Robertson: Damage not irreparable

Hugh Robertson

Published: 5:00pm, 12th February 2012
Updated: 11:02am, 13th February 2012

Sports minister Hugh Robertson accepts this season's race controversies in the Barclays Premier League have "tarnished" the reputation of the game, but does not think the damage is irreparable.

October's dispute between Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Manchester United's Patrice Evra reared its head again on Saturday when the Uruguay striker, starting a game for the first time since his eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra, refused to shake the United and France full-back's hand during the pre-match ritual.

The incident came just over a week after John Terry was stripped of the England captaincy for Euro 2012 while he awaits trial on a charge of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand - a charge Terry denies.

Robertson accepted the damaging impact of the issue repeatedly making headlines, but insists it should not be allowed to set back the progress made by anti-discrimination campaigns in football.

He told Sky Sports News: "I think the image of the game has been tarnished, but I don't think it's irreparable. This has been a bad season for this sort of thing, but it shouldn't for a moment obscure the enormous amount of good work and progress over the past 20 years.

"I was speaking at a conference on Wednesday for (anti-racism organisations) Show Racism the Red Card and Kick it Out, both of whom - along with the FA - have done enormous good work.

"What we need to make sure of is that this doesn't mark a regression. My gut feeling is that it doesn't, certainly not on the pitch, but there is an issue that still needs to be tackled.

"It goes beyond racism, you hear vile chanting about managers and opposition players. I don't think that really has any place in modern society - if we don't accept on the high street, I see no reason why we should accept it in a football crowd."

Prime Minister David Cameron and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt are to hold a "round table discussion" with the sport's authorities and players' representatives, according to today's Sunday Telegraph.

And Robertson continued: "What we want to see in government is whether we can do any more and what more can be done. The very fact the Prime Minister wants to get involved with it himself means you've got the most powerful man in the country personally involved in finding a solution."