Chelsea’s John Terry Is Being Tried By A Vengeful Media That Excuses Racism
JOHN Terry, the Chelsea captain, must be presumed innocent of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Terry says it was a misunderstanding that he came to mouth the words “fu***ng black c**t” on camera. The football pundits make their feelings known, presenting Terry’s latest problem in the context of past misunderstandings. Only, none of the items on Terry’s list of alleged inappropriate behaviour features racism.
Terry is looking like a victim of his reputation, rather then the facts.
Terry says he is proud to be captain of a racially mixed team. He has worn an armband demanding that racism be kicked out of football. But neither point is relevant. Terry would no more refuse to play with a black man then he would openly join the BNP. Terry just upholds the current culture of football that means overt racism is universally unaccepted.
This is not to say that racism does not exist in football. It is just that racism does not exist in polite society. Britain is a country where difference is embraced and tolerated. Thank god. But around the dinner party table, racism is there. In private, racism is there. Any minority knows that they are held to standards to which white, Christian Britons could never aspire. When Tam Dalyell MP said that Tony Blair was “unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisers“, British Jews winced. Here was an old canard about those clever Jews – and to Jews, being called clever can be taken as a slight, a conniving glance to when Jews were presented as demonic and wily. When a wanted criminal is revealed as black, all blacks take a sharp intake of breath.
Such subtle slights on race, the nod and the wink, are pernicious, based in centuries of lies, negative stereotyping, bigotry and hatred. All racism needs to be exposed. When Steven Doughty told Daily Mail readers “Things may not be perfect but, at the end of the day, Gary, there are worse things to complain about. So, Mr Evra and Mr Ferdinand, I know you feel insulted. But perhaps in this case you could just put up with it and get on with the game” he could not have been more wrong. No, you should not put up with it – not if you want the same opportunities in life as the dominant class, colour and culture. You must work hard and succeed. You dare not lose.
As for Terry, well, Matt Hughes tells Times readers:
It is understood that Ferdinand repeated his stance given to the club by telling the FA that he did not hear Terry’s alleged racist abuse and was only alerted to it by a discussion on the radio as he was driving away from Loftus Road.
Hughes adds:
Several QPR players have claimed privately they they heard Terry using racist language, but have been unwilling to go public. It is an anomaly of a situation that Terry is the only individual who has publicly said he used the words”black c***” albeit denying they were uttered with racist intent.
Context is all.
But why are QPR players unwilling to go on the record to expose alleged racism? Oddly, Hughes’ passage does not appear on the Times’ online version
Over in the Daily Mail, the paper is gunning for Terry. Having earlier said that racism is no big deal the paper now tells its readers:
Race row deepens for Terry –
Three QPR players give evidence backing Ferdinand
Anton and Rio refuse to take England’s captain’s calls
Rio Ferdinand is Anton’s older brother. He was the England captain before Terry was reinstated to the post.
Sportsmail understands that Clint Hill, Paddy Kenny and Shaun Derry have provided statements that point to a serious flaw in Terry’s version of events at Loftus Road on Sunday. Ferdinand was baffled by the statement the England and Chelsea captain issued on Sunday night, particularly his claim that YouTube footage showed him responding to an accusation from Ferdinand that Terry had just called him ‘a black ****’.
Kenny, Derry and Hill — an active players’ union representative — question whether any such exchange took place, given that Ferdinand had no knowledge of a racial element to what was said until after the game.
And:
He [Terry] has tried to contact both Anton and Rio Ferdinand to resolve the situation. But both brothers have refused to take Terry’s calls, further underlining the fact that — contrary to Terry’s claim — Anton Ferdinand does not consider the matter to be ‘finished’.
The trial by the media Terry once wanted to silence goes on. It might be that Terry’s biggest error was to have said the words in public…
UPDATE: QPR have denied reports Paddy Kenny, Clint Hill and Shaun Derry gave evidence in the FA’s John Terry racism inquiry. Derry not on the field when the alleged incident took place.
A QPR spokesman says:
“There is no truth in these stories whatsoever. None of the three players have been called to give evidence or will be called to give evidence.”
Such are the facts.
Posted: 27th, October 2011 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
