If there is one man doing less to combat racism in football, it’s the Society of Black Lawyers chairman Peter Herbert. After insisting that Mark Clattenburg be suspended throughout the duration of the case against him from Chelsea, a move I agreed with, he continues his crusade to kick the ‘Y word’ out of football.
Following the anti-Semitic chanting Tottenham Hotspur received against Lazio last week, Herbert took it upon himself to claim that the North London side using the term ‘Yid’ at White Hart Lane and away from home that it “legitimises anti-Semitic abuse”.
A moronic line to use, that’s for sure, with Herbert continuing to criticise the club for the use of the term. While Spurs fans have regularly stood up to threat of police action, chanting ‘We’re Tottenham Hotspur, we’ll chant what we want’ during the 3-1 win over Maribor in the Europa League earlier this month.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t stopped the SoBL chairman from continuing his quest to ban Spurs from using the term. If anything, it’s had a detrimental effect with the anti-Semitic abuse now thrust back into the limelight once again.
Herbert, it has to be said, certainly does have the power to make a change in the game. The platform is there to really highlight racism in the game. However, by targeting Spurs, it has to be said that he’s looking to stamp out the problem by approaching it the wrong way. It’s a shame, that’s for sure, because if Herbert was to alter his operandi, then there are many who would get behind the SoBL chairman.
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