FA chairman Greg Clarke resigns after making 'abhorrent' comments
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ByEurosport
Updated 10/11/2020 at 17:37 GMT
Greg Clarke has resigned as chairman of the Football Association over comments he made to MPs during talks with the Department for Digital, Media and Sport. The FA chairman was strongly criticised after using the word "coloured" and said being gay is a “life choice”, along with other controversial statements.
Greg Clarke, Chairman of The FA looks on prior to the FA Youth Cup Final, second leg between Chelsea and Mancherster City at Stamford Bridge on April 26, 2017 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
Greg Clarke will leave his role as chairman of the Football Association with immediate effect.
Clarke’s departure comes on the same day that he apologised for using the word “coloured” while answering questions from MPs during talks with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
During that meeting Clarke also described being gay as a “life choice”, said that "girls" do not like balls hit at them hard, and told MPs that “if you go to the IT department at the FA there's a lot more South Asians than there are Afro Caribbeans. They have different career interests”.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Clarke announced that he will be standing down from his position.
"As a person who loves football and has given decades of service to our game, it is right that I put the interests of football first," Clarke said in the statement.
"2020 has been a challenging year and I have been actively considering standing down for some time to make way for a new Chair now our CEO transition is complete and excellent executive leadership under Mark Bullingham is established.
"My unacceptable words in front of Parliament were a disservice to our game and to those who watch, play, referee and administer it. This has crystallised my resolve to move on.
"I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in football that I and others worked so hard to include.
"I would like to thank my friends and colleagues in the game for the wisdom and counsel they have shared over the years and resign from the FA with immediate effect."
Clarke's comments had been met with strong criticism, including from football’s leading anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.
"I was extremely disappointed to see Greg Clarke's comments today in the DCMS select committee," said Kick It Out chairman Sanjay Bhandari in a statement.
“His use of outdated language to describe Black and Asian people as "coloured" is from decades ago and should remain consigned to the dustbin of history. Being gay is not a 'life choice' as he claimed too.
"The casual sexism of saying 'girls' do not like balls hit at them hard, is staggering from anyone, let alone the leader of our national game. It is completely unacceptable.”
Women in Football also criticised Clarke for using “outdated stereotypes”.
“It does not reflect the football that we know and love, and it actively excludes people by seeking to generalise their unique experiences with a guess at what ‘people who look like them’ feel, experience and desire,” read a statement.
“At Women in Football, we work tirelessly to make sure that football is open and welcome to all. Our priority will always be to stand up for every girl, woman and non-binary person in football regardless of background, race, heritage, sexuality or ability.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with other groups and communities who have been affected by Mr Clarke’s comments.”
Former England striker Stan Collymore said Clarke was “flat out racial profiling” while MP Alex Davies-Jones, a member of the DCMS select committee, called the language “absolutely abhorrent”.
She tweeted: “It speaks volumes about the urgent progress that needs to made in terms of leadership on equalities issues in sport. I can't believe we're *still* here in 2020.”
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