The Mindless Few
Over the past few months, I’ve been the subject of a racially motivated hate campaign by a small number of people on social media. They disguise their true feelings with crude, abusive comments and make statements that give the impression that they have an inside knowledge of the club. They can’t mask the fact that they harbour an attitude that is so inbred that they don’t see anything wrong, it’s part of their DNA and they’re proud to be racists.
My family are not “fair game” as one of these Neanderthals commented. My children have no interest in football and encouraging others to send hate mail and emails in the manner they have is abhorrent and reprehensible. It’s not funny or healthy and certainly not banter and despite the intervention of the North Wales Police, these people see themselves above the law and persist in their actions.
A simple scroll on our social media and you’ll see the people I’m talking about, it’s these very people that ruin the game at all levels.
Let’s be clear, some of these people have good jobs, families and yet seem to think it’s acceptable to act in that manner. They believe that all blacks are criminals and therefore I must be one. I do have two criminal convictions; one was battery and the other racially aggravated affray. The first was abject stupidity that I regret and the second was revenge for the assault on my six year old daughter by a black person. I am known to the Police for the friends that I have and a slew of juvenile misdemeanours that I regret totally. I openly tell people about my past, and I’m proud to have turned my life around but these people make me want to revert to a lifestyle that isn’t safe or healthy.
Alongside the racists are some of the former coaches that were employed to do a job, didn’t do it, and left claiming that I’m all things bad. Recently, a coach resigned and then set about destroying a complete phase in a petulant fit of immaturity. Driven by his hatred, the coach made a racist comment, in front of me, and expected me to take it on the chin. That is not acceptable, especially when you’re coaching a multi-cultural group of players.
A C Licence coach was paid £15/hr but can’t use an excel spreadsheet, can’t fill in a time sheet, hasn’t a clue how to write a session plan and, adding insult to injury, wanted extra payment to not only coach games but for fuel expenses. He’s part of an investigation by the North Wales Police regarding an assault involving a minor, I bet he’s not told the parents that either, but he’ll tell them I’m a bully etc. He tells us all he does it for the players but that’s not true at all, it’s all about the money.
What about the coaches that falsified their qualifications and then got caught out but still demanded to be paid or the coach that resigned because I refused to buy his insoles for his football boots. This is a grown man, with kids, a wife and a good job now blasting me on social media because I refused to buy him insoles. Let that sink in.
The sheer arrogance of some coaches is blinding. A simple glance at their contract of employment shows a financial release clause that’s eye watering, legal, enforceable and trust me I’m chasing every penny. Their new employers have laughed at the invoices sent but will they be laughing in 3-4 weeks?
The list goes on and I’m not interested in washing my laundry in public, but these are the actions of a mindless few that have taken to smearing the club in faecal matter.
I’m grateful to those that work with me closely, see the work that’s being put in by the many for the benefit of the few. I’m driven to make the club and its academy a success. I was hamstrung by my position as Chairman of a football club and couldn’t make comment publicly. I undertook to remove myself from social media and avoid the hate, however these people are now starting to cost me money, involve my family and they need outing.
I may be sanctioned for this tome, but it’s time the powers that be started to enforce their promises to stamp out discrimination rather than stand idly by doing nothing. I’ve reached out to the football clubs of these coaches etc and they refuse to do anything. Maybe I ought to reach out into the real world and notify their day time employers of their actions and see if that’ll wake them up. I doubt it though.
After all what’s worse, the racists or the people with the power to do something but choose not to?
