KICK IT OUT chair Sanjay Bhandari was left staggered by FA chairman Greg Clarke’s racist comments yesterday, saying they should be left “consigned to the dustbin of history.”

Managing to be not only racist but sexist and homophobic as well while giving evidence at a digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee meeting, Clarke was forced to apologise after saying referring to black players as “coloured.”

Further digging himself a hole, he also said that people’s sexuality was a “life choice” and that the reason the FA’s IT department has more South Asians working there was because they have “different career interests” than the “Afro-Caribbean community.”

DCMS committee member Kevin Brennan quickly pointed out the word he had used when talking about black players and when asked if he would like to withdraw it, Clarke said he did but made sure to start his apology with: “If I said it I deeply apologise,” before adding: “I am a product of working overseas, where I was required to use the phrase people of colour. Sometimes I trip over my words.”

The natural backlash on social media ensued, leaving the FA no choice but to issue a quick statement saying Clarke was “deeply apologetic.”

When speaking about the perceived problem with finding young girls to play in goal, Clarke said it was because they didn’t like the ball being kicked at them.

“I talked to a coach – and I’m not certain this is true – I said: ‘What’s the issue with goalkeepers in the women’s game?’

“She said: ‘Young girls, when they take up the game [aged] six, seven, eight, just don’t like having the ball kicked at them hard, right?’

“They prefer to kick it than have it kicked at them. We have to understand we need to look at different ways to bring women into the goalkeeper’s position.”

Chair of the Anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out, Bhandari addressed Clarke’s words and told him that for all the good work the FA is doing in making football a game for everyone, it is clear that more needs to be done. 

“I was extremely disappointed to see Greg Clarke’s comments today in the DCMS select committee,” said Bhandari. “His use of outdated language to describe black and Asian people as ‘coloured’ is from decades ago and should remain consigned to the dustbin of history.

“Being gay is not a ‘life choice’ as he claimed too. The casual sexism of saying ‘girls’ do not like balls hit at them hard, is staggering from anyone, let alone the leader of our national game. It is completely unacceptable.

“I was particularly concerned by the use of lazy racist stereotypes about South Asians and their supposed career preferences. It reflects similar lazy stereotypes I have heard has been spouted at club academy level.

“That kind of attitude may well partially explain why South Asians are statistically the most under-represented ethnic minority on the pitch.

“Football needs to step up and address this lack of representation of South Asians on the pitch — there has been virtually no progress in 40 years. My experience as a South Asian is that we do not have different career aspirations, but we have different outcomes. Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not. The football bodies need to focus on spreading that opportunity evenly and removing the kind of systemic bias that these lazy stereotypes reflect.

“I have seen the good work that the FA have been doing to create a more inclusive game, not least in the Diversity in Football Leadership Code. The FA has rightly been applauded for leading that effort. But these comments indicate that more still needs to be done to challenge attitudes. For all the steps made forward recently, the comments expressed today are a big step backwards.”

Former Premier League defender Anton Ferdinand, who was racially abused while playing for QPR, said on Twitter: “I appreciate that the @FA are doing some good work with their diversity campaign but it’s important the chairman Greg Clarke knows using the term ‘coloured footballers’ to reference people of ethnicity is unacceptable!!!! Clearly education is needed at all levels.”