Greg Clarke has resigned as Football Association chairman following the language he used in a reference to black players when talking to MPs about diversity. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54894864
Good. Absolutely appalling language and sentiments. To say "well there's lots of British Asians in the IT department at the FA, they have different career preferences" - what the fuck? Not to mention his views on homosexuality and women.
Hopefully he takes a long, long hard look at himself, the reaction to these comments, and his views change in some way.
Thank god for that. He is just another example of people in positions of power that have outdated views and opinions that belong in the past. A good few more need to go from all walks of life but however small it's a move in the right direction
"2020 has been a challenging year and I have been actively considering standing down for some time to make way for a new Chair now our CEO transition is complete and excellent executive leadership under Mark Bullingham is established."
Whatever you say Greg, nothing to do with the institutional racism you called "fluff" surely
Just watched the ITV news and all they’ve focussed on is his use of the term ‘couloured’
Whilst his excuse for using it doesn’t really hold much water, some people who don’t know the full story of what he said might think he’s been hard done by.
Can some one enlighten me as to the words he should have used. An I’m not looking for an argument, I genuinely would like to know. The items about girls and the IT Department I can see, but..... are we being to sensitive here... ?
I read the start of it and thought he was a little hard done by, as I read on I wondered what planet he was on making those comments... Surprised the "coloured" angle was used in that article
You would expect someone heading up the FA to be clued up about the language they use in this day and age. He comes across as a dinosaur which is hardly a surprise in football administration.
Whilst I know things have moved on and what he said is not acceptable nowadays I definately think it is an age thing. I am 63 and was raised by parents and grandparents who referred to black people as coloured. I admit to slipping up on a few occassions and using this term myself, once was on here.
Conrad Hunte's autobiography 'Playing To Win' (Conrad Hunte was a distinguished black West Indian test batsman from Barbados) refers to 'coloured people' throughout.
Who are the arbiters of acceptable language in these matters? We have moved from 'coloured' to 'black' to 'people of colour' and it seems to me that these arbitrary changes take place to shape the debate and 'cancel' those who use the wrong terminology at the wrong time.
Clarke is an old bloke and probably genuinely doesn't know which term is 'flavour of the month' at the moment. On that note I have seen people being interviewed on TV referring to 'black' and 'brown' people is that wrong? I don't know and I doubt if many people, including Greg Clarke perhaps, do either.
I have no idea what Clarke's abilities are or are not as an administrator in his role at the FA but chastisement for incorrect use of terminology that constantly changes looks like an excuse to get rid to me.
I think the issue is there are a lot of people who are hopefully/probably not racists, who unfortunately use the same kind of language that racists/borderline racists might use.
I am firmly of the view that there 100% are a lot of racists out there, and although you can judge people by what they say, it is how they say it, and their true feelings that define whether you are a racist or not. I didn't feel like he was trying to be offensive, in fact he also said "People can see if you're black and if they don't like black people because they are filthy racists, they can abuse you anonymously online." I heard him call racists filthy, I didn't hear him call any ethnic minorities filthy, just "coloured". A term for which you have to be educated in why it is offensive, in order to understand that it is offensive.
It shouldn't be a crime to not be au fait with what should be said, and although a lot of his comments were incredibly stupid and for that he shouldn't be at the head of such a "prestigious" organisation, there are people that use far less offensive terms that are seriously racist.
Whilst I know things have moved on and what he said is not acceptable nowadays I definately think it is an age thing. I am 63 and was raised by parents and grandparents who referred to black people as coloured. I admit to slipping up on a few occassions and using this term myself, once was on here.
Greg Clarke is head of the FA so at the very least you'd expect him to have views and language reflecting his position. Age isn't an excuse for stupidity in his position.
Comments
Today he was shocking, mentioned on the 'taking a knee' thread in the Hof C
Hopefully he takes a long, long hard look at himself, the reaction to these comments, and his views change in some way.
Whatever you say Greg, nothing to do with the institutional racism you called "fluff" surely
Lucky he didn't say anything more fruity really...
Some great thinkers at the top of the game.
Either way, not the appropriate person to be leading the FA.
1960 maybe.
I've always thought he was useless.
Are the terms really that different?
Conrad Hunte's autobiography 'Playing To Win' (Conrad Hunte was a distinguished black West Indian test batsman from Barbados) refers to 'coloured people' throughout.
Who are the arbiters of acceptable language in these matters? We have moved from 'coloured' to 'black' to 'people of colour' and it seems to me that these arbitrary changes take place to shape the debate and 'cancel' those who use the wrong terminology at the wrong time.
Clarke is an old bloke and probably genuinely doesn't know which term is 'flavour of the month' at the moment. On that note I have seen people being interviewed on TV referring to 'black' and 'brown' people is that wrong? I don't know and I doubt if many people, including Greg Clarke perhaps, do either.
I have no idea what Clarke's abilities are or are not as an administrator in his role at the FA but chastisement for incorrect use of terminology that constantly changes looks like an excuse to get rid to me.
I am firmly of the view that there 100% are a lot of racists out there, and although you can judge people by what they say, it is how they say it, and their true feelings that define whether you are a racist or not. I didn't feel like he was trying to be offensive, in fact he also said "People can see if you're black and if they don't like black people because they are filthy racists, they can abuse you anonymously online." I heard him call racists filthy, I didn't hear him call any ethnic minorities filthy, just "coloured". A term for which you have to be educated in why it is offensive, in order to understand that it is offensive.
It shouldn't be a crime to not be au fait with what should be said, and although a lot of his comments were incredibly stupid and for that he shouldn't be at the head of such a "prestigious" organisation, there are people that use far less offensive terms that are seriously racist.