PFA chairman Gordon Taylor condemns FA ‘diversionary tactics’

The PFA says claims made by the FA chairman Greg Clarke at a parliamentary committee are "bizarre" and "untrue".

Clarke appeared in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on Wednesday, where he admitted the FA had made "a fundamental breach of our duty of care" to England player Eniola Aluko after she was subjected to "discriminatory remarks" by then manager Mark Sampson.

The PFA had raised concerns with Clarke in November 2016 after an initial FA inquiry into Aluko’s claims of racism found Sampson to have committed no wrongdoing, but the FA chairman responded with a dismissive email.

Clarke criticised the PFA in front of MPs at Westminster on Wednesday, saying the union "spends millions of pounds a year on the CEO’s salary and pension and they are walking away from alcoholics, from addicted gamblers".

He added: "I will never look up to their governance, though I respect their people."

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has hit back at Clarke’s "bizarre" claims, however, telling Sky Sports News the FA chairman was using "diversionary tactics" after Aluko had presented damning evidence at the hearing.

"Aluko showed real courage, she presented really well, her honesty shone out compared to the FA, whose attitude and demeanour was quite different," he said.

"[The FA] looked to almost show more a duty of care and protection to themselves than to a girl who represented her country more than 100 times.

"We were the one organisation, the trade union, that believed in her. We were right to believe in her.

"We then ended up being the butt of the chairman of the FA, who turned on the trade union in what was classic diversionary tactics.

"It was very unprofessional and akin to a defendant in court having a go at the claimant’s legal team.

"It was amazing, it was weird, it was bizarre, the points he made were just untrue."

Conservative MP and DCMS chair Damian Collins questioned whether Clarke, along with three other FA executives, should resign following the hearing.

Taylor insisted Clarke could have done more to ensure Aluko’s claims were handled better, claiming he tried to meet with the FA chairman to discuss the issue earlier.

He said: "To try and turn on people when you’re the head of football’s governing body and then be abusive, I mean what were staff to do but so speak to the chairman to discuss a serious issue?

"Whether he [Clarke] was prepared to talk about it or not he could certainly have made sure it was dealt with.

"I looked to have a meeting with him for some time so it’s a bit rich to talk about the governance of the PFA compared to the FA when their record is there to see and ours is there to see.

"Ours is much better involving our women players and our black players."

(c) Sky News 2017: PFA chairman Gordon Taylor condemns FA ‘diversionary tactics’