Simon Jordan has claimed that football pitches are a place of neutrality and should not be used as a platform for political messages.
Over the last two weeks, civl rights campaigns have gained momentum across the globe following the death of George Floyd, who was tragically killed by a police officer in America.
Gareth Southgate and Raheem Sterling have been two of several high-profile figures in football who have called for more to be done to help the black community get more opportunities in the sport.
And despite insisting that players can voice their opinions, Jordan believes it should not be done on the neutral ground of a football field.
“I believe that a football pitch is a place for neutrality, it’s not necessarily a place for political issues,” he told talkSPORT.
“It’s a place for football and not for messages to be imparted – whether political or societal.
“People have got very cross with my opinion recently and I struggle with the thought that we are so able to advocate diversity, but not diversity of thought.
“If anyone has the audacity to think differently in this day and age, you are very clearly berated and shouted down just because you have a different opinion.”
Jordan, who was Crystal Palace’s chairman from 2000-2010, continued to claim that football club owners do not discriminate in terms of race or religion.
He added: “Equal opportunity doesn’t mean equal outcome – it means opportunity for people to be in a position.
“In my experience, I believe football club owners will employ anybody that gets results.
“People who interview, identifying with the aspirations of the club and get results – that superseded colour or ethnicity.
“There is now more diversity but ten years ago when I was owner of Crystal Palace with a multi-ethnic football club in an environment that encouraged ethnicity I ever had an application from a member of the black community and i could’t understand that.”
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