The FA have got to do something this time, right?
That’s what everyone thought when then Cardiff boss Malky MacKay and head of recruitment Iain Moody were accused of sharing “racist, sexist and homophobic” texts between 2011 and 2014 at the Welsh club.
Wrong. The FA will be taking no action over MacKay and Moody.
Why? Well, after a long and “thorough” 11-month investigation, FA chiefs ruled the pair had an expectation of privacy when sending the messages, so no disciplinary action will be taken.
But don’t worry, both men have been spoken to about the “inappropriateness” of terms used in the texts…and MacKay has undergone voluntarily equality and diversity training…
In a statement, the FA wrote: “Having assessed the evidence, and in light of the finding that the communications were sent with a legitimate expectation of privacy, The FA will not be taking disciplinary action against Iain Moody and Malky Mackay in connection with the content of those messages.”
“The English game remains determined to eliminate discriminatory conduct in all its forms and will look to introduce a policy on private conduct that underpins the collective commitment of stakeholders to make this happen.”
Twitter had something to say about the decision…
https://twitter.com/HanoiToon/status/621642813675999233
@FA how long has this investigation taken? How much has it all cost? Piss ups and breweries come to mind.
— chris (@chrismgalloway) July 16, 2015
The fa had to check and make sure mackay wasnt uruguyan before deciding not yo charge him…
— the reds are boss lads🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🏆 (@hitman8976rawk) July 16, 2015
A statement from Kick It Out said it believes the FA has damaged its own credibility and anti-discrimination policies by taking the decision not to charge the pair.
“It is Kick It Out’s view that The FA needed to take a strong position to help prove football’s ‘zero-tolerance’ approach towards discriminatory practices,” the statement read.
“Instead, we have another example of the status quo being reinforced, and discriminatory practices being allowed to flourish in ‘no-go’ areas such as within the exclusivity of boardrooms, training grounds and dressing rooms, and via private communication networks.
“How can anybody truly challenge discrimination and prejudiced attitudes in football with confidence now?
The apparent reluctance to punish comments and behaviour considered as ‘banter’ or ‘light-hearted culture’ within these settings is entirely damaging.”
