders and everyone mumbles quietly to themselves, coughs, embarrassed, looking at their shoes, hoping everyone will move on. "Nothing to see here, that's their problem"

Racism is something that happens outside our country. Outside our football. You wouldn't see our football establishment supporting racism would you. John Terry England captain? Kenny Dalglish wanting Evra banned for daring to mention racist abuse and continually backing his player despite everything? And our football writers wouldn't write articles taking Blatter's position avant la lettre would they?

The reaction to John Terry's defence was, to quote Rio Ferdinand, "laughable." The ridiculous, " I didn't say it, I was just using them words to tell I him I didn't say them." He really couldn't think of anything better? And he was taken seriously? What he obviously should have said was, "As we are all agreed that there is no problem with racism in English football it stands to reason that what I said could not have been racist"

It might not even be too much of a stretch - it's a mighty lucky coincidence otherwise - to suggest that the timing of the announcement of Suarez being charged was influenced by the Blatter story, "Let's rush this out now, Blatter can distract attention from us, so much nicer for everyone to be concentrating on the racism of them."  Blatter has allowed our smug establishment to once again take the moral high ground, even though the reaction of most of the establishment towards Evra was very much the Blatter way - "Did he have to speak out?  There's no racism in our game." Blatter's true crime is not what he said, but that it's allowed the focus to be put back outside, when it should still be focused firmly inside.

Goal

Valencia opens the scoring -