This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/19/richard-scudamore-verdict-game-disrepute-premier-league

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sympathetic Richard Scudamore verdict brings game into disrepute Sympathetic Richard Scudamore verdict brings game into disrepute
(about 2 hours later)
Premier League HQ, dominated by Richard Scudamore, has long presented and thought of itself as the ultimate modern, professional, corporate operation, but Scudamore's sub-adolescent email exchange, for which the league said yesterday that "no further disciplinary action is required or justified", has revealed a body which falls rather short of that ideal.Premier League HQ, dominated by Richard Scudamore, has long presented and thought of itself as the ultimate modern, professional, corporate operation, but Scudamore's sub-adolescent email exchange, for which the league said yesterday that "no further disciplinary action is required or justified", has revealed a body which falls rather short of that ideal.
In the statement announcing the vote of confidence given to Scudamore by the clubs over emails which they said "should have no place in the Premier League's working environment," the Premier League once again denounced his temporary personal assistant, Rani Abraham, who came across the emails.In the statement announcing the vote of confidence given to Scudamore by the clubs over emails which they said "should have no place in the Premier League's working environment," the Premier League once again denounced his temporary personal assistant, Rani Abraham, who came across the emails.
Scudamore has from the beginning mixed his apology for the emails, in which he joked about "female irrationality" when women have children, and "big titted broads," with the assertion that Abraham had no right to access the email account. In its statement, the Premier League supported that stance, effectively accusing Abraham of professional misconduct: "The temporary PA was not exposed to [the emails] in the course of her duties but had to search for them in a private email account which she was not authorised to access,"it said. Scudamore has from the beginning mixed his apology for the emails, in which he joked about "female irrationality" when women have children, and "big titted broads," with the assertion that Abraham had no right to access the email account. In its statement, the Premier League supported that stance, effectively accusing Abraham of professional misconduct: "The temporary PA was not exposed to [the emails] in the course of her duties but had to search for them in a private email account which she was not authorised to access," it said.
It is unclear what precisely they are accusing her of, whether they are going so far as to suggest Abraham was somehow hacking Scudamore's private email address, or whether they mean she did have access to it, but was not supposed actually to look at emails.It is unclear what precisely they are accusing her of, whether they are going so far as to suggest Abraham was somehow hacking Scudamore's private email address, or whether they mean she did have access to it, but was not supposed actually to look at emails.
Abraham has insisted from the beginning that she did have access to the emails as part of her job, and was told that if she was going to do well as Scudamore's PA, she needed to read them and keep on top of his diary. He had three email accounts, she has explained, to which she had access when she logged into hers. Abraham said when she saw the emails in which a lawyer, Nick West, joked with Scudamore about having to keep another Premier League employee, nicknamed Edna, off his "shaft," and advised him to "save some cash for gash," she was genuinely shocked. Abraham has insisted from the beginning that she did have access to the emails as part of her job, and was told that if she was going to do well as Scudamore's PA, she needed to read them and keep on top of his diary. He had three email accounts, she has explained, to which she had access when she logged into hers. Abraham said when she saw the emails in which a lawyer, Nick West, joked with Scudamore about having to keep another Premier League employee, nicknamed Edna, off his "shaft", and advised him to "save some cash for gash", she was genuinely shocked.
The Premier League said its acting chairman, Peter McCormick, reported to be a friend of Scudamore's who goes on shooting trips with him, had conducted an investigation into Scudamore since the story broke. McCormick had, the Premier League said, engaged "external specialist legal advisers specifically appointed for the role". Scudamore remained in his job with all his staff around him, working on his behalf, while this investigation was going on.The Premier League said its acting chairman, Peter McCormick, reported to be a friend of Scudamore's who goes on shooting trips with him, had conducted an investigation into Scudamore since the story broke. McCormick had, the Premier League said, engaged "external specialist legal advisers specifically appointed for the role". Scudamore remained in his job with all his staff around him, working on his behalf, while this investigation was going on.
It went through "a very large quantity of emails and other documents", the statement said, which produced the conclusion by the clubs, called to a hastily convened meeting many participated in by teleconference, that: "There is no evidence of wider discriminatory attitudes or inappropriate language or a general attitude of disrespect to women."It went through "a very large quantity of emails and other documents", the statement said, which produced the conclusion by the clubs, called to a hastily convened meeting many participated in by teleconference, that: "There is no evidence of wider discriminatory attitudes or inappropriate language or a general attitude of disrespect to women."
Abraham has called the rigour of the investigation into question, saying that McCormick and the outside specialist legal team did not at any point talk to her about the emails. "I can't understand how the Premier League can claim their investigation is 'rigorous' when they have never asked to interview me for my views or experience," she said.Abraham has called the rigour of the investigation into question, saying that McCormick and the outside specialist legal team did not at any point talk to her about the emails. "I can't understand how the Premier League can claim their investigation is 'rigorous' when they have never asked to interview me for my views or experience," she said.
"Surely as the person who felt they had no choice but to blow the whistle … I should have been their first port of call. Any proper investigation normally starts with the complainant and is expanded from there.""Surely as the person who felt they had no choice but to blow the whistle … I should have been their first port of call. Any proper investigation normally starts with the complainant and is expanded from there."
She dismissed the outcome as a "whitewash".She dismissed the outcome as a "whitewash".
The Premier League declined to say whether it is true their investigation did not attempt to interview Abraham. Yet the 20 clubs, currently feasting on the £5.5bn TV deals Scudamore delivered to them for 2013-16, felt sure enough, and justified, to tell the world that the temporary PA is guilty of misconduct.The Premier League declined to say whether it is true their investigation did not attempt to interview Abraham. Yet the 20 clubs, currently feasting on the £5.5bn TV deals Scudamore delivered to them for 2013-16, felt sure enough, and justified, to tell the world that the temporary PA is guilty of misconduct.
Scudamore himself said: "Entering into email exchanges of this nature was wrong and the apology I have made is sincere, as is the contrition I feel."Scudamore himself said: "Entering into email exchanges of this nature was wrong and the apology I have made is sincere, as is the contrition I feel."
Many feel sympathy for the ordeal he has experienced for joshing never meant for public view. At the FA, the board member Heather Rabbatts, chairman, Greg Dyke, and general secretary, Alex Horne, sent Scudamore sympathetic texts at the beginning, which they then found were published in a national newspaper this week to make them seem like hypocrites for then publicly expressing their disapproval. The Premier League declined to say how the texts had been made public.Many feel sympathy for the ordeal he has experienced for joshing never meant for public view. At the FA, the board member Heather Rabbatts, chairman, Greg Dyke, and general secretary, Alex Horne, sent Scudamore sympathetic texts at the beginning, which they then found were published in a national newspaper this week to make them seem like hypocrites for then publicly expressing their disapproval. The Premier League declined to say how the texts had been made public.
Such compassion expressed to Scudamore has never been very evident at Premier League HQ when they have gone after people, such as Lord Triesman, when chair of the FA, who was forced to resign after a private conversation of his was splashed in the Mail on Sunday.Such compassion expressed to Scudamore has never been very evident at Premier League HQ when they have gone after people, such as Lord Triesman, when chair of the FA, who was forced to resign after a private conversation of his was splashed in the Mail on Sunday.
To many, as this affair has unfolded, the Premier League has confirmed an image at odds with the one it cherishes of itself. It has seemed not like a bastion of good practice but like a small coterie, rallying around the dominant figure of Scudamore. Lord Ouseley, the chair of Kick It Out, dismissed the scrambling of clubs to approve McCormick's investigation as "a flawed process" and called for the Premier League to introduce "a proper, objective, fair and independent process for dealing with such matters".To many, as this affair has unfolded, the Premier League has confirmed an image at odds with the one it cherishes of itself. It has seemed not like a bastion of good practice but like a small coterie, rallying around the dominant figure of Scudamore. Lord Ouseley, the chair of Kick It Out, dismissed the scrambling of clubs to approve McCormick's investigation as "a flawed process" and called for the Premier League to introduce "a proper, objective, fair and independent process for dealing with such matters".
On Tuesday the FA's inclusivity advisory board meets, having considered a legal opinion prepared for one of its members, Edward Lord, which argues the FA has a duty to consider charging Scudamore with bringing the game into disrepute. The emails, and the exposure of the Premier League by the affair, has sadly achieved that already.On Tuesday the FA's inclusivity advisory board meets, having considered a legal opinion prepared for one of its members, Edward Lord, which argues the FA has a duty to consider charging Scudamore with bringing the game into disrepute. The emails, and the exposure of the Premier League by the affair, has sadly achieved that already.