Double standards with Wigan and Mackay

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/wigan-athletic/11242119/Hiring-Malky-Mackay-risks-tarnishing-Wigans-reputation.html

Under Wigan Athletic’s in-house rules, any fans at the DW Stadium caught making similar comments to those found on Malky Mackay’s mobile phone would be liable to “arrest, prosecution, confiscation of their season ticket and being banned from all future games involving the Club’’ (section seven of Wigan’s customer charter).
Dave Whelan’s club remind fans that they “will not under any circumstances tolerate any form of discriminatory behaviour”. Presented with a Kick It Out commendation this year, Wigan pride themselves on participating in a “number of initiatives” which are “aimed at eliminating discrimination from football permanently”.
Now they have appointed a manager under investigation by the Football Association for comments that were allegedly racist, homophobic, anti‑Semitic and sexist. Kick It Out reacted with a mix of anger and frustration to Mackay's swift return to the game, arguing that “it is essential high levels of conduct are maintained” by managers, that clubs have to “demonstrate how seriously” they take confronting the poison of prejudice and wondering whether “Wigan’s position is one which the FA and all of football’s so-called ‘family’ are happy with”.
A successful businessman whose empire was built on backing his instincts, Whelan is not a man who takes kindly to unsolicited advice but it is impossible to escape the strong belief that he has not considered fully the ramifications of rushing Mackay back so quickly into management.
Wigan’s diligent inclusion campaigners must be aghast. Whelan’s embracing of Mackay, giving him a contract, hardly presents the club in the best light as they try to tackle intolerance. Sponsors and the town itself may not appreciate being associated with Mackay, who awaits the conclusion of the FA’s lengthy scrutiny.

The FA’s disciplinary process is a confusing, occasionally contradictory law unto itself and the governors could eschew punishment under the defence that these were private exchanges. But the damage to Mackay’s character has been done. Now Wigan risk tarnishing their own good name.
Even without the FA yet reaching its verdict, Mackay has confessed via an LMA statement to “a couple of one-line texts that were, with the benefit of hindsight, very regrettable and disrespectful of other cultures”. The managers’ union controversially added that these were “friendly text message banter” and were forced to say sorry themselves for that blinkered attitude. “I’ve apologised for my mistakes,’’ Mackay said yesterday. “I’ve studied diversity and that’s something that’s ongoing.”
The Wigan Evening Post immediately cleared five pages to cover Whelan’s decision and some supporters have already expressed their unease. Many are delighted, believing that Mackay will take them up. They know they have acquired a manager with a point to prove, who will work tirelessly. But at what cost to the club’s image? And the game’s?
Mackay sent the wrong messages. Football has to send the right ones. Football, and clubs, must lead the fight against discrimination, not set the campaign back as Whelan may have done.
Whelan asked supporters to “trust me on this one”. These are the same fans that the club provide with a telephone number to report “any form of discriminatory behaviour within the stadium” and also “a confidential text line, allowing supporters to report incidents”.
Wigan also supply fans with details of how to contact Kick It Out. “If you see, hear or are the victim of abuse, please help the campaign and game as a whole by reporting the incident,’’ say the club. So what happens now if Wigan want to ban a bigoted supporter, whose solicitor can point towards the dugout? Club principles have been harmed by Mackay’s presence on the payroll.
Morals tend to disappear when an owner considers the best means of securing results, particularly promotion to the Premier League.
Mackay is a good manager, brimming with enthusiasm, and he could galvanise Wigan. Barring that ghastly statement from the LMA, Mackay has appeared contrite since his offences came to light. He is undergoing some form of education, attempting to enlighten him. Yet it all seems to soon, too rushed, too disrespectful of those communities Mackay has offended.
There has to be a longer period of reflection, of a malefactor being out in the cold for a more significant spell, partly to provide more time to absorb the diversity programme properly but also to make everyone understand the gravity of his offence. Mackay deserves a second chance – but not this soon.

Reading the comments is a tad worrying for anyone with PC in mind.

Got to admit, it did seem a contradictory signing on Whelans behalf.
I really think he's signed him on football manager reputation and stuck 2 fingers up to all the fans along the way. He's tried covering it all up by saying "trust me, you know i want the best for Wigin" a thousand times to the supporters. Whelan's a dick!!

All Whelan is interested in is getting Wigan back into the Premier League. They are in the bottom 3 in the championship so he's doing it for purely business reasons. It shows he doesn't care one jot for the 'standards' that the club preaches.

So if I was to racially abuse someone at Wigan, and get banned for life, could I pay him £1M to get it overturned? Money talks Dave.

I agree that he's not been out of the game long enough for the dust to settle and for people to be more open to the idea of him being rehabilitated.  But since when has that bothered the sport?  Look at the idiot Barton, in any other field he'd be unemployable.  Ditto Rio Ferdinand.  Look at what the Blades are doing with Ched Evans.

If the fans are that arsed, they should use the club's abuse hotline to report the manager.  After a few weeks of the service being hammered with complaints about him, Whelan might get the message.

Ron Atkinson never worked in football again, at least not in this country, after making racist comments. MacKay seems to have done a lot worse and gets an easier ride?