Ouseley urges clubs to act on insults

15 July 2012 17:47

Anti-racism campaigner Lord Ouseley has called on all clubs to take the lead in stamping out the sort of vile insults highlighted by the John Terry court case.

The Chelsea and England defender was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates' Court. It was alleged that Terry had maliciously called QPR defender Anton Ferdinand a "f****** black c***" during a match on October 23 last year.

Ouseley feels football clubs have a social responsibility to take a lead on the issue. The chairman of Kick It Out told Radio 5 Live: "The vast majority I think of people who play football, they may have prejudices, but they don't necessarily go on the football pitch to express them. We have got to look at those who commit these offences and deal with them very thoroughly."

He added on the Sportsweek programme: "If you look at John Terry's performance in the Ukraine and Poland (at Euro 2012) it was immaculate both on the pitch and off the pitch. And that shows you what can happen.

"Most people were astonished when they realised that Wayne Rooney had one yellow card only throughout the whole of the Premier League season. And that's a transformation.

"I think if clubs themselves are taking a lead about what standard of behaviour and conduct they expect and what they won't put up with, and if the football regulatory authority, which is the Football Association, does likewise in the way that it carries out its responsibilities with regards to conduct then I think we can transform the game."

Source: PA