FA plunged into racism blackmail scandal: Eni Aluko accuses chief of asking her to sign statement saying they are NOT racist in return for pay-out... moments after they apologise for Mark Sampson storm
- Eni Aluko and Drew Spence receive an apology from the Football Association
- Fresh evidence supported claims they had been discriminated against
- FA say it is 'regrettable' Aluko did not take part in the initial inquiry
- Independent barrister Katharine Newton recommended that Sampson should have been sent on a racial awareness course
- Aluko's new evidence reveals FA chief executive Martin Glenn offered Aluko £80,000 to sign a statement saying there was no racism
- But at DCMS Committee, Aluko said this was 'bordering on blackmail'
- Asked whether the payment would be made, Glenn said: 'We'll reflect on it'
- The Committee also heard that Sampson received nine months' salary as a pay-off and is considering a wrongful dismissal claim
'Shambolic' Football Association chiefs faced demands to resign on Wednesday night after being forced into a humiliating apology over racist comments by the former England women's boss Mark Sampson.
On an extraordinary day when the FA's credibility was shot to pieces at a parliamentary hearing in Westminster, the Chelsea and England striker Eniola Aluko made a series of stunning revelations.
- She accused the FA of 'appalling' behaviour 'bordering on blackmail'.
- She claimed FA chief executive Martin Glenn told her the release of a £40,000 settlement was dependent on her writing a favourable statement clearing the FA of institutional racism. He denied asking her to do this.
- She alleged that a black actress was hired for a role–play exercise in a bid to show other England team-mates how selfish and difficult players could disrupt the squad.
- She claimed England goalkeeping coach Lee Kendall had spoken to her in a Caribbean accent.
Eniola Aluko speaks to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday
FA chief executive Martin Glenn has issued an apology to Aluko and Drew Spence
Aluko pictured with former England women's manager Mark Sampson at an event in 2015
MP Damian Collins said the credibility of Glenn and FA chairman Greg Clarke was in question after two hours of evidence in which the pair failed four times to admit they had let down whistleblower Aluko.
They refused to say that they would honour a full £80,000 pay-out agreed with her and described the idea of 'institutional racism' at the FA as 'fluff'.
Collins, whose select committee also grilled FA technical director Dan Ashworth and HR director Rachel Brace, said: 'You have to question whether they are the right people to take the organisation forward. I think they need to look very carefully at the evidence that has been given today.'
Committee member Jo Stevens MP told Clarke: 'I've never heard such shambolic evidence about the governance of an organisation.'
Although Clarke apologised for his dismissive 'fluff' comment, MPs were astonished.
'It was an extraordinary thing to say,' added Collins. 'He retracted it [but] it was such an extraordinary word to use about such serious matters.'
Clarke did apologise to Aluko and shook her hand after MPs' questioning had finished — but only after he had been encouraged to do so by Collins, who told him: 'She's behind you.'
The FA's lack of contrition was shocking, coming hours after a report in which barrister Katharine Newton concluded that Sampson, sacked last month, had twice made racially prejudiced jokes. She found, however, that he was 'not a racist'.
The former England boss had told Aluko's Chelsea team-mate Drew Spence, who is of mixed race, that she had been 'arrested four times' as players gathered for a team meeting in 2015.
The apology was released just as former England star Aluko began speaking to the committee
FA chief executive Martin Glenn also gave evidence to the DCMS Committee on Wednesday
FA chairman Greg Clarke addresses the DCMS Committee on Wednesday afternoon
Aluko and Spence were the subject of discriminatory remarks by Mark Sampson
He also suggested to Aluko that her visiting Nigerian relatives should not attend a match in case they had contracted the Ebola virus, Newton found.
Aluko intended to take the FA to an industrial tribunal, after concluding that the governing body was not taking her complaints against Sampson seriously.
Glenn then sanctioned the £80,000 settlement, to be paid in two instalments to ensure that the player did not say anything derogatory about the FA while working as a Channel 4 analyst at last summer's European Championship.
The second payment was withheld after Aluko sent out a negative tweet about the FA in August, stating: 'At least we now know the FA's stance on derogatory racial remarks by an England manager. Ignore, deny, endorse. In that order.'
Glenn was asked three times by MPs if she would now be paid but he refused to guarantee it.
Collins said: 'I'm staggered that the issue still remains over money. I hope that is something they resolve very quickly. I find it [the lack of apology] extraordinary. I think he [Glenn] should have apologised for what were clear failings.'
But Clarke hit back at the FA's critics, insisting that the governing body could only be faulted for taking too long to investigate Aluko's claims.
His bizarre testimony included him claiming that the Professional Footballers' Association — which has represented Aluko — has refused to continue funding counselling sessions for a victim of abuse, while paying 'millions' in salary to its own boss Gordon Taylor.
Sampson was cleared of being racist by an independent investigation set up by the FA
Spence met with barrister Katharine Newton to corroborate her story about Sampson
Aluko is brought to tears during an interview with the BBC about her experiences
Clarke said: 'I met a number of safeguarding survivors. One told me: "The PFA won't pay for counselling".'
Taylor hit back on Wednesday night, insisting: 'To say we turned an abused player away is wrong. We've never turned anybody away, whether with problems of abuse, gambling or addiction.
'It might have been said in Parliament, but it's blatantly untrue. Why on earth could he [Clarke] not raise it with me. It's classic diversionary tactics.'
Former England striker Ian Wright said that while he would 'jump at the chance' to be involved in an anti-discrimination committee he could not work for the FA in its present form.
He told BBC 5 Live: 'No way on this earth am I going into this FA under the current climate. I'll get accused of being an Uncle Tom, I'll be the black guy they've put up. "Ian likes this".
'I'd listen to them but I'd need to hear the right things. I'm not going in there to whitewash anything. If I don't feel anything's right, I'm going public. Bang. Then people say, "Ian Wright, he's a troublemaker".'
Lianne Sanderson gives evidence to the DCMS Committee on Wednesday afternoon
BLACK ACTRESS USED FOR ROLE-PLAY
A black actress was hired to demonstrate Eni Aluko's 'bad behaviour' as the England women's team had lessons in 'Lioness standards' last year, it was claimed on Wednesday.
Aluko alleged management firm Lane 4, run by Olympic gold medallist Adrian Moorhouse, paid actors to perform role plays aimed at showing her 'negative influence'.
The Chelsea striker said this was 'further evidence of bullying' and made some England players 'feel uncomfortable'.
In her written evidence submitted to the parliamentary select committee, Aluko added: 'I am concerned that current England players have been encouraged and influenced to believe that I was a negative influence on the team.
'I understand that Lane 4 hired a group of actors sometime last year after I was dropped from the England team, the purpose of which was ostensibly to role-play "Lioness standards".
'One of the actresses was a black woman and that the pre-planned first role-play of the exercise involved this actress acting out bad behaviour and a selfish attitude.'
Sampson was sacked as England manager over a safeguarding issue
SACKED SAMPSON COULD SUE
Mark Sampson, the former England women's manager, received nine months' salary — between £75,000 and £110,000 — when sacked by the FA last month.
The Welshman, 35 on Wednesday, is considering a claim of wrongful dismissal after being sacked with two years left on his £100,000-£150,000-a-year deal.
Sampson was fired after what the FA called 'inappropriate' relationships with players at his former club, Bristol Academy, which Sportsmail understands related to a six-month affair with a female player, though he was cleared by two inquiries into accusations of racism.
A final report, released on Wednesday, concluded he was not racist, but twice made 'ill-judged attempts at humour' towards his England players.
Rachel Brace, HR director at the FA, told MPs that Sampson was paid nine months' salary after being sacked.
Chief executive Martin Glenn said Sampson's lawyers have told the FA their client is still considering a wrongful dismissal claim.
Aluko's claims of racist discrimination relate to a comment made by Sampson in 2014
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