Bob Houghton a racist? No way.

No way. That was my first reaction; but the allegations against Bob Houghton by Indian referee Dinesh Nair, who was the fourth official in the India vs Yemen match in Pune recently, are quite severe.

According to the Telegraph newspaper out of Kolkata Dinesh Nair wrote in his post match report:

... Houghton was upset with the referee's decision to add two minutes of add-on time with the first half’s play. He came out of the technical area and started arguing with the fourth official.

"I tried to make him (Houghton) understand that it is purely (the) referee’s decision... and asked him to behave... but he started abusing me badly and told me 'you b****** Indian referees'," Nair has said in his report to the match commissioner.


I have now known the chief coach of the Indian national football team for over four years, but I got to know Bob Houghton much better over the last year in Barcelona and New Delhi. We have had loads of chats and discussions on Indian and international football. Initially there was only sheer professional respect for each other, which has turned into a trusted relationship, maybe even friendship, where we can openly tell each other things which others need not know. And I think Bob now even values my feedback and ideas. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but as some will know Bob is critical of the media and journalists in general.

Did I ever consider Bob Houghton as a racist? No, never ever and I guess the players and team management would say the same. How could he have worked around the world as a coach if he was a racist, it just wouldn't have worked and he could have only ended up somewhere in England and not work around the world for over three decades.

But yes. Bob is very much into the game when a match is on, does shout a lot onto the field, argues and sometimes has discussions with the match officials. Surely referees aren't the best friends of football coaches, so sometimes in the thick of action things are said which shouldn't be said. If afterwards a sorry follows with a hand shake then things should be forgotten. If Bob did that that night I do not know. Maybe he wasn't even aware of it...

My assumption is that whatever statement Bob made went against the match officials, which I also have to say isn't right but happens on a football ground. What would the game be without emotions. That is one of the reasons why we love the game. Isn't it?

Match commissioner Anthony John D'Costa had confirmed to the media that a report has been submitted to the AIFF on the complaint of fourth official Dinesh Nair. The issue is now lying with the AIFF with the executive committee likely to discuss it in its next meeting.

And if found guilty Bob could face tough punishment & sanctions under article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary Code:

Anyone who publicly disparages, discriminates against or denigrates someone in a defamatory manner on account of race, colour, language, religion or ethnic origin will be subjected to match suspension for at least five matches at every level. The body will also impose a ban on his/her entering the confines of any stadium and a fine of at least US $5,000. If the perpetrator is an official, the fine will be at least US $10,000.


But with India preparing for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup tough punishment could harm Indian footballs fortunes more then actually the accused.