Herbert comfortable with stance

The campaign group who reported referee Mark Clattenburg to the police after Chelsea's allegations of racial abuse has defended its action.

Clattenburg was cleared by the Football Association last week of reportedly saying 'shut up you monkey' to midfielder John Obi Mikel and the police are taking no action. Chelsea expressed regret on Tuesday, but the Society of Black Lawyers' chairman Peter Herbert, who notified the police based on media reports, refused to apologise to the match official.

Asked whether he felt regret for reporting Clattenburg, Herbert said: "Third-party reporting has been around for 14 years so that's a tired argument, I am not going to make any more comment on that."

Asked about the impact of the complaint on Clattenburg and his family, he replied: "That's tired, the matter's closed. What Chelsea should have done is keep it private and report it."

Meanwhile, former referee Graham Poll claims Clattenburg should sue Chelsea - but says the 37-year-old will not do so.

Poll told BBC Radio Five: "I say he should sue them but he won't because he just wants to put it behind him and get on with it.

"That's why people get away with it because referees don't stand up and fight and they are discouraged from doing so by the authorities because they believe the best way of dealing with things is put it behind you, move on, forgive and forget.

"I would like to see him go for defamation of character and whatever he is awarded give to charity."

Source : http://www.football.co.uk/chelsea/herbert_comfortable_with_stance_rss3623240.shtml