Football continues to go backwards

What is happening with football at the moment? The face of the beautiful game is being tarnished. That latest bad news is, of course, surrounding the reports of Mark Clattenburg using “inappropriate language” towards Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel during the Blues 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

However, it isn’t only centred on what Clattenburg is alleged to have said. A Chelsea steward was also injured during the encounter, the Met Police have become involved in the fracas, while further down south, Southampton are investigating an incident involving recently signed goalkeeper Artur Boruc during Saints’ 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s fair to assume that 2012 hasn’t been a good year for football. The precedent was set on New Year’s Eve, when the FA released their report on the findings of Luis Suarez, who was found guilty of using racist language towards United left-back Patrice Evra.

The Uruguayan received an eight game ban for his actions, which gave hope that the FA were looking to clamp down on the actions that were tarnishing the game. However, with Chelsea captain John Terry only being handed a four game ban for a similar action towards QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, it threw the game back into dispute.

Coupled with Rio Ferdinand and his ‘choc-ice’ tweet, Ashley Cole and his #BUNCHOFTWATS comment on Twitter, Leeds United fan Aaron Cawley’s attack on Chris Kirkland and the racial abuse Danny Rose received while on international duty, it has seen the game undergo substantially bad publicity in recent months.

Something needs to be done, and swiftly, in order to see football return to its past glory. Fans are beginning to be turned away as a result of the negativity as a result of the dark side of the game rearing its ugly head once again. 

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