I have a question.
Where in the FA’s remit does it say that any independent panel, sitting in judgment on alleged racism, can declare whether someone is or isn’t racist? Why does any three-person panel presiding over the kind of offences that would get you or I sacked from our workplace even feel the need to include such an assessment?
An independent Football Association panel’s job is to decide whether any individual is guilty or not. End of. Not to make any kind of presumption over said individual's character, to seek to soften the impact of any punishment it dishes out or to tell us what we must think of that person.
The former Crawley boss, John Yems, made 16 alleged comments which "included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race and/or nationality and/or religion or belief and/or gender" to players in his squad between 2019 and 2022.
Earlier this month he was banned from all football-related activity up to and including June 1, 2024. In a document released on Tuesday, the FA panel concluded that Yems described Muslim members of his squad as “terrorists, that he deliberately mispronounced the second half of Arnold Schwarzenegger's name to emphasise the N-word.
That he used a racial stereotype to a black player of African origin by asking if he liked jerk chicken. That he told Muslim players "your people blow up stuff with vests”. The panel found Yems - who denied the charges against him - repeatedly made comments about another player "carrying a bomb in his bag”.
What do you make of the FA's statement on John Yems? Let us know in the comments below!
Also that he called one player a "curry muncher", made fun of another half-Indian player for eating curry and asked if he was unhappy that they did not serve "curry pizza”. Yems was also found to have remarked to another player "how dark his skin is'" on his return to Crawley after representing Grenada.
Try just one of those in your workplace and see how you get on. The offences - the ones that were proven - took place over a period of three years. There are other allegations in a report that makes for horrific reading.
One player became so deeply affected by Yems’ conduct that he began drinking, said the report, and even feigned illness in order not to return to the club. Another left in June 22 “when he was in a mentally bad state and begun to drink heavily after being upset over things that Mr Yems said.”
These are players who were broken. Yet the FA panel saw fit to add an assessment that has drawn disbelief in the real world.
Again, the FA panel’s job is not to decide whether Yems - or any individual - is racist or not. Yet it took it upon itself to make this pronouncement. "We regard this as an extremely serious case. We have accepted that Mr Yems is not a conscious racist."
But what on earth does the panel's pile of vacuous garbage even mean? Who bestowed on them the power to believe they can say that? Does the FA panel really believe that by seeking to dilute their judgment it will inspire confidence within the playing contingent it continually implores to come forward and report racism?
And come to think of it - fifteen minutes for 11 proven charges? Are you kidding? No wonder English football continues to have a racism crisis. What player would put themselves through the stress and aggravation of reporting the kind of thing that Crawley’s players did when the likelihood is that the aggressor will be back working within a game without a moral compass by 2024?
Look, in fairness to the Football Association, the body itself is fairly robust in pushing for action in a number of cases relating to racism. So in terms of their zeal credit is due.
In fact, they’ve distanced itself from the panel's findings, releasing a statement in response saying: "The FA brought 16 charges of discrimination. The commission decided on an 18 month ban for 12 charges. We had requested a longer ban. Based on the evidence… we don’t agree that the panel should have found that this was not a case of conscious racism."
But sadly, FA panels who decide whether to listen are generally made up of ageing white men, Black ex-pros and individuals who are products of a deeply flawed system - or the “football family” as it is referred to within the game. They are crying out for an overhaul.
And here’s the thing: This panel’s assessment has been widely reported as fact when the truth is, it is society that judges us on the basis of our conduct.
You can decide for yourself what you think of Yems. Future employers will have their own view too. It is not for any sporting body to assume the arrogance of telling us how we should view individuals who transgress as he did.
If FA panels really are determined to continue with their ludicrous practice of declaring themselves the arbiters of racism, let’s see if any one of them is prepared to come out and defend their position on this one. It would absolutely be in the public interest for them to do so. We'll be waiting some time.
