John Terry becomes victim of a Tory led twitter hunt
JOHN Terry, the Chelsea and England captain is “TOXIC”. So says the Daily Mirror. John Terry has been charged with racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League game in October. Terry denies any wrongdoing. The matter will come before the courts on July 9, after the end of the European Championship.
But Damian Collins, a Tory MP who sits on the culture, media and sport select committee, saw fit to tweet:
“John Terry should stand aside as captain until the case is resolved, and any doubt either way removed.”
John Terry should lose his job because of an allegation?
This is Collins who claimed £4,440.90 over three months in rent for a house in London, despite declaring that he already owned a home in the capital. A pall of doubt hung over the young Tory . Did he step down while matter were cleared up? No. He just said the home was “too small to provide accommodation for my young family, and even if that was not the case, as a new member of parliament I wouldn’t be able to claim any accommodation allowance against the mortgage on the property”.
Nice one, Collins, who presents himself as a keen anti-racist. After Terry, maybe he can tackle and expose all signs of racism in the Tory Party and Westminster as a whole? Perhaps he can ask Aidan Burley MP to step aside. Or have word with would-be Tory MP David Gold about labelling immigrants as thieves? Or ask Labour MP Paul Flynn what he means by inferring that Jews cannot represent the UK because their collective allegiance lies in Israel? Jobs in diplomacy should be given to “someone with roots in the UK“, says Flynn.
Racism is in evidence among the elite. Racism is about inequality. Look about the faces in the members’ only club, Damien. See if you can spot it. But it’s easier to hit the footballers, with their working class roots and working class fans. You want racism, Damien? You can’t handle the racism. Easier to strike an anti-racist pose on twitter. Safer.
Piara Powar also wants Terry to step aside. Powar is executive director of European football’s anti-discrimination body Football Against Racism in Europe. The acronym is… FARE. Says Mr FARE on twitter:
“Innocent until proven guilty. But should John Terry remain as England capt through the Euros? I can’t see how he can.”
Adding:
“The seriousness of the allegations mean that he can’t lead the nation. So the FA [Football Association] must do the right thing.”
The FA has already done the right thing. It has been forced to back off because the case became a criminal investigation. The police handled it – an outfit that loves to brandish its anti-racist credentials.
And how serious is allegedly calling a black man a “fucking black c*nt”? The BBC tells us:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Terry, 31, is accused of a racially-aggravated public order offence, which carries a maximum fine of £2,500.
So. It’s not a crime worthy of a custodial sentence. Is it serious because it involves a footballer or because what Terry said is a sign that British football is ride with inequality and what one man ays in the heat of battle sums him up?
The Mirror’s toxic line stems from yet another tweet, this one by “former Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, now with Reading”. Note: not Reading striker Jason Roberts. In the court of public opinion, the Mirror thinks a Premier League player’s words carry more weight when it comes to issues of race.
Roberts tweeted a desire for Terry not to play in Euro 2012:
“Innocent until proven guilty is not always the case in football, as Rio Ferdinand found out in his case. Also more importantly, believe me, the dressing room at the Euros will be TOXIC unless the correct decision is made.”
It’s not about football, though, is it. It’s about an alleged crime – and how it being used to unite the country behind an anti-racist agenda that does nothing to combat actual racism…
Posted: 2nd, February 2012 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comments (14) | TrackBack | Permalink
