KEIR RADNEDGE in LONDON: Referees’ boss Mike Riley and union representative Alan Leighton are on record as regretting that Chelsea’s complaint against referee Mark Clattenburg was made public.

Their concern is that all the speculation – and grandstanding from certain uninvolved bystanders – placed unfair and undue pressure on the FIFA referee.

Chelsea had alleged that Clattenburg used racist language to John Obi Mikel; the FA dismissed the complaint as “erroneous” and charged Mikel over his own behaviour immediately after last month’s  match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

This should all have been kept secret?

Really?

Have senior people in the game learned nothing about the importance of transparency?

Certainly it’s been a tough few weeks for Clattenburg. But he did not become a top-flight match official through being a shrinking violet.

The old saying “justice delayed is justice denied” might be properly amended to read: “Justice kept secret is justice in doubt.”

Football needs more transparency, in every possible sphere, not less.

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