As if today's disappointing result wasn't enough to elicit anger, we now have news that a section of Chelsea supporters were reported to authorities after allegedly making racist remarks about Anton Ferdinand as they were traveling back from Norfolk via train.

Chelsea Football Club is concerned to hear that a small number of fans travelling back by train from Norwich were alleged to be involved in racist chants and comment.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has urged the media to stop focusing the spotlight heavily on John Terry as the Blues skipper returns to QPR next Saturday for the first time since being accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in October.

The Rangers won the ill-tempered clash 1-0 as Villas-Boas saw two of his players dismissed, leaving the visitors to fight with nine men for most of the afternoon.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre insists any perception that Liverpool's handling of the Luis Suarez affair means they take a soft stance on racism is "totally and utterly rubbish".
The Reds have come in for criticism in recent weeks for the way they have behaved during Luis Suarez's unsuccessful defence against allegations he racially abused Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Talksport: Dalglish insists Liverpool united against racism

New statement from Reds boss attempts to underline stance on discrimination at Anfield

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2012-01-09 20:30:37 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

LFC: Ayre on Oldham, racism & FA Cup

Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre today reaffirmed Liverpool Football Club's zero tolerance approach towards racism or discrimination of any sort.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-09 15:41:52 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

LFC: Ayre on Oldham, racism & Cup draw

Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre today reaffirmed Liverpool Football Club's zero tolerance approach towards racism or discrimination of any sort.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-09 15:26:58 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

LFC: Liverpool FC statement: Jan 8

Liverpool Football Club has been forthright and resolute for many years in its stance against racism and any form of discrimination.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-08 19:20:57 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Guardian: Fare chief slams Liverpool 'tribal fervour' after Luis Suárez affair

• Piara Powar criticises club for attitude to FA • Supporter arrested after Oldham FA Cup tie The head of European football's anti-racism group believes Liverpool's reaction to the Luis Suárez affair has whipped up "a tribal fervour" at Anfield.

The head of European football's anti-racism group has urged the Football Association to charge Liverpool with bringing the game into disrepute over their response to Luis Suarez's eight-match ban.
Piara Powar, executive director of European football's anti-discrimination body FARE, said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's comments had been ''undignified'' and that their reaction had damaged the club's brand across the world.

Guardian: Piara Powar urges the FA to level disrepute charge against Liverpool

• European anti-racism head says club has shown no respect • Powar criticises Kenny Dalglish's comments as 'undignified' The head of European football's anti-racism group has urged the Football Association to charge Liverpool with bringing the game into disrepute for their response to Luis Suárez's eight-match ban for racially abusing the Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Anfield Rd: Kick It Out: Allegations should be proven "beyond reasonable doubt"

When Liverpool announced they were not going to appeal the Luis Suárez verdict they did so after coming under a huge weight of pressure from various individuals and organisations. One of Liverpool's main objections to the decision was the way it was reached and in particular the burden of proof considered adequate.

Liverpool and Luis Suárez statements in full

• Liverpool accuse FA of 'highly subjective' case against striker • Uruguayan says he is not guilty of racial abuse towards Evra Liverpool's statement |"It is our strongly held conviction that the Football Association and the panel it selected constructed a highly subjective case against Luis Suárez based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated.

Liverpool angrily decide not to appeal Suarez ban

Liverpool FC will not be appealing the 8-match ban imposed on Luis Suarez. Their announcement of this decision included further criticism of the FA and its panel but the club said it was for the best that they did not appeal.

Anti-racism campaigners urge Liverpool top brass not to fight ban faced by Luis Suarez

Show Racism the Red Card applaud FA for zero tolerance on discrimination and urge Reds to step up their campaigning on such matters following public support of Uruguayan

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2012-01-02 12:33:00 from: Goal

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The Powerhouses of Amputee Football - Liberia's "Lone Stars"

Used as a tool to help overcome the discrimination against amputees and the disabled, the Amputee Football Championship is a tournament dedicated to appreciating the athleticism and skill of those who often feel unwanted by their surrounding society and even struggle to survive, as profiled by Chicago Tribune photographer Kuni Takahashi.

Racism reared its ugly head

An exhaustive and extraordinary 115 page dossier compiled by the FA's independent commission investigating the Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez flashpoint details the racial abuse the Uruguayan striker heaped on the Man Utd defender back in October. The excerpts make for ugly reading.

The Football Association has confirmed that Luis Suarez's eight-match ban could be extended if he appeals against the suspension.
On Tuesday, Suarez was handed the ban and a £40,000 fine after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
Liverpool reacted angrily to the news, stating they would take every step possible to fight the punishment of Suarez, who has 14 days to respond.

Liverpool players declare support for 'our friend' Luis Suárez

• Police will not act unless Patrice Evra makes a complaint • The Professional Footballers' Association backs FA stance Luis Suárez is unlikely to follow John Terry in facing a criminal investigation relating to alleged racist abuse unless Patrice Evra chooses to lodge a complaint against the Liverpool striker with Merseyside police.

Luis Suárez: Liverpool statement

• Club are 'very surprised and disappointed' • Statement: 'Luis Suárez is innocent' Liverpool FC is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the FA commission to find Luis Suárez guilty of the charges against him.

Lionel Messi, once again has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. He was nominated in three occasions and have not yet been succesful in winning this one. FC Barcelona also has been nominated in the Sport Team of the Year category and Abidal also for the Comeback of the Year.

In the wake of malignant comments vomited out yesterday by herculean halfwit Sepp Blatter, the Premier League has (predictably) responded with a gutless, cowardly statement that disgracefully fails to directly reference or condemn Blatter's damaging, outdated views on racism in football.

The best of the worst of Blatter 1. "He should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination." Yesterday's advice to the victims of on-field racism. 2. "Let [...]

The best of the worst of Blatter 1. "He should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination." Yesterday's advice to the victims of on-field racism. 2. "Let [...]

"After the World Cup in South Africa, it was my opinion that racism, discrimination has disappeared." - Sepp Blatter, at his very best

The most powerful man in football, amazingly, continues to take his absolutely nonsensical statements to new heights.

In a grotesque display of gargantuan imbecility earlier today, FIFA's pernicious President Sepp Blatter vomited out the sickening opinion that there is 'no racism in football'.
When asked by CNN World Sport if he thought there was racism on the pitch, the man who runs world football (!

It's worth noting that Sepp Blatter is now 75 and could very well be in the process of losing what little capacity for thought he had in the first place. Which isn't really an excuse, but it at least explains his devolution. And stance on the concept of racism in football. Which is sort of a non-concept and if it does exist, can be solved "with a handshake".

By Alan Duffy

"La la la la la la la la..... I can't hear you... La la la la la la la .... Everything is fine..... La la la la la la"

Why hasn't Sepp Blatter been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize yet? He surely is the new Gandhi?

Following on from his suggestion that female footballers should wear skimpy outfits to make the game more popular, and that gay people visiting the World Cup finals in Qatar should simply refrain from sexual activity while in the country, the champion of civil rights has now devised an answer to the problem of racism in football, something that is once again in the spotlight.

Sepp. Again. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has offered some advice to players who fall victim to racist abuse on the pitch. In his own inimitable style, Sepp suggested that anyone who experiences racism on the pitch should shake hands with their opponent and accept that football is a game. He said: "There is no racism, [.

The Football Association has been forced to investigate the complaint that John Terry, the England captain made a racial slur against QPR's Anton Ferdinand Sunday's derby with Queens Park Rangers.

The statement on the FA's web site says:

The FA can confirm it has received a complaint relating to an alleged incident of racist abuse in the QPR versus Chelsea fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011.

Professional Scousers Part 2: The Flip Side

In our recent interview with a ‘professional Scouser', we explored the extremities of what is known as the best fan base in the world, and in doing so unearthed that we also play host to some of the most small-minded, hostile and bigoted individuals that any faithful has to offer.

UEFA has charged Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets with racially insulting Real Madrid defender Marcelo during the Champions League semifinals. UEFA says its disciplinary panel will hear the case on Sunday with a decision to be announced Monday.

Busquets is alleged to have violated UEFA's discrimination rules "by directing racist abuse towards" Marcelo, who is black.

UEFA has charged Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets with racially insulting Real Madrid defender Marcelo during the Champions League semifinals. UEFA says its disciplinary panel will hear the case on Sunday with a decision to be announced Monday.

Busquets is alleged to have violated UEFA's discrimination rules "by directing racist abuse towards" Marcelo, who is black.

Leading figures in French football - including national team coach Laurent Blanc - have been accused of trying to implement racial quotas for non-white players in youth academies.
Lilian Thuram is France's most capped player with 142 appearances under his belt. Originally from Guadalupe, Thuram now campaigns against discrimination in football.

Drawing from an AP story, the FFF "inquiry" is underway.

There have been "claims" that France National Team Manager Laurent Blanc secretly agreed on a quota restricting the number of black and Arab players in national training programs.

The website Mediapart printed a strange, obviously sensationalized account of rampant racism within the FFF, which was immediately followed by an FFF statement that the FFF had been concerned about dual nationals making themselves unavailable for selection for the national team by choosing to play for another country.

The French Football Federation has issued a communiqué by Laurent Blanc in response to the allegations published last week by Mediapart about the existence of a plan to limit the numbers of "black and Arab" football players within the national youth system. It's a rather strange statement. Blanc, who initially issued a blanket denial about everything attributed to him in the article, now seems to be admitting that he did participate in a discussion about the topic of players who might have the possibility of playing for other national teams, and more broadly about the issue of the style of play being developed within the youth system.

French Football Federation (FFF) technical director François Blaquart has been suspended by the French Government pending an investigation following his statement that the FFF is concerned about investing in training players who make themselves unavailable for selection for the French national team by choosing to play for another country.

Kick it Out, the campaign which challenges discrimination in football, has released a video in response to sexist remarks made by two Sky Sports commentators about a female official last week.

Andy Gray claimed that women didn't understand the offside rule. Richard Keys responded, straight faced, no wry smile, by saying "of course they don't."

If we're honest, there's more evidence to suggest blokes don't understand the offside rule, given how frequently male referee's assistants get such vital calls wrong.

TV presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys were forced to apologies after they made sexist off-air comments about a female assistant referee during Liverpool's 3-0 win at Wolves on Saturday.

Sian Massey was the assistant in question, and the criticizing comments were made public yesterday.

So it's a two-nation race to host the 2015 Women's World Cup between Canada and Zimbabwe. And, frankly, there is no choice here. It has to be Zimbabwe.
What did Sepp Blatter say when Russia and Qatar won?
Quote: Originally Posted by Sepp Blatter We go to new lands.