Charles Green racist comments shown red card

Show Racism the Red Card has criticised Charles Green for using what they deem to be “racist and offensive language”, while the Rangers chief executive admitted that had any of the club’s players used the same terms they would be subject to an investigation.

The campaign group was responding to comments made by Green in a newspaper article on Sunday. The Ibrox chief insisted that he “deplores” racism and sectarianism, while accusing the organisation of a “knee-jerk reaction.”

In a statement, Green said: “It is unfortunate that Show Racism the Red Card has fallen into the trap of taking something out of context and giving a knee-jerk reaction. In the interview, I referred to the fact we are now living in a politically correct world where words and phrases that were once used are no longer acceptable.

“My use of the word ‘Paki’ was when I was referring to how I sometimes warmly address my colleague and friend Imran Ahmad [former Rangers director] when we meet, something we both know is light-hearted.

“I deplore racism and sectarianism and this football club does a huge amount of work in this area to help eradicate these problems.”

Speaking in an article on Sunday, Green said: “I was brought up in a mining community where whether someone was black, white, Catholic, Salvation Army, Protestant, made no difference. When I played at Worksop Town, the other striker was ‘Darkie’ Johnson. Now if I say that today I could go to jail. You know, Imran will come into the office regularly and I’ll say ‘How’s my Paki friend?’

Show Racism the Red Card chief executive Ged Grebby said: “The comments of Charles Green are very ill-advised and someone in his public position should really know better than to use this kind of racist and offensive language.

“The use of the term ‘Paki’ is highly offensive and it is something that we at Show Racism the Red Card are trying to educate young people against. For the CEO of Rangers to use the term in any context is not helpful as it sends out the wrong message to young people.”

Green later accepted his language was “not normal” and claimed any player using such terms would be subject to an investigation if they were made in a “disparaging” rather than “friendly” way.

Green told STV: “The point I made when I was being interviewed the other day was about my relationship with Imran,

and his relationship with me where he calls me a Yorkshire so-and-so.”

Green added: “Would I accept it from a player? In terms of being said in a friendly way or a disparaging way? I only use it with Imran. I don’t use it in the public domain. No, it would be inappropriate. He would be subject to an investigation.

“Imran hasn’t complained.”

Green also claims he does not speak out in a bid to win over fans – but he admitted that calling his players the worst team in Ibrox history might have been a mistake.

Green originally made the comments in a radio interview when defending Ally McCoist’s performance as manager, and then stood by them in the same controversial Sunday newspaper interview that prompted criticism from Show Racism The Red Card.

Green did not exactly back down over the team criticism yesterday but he appeared to recognise his public comments might not have been helpful.

The former Sheffield United chief executive added: “I’ve said a lot of things in 12 months. There isn’t one thing that stands out that I think ‘well, perhaps I shouldn’t have said that’. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said this was the worst Rangers team ever.

“Perhaps that wasn’t a good thing to say. Was it true? Was it misleading?

“It wasn’t said to win fans over. It wasn’t said to win anyone over. The press say Charles Green says this to keep the fans onside. I don’t.”