The Football Association is moving fast. A racist gesture caught on camera at the World Cup has forced their hand. They are leading a zero-tolerance campaign now. This is not a drill.
Whitehall sources tell me the FA had no choice. The footage is damning. A fan making a monkey gesture. The target was a black player. The backlash was immediate. Global. The FA knew they had to act before the story consumed them.
But here is the inside baseball. The FA has been here before. They have promised action. They have launched campaigns. The question is whether this time is different.
I spoke to a former FA insider. They said: 'The problem is not the policy. It is the enforcement. We have had zero-tolerance for years. But stadium bans are rare. Prosecutions are rarer.'
That is the tension. The FA wants to be seen as tough. But they need clubs, police, and FIFA to cooperate. FIFA has its own problems. They are not always quick to act.
Now look at the politics. The government is watching. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has already called for 'meaningful action'. She does not want another PR disaster. The Prime Minister is also briefed. Downing Street knows this could spill into a wider debate about racism in sport.
There is also a backbench rebellion brewing. Some MPs think the FA is too soft. Others think it is a distraction from other issues. Expect questions in the Commons next week.
The FA's campaign will include new educational programmes. Stricter sanctions. A hotline for reporting abuse. But will it work? The polling suggests public confidence in football authorities is low. Only 34% believe they take racism seriously.
I hear the FA is also lobbying FIFA for tougher global standards. That is a long game. Fifa moves slowly. But the FA needs to be seen as the global leader on this issue. It is a reputation play.
Let us be honest. The gesture itself is vile. But the real story is the system. Why does it keep happening? The FA says it is committed. But they have said that before.
One thing is certain. This is not going away. The campaign will be scrutinised. Every step will be watched. The FA cannot afford another failure.
I will be watching the power dynamics. Who gets blamed? Who gets credit? That is the game.
