Under-fire Ford finds an ally in Carling
UNDER-FIRE Jonathan Ford has found an unlikely ally in England rugby legend Will Carling as the furore over his comments about finding Chris Coleman’s successor rumbles on, writes Anthony Woolford.
FAW chief executive Ford is facing a disciplinary rap from his own governing body after saying the new manager would be ‘definitely not English’.
Ford has come under fire on social media, with Wales and England fans criticising his remark.
However, others have been more supportive - including even former England captain Carling, a player often seen as public enemy No.1 among Welsh rugby fans during his own Red Rose playing days.
Carling, capped 72 times by England during a golden era of the 1990s, went on to Twitter to write: “FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford to face disciplinary commission over anti-England comments. Really?!!
“Have we all lost our sense of humour?! Think the comment was funny! End of.”
However, members of the FAW’s 34-person ruliing council don’t view it that way.
The FAW are strong supporters of the Kick It Out campaign and are concerned Ford’s public comments leave them open to accusations of double standards.
They have told Ford he must attend an FAW disciplinary hearing to explain his remarks, which is due to be held soon.
The sensitive subject was raised at an FAW full council meeting in Cardiff on Tuesday.
At the end of a 90-minute discussion, during which Ford was asked to leave the room, a motion calling for a top-level probe into his behaviour is understood to have been carried by a vote of 14-11.