Edit: Sorry. A bit of a ramble, for what it's worth.
I personally think that a breakaway black union is devisive, yet I can fully understand the frustrations of ethnic minority players when it comes to the authorities of football in this country. That said, the authorities are just shit to all of the people they are purporting to represent, and not just black players.
As a white fella, maybe I don't fully understand the issues involved. Maybe I do. This may sound a bit of an insensative question, but I'd like to ask any of our ethnic minority posters, a question.
Do you think that racism in football is a special case?
Let me explain.
There are many issues in football that need tackling, racism might well be up there near or at the top of that list, but is it a special case on it's own, or is it just one of many issues that need to be tackled and a solution found?
On the pitch, racism is just one form of discrimination that should be tackled head on, but should it have a greater clout than any other. Or should they all be treated as equally offensive?
Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, religion, or geographical backgrounds amongst many others.
Choice remarks about a persons wife of family?
They are all discriminatory remarks uttered to get a reaction or put a player off their game. Each in their own way, just as abhorrent as the next.
Off the pitch, but in the stands, much the same question as above. Dispicable individuals utternig vile abuse along any lines is just as wrong as ones uttered along lines of race.
The boardrooms and organisations of football in this country have needed overhalling for years, both in the F.A. and the PFA. Yes a more prominent face of ethnic minorities in positions of influence cannot be seen as a bad thing, but these organisations have over many years been what they are.
Yes you can start the ball rolling, but those organisations are not going to change overnight. It's an old boys club of back slappers, if you're in you're in, if not, then you're on the outside, and that goes for many many individuals in football circles, both black and white.
Gordon Taylor is a f*cking idiot, heading an organisation thats not fit for purpose, and hasn't been for a long time.
Whether it be him defending all manner of vile individuals who've been convicted of a number of abhorrent acts, then on the other hand being conspicuous by their absence in other areas, while they're so called members were left to fend for themselves.
It's an organisation that cherry picks it's acts, and soundbites for maximum exposure and political gain, whilst at the same time leaving some of the bigger issues to fester and grow.
In this instance -as has already been commented on - his reaction is one of reactive, not proactive. Here is an organistaion and man, who now feel threatened by a breakaway union, and are fearing for their jobs, or fearing they'll be sidelined and usurped by someone more suitable.
The following article is just a pile of reactionarry bollocks, all hastily rushed out without thought, to imply they are taking the issues seriously, and to illicit a responce that people think the PFA have their finger on the pulse of the issue. They don't.
If they did, they'd of put forward some of these points, last year, or years ago.
The fact they'r doing it now, says everything about them as an organisation.
Players' chief Gordon Taylor has announced a six-point action plan to deal with racism in football after criticism from some members.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive says the union wants tougher penalties for racist abuse including making it potentially a sackable offence, culprits ordered to attend awareness programmes and a form of the 'Rooney rule' to boost the number of black coaches and managers.
Taylor's response comes after Reading striker, and PFA management committee member, Jason Roberts.
Taylor outlined the PFA's action plan in a statement.
The plan calls for:
1 Speeding up the process of dealing with reported racist abuse with close monitoring of any incidents.
Admirable, and not a bad thing at all given the cack handed way the F.A. have dealt with things recently, but wahat about instances of other forms of abuse, not along racial lines?
2 Consideration of stiffer penalties for racist abuse and to include an equality awareness programme for culprits and clubs involved.
Again, admirable, and needed, but refere to my above comment.
3 An English form of the 'Rooney rule' - introduced by the NFL in America in 2003 - to make sure qualified black coaches are on interview lists for job vacancies.
Personally the juries out on this one for me, whether it will have an impact on the wider game or not.
If say two coaches of equal standing, experience and qualifications were together, the black fella getting interviewed, the white fella not, I can only see it causing resentment over a longer period of time.
4 The proportion of black coaches and managers to be monitored and any inequality or progress highlighted.
I thought we pretty much have asomething similar now
5 Racial abuse to be considered gross misconduct in player and coach contracts (and therefore potentially a sackable offence).
I have no real problems with that to be fair. It just brings it in line with most other professions and workplaces.
What I do have an issue with is the wide picture, and again brings me back to 'Is racism a special case'?
If I was to elbow or punch someone who was in my line of work, there is no doubt that my company would sack me. So why is deliberately punching an opponent not treated the same? Why is it treated as a ban and fine, yet not a sackable offence or an offence under the law?
Is it ok for racism to be treated as gross misconduct, but abusing them along other lines, or say breaking someones jaw, not?
What about players being arrested and charged for incidents off field? Is this not gross misconduct, bringing the name of the club in to disrepute?
Or punching a colleague, or stubbing out cigars on their face for that matter?
6 To not to lose sight of other equality issues such as gender, sexual orientation, disability, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Asians in football.
Perfectly put.
Taylor also called for unity in the wake of some players considering forming a breakaway organisation for black players.
He said: "If they want their own particular select group who they feel they can influence everybody more than the whole PFA as a union together, I would say they are seriously mistaken.
"If we are not careful this will set us back years. It would not only set back the game, it would set back the anti-racist initiative."
Roughly translated, as please don't do it, as I'm scared of losing my job and whatever little influence I currently have.
Roberts said he had pleaded with the PFA to beef up their equality department.
He told the Daily Mail: "The equality department in the PFA needs to change and should have stronger leadership and more than just one or two staff. It doesn't have the resources or the manpower to tackle the job.
"These are the issues that I felt needed to be raised. Detailed discussions and recommendations have been tabled for a year now, across several meetings, without any progress being made."
Roberts is right, and it does need saying and moving on.
FA chairman David Bernstein announced on Monday that the governing body will review the sanctions for racist abuse following the John Terry case but insisted the Chelsea's captain's four-match ban was "about right".
Roughly translated, as 'there's not a snowball's chance in hell, we're going to say we were wrong. Even if we were'.
Meanwhile, former West Brom and Arsenal defender Brendan Batson has called on black players not to form a breakaway group.
Batson, a former PFA administrator, told BBC Radio Five: "I'd be really disappointed if there was a split and I don't think there would be any benefit.
"What we need to do is address the concerns of current black players, hear their voice and see if we can do something about it.
"We should be very proud of what has happened. Before you had National Front targeting black players and the volume of abuse at stadiums was horrendous.
"The campaign (Kick It Out) when it started off was not just a black issue, all the players supported the campaigns and other campaigns.
"It was a united front against racism and I think we need to harness the anger of the current players and let it be an instrument for change, but I don't think a split will help the situation."
Is, I think, the correct stance.
If you want to change the attitude and standing of an organistaion, the best way to achieve that is from the inside out, not by forming a different organistaion and trying to tackle if from the outside.
One has to ask a quastion though, why is he a 'former PFA administrator'? And not chosen to stay within the organistaion and climb the ladder?
Through his own choice to leave, of a percieved glass ceiling?
Again, I'm not trying to be insensitive to the subject, and one can only pass comments and judgement on what one knows through their own experince in life, but I just don't think the whole idea of a breakaway union is helpful at all. Even if it's only the threat of a breakaway, and not carried through in actions.
Having been on the receiveing end of racism myself in the past, perpetrated black on white, I can fully understand the corrosive and damaging effect it can have on an individual and their way of looking at the world.
