Sport and politics. It is often said the two should not mix.
But sport does not exist in a politics-free bubble. It exists in the real world, along with everything else, and sportsmen have their views just like everyone else.
Still, the latest offering on the two subjects from former Crystal Palace, Coventry and Reading winger John Salako is a bit… odd.
https://twitter.com/JohnSalako/status/798643534202974209
“So there we go.”
Naturally Gary Lineker had his say (so standby for another Sun/Daily Mail attack on his ‘looney leftie’ views any day now):
Only a skilful right winger could get Brexit, Trump and Southgate in the same sentence. Well played, John. https://t.co/2SQLfAuF0f
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 16, 2016
But it was this reply that caught our eye. Posted by Twitter user Chris Emmanuel with the title ‘Just gutted’, he reveals how Salako was his childhood hero and someone that young Chris looked up to because of their shared mixed-race background.
He writes: “One thing that resonated with me was the racism you faced in both England and Africa, where you were called ‘darkie’ in one and ‘whitey’ in the other.”
He continues: “You articulated what I was feeling as a child in a way no one else ever had. Now today I read this.”
He signs off with: “I’m so disappointed in you. Part of my childhood has died. I though you were better than that, John.”
https://twitter.com/cjemmanuel78/status/798790393194127360
