FA chairman Greg Clarke resigns after using racial slur in diversity meeting
Greg Clarke has resigned as Football Association chairman after using the term “coloured” to refer to black football players when talking to MPs about diversity.
Clarke described black players as “coloured footballers” when talking to members of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee via video link this afternoon.
The FA chairman told MPs: “I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people from the LGBT community, people from other sports that have come out, and the views that I’ve heard is if I look at what has happened to high-profile female footballers, high-profile coloured footballers, and the abuse they have taken on social media.”
Asked by Labour MP Kevin Brennan whether he would like to withdraw the comment given the committee meeting’s topic of discussion, Clarke immediately apologised.
“If I said it, I deeply apologise for it,” he said. “I am a product of having worked overseas, I worked in the USA for many years where I was required to use the term ‘people of colour’ because that was a product of their diversity legislation and positive discrimination format.”
But following pressure from charities and sports stars around the world, the FA this evening announced his exit, writing on Twitter: “We can confirm that Greg Clarke has stepped down from his role as our chairman.
“Peter McCormick will step into the role as interim FA chairman with immediate effect and the FA board will begin the process of identifying and appointing a new chair in due course.”
Clarke was hauled before the committee this afternoon to explain his role in the failed Project Big Picture plans, which saw the FA chairman play an integral role in recent proposals to reshape football.
It comes amidst a power battle in the game as leading clubs look at options including a European super league — bitterly resisted by the FA and other domestic bodies.
Clarke had been talking about racist abuse of players by trolls on social media.
The outgoing FA chairman had been talking about racist abuse of players by trolls on social media prior to the blunder.
“People can see if you’re black and if they don’t like black people because they are filthy racists, they can abuse you anonymously online,” he said.
But he drew further ire by referring to gay players as making a “life choice”, and after he retold an anecdote about a coach telling him young female players did not like having the ball hit hard at them.
DCMS select committee chairman Julian Knight said: “It’s right that Greg Clarke apologised before the committee. However, this isn’t the first time that the FA has come to grief over these issues. It makes us question their commitment to diversity.”