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.