FA's third probe into Mark Sampson racism claims to be published on Wednesday
ByPA Sport
Published 17/10/2017 at 18:48 GMT
On the eve of what promises to be a bruising encounter in Westminster, the Football Association has given the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee the findings of its third investigation into racism claims against Mark Sampson.
Mark Sampson was sacked as England Women's manager last month
Image credit: PA Sport
On the eve of what promises to be a bruising encounter in Westminster, the Football Association has given the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee the findings of its third investigation into racism claims against Mark Sampson.
The former England Women's manager was dramatically sacked last month after FA bosses were alerted to what it termed an "inappropriate" relationship Sampson had with a player in his previous job in 2013.
That followed weeks of speculation about his position after it emerged he had already been the subject of two FA investigations into allegations of discrimination by England striker Eni Aluko.
The second of those probes was conducted earlier this year by independent barrister Katharine Newton and it agreed with the earlier internal investigation into Aluko's claims which cleared Sampson.
Newton's work, however, has been criticised for not speaking to key witnesses, such as Aluko, and the FA was forced to reopen the investigation last month.
Aluko's central claims are that Sampson made racist remarks to her in 2014 and to her England and Chelsea colleague Drew Spence in 2015.
In her first investigation, Newton did not interview Aluko, Spence or any of the other England players who may have heard the remarks or recall hearing about them at the time.
She is now understood to have spoken to the main protagonists and it is her updated report the FA has handed over to the DCMS committee ahead of Wednesday's evidence-gathering session.
That report will be made public at 2.30pm, when the committee starts by hearing from Aluko and her former England team-mate Lianne Sanderson, who were invited to speak to the MPs two weeks before Sampson was sacked.
Led by chairman Damian Collins, the committee has developed a reputation in recent years for pulling no punches with senior sports officials in its attempts to uncover poor governance.
The FA has often found itself in the crosshairs at Westminster but, prior to the Sampson scandal, it had been enjoying better relations with government.
The seriousness of its current situation can be judged by the fact it is sending chairman Greg Clarke, chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and human resources director Rachel Brace to face the panel.
Ashworth, Sampson's line manager, and Brace conducted the first investigation into Aluko's claims and both can expect some tough questions about their approach to a significant complaint from a senior player - t he Professional Footballers' Association has described that investigation as a "sham".
But Clarke and Glenn will bear the brunt of the grilling, as the MPs try to uncover why the FA decided to pay Aluko £80,000 to avoid an employment tribunal despite clearing Sampson and why neither Ashworth and Brace nor Newton questioned key witnesses.
There will, of course, also be questions about the matter which did result in Sampson's sacking, in particular why nobody in a position of authority looked into the safeguarding complaint that was made against him in 2014.
He was cleared to carry on working with young players but the contents of an FA report into the allegations were enough to see him fired last month - despite leading the team to a record high ranking of third in the world - once Glenn had finally read it.
Sanderson appears before the committee at 3.30pm, with the FA quartet scheduled for 4pm.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement