Integrity

Integrity – noun – the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

For me, integrity is the number one quality I look for in any person and any organisation.  I’m not trying to be holier than thou and I’ve fallen short of the ‘integrity test’ on occasion, usually when I’ve been scared of the consequences, however as I’ve gotten older the strength within me to retain my integrity has grown.  I hope for this from everyone else and expect it from every organisation. Doing the right thing even when – especially when – no-one is looking. Clearly I am regularly disappointed and probably deluded, but I’m not going to lower my expectations for anyone or anything.

Alongside integrity must come bravery.  You have to be brave to have integrity.  How brave are those who have stood up in the past for what is right even though it put them and their families in grave danger?  Think of those protesting in Iran, those brave Russians who have spoken out against what Putin is doing to Ukraine and Russia.  What unbelievable bravery they show to enable their integrity.

FIFA is an organisation where integrity is in short supply – it may even be non-existent.  Everyone knows this.  This is one the richest and most powerful sporting organisations in the world and it has been built on corruption and filthy lucre.  The catalogue of evidence against many of the members of the executive committee of FIFA in the past (and present?) is legend.  Watch the Netflix show on FIFA which is currently showing if you don’t believe me.  FIFA plumbed the depths of dishonesty and disgrace when it awarded the world cups of 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar respectively. However this is the past.  We’ve had the World Cup of 2018 and are currently experiencing the Qatar 2022 World Cup.  What we should be doing now is using the greatest football show in earth to highlight human rights and use the World Cup to move countries like Qatar (and many others with backwards views on race, gender and sexuality) towards respecting that every human has the same rights and should be respected.  Then…

We have FIFA crumbling to the Qatari authorities about displaying a symbol in the form of an armband.  Putting the precious feelings of the host nation ahead of the suffering of those discriminated against and persecuted because of who they are.

We have the FA crumbling to FIFA on the wearing this simple but powerful symbol.

Integrity and bravery are the key to this.  It takes integrity and bravery for FIFA to say to the leadership of Qatar that whilst you are hosting this tournament, it is held under FIFA auspices and we believe that all human rights should be preserved, especially the one that exemplifies freedom of expression (though to be fair, FIFA has history here with the poppy symbol which they’ve banned the home countries wearing before – so at least FIFA and consistent in their lack of integrity).  It then takes integrity and bravery for the FA to stand up to FIFA and say, do your worst and see the backlash in the media and to your PR if you carry through your threats of punishing the FA and (in particular) the captains of the nations that wear this armband.  It then takes integrity and bravery from people like Harry Kane to ignore the pressure from the FA and say no, I’m going to wear this armband irrespective of the backlash from FIFA, the FA and referees.  It then takes integrity and bravery from the match officials to not actually wield the yellow card if someone does wear this armband and say to FIFA that freedom of expression and human rights trumps causing a little local difficulty and insult to backward and prehistoric views.

Integrity is the key to it all.  No-one in positions of responsibility and power is showing this from FIFA to the FA down to the national sides themselves.  All it takes is bravery and integrity.  Short-term pain for long-term gain, which is what integrity is all about.