Fan bigotry and abuse still going unchecked
ONE big problem confronting the soccer authorities in England is that the customer is always right.
Neil Lennon’s refusal to stay silent on what he believes is racist abuse he has been subjected to during his career in the Scottish league presents a rather knotty puzzle for the authorities there.
It is one the FA in England have been confronted with during that country’s annual descent into a kind of madness over the wearing of a poppy. Or in James McClean’s case, not wearing one.
Supporters, as a group, are treated as infallibles. Within their number there might be a rare few troublemakers (always described as a ‘tiny minority’), but generally fans cannot be criticised or accused of wrong-doing.
It is clear there are significant numbers of intolerant oafs happy to target Lennon and McClean simply because they happen to be Irish Catholics.
Lennon has been explicit about this persistent abuse, and McClean supported him in his response to news the FA would investigate a social media post he made after the Stoke-Middlesbrough game.
The chief executive of the SPFL chose to not touch this particular hot potato when he refused to take questions from print journalists about the Lennon case this week.
Typically, the FA managed to satisfy itself with warning McClean over his use of an ‘offensive’ word.
There is no sign of any serious engagement with the issues raised by Lennon and McClean. Fans can do no wrong.