Below an article from The Portsmouth News.
Nice bit of investigative journalism from Clare Semke.
"I'm not a racist at all" claims insists youth football manager.
By Clare Semke
Published on Friday 16 March 2012
A YOUTH football team manager is under investigation after racist and homophobic comments appeared on his Facebook page.
Hampshire Football Association and the FA are probing allegations made against Steve Clarke, who manages the under-15s squad at Havant and Waterlooville Youth FC.
Mr Clarke strongly denies making the offensive comments about Muslims and homosexuals and says the only explanation he can think of is that his profile on the social networking website was hacked.
The 45-year-old told The News he had been friends with youth team players on Facebook, which means they could have seen the posts online. He said he no longer has the Facebook account.
Mr Clarke, who has previously used an image of himself with young players as his profile picture on Facebook, said: ‘I can get a letter from every player [on the team] who can say I have never preached any racist or homophobic views.
‘I have never, ever, ever, ever, preached any racist or homophobic views to any of the team. Every single player in my team is prepared to write a letter to say they have never heard me say any of that. I’m not a racist at all.’
Mr Clarke said he had attended meetings of the English Defence League in Portsmouth after being invited along.
But he says he stopped attending after two meetings as he believed there was squabbling within the groups and that he is not a member of the organisation.
Mr Clarke added: ‘People who know me know I’m not racist and I’m not homophobic. I wouldn’t have a problem if anyone [on the team] was gay, as long as it didn’t affect football. I do think that two gay people is wrong. It’s my own feeling. But I wouldn’t go preaching to any of my players.’
Mr Clarke is still managing the youth team while the FA investigates. A Havant and Waterlooville Youth FC spokeswoman said: ‘Havant and Waterlooville Youth Football Club have passed all the information relating to the allegations to Hampshire FA who are investigating it further. We will continue to fully support Hampshire FA in their investigation.’
A Hampshire FA spokesman said: ‘Information was forwarded to Hampshire FA by Havant and Waterlooville Youth Football Club regarding allegations made about Steve Clarke on an internet blog. The matter is currently being investigated by Hampshire FA and the Football Association.’
Trevor Brock, secretary of Havant and Waterlooville FC, says the youth club has no links to the Hawks.
‘Havant and Waterlooville Football Club Ltd is a completely separate organisation and affiliated separately to this club,’ he said.
Meanwhile Hampshire police are investigating after Mr Clarke complained that he had received death threats.
A police spokesman said: ‘Police are investigating a report of nuisance communications targeting a 45-year-old man living in Havant.
‘An officer has spoken with the victim during the past week. Enquiries are continuing to identify and contact other members of the public who may have further information.’
Call Havant police on 101.
Campaign groups welcome FA’s investigation
GROUPS which are fighting racism and homophobia welcomed the Football Association’s decision to investigate the comments on Steve Clarke’s Facebook page.
Andy Wasley, of lesbian, gay and bisexual charity Stonewall, commended the FA for taking the allegations seriously.
Mr Wasley said: ‘We’re delighted to see the FA taking allegations of homophobic abuse so seriously.
‘In recent months we’ve seen a number of top-flight footballers disciplined for making insulting homophobic remarks on Twitter.
‘This investigation shows that our national game’s governing body knows it has to challenge discrimination at every level of the sport – from local youth sides to Premiership teams.’
A spokesman from the Kick It Out equality and inclusion campaign, which aims to kick racism out of football, added its support to the investigation into the Facebook comments, which Mr Clarke denies were posted by him.
‘For us as an organisation not only is it unacceptable to use racist and homophobic language but it mars the perception of the game,’ the spokesman said.
‘The damage it does is that people won’t want to engage or play the game.’
Friday 16 March 2012
UAF Conference Reportback.
Delegates packed into UAF’s annual national conference to discuss the fight against racism an fascism in 2012.
The 440 delegates, including trade unionists, students, black and Asian activists and campaigners came from as far afield as Scotland to Conway Hall in London’s Red Lion Square.
Mobilisations
The conference heard UAF national officer Martin Smith set out the tasks in the months ahead. Antifascist mobilisations had seen the English Defence League confined and pushed back over the last 12 months, but there was no room for complacency, he said.
UAF would also focus on kicking the British National Party out of its remaining seats at the Local elections, with removing Richard Barnbrook – who was elected on a BNP ticket – from the Greater Lonon Assembly a key priority.
Antifascists would also target the British Freedom Party – a lash-up between disgruntled former BNP members and the EDL, Martin said.
Racism
The conference set the fight against fascism in the context of a climate of institutional and public racism. UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett warned that institutional racism was ‘opening up’ space for the fascists.
A number of black and Muslim speakers, among others, highlighted the increasing level of public racism, whether directe at women wearing hijab or black footballers. Farooq Murad from the Muslim Council of Britain spoke out against politicians who ‘use Islamophobia to buy cheap votes’.
Former professional footballer Leroy Rosenior, from Show Racism the Red Card, made a moving speech that was a highlight of the day, discussing his own experience of racism and the need to take on racist – and homophobic – arguments.
Debate
Many speakers from the floor contributed to a lively but very fraternal debate over whether antifascists should call for EDL marches to be banned or not. All agreed that despite differing views on this question, we should all unite to mobilise on the streets against the fascists.
The conference also heard from Hugh Lanning, deputy general secretary of the PCS civil service union, who paid tribute to Kevin Gately, who was killed on an antifascist demonstration in Red Lion Square – outside the conference hall – in 1974.
Communication Workers Union general ecretary Billy Hayes, National Union of Teachers deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney, Jeremy Corbyn MP, and student activists also among the speakers.
And Roma rights campaigners from Amnesty International and organisations in Hungary and Italy spoke at an international session.
The 440 delegates, including trade unionists, students, black and Asian activists and campaigners came from as far afield as Scotland to Conway Hall in London’s Red Lion Square.
Mobilisations
The conference heard UAF national officer Martin Smith set out the tasks in the months ahead. Antifascist mobilisations had seen the English Defence League confined and pushed back over the last 12 months, but there was no room for complacency, he said.
UAF would also focus on kicking the British National Party out of its remaining seats at the Local elections, with removing Richard Barnbrook – who was elected on a BNP ticket – from the Greater Lonon Assembly a key priority.
Antifascists would also target the British Freedom Party – a lash-up between disgruntled former BNP members and the EDL, Martin said.
Racism
The conference set the fight against fascism in the context of a climate of institutional and public racism. UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett warned that institutional racism was ‘opening up’ space for the fascists.
A number of black and Muslim speakers, among others, highlighted the increasing level of public racism, whether directe at women wearing hijab or black footballers. Farooq Murad from the Muslim Council of Britain spoke out against politicians who ‘use Islamophobia to buy cheap votes’.
Former professional footballer Leroy Rosenior, from Show Racism the Red Card, made a moving speech that was a highlight of the day, discussing his own experience of racism and the need to take on racist – and homophobic – arguments.
Debate
Many speakers from the floor contributed to a lively but very fraternal debate over whether antifascists should call for EDL marches to be banned or not. All agreed that despite differing views on this question, we should all unite to mobilise on the streets against the fascists.
The conference also heard from Hugh Lanning, deputy general secretary of the PCS civil service union, who paid tribute to Kevin Gately, who was killed on an antifascist demonstration in Red Lion Square – outside the conference hall – in 1974.
Communication Workers Union general ecretary Billy Hayes, National Union of Teachers deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney, Jeremy Corbyn MP, and student activists also among the speakers.
And Roma rights campaigners from Amnesty International and organisations in Hungary and Italy spoke at an international session.
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