2013-05-24T03:15:22-04:00 Paul Hobson http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=paul-hobson Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Paul Hobson Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1677697 2012-07-18T19:00:00-04:00 2012-09-17T05:12:07-04:00

Paul Hobson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-hobson/
Indeed, several put their names to a character witness statement for the recent court case. Cole even appeared in court, surely knowing it would be an unpopular move in the black community to support his club captain. It doesn't smack of a man uncomfortable with the colour of someone's skin.

Moreover, how could John Terry ever have assumed, as was alleged, a sense of superiority over another race, the definition of racist, given his experiences in a Chelsea shirt? Over the years he will have seen first hand the merits of players from all over the world, with Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Essien (Ghana) particular titans of the successful Abramovich era. Without them Chelsea would not have won half they have.

Even his personal nadir on a football field provides a symmetry to the alleged race angle. John Terry fluffed a penalty that would have won the Champions League. Didier Drogba didn't. Superior race? In line with the verdict delivered in court, I believe that John Terry, for all his flaws, is not a racist.

How then, to explain what came out of his mouth during his on-field spat with Anton Ferdinand on that fateful October night at Loftus Road last season?

He argued in defence that he was responding sarcastically to a perceived Ferdinand accusation. Chief magistrate Howard Riddle certainly found it unlikely that the QPR defender could have cooked up such a slight in the heat of the moment. Yet, as Mr Riddle painstakingly pointed out in his 5,000- word verdict, there was insufficient evidence to suggest Terry was lying. His story has always been consistent. Hence the acquittal of the racially aggravated public order offence charge.

Looking at the court transcripts it's clear the two are laying into each other with a series of insults. Bad breath. Accusations of infidelity. Physical shape (though that was directed at Paddy Kenny). In effect, it's the language of the playground. It's the end of a fractious game which Chelsea are surprisingly losing. At that moment in time, Terry and Ferdinand can't stand each other. The tone is coarse and disrespectful. It's ironic that most of the words, when reported, need to be asterisked out - save the one that resulted in the court case.

As Garth Crooks pointed out, John Terry shouldn't be expressing himself in such a way whatever the circumstances, which gets to the nub of the issue. Not only was he Chelsea captain, at the time he also held the captain's armband for his country. An armband he had already once been stripped of. For a country whose governing body felt the need to orchestrate a campaign that speaks about 'the collective responsibility of everyone involved in football to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can take place'.

At a time when so much can be picked up by television cameras, at the very least you would have thought John Terry, in his second incarnation as England captain, would have been aware of his wider responsibilities. He may have been acquitted of the racist charge but his tone is terrible, whatever the provocation, the high state of emotion mid-match or the belief that banter is part and parcel of the game. Is this not less about race, more a complete lack of respect and dignity, and outright nastiness?

Whether this should have reached the court, football's dirty linen has been aired in public and it's not pretty. But could this be, as Gordon Taylor suggests, a watershed moment in the FA's Respect campaign?

And, preposterous as it sounds, I think John Terry could play a part.

For sure, his language is appalling. Yet a genuinely remorseful nature, a pledge to learn and improve his ways, to campaign about the pain of verbal abuse (how must it feel to have several thousand Scousers chanting about your mother?), could change perceptions. Some of the most effective communicators with prisoners are ex-convicts, ex-addicts with drug users. How much more meaningful does it feel when discussing a problem with someone who has experienced what you're going through?

Ryan Bertrand, a young (black) Chelsea player has spoken about what an effort Terry makes with the youth players. They look up to him. His successful playing career shows he has many outstanding characteristics.

John Terry has much to give, to give back even, but it needs to come from within. Does he wonder why he is so divisive, why the court of public opinion was so angry at Friday's not guilty verdict? He is a multi-millionaire and multi-award winning footballer, but how much for a multi-dose of self awareness?

An apology to Anton Ferdinand and his family would be a start, followed by a commitment to a more respectful and humble nature, and a missionary zeal to spread a new culture of respect. Why should such banter be acceptable? If genuine, he could simultaneously improve his public image and breathe new life into the FA's Respect Campaign, which has taken such a battering in the last week.

So John Terry - racist? No, John, I don't believe you are.

But you need a little something to make you sweeter. A little respect. Please.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1122661 2011-12-02T19:00:00-05:00 2012-02-01T05:12:01-05:00

Paul Hobson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-hobson/
I never met, let alone personally knew Gary Speed, but he wove himself into my life for 20 years. From being part of that glorious Leeds midfield in the early 1990s, to his spells at Everton, Newcastle and Bolton, he has always been part of the Premier League landscape. It's a landscape I've studied, increasingly and probably too often, all these years. In newspapers, on television, in fantasy football lists, for the best part of two decades it has always featured Gary Speed. Playing (and captaining) Wales on countless occasions, international nights, too, would invariably contain Gary Speed.

When his playing career stopped he didn't go away, remaining at Sheffield United as assistant manager, then manager, and then back to Wales, this time as manager, where he was overseeing an exciting transformation. Approachable and eloquent, he regularly popped up in the media. How many morning commutes did I hear him chat with Alan Brazil? And right to the end, too. Gary Speed was on Football Focus on Saturday. On Sunday he was dead.

He had a happy marriage, two thriving children, huge respect, a stellar career to look back on, a new one to look forward to. He was clearly a decent guy, wholehearted, committed, often made captain. You don't become the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances without these qualities. He received the MBE last year.

It makes no sense.

Why, why, why? Choking back tears, friend and former colleague Robbie Savage spoke for many when interviewed at the weekend. Gary Speed. Why?

On Monday, the day after Gary Speed's body was discovered, a haunting biography of German goalkeeper Robert Enke was named William Hill Sports Book of the Year. Robert Enke jumped in front of a train in 2009.

The day following his death, his wife bravely highlighted his struggles with depression. It at least provided a context for the tragedy. So far there has been no explanation for Gary Speed.
We have shock and tributes and a void. How can you process something when you don't know why it happened? I feel powerless. I didn't even know him, but I can't stop thinking about Gary Speed.

But step back and there is much to be done - much to hope for, pray about, guard against. First and foremost we can pray that his family and all those closest to Gary Speed receive the support they need to come to terms with their tragedy. To mourn, to somehow, when the time is right, move on.

We must guard against the baseless speculation that occurs whenever something this unfathomable happens. It was out there within hours of his death. There are some things we will never know, nor have a right to know, and inventing theories has consequences of its own. The Bible treats the sin of gossip so seriously that in one memorable passage it links it to "murder, malice and inventors of evil" (Romans 1: 29b-32). If this seems over the top, imagine the effect on Gary Speed's boys should they turn to the internet to find out about their father. Take it down.

We can hope and pray that those who suffer from depression are more minded to seek help. We do not know if Gary Speed wrestled with depression - his family don't believe he did - but a willingness to admit to it has been a consequence of his death. Already the Sporting Chance clinic has been contacted by 10 professional footballers this week. May there be more acceptance and understanding of this most complex of conditions, that never again will a sufferer be told, "pull yourself together." Yet, as Martin Samuel noted in a brilliant piece in the Daily Mail, it is those who don't come forward we need to worry about. We must pray fervently that Gary Speed's death does not lead to copycat suicides.

Finally, we can applaud the way the worst has brought out the best in the football community. From the impeccable crowd response at both Swansea and Liverpool, the two games played in the immediate aftermath of the news, repeated at all the mid-week games, to the tributes outside the stadiums he once graced and the words spoken by those who knew him, football has been dignified, respectful and united. It's not always, and to continue in this manner - the manner in which Gary Speed conducted himself - would be far more fitting than anything cooked up at the Sports Personality of the Year awards.

None of us wanted him to go. Gary Speed brightened many lives. But in death, after the shock, the mourning and the tributes, may he continue to do so. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1097314 2011-11-16T11:25:09-05:00 2012-01-16T05:12:02-05:00

Paul Hobson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-hobson/
Given the World Cup 2018 bidding fiasco, when it was widely acknowledged that England presented the best technical bid yet secured just one vote other than its own, it also seemed deserved.

Particularly as its main rival for 2017 was such a notable beneficiary then. To general astonishment Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup hosting right, despite having little football pedigree and a far from ideal climate.

FIFA's desire to spread the reach of the game is commendable, but serious questions were being asked about the voting system way before the result was announced, let alone afterwards.

And yes, England was competing for a different tournament, but the bidding took place simultaneously and was therefore seen to be directly linked. So when the 2017 result was revealed in Monaco last Friday you could see why "London reverses trends to beat Qatari captial Doha" became the subsequent dominant narrative.

Yet a few days have passed and the thorny issue of justice has been nagging away at me. There were clearly legitimate reasons for London's first successful World Championships bid (by 16 votes to 10), such as venues already built and likely to be full to capacity, the city's cultural diversity, a late July date and therefore better sponsorship returns. Lord Coe is a persuasive man, and the late matching of the Qatar prize money also helped.

But look at the bigger picture.

Despite its (fair) image as a stable Gulf state with high literacy levels and good education, Qatar nevertheless has its share of accusations of serious human rights abuses. Following the World Cup award numerous reports appeared to highlight the awful exploitation of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, migrant workers. Predominantly unskilled and semi-skilled from south Asia in search of a slightly better life, this group makes up around two-thirds of the country's population.

The conditions of many of them are akin to modern day slaves. They rack up heavy debts to travel, their passports are confiscated on arrival, and their contracts changed shortly afterwards. With no trade unions, each worker is dependent on a sponsorship system with one employer, a practice called kafala.

"The results are depressingly familiar: unpaid wages, inhumane living conditions, unsafe working conditions and suicides," wrote Nicholas McGeehan, director of Mafiwasta, an organisation for workers' rights in the United Arab Emirates.

These are the people who will be building the stadia for 2022. And this is one of the richest countries in the world.

Such an environment exists across the region. In the wake of the successful Qatari World Cup bid last winter the International Labour Organisation urged Gulf countries to protect millions of migrant workers by reforming the kafala sponsorship system and introducing a minimum wage.
So here's the point: could another major tournament half way between now and the 2022 World Cup have led to a ramping up of international pressure and increased the chances of reform in a region that so desperately needs it?

You have to think it would. Even though they're not designed for it, major sporting events like this offer an almost unparalleled opportunity to raise awareness of human rights.

It shouldn't be the basis on which to award a country the privilege of hosting an event like the World Athletics Championships. But neither has it been the basis to prevent such an award.
Horrible exploitation exists. Given the potential for change, suddenly my support for London seems a bit hollow. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1083746 2011-11-09T18:00:00-05:00 2012-01-09T05:12:02-05:00

Paul Hobson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-hobson/
Such is the dramatic fall from grace of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and the third teammate Mohammad Asif (the world's second-ranked bowler last July), whose aspirations at the start of their careers could never have included ignominious appearances in Southwark Crown Court.

The trio, found guilty for their part in the spot fixing of that Lord's match, began their various jail terms last week. Why did they risk lucrative and fulfilling careers, reputations and now freedom? How could they go from being venerated to reviled so quickly? Although we could speculate on mixture of greed, apparent low risk and peer pressure, we'll probably never know the full reasons behind the motivation to exercise such poor judgements.

Despite the deceit and damage to the game, it's also undeniable that personal tragedy exists for everyone involved. Their lives, and that of their families, will never be the same. Amir's mother is so beset with worry and illness she doesn't believe she'll survive until his release. But just 18 at the time, his youth may work in his favour and permit a return to the playing field, which would be welcomed by many. That one of his deliberate no balls came in that aforementioned devastating spell shows the tightrope he tread between triumph and fall.

Not all would be happy, of course, that someone who showed such scant regard for cricket's laws and spirit, pressured or not, could make a return to it. But he is an exceptional talent and there were mitigating circumstances. Nearly 60% of respondents to a poll on the Express Tribune in Pakistan said he should be allowed to represent the country following the completion of his five year ban. Former England captain Michael Atherton believes so too. There is some support.

There will be no such opportunity for Butt, Amir's urbane captain whose wife gave birth to their second child in the minutes before the guilty verdicts.

Banned by the governing bodies for 10 years, his involvement was all the more treacherous given the very intelligence he was otherwise showing while wearing the skipper's armband. Speaking of how cricket could bring hope to nation beset by floods, at last, said the commentators, here was someone in tune with the demands of the role. "Salman Butt has shown an impressive maturity," wrote Nagraj Gollapudi on Cricinfo, just before the scandal broke.

Given what was going on behind the scenes, it was an illusion, and he is now paying the price. "He has gone from a national hero to a figure of contempt and his ignominy is complete," his lawyer Ali Bajwa QC told the court in a futile attempt to avert a custodial sentence.

But even for Butt, whose reputation cannot sink any lower, there has to be the possibility of redemption. It's hard to see how it will come if he continues to show no contrition, given his guilt in both a criminal court and the International Cricket Council's special tribunal in Doha.

However, there is a general consensus that the practices revealed in the News of the World sting is the tip of the iceberg. Could he play an active, crusading role in restoring the reputation of the very sport he tarnished? Could his insider knowledge bring more incidents to light? Help to educate the next generation of Pakistan cricketers, and create a system that better protects players from the kind of unsavoury outside influences that turned his own head? If a genuinely remorseful turnaround takes place, he would surely be a compelling witness.

History tells us the idea is not as far-fetched as it appears: billions of Christians continue to take instruction from the writings of St Paul, a man who once 'ravaged' the church and approved of the first execution of one its members.

Salman Butt will not be 30 when he leaves prison. Cricket has a reputation to recover. Far from preparing appeals, I hope that a Damascene, anti-corruption conversion is taking place in those Wandsworth cells.]]>