FA chairman Greg Clarke was forced into TWO public apologies after a series of diversity gaffes when talking to MPs.
The Wembley head’s virtual appearance in front of the DCMS Select Committee left the FA scrambling to shore up his position after a string of PR own goals.
Greg Clarke has been in his role with the Football Association for four yearsCredit: Twitter @FAspokesperson
Clarke was discussing the need for diversity efforts to continue within football when he used the term ‘coloured footballers’.
That was in the context of a question about the lack of elite level gay players.
Clarke told Labour’s Alex Davies-Jones: “I don’t know why.
“But I look at what happens to high profile female footballers, high profile coloured footballers, and the abuse they take on social media, which is a free for all.
“Women and black players take terrible vile abuse from racist and misogynists. Why would you voluntarily sign up for that abuse?”
Within minutes, Clarke was taken to task by another Labour MP, Kevin Brennan, who asked him to apologise for his language.
The embattled FA chairman replied: “If I said that I do apologise for it.
“I’m a product of working overseas where I was required to use the term “people of colour” because that was a product of their diversity legislature. Sometimes I trip over my words.”
That was not good enough as Clarke came under fire from former Spurs and England striker Darren Bent, who said: “Slip of the tongue was it? Awful, just awful.”
Clarke is now facing serious pressure and the FA was forced into doubling down on his apology with a further statement.
A Wembley spokesman said: “Greg Clarke is deeply apologetic for the language he used to reference members of the ethnic minority community during the select committee hearing today.”
But Clarke was also criticised for other comments during his grilling.
These included his apparent suggestion that being gay was a “life choice”, stating that the south asian community was more interested in working in the FA IT department than becoming players or coaches and reporting a comment from a youth coach that girls did not want to be goalkeepers because they did not like the ball being kicked “gard” at them.
Sanjay Bhandari, chair of Kick It Out, slammed the “outdated” comments.
Greg Clarke apologised for his actions after the interviewCredit: Reuters
He added: “I was particularly concerned by the use of lazy racist stereotypes about South Asians and their supposed career preferences.
“It reflects similar lazy stereotypes I have heard have been spouted at club academy level. “Being gay is not a ‘life choice’ as he claimed too.
“The casual sexism of saying ‘girls’ do not like balls hit at them hard, is staggering from anyone, let alone the leader of our national game. It is completely unacceptable.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
