I’m a Twit, meaning I tweet, mostly to share things I read on the web that I find interesting and want to share with people who follow me, which I take to be people with common interests to mine.
Cashley woops Ashley Cole is also a twit. In his case I say this because he chose to publicly criticize the people who administer his registration as a professional footballer.
The cases of Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra and John Terry/Anton Ferdinand together with the public twitter comments of Anton’s brother and Mr Tweedie, don’t make good reading for anyone, including the FA.
Frankly the racism charges, and subsequent handshakegate, both at Old Trafford and then the QPR-Chelsea bore, have taken too many column inches and too many months to cover the FA or the Clubs in glory.
I’ve written before that the employers who put these overpaid people onto the playing field, thus giving them a public platform, need to act to stamp out bad behavior as soon as it occurs. They are the parents in this arrangement and if the children behave badly then they need to sort it out.
If the name calling, and tweeting (texting to people who aren’t in your address book), was done by 5 year olds at a junior school then the Head (the FA) would call in the parents (the Clubs) and fix it. This wouldn’t take a year, nor would it take a month,it would take a day and there would be no question that failure to stamp it out would result in suspension.
Taking too long has caused the matter to fester, to the extent that in the Terry case the FA appear to have questioned the Court ruling which found the case not proven against the former England Captain. Whatever the truth, people are innocent until proven guilty and Terry, like him or loathe him, was not proven guilty.
I applaud the action of Chelsea in fining Cashley, it is what should have happened from the start.Terry and Suarez should also have been dealt with by their employers and the matter put to bed with fines and then closed with handshakes – quickly and decisively.
The actions on Twitter of Rio should also have been dealt with by Manchester United, as this only inflamed the matter.
Every fair minded fan wants racism stamped out of the game, and there has been much overt support of the campaigns to do so from the Clubs and the FA. Doing what they say, acting in unison and dealing with their employees decisively would show the unity and leadership that is needed to stop this in its tracks.
And while they are at it, the lip reading that initiated this saga is equally at play when players use foul and abusive language, on TV or not, at officials. I was very disappointed with Paul Scholes reaction to his booking on Sunday as live TV showed a close up of his language towards the Referee. That is also unacceptable and if the Clubs simply fined players for doing that, then it would stop immediately.
The sport doesn’t need any of this to be successful and the Clubs have the means to sort it out. Do it now please!
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve
Overall I agree with your comments. However:
1) How do you make a fine meaningful for somebody earning £200,000 per week or more?
2) The parents don't stand to lose a fortune if their child misses school for a couple of weeks, unlike clubs who may lose games, spectators and lucrative cup and ECL places as a consequence.
I agree that the school analogy isn't perfect but its important that the Clubs punish the player to set an example to others.
Look at Joey Barton and ask if its right that he can simply move to another well paid job when his employer and him fall out ?
All good contracts have penalty clauses and if the punishment fits the crime then it's fair. Damages equal to the losses incurred might be penal enough to cause players to think before they act.
Good points though.