Webb to tackle racism in world football

| 04/03/2013

jeffwebb1 (238x300).jpg(CNS): Cayman’s Jeff Webb, currently the vice president of FIFA, the body which regulates and governs international football, and president of its regional arm, CONCACAF, has been appointed as chairman of the Anti-racism Task Force that will tackle the issue within the football community, which has been undermining the qualities of social equality, an important part of the sport.  FIFA admits that, while there has been progress, the abuse of players, officials and fans due to their skin colour or ethnicity continues and racism, an unfortunate reflection of society, still plagues the game on and off the pitch. Webb said he was committed to eradicating racial abuse from football.

“I am grateful for this appointment and eager to contribute by working towards creating an environment of cooperation that fosters football’s continuous journey to impart positive role models to society,” Webb said last week in the wake of his appointment as chair of the task force.  “You have my commitment to gear this task force through a documented strategy that will ensure the fulfilment of our pledge to eradicate racism from our fields.”

While FIFA is committed to social justice and racial integration, the issue is still a serious problem in the sport and Webb, who is also deputy chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee and a former member of FIFA’s Transparency Committee, talked about the need to promote equality.

“Learning from my personal experience with racism and extended service to promote a society in which all individuals have equal rights will hopefully add strength to remove the discrimination barriers that steer the focus away from the game of football,” he said.

“We have to work on it but we cannot do it alone,” said FIFA President Joseph Blatter.  “It is a big, big problem also of education and understanding, and a little bit also of solidarity.  But we will do it because we have to kick it out.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: Sports

About the Author ()

Comments (23)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    REALLY – What now, Jeff?
    Wow – this announcement hit me like a ton of bricks!!

    Sort out the pathetic local soccer programme.

    EG: Why is governmene paying for US doctors to visit + do local medicals for the BT team?

    Are the local doctors (govt hosptial) good enough?

    And, doesnt the team and CIFA have the funds to pay for this insted of the taxpayers??

     

    Pleeease Jeff Jeff!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Webb made one suggestion in an ESPN interview on his appointment to this position that might make a difference…that his boss, Sepp Blatter will never agree to and that is…

    Dock points or relegate clubs that have racist fans as a major part of their support.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Webb has 'moved on' in spite of Cayman's football community failing to recognise that fact years ago.

    Why he is still president of CIFA is down to the local football community…if the football community had the desire and willpower to 'move on' and upgrade the local game, they would find a leader who has the same goals…as they should have done when Webb became more a football 'politician' than an administrator.

    Him being made head of this 'racism taskforce' is as much FIFA politics as anything else…and will make very little difference to anything.

    Why do the CONCACAF heads always end up as Blatter's fall guy ?

    Jack Warner before…and now, Jeffrey Webb.

    How will Webb's task force change Russian  society, which is racist to the core…

    For the WC in 2018, when Blatter and FIFA gave it to Russia in the first place.

    Cayman's football needs to elect a new president and leave Webb to his FIFA career.

    Move on…as he has done !

     

  4. Anonymous says:

    Jeff is the right man for this job like it or not, he definately don’t have an issue with the color of anyones skin or where they’re from, afterall Jeff was the one who tried to get english players to play for the CI national football team, thank God a stop was put to that, and the same guy Jeff was responsible for importing players from Honduras and Jamaica while casting the local caymanian players aside, only to find out that these imported players could not represent cayman in the world cup qualifiers, and had to run back to the local players last minute to play in the WC qualifiers.

    I can only imagine what this guy is gonna do to regional football and football on a whole if he runs it the way he has run local football.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Please do something positive for domestic football programs the product is disgraceful

  6. Anonymous says:

    Webb what are you doing for local football like the domestic game for kids, juniors and the men’s league? Great job in being CONCACAF chief but the Cayman Islands football program at all levels is a joke and the buck stops with you.

    CIFA is no different than how FIFA is run. Look after their buddies with trips tickets and freeness to buy support and keep people bought and paid for

  7. Honky says:

    As a volunteer referee in the Cayman Islands I was often referred to as “white boy”, “whitey”, “foreigner”, etc. Sort out your own house first Jeff. Maybe then someone will start to take you seriously.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh please. There is nothing in Cayman that remotely compares to what they are dealing with in European football. 

      • Anonymous says:

        So racism is a function of scale, not mindset?

         

        If you don't think racism exists in Cayman, I suggest you watch a Sunset FC game. The quality of the football is a bit suspect but the racist comments directed at their players by the crowd are first class.

         

        • Anonymous says:

          I am not talking about scale. It is a matter of the nature of the comments and the actions and there is no comparison at all.  

          • Anonymous says:

            So we agree racism exists here and is apparent in football, but it is OK because elsewhere it is worse? This seems to be the Cayman answer for every problem and is of course no answer at all.

    • Anonymous says:

      There is minimal racism in the Cayman and usually it is not by native Caymanians as majority of Caymanians are of mix origin i.e. black and white.  If people called you whitey with a racial undertone it was not done by a native but rather a non native who import their type of behaviour here in every area of this country, socially and otherwise.

  8. Anonymous says:

    What WOULD we all do without you Whodatis? You are clearly a champion against racism. Oh except the constant dissing ofanything and everything that comes from the UK. But that’s not racism is it? FYI the movement against racism in football has its roots firmly in the UK as its instigators, and significant progress has been made over the last decade. You can thank the FA and the players and clubs. Quite what good ol’ Jeff is going to do “heading up a committee” I dunno… all with the best of intentions no doubt but FIFA as an organisation is just a collection of disparate appointees with Sepp pulling all the strings, and grossly ineffectual as a result. Conclusion? Actions speak louder than words, and the UK is taking more action than most.

    • Anonymous says:

      I feel less racist already!

    • Anonymous says:

      For anyone who wishes to know…England IS Europe's leader in the anti-racism effortin football…by a long way.

      I work at football clubs in both the Premiereship and Championship and racism is dealt with harshly when proven in English football…fines, bans and even jail sentences are meted out to offenders…and all football clubs are legally required to train their match stewards and security personnell to spot and report any incidents of racism at football matches.

      That is a whole lot more than continental Europe is doing.

  9. Whodatis says:

    This is a very necessary but futile exercise.

    Unfortunately, racism (especially of the particular type in question) in the UK, EU and Eastern Europe has been and still is part of the culture.

    Unfortunately, until more Jewish footballers elevate to the highest levels of the sport, and are made to endure overwhelming racial abuse by way of tens of thousands of people at a time, we will not see any major changes in this regard.

    (Europeans tend to limit worthy claims of "racism" to the Jewish issue. Therefore, thrown bananas, monkey chants and ape-like animations from the stands are generally dismissed as unimportant.)

    Good luck, Jeff – but don't expect any societal revolutions anytime soon in this regard.

    In any event, it is inspiring to see a fellow Caymanian making such bold strides in the world today.

    *Actually, there is one tactic that may possibly bring about change. The football clubs would have to be hit where it hurts … in their pockets – and in a major way! Clearly, if successful, it would not say much in regards to genuine tolerance and equality, but it would be better than nothing. However, such proposals would require the general agreement of the relevant regional / international associations as a whole, and again, this would prove problematic for the aforementioned reasons.

    • Anonymous says:

      Any sort of valid point that you may have gets lost within the infinite stupidity youfar too often spout.  I truly feel sorry for the person who you are. 

    • Anonymous says:

      To troll or to thumb down, that is the question.

    • JTB says:

      Any justification or evidence for this load of nonsense?

      • N Somniac says:

        Don't you know that when Whodatis asserts something it automatically attains the status of unchallengeable fact?

        • Whodatis says:

          Glad to see we are finally starting to understand one another.

          Alas, there is hope for you folks yet!

    • Whodatis says:

      I seriously hope you guys are not expecting a debate on this issue.

      (While we're at it, should we question whether or not water is wet?)

      It is what it is, fellas. No amount of smart-ass comments or personal insults will negate the reality.

      * For those of you still in doubt – a simple Google / Youtube search of "UK European football racism" should help to clarify the current situation for you.

      ** Hey Jeff, please do not repeat the failed approach of trying to focus on or isolate "racism in football" as a means to address the issue. That is simply a secondary symptom of the broader reality.

      *** Posters, feel free to leave a reply, however be advised that Whodatis will not engage in an asinine exchange regarding the issue at hand.

      • Brittodabone says:

        He does like responding ot himself doesn't he?  What a funny man.