WHATEVER the rights and wrongs of it, the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand race case has already done a great deal of harm to football’s reputation and there is a lot more damage still to be done.

I find it all so sad that the issue of race has suddenly shot to the top of the agenda with the Terry- Ferdinand spat coming hot on the heels of the Louis- Suarez-Patrice Evra case, which is also being looked at. Despite all the good work done by the Kick It Out campaign, which is well supported by clubs, managers and players, I fear we may never completely eradicate racism and racist chanting from the terraces. Such is life.

But I find it astonishing that, in these modern, multi-cultural times the colour of a player’s skin is a matter for discussion, let alone argument.