FA PROBE CARIBBEAN ACCENT JIBE AT ALUKO
THE FA have launched an investigation into England women’s goalkeeping coach Lee Kendall after striker Eni Aluko claimed he used a mock Caribbean accent when speaking to her.
It came as it emerged there were no plans to sack any of the senior FA executives who presided over the shambolic racism investigation into the Aluko (pictured) affair and — astonishingly — no board meeting is planned until late next month.
As of yesterday morning, Kendall was still with the England women’s squad ahead of tonight’s friendly in Valenciennes against France. The FA were unable to clarify whether he would be in the dugout this evening.
In her evidence to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s select committee on wednesday, Aluko claimed that Kendall, a welshman, repeatedly put on a Caribbean accent when speaking to her. Aluko is of Nigerian heritage.
An FA statement said: ‘we are investigating England women goalkeeping coach Lee Kendall following new evidence that came to light on wednesday alleging unacceptable behaviour towards Eniola Aluko during an England camp.’
Aluko had referred to the issue in a letter to the FA last November and in a newspaper interview in August. However, on both of those occasions, Aluko referred only to a member of former manager Mark Sampson’s backroom staff, rather than naming Kendall.
The coach was identified at the select committee hearing on wednesday.
Aluko had also offered evidence regarding Kendall in barrister Katharine Newton’s investigations, describing how he claimed to a fellow coach she was ‘lazy as f***’. No action was recommended.
The decision to investigate Kendall is the latest embarrassment for the FA.
The governing body’s reputation is in tatters, with former England player Trevor Sinclair writing in Sportsmail today that it is not fit for purpose and has lost all credibility.
But the governing body is displaying no appetite to sack its bosses — with a response by sports minister Tracey Crouch strengthening a conviction at wembley that the organisation can tough it out.
Despite demands from MP Damian Collins that chief executive Martin Glenn and chairman Greg Clarke should consider their positions, Crouch said only that the FA should learn ‘lessons from this whole sorry saga’.
Board members held a conference call discussion last night about wednesday’s disastrous select committee hearing, which saw Clarke describe ‘institutional racism’ as ‘fluff’ and Glenn accused of effectively blackmailing Aluko. The FA would not discuss yesterday whether Glenn will now sanction the payment of the remaining £40,000 due to Aluko in a settlement agreement, which was withheld because of a Tweet she sent in August.
Lord Herman ouseley, head of the Kick it out group, joined PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor in questioning the accuracy of Clarke’s evidence to MPs. Clarke said he had consulted ouseley over the Aluko case, asking him for guidance. ouseley told the BBC: ‘He never asked me for advice.’
But Gary Neville, former assistant to Roy Hodgson in the England set-up, was one of the few who offered support to Glenn and technical director Dan Ashworth yesterday.
‘The FA needs radical change and reforming,’ he said. ‘But I’ve seen many occasions where what seems like a small incident from the inside can blow up into a big incident.
‘It’s caught the management by surprise. They will regret the way it’s been handled. But I do believe that they are good people and should continue in their jobs.’