We all need to unite against racism

I have to say I am at a loss to understand why Rio Ferdinand, Jason Roberts and other players snubbed the wearing of the 'Kick It Out' T-shirt at the weekend.

What on earth was that meant to achieve?

If it was to get us all talking about the issue of racism in the game, then it has worked. But what else?

Rio's boss Sir Alex Ferguson was unhappy with the player for not uniting with his fellow Manchester United players in the wearing of the T-shirt.

Ex-England player John Barnes said: "If [Rio is] brave enough to go against Ferguson, then he's brave enough to say who he is unhappy with," said Barnes.

"I can't see that [the players] are unhappy with Kick It Out."

Perhaps Ferdinand thinks that Kick It Out should have done something about John Terry (who racially abused Ferdinand's brother Anton), but Kick It Out have no such powers.

Jason Roberts said that he would not wear a T-shirt before Reading's game with Liverpool because he felt that Kick It Out was not being "strong enough".

This seems ill-advised to me.

Talk of a separate Players' Union for black players also seems mis-guided.

We all need to unite against the scourge of racism in football. Break-away groups and protests against those trying to do the right thing are not the way to proceed.

Surely Rooney is not part of a Glaziers conspiracy?

It would be impossible not to write about the Wayne Rooney story.

He has indicated that he wants to leave Manchester United - apparently he originally did so back in August, but it's only just come out into the open.

What's going on here? Why would he want to leave Manchester United?

Although United like to style themselves as the biggest club in the world (and not just United, many Brits in general think the same), there is at least an argument that both Real Madrid and Barcelona, to name but two, are bigger. So it IS possible that Rooney wants to go to a bigger club (as named).

It is possible that he wants to improve himself as a player by going abroad. I'm not convinced by this - he seems to have a very high opinion of his own ability already, as do many others (again, usually Brits). Rooney may have touched the realms of 'world class' in the past, but he certainly is not in that bracket now, after his dismal World Cup, and lack-lustre start to the season. I think some time abroad would help his game, but I'm not sure that HE thinks that.

Has he fallen out with Fergie? This is highly possible, as many players have done so in the past: Jaap Stam and David Beckham are big names that fall into that category. However, Ferguson's reaction at yesterday's press conference makes me think that is not the case this time.

Does Rooney want more money? It's ridiculous. How can players tell the difference between £200,000 a week and £300,000 a week. A million every five weeks, or every three and a bit. However, this may indeed be the case. If so, is looking across Manchester to Eastlands and the riches at City. That would be one hell of a story...

...maybe only bettered by: Is there a conspiracy theory here? Are Rooney and Ferguson going along with a huge charade on behalf of the Glazier owners of debt-ridden United, the purpose of which is to sell Rooney, net £50 million and ease the debt figures? "Oh, we didn't want to sell him; he wanted away," they would say.

Now that would be the biggest story of all!