John Barnes insists Peter Beardsley’s racist language was ‘banter’

‘This is not a problem’: John Barnes insists Peter Beardsley’s racially abusive language was ‘banter’ and understood why sacked coach questioned age of African players

• Peter Beardsley was found guilty by an independent FA commission last week
• This was on three counts of racially abusing Newcastle’s young black players
• He had previously been sacked from his role as the club’s Under 23s boss

John Barnes has dismissed Peter Beardsley’s use of racially abusive language as ‘banter’ and has made the extraordinary claim that his former England team-mate had a fair point when he questioned the age of African players.

Beardsley was found guilty by an independent Football Association commission last week on three counts of racially abusing Newcastle’s young black players and was banned from football for seven months.

He had previously been sacked from his role as the club’s Under 23s boss for gross misconduct after an internal investigation also found it proven that he had used racist language to several players, including calling one of them a ‘monkey’.

John Barnes has dismissed Peter Beardsley’s use of racially abusive language as ‘banter’

But Barnes, who was racially abused as a player, has chosen to play down the guilty racism charges against his 58-year-old friend, even though anti-discrimination charity Kick it Out branded Beardsley’s language ‘appalling’ and a ‘horrific use of racial stereotypes’.

Barnes said: ‘Peter Beardsley is from a particularly era where what was called banter back then was completely accepted, but isn’t acceptable now.

‘It’s unfortunate for Peter, because Peter is one of the old school who are still involved in football.

‘There are a lot of people who would use language or banter that Peter uses, but they’re not involved in football, so therefore they don’t do it.

‘It’s difficult for people who are over a certain age who are still involved in football and involved with young kids, because the intent is the most important thing.

‘I never felt the intent was ever to be racist. But things that Peter said are clearly unacceptable now.

Beardsley was found guilty by an independent Football Association commission last week

‘I understand why he has to go through what he’s going through. I understand why Peter has been banned.’

Beardsley was also found guilty of questioning the legitimacy of the age of an African player, which the commission concluded was ‘a negative stereotype that players of black African origin commit fraud as to their true age’.

But Barnes says Beardsley was right.

‘One of the things Peter is meant to have said is talking about the age of African players,’ he told beIN SPORTS.

‘I have spent time in South Africa and, if you ask African players their age, they will say, “Football age or real age?”.

‘So this is not a problem. It’s not right, it’s not wrong, it’s a cultural thing whereby they have separate ages. If Peter makes that point then that’s not racist, because Africans says that themselves.

Barnes and Beardsley of Liverpool celebrate winning the Division One title in 1990

‘Another thing he said was about the state of the pitches in Africa. The pitches in Africa are bad. By saying that, it’s not being racist.

‘Now other things he said are completely unacceptable, but we have to look at the nuisances around that situation.

‘Anybody who gets caught saying the wrong thing, you have to be seen to be coming down on them like a ton of bricks to prove to yourself that everything else is okay, the problem is Peter Beardsley.

‘But when you’re in that environment and you’re coaching a team, and you’re trying to inspire, make fun, have a laugh, and this is what we did 20 years ago, and you then do it, you then get caught out, unfortunately.’

Share this article

Source: Read Full Article