On Friday Woman’s Hour addressed one very puzzling aspect of one of the latest rows about racism in football.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, has been handed a heavy penalty for racism against Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
This tale is complicated by the nationality of the players involved & by the fact that there is a long history of rivalry, even enmity & hatred, between the two teams.
We are told that Evra started the spat by saying something ‘disobliging’ about Suarez’ wife/mother/sister. Suarez responded with a volley of the n word in Spanish.
But Evra has received no sanction or punishment at all; his insult apparently breaks no rule of footballers’ code.
Womans Hour sought the advice of experienced commentator Alan Green (a man who can always be relied on for an opinion) and former player Pat Nevin
Pat Nevin’s contribution was illuminating. First that only Latins seem generally to regard the impugning of the honour of a female relative to be an insult to a man, & secondly that most British players would react to such an insult with ‘Don’t be ridiculous’ rather than with fists or verbal retaliation.
I am sure that that is an oversimplification but he has a point. Offence has to be accepted as well as offered.
Football still has to answer the question of why insults to women on the field of play are not considered unacceptable.
