Racist chanting could cost football clubs points

Football clubs could see points docked from their league totals and even face the threat of relegation if they fail to control racist or sectarian chanting from their fans, according to new plans being put forward by a Football Association (FA) working group.

The proposals would see 'tribunals' set up which would examine any examples of abuse and judge whether the claims were valid. It would then fall to the FA to deduct points and decide whether to act further in the case of repeat offenders - ie to take a club down a division.

Football fans at every level of the FA's pyramid of clubs could be called to account in front of the tribunals, and the focus would be as much on Islamaphobic and anti-Semitic remarks as it would be on racist behaviour.

The FA is mandated through Article 58 of Fifa's disciplinary code to dock points in these situations, and the sanction has been used in Hungary and France already. The aim of the move would be to stamp out the sort of abuse that is considered too low-level to attract criminal prosecution but which falls within the Fifa code.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYINGJohn Mann, Labour MP, the Times: "There is some extraordinarily outdated racism at the lower, grassroots levels of football which, if it was in the work place, no employer would tolerate. The issue is abuse from the touchline, especially from parents and spectators. It is not surprising there are virtually no home-grown Jewish or Muslim football players in Britain." ·