Mackay symbolises all that’s wrong in football

I’m paraphrasing of course, but this is what Malky Mackay in effect said last week in his media conference:

Just because I sent truly awful racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic comments to friend doesn’t mean ‘I’m not a racist, sexist, homophobe, or anti-Semitic."

Well Mr Mackay, exactly what does it actually mean?

Whilst most people can accept that when Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol described a French tennis player as having hair like her favourite golliwog doll, it was not meant as a racial slur. That she inadvertently caused offence and refused to apologise was a whole new story, but intent has to feature large in how we distinguish unfortunate comments from a person who wilfully and repeatedly intends to racially abuse.

On all accounts Mackay’s text to a friend and staff  fall into the latter:

'Fkn chinkys. Fk it. There's enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go around.'

On the arrival of South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung:

'Go on, fat Phil. Nothing like a Jew that sees money slipping through his fingers'

On football agent Phil Smith:

'He's a snake, a gay snake. Not to be trusted'

On an official of another club:

'Not many white faces amongst that lot but worth considering.'

On a list of potential signings:

'I hope she's looking after your needs. I bet you'd love a bounce on her falsies.'

On a player's female agent:

A picture entitled Black Monopoly (where every square was a "Go to Jail" square)

This text was sent to members of Cardiff's staff.

By describing as he did a Jewish man stating: “Nothing like a Jew that sees money slipping through his fingers”, it is absolutely fair to say that within that profoundly anti-Semitic comment there is a underlying view about what this man thinks about Jewish people.

His distaste towards South Korean, Chinese and Black people is not only profoundly racist, but also discriminatory too. As a manager he suggested that he was overlooking buying Black players for white players on no other grounds but race.

Above all Mackay is a man in denial of who he is, arguing we all might have these types of comments on our phone that we’ve sent to friends. Malcky Mackay, no we don’t!

The comments that Mackay expressed is one of a bigoted, deeply prejudiced man who has no place being in charge of a multicultural football club, representing a multicultural fan base of tens of thousands.

That Mackay has been exposed will probably be punishment enough. One hopes that no football club in the Premier League or any of the lower football leagues will touch Mackay with a barge poll. And whilst in many clubs Black people have no financial clout in a significant number of clubs there is plenty of Jewish interests which would absolutely not entertain the likes of Mackay.

What is worrying, however, is the fact people like Mackay know that in a decent society his views are wrong and wouldn’t dare say these views in public, but it sadly doesn’t mean that they’ve gone away. The Mackay saga shows that racism has in many respects gone underground, from the terraces to personal texts and anonymous tweets.

Football still has a long way to go to rid itself of the vile views of Malcky Mackay.

Simon Woolley