FA Chairman Greg Clarke to quit as FA chairmanGreg Clarke has resigned from his role as Football Association chairman, reports Matt Slater.
Clarke was forced to apologise after he used the word “coloured” before a Digital, Culture, Media, Sport committee on Tuesday.
He was also criticised by anti-discrimination group Kick It Out after saying that black and South Asian people had”"different career interests” from each other, as well as saying that being gay was a “lifestyle choice”.
What did he say?Clarke said: “If I look at what happens to high-profile female footballers, to high-profile coloured footballers, and the abuse they take on social media....social media is a free-for-all.”
DCMS committee member Kevin Brennan MP then interrupted Clarke to point out the word he had used. At this point, Clarke apologised. “If I said it I deeply apologise,” he said. “I am a product of working overseas, where I was required to use the phrase people of colour. Sometimes I trip over my words.”
Why else was he criticised?Clarke also faced criticism for describing homosexuality as a “life choice”, as well as remarking: “If you go to the IT department at the FA there’s a lot more South Asians than there are Afro Caribbeans. They have different career interests.”
Ged Grebby, chief executive of the football education charity Show Racism the Red Card, told The Athletic: “On his comment about South Asians, Afro Caribbeans and career choices, it's just ill-informed and a stereotype. I'm not sure where he is going with that.
“And there should probably be a second apology for his remark about people choosing to be gay. That's fairly clear-cut: nobody chooses their sexuality. He should say sorry.”
How did the FA respond?Minutes after the DCMS hearing ended, the FA published a statement on their Twitter account: “Greg Clarke is deeply apologetic for the language he used to reference members of the ethnic minority community during the select committee hearing today.
“He acknowledged that using the term ‘coloured’ is not appropriate and wholeheartedly apologised during the hearing.”
What was the reaction?Piara Powar, the Executive Director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, told The Athletic he was “not sure [Clarke] should be speaking on behalf of The FA about diversity issues.”
“He has many interesting things to say, but some of his analysis as to what is happening and why falls short,” Powar said.
“Those two references are insulting. We don’t refer to black people or people of colour as ‘coloured’. And as for the absurd stereotype that Asians belong in the IT department, it unravels most of his previous positive noises.”
Damian Collins MP meanwhile told The Athletic: “[Clarke] holds an important position within the governance of football and should take greater responsibility for his public statements.
“Otherwise, even when there is no intention to cause offence, an impression is created that suggests a lack of serious concern about inclusion, and the need to challenge stereotypes and prejudices within football wherever they exist.”
