• Terry to face criminal charges over alleged racist abuse
• Lord Herman Ouseley unhappy with Chelsea’s response
Lord Herman Ouseley, the chairman of the anti-racism campaign Kick It Out and former chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, has criticised Chelsea for offering “blanket support” to their captain, John Terry, after he was charged over an alleged racist slur.
The Chelsea centre-half, who denies any wrongdoing, will appear before West London magistrates court on 1 February charged with a racially aggravated public order offence during an altercation with Anton Ferdinand in the derby with QPR at Loftus Road on 23 October.
Reacting to the development, Chelsea issued a statement saying: “John has made it clear he denies the charge and is determined to do all he can to prove his innocence. Chelsea FC has always been fully supportive of John in this matter and will continue to be so.
“The club finds all forms of discrimination abhorrent and we are proud of the work we undertake campaigning on this important issue. Chelsea will not be commenting further on the subject while the legal process runs its course.”
The Chelsea manager, André Villas-Boas, speaking before the CPS announcement, said Terry would still play in Thursday’s Premier League London derby against Tottenham despite the case.
Asked if he had any doubts about Terry’s state of mind, Villas-Boas said: “For a player with John’s experience, it won’t be a problem. The only thing I know is that I will be fully supportive of John Terry, whatever the outcome of the situation.”
Lord Ouseley told Sky it was “a sad day for football”, and criticised Chelsea’s response.
“It doesn’t surprise me but it does sadden me. Not so much because I think it’s the wrong thing for them to be doing now, to be supportive of their captain. But I think it’s quite important that, if you look across every other aspect of society, if serious allegations of misconduct are made against an employee, those employers carry out a thorough investigation.
“People who are highly professional who have professional misconduct charges against them can lose their jobs. Quite clearly, this is something football has to come to terms with. Clubs, who are large employers, must consider the implications of dealing with allegations made against their players, and not simply offer blanket support without carrying out their own full investigations and being certain of the ground on which they are standing when they offer full support.”
Asked if Terry should continue playing for club or country before the case is head, Lord Ouseley said: “That’s a big call for the FA. Clearly, he is able to play for his club whilst he expresses himself as innocent of the allegations and charges. That’s a matter between player and club, as the employee and the employer. In some situations, employers would suspend their employees but, in this case, you’ve got a very valuable asset in John Terry. He’s a leader on the football pitch and a big, popular figure amongst the fans. The club has to take that into consideration.
“The bigger issue and the big judgment call is for the FA. Clearly, the next international is not until 29 February and maybe this will have been disposed of by then so they don’t have to make that big call. But I think there is an issue of the morality, of the leadership, the standard we set, the ethics for football: that the FA must consider those things in arriving at a decision as to whether he stays on or he doesn’t until the matter is resolved either in his favour or otherwise.”
John TerryChelseaRace issuesguardian.co.uk
