I’ve been left incredulous ...something has to change
SKY BLUES BOSS ROBINS HITS OUT AGAINST VILE RACIST ABUSE SUFFERED BY STRIKER KASEY PALMER AT HILLSBOROUGH
BY NEIL MOXLEY
MARK ROBINS didn’t need a script to deliver his message about racism.
He simply spoke from the heart.
As a father figure and Coventry City’s manager, he’s been dealing with the fall-out from the sickening incident which involved forward Kasey Palmer at Hillsborough last week. Robins has been at the sharp end over the past few days, ensuring Palmer’s welfare – and that of his immediate family – has been taken care of.
He’s acting as a broker with Sky Blues’ owner Doug King, trying to hit the right note with the club’s public response.
And he’s been gauging the mood among a group of players who he says have been impacted by the situation.
He has threatened to walk off the pitch if it happens again. He may come across as a dour Mancunian – and that’s unfair – but do not doubt that Robins (circle, above) will follow it through.
He also said Coventry City will again take the knee to hammer home the message about equality.
But, most importantly, he asked the powers that be to come up with a lasting and effective solution.
He said: “We have to ensure change. Something has to. It needs to be done because the situation has left me incredulous.
“Kasey handled himself brilliantly. I’ve told him I’m proud of him. He should never have had to have gone through that.
“There’s a serious issue here that needs to be dealt with. We talk about it – but nothing is ever done.
“So we’ve discussed walking off if it happens again.
“The players know – 100 percent – that they will have the owner’s backing, my backing and, I would imagine 99.9 percent of the watching public backing them as well.
“You have to do something within the rules, within the guidelines and within your ability to make a stand. We took the knee for a long time. We haven’t for some time – we might take it again on Friday.
“The players decided last year they didn’t want to continue because it was doing it for the sake of doing it and they weren’t seeing any tangible benefit, or making a difference.
“It almost becomes part of the norm but nothing is ever done. And that’s part of the frustration with it.
“I think it’s a societal problem.
“It feels like there’s a breakdown in society. Family units have to be stronger, working together more – however that happens – and I realise I’m talking as a bloke who has been divorced.
“We’ve all got things to do to make it better. That’s where it’s at – because we’re all on the same journey. We come in the same way, we leave the same way.
“While we have different experiences we can make it kinder for everyone, rather than trampling all over one another while we’re trying to get to the top.
“Ultimately, hard work does no one any harm and gets you where you want to go – and I think that’s sadly missing.”
Robins said there was only so much one club could do. He thanked Sheffield Wednesday for their support, although it was clear he has had his hands full.
He added: “Everything we can do, we have done. I’ve spoken to him. The bigger thing is the welfare of Kasey and his wider family.
“It’s heartbreaking when you get into the nitty-gritty of it. Kasey’s a man, he can handle things but there’s a lot of impact on other people. Like his immediate family – he’s got three children – and his friends.
“Until you get a bit of an understanding of what he’s experienced, when you deal with the fall out, you realise it has a much wider impact. So now it’s up to the lawmakers.
“There has to be wideranging consequences. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come out and said what he thinks – let’s see what he does in terms of backing it up.”