Fair-Play and Sports Ethics
Something I’ve just come across in a sports show on TV... They were presenting a list of interesting events happened in the world of football in year 2006. And this really attracted my attention.
What exactly happened was, Manchester City (U.K.) footballer Ben Thatcher knocked his opponent, Pedro Mendes, as they ran to get a loose ball, made him smash into the advertising boards rendering him unconscious. But the referee of the game, did not expelled Thatcher from the pitch, leaving his furious move unpunished, as he found it satisfactory showing him only a yellow card. (A yellow card is kind of a warning sign in a football game; if you get 2 yellow cards this means you are off the game.) Extract from the papers after the incident…
…BEN THATCHER has been fined £120,000 and banned for six games by Manchester City for his forearm smash that put Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes in hospital.
It is an unprecedented move for a club to punish its own player so heavily for an on-pitch offence…
…City chief executive Alistair MacKintosh said: “As custodians of the club and football in general, the board and the manager felt it was important to act as soon as possible.”...
Now, with respect to the piece I’ve published on Monday, August 21, 2006 “The Real Meaning of Being a Sports Fan and The Unethical Selfishness Behind It” that is some ethical decision making shown by the directors (this time) of the club. I appreciate it so much and congratulate them with my whole heart. (Little bit late though) That decision, for sure, maximized the club’s long-term value at least by improving the image in the favor of both public/fans and the Football Association. (As the FA also declared another 8 games ban for him later than the club took this disciplinary action.)
I wouldn’t be surprised if the club receives a Fair-Play award for these actions. (Or one of those lousy Business Ethics awards handed out by many “ethical” firms would seal the deal, wouldn’t it?) What we need actually, are not awards. What we need is to see more of these actions in every single place where a business is run. That’s it.
Links:
Interview: Portsmouth midfielder Pedro Mendes – BBC Sport
Man City hand Thatcher ban & fine – BBC Sport
Thatcher faces second elbow probe – BBC Sport
Ben Thatcher Profile on ESPN Soccernet
