Football would collapse if private text messages were examin

Lord Ouseley: Football would 'collapse' if all texts revealed

Sunday 24th Aug 2014


Football would "collapse" if the private text messages of everyone in the game were examined, says Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek, Lord Ouseley claimed racism and sexism were endemic in the sport.
"All the people in power in football have to come to clean and admit that there is a problem," he said.
Former Cardiff manager Malky Mackay is being investigated by the FA after admitting sending offensive texts.


Malky Mackay denies being "racist, sexist, homophobe or anti-Semite"
But Ouseley says focusing solely on Mackay would be a mistake because the issue went much deeper.
"Mackay is probably thinking 'hey I'm unlucky' because if the texts of every other football manager and senior administration were examined there wouldn't be many people in work," he said.
"The game would collapse."
Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman told 5 live he thought Mackay could be facing a year-long ban from the sport.
But he wondered whether the FA had the jurisdiction to act after declining to take action against Premier League chief Peter Scudamore over private sexist emails recently.
"The case is very strong now and the FA is duty-bound to intervene," said Lord Triesman.


Laura McAllister says the texting scandal is 'depressing' but not surprising
"If it turns out to be three texts, a ban might be a season. If more, it may be much longer."
Meanwhile, Sport Wales chair Professor Laura McAllister thinks there is a "legitimisation of really bad behaviour" in football.
She said: "There's always been a soft underbelly of pretty hideous behaviour around the game and that contrasts very, very strongly with a lot of other sports. It is depressing."

its analogous to drink driving. people get away with it all the time, you only get in trouble if you are caught. it doesn't make it ok that it happens all the time. you can't complain as you are in the wrong.

those in question seem more sorry that they got caught, than being actually sorry. they were hoping, and indeed expecting, that this would just blow over and that it would be accepted by those concerned, as 'banter'. what a terrible attitude shown by MM, IM, and the LMA.