MEDIATION IN A UK SOCCER DISPUTE

EPISODE 6

THE MONSIGNOR AND THE FTFC NO 5

EPISODE 5 ENDED AS FOLLOWS;-

“The Monsignor realised that at one level he was being asked to speak to the No 5 about his morals but at another level he was acting in accordance with the words of the Pope. Football was important, and footballers and their responsibilities to society, too, were also important. The Monsignor was warming to his task. He recalled that a member of his staff had met with the No 5 and could perhaps be the intermediary to arrange a Monsignor/No 5 encounter.”

The Monsignor is thinking matters through. He is experienced with people and in his life in the Church he is used to hearing quite personal revelations in Confession. But in that role the Monsignor is more listener than conversationalist and that is not the role Ms Chair has asked him to play. With No 5, the Monsignor has to initiate and not just listen. He needs to ask the No 5 to behave himself – a difficult task for anyone but even more so for a man of the Church when the main issue is sex. But act he must. He could have desisted. He had that opportunity but he did not take it. Why? Because he actually felt a sense of responsibility to Ms Chair, and he also felt the hand of the Pope on his shoulder.

He was aware that Ms Chair had initiated FTFC’s Faiths for Football initiative to which he had responded and committed the Catholic Church – aware of the Pope’s guiding words at the meeting in Rome with the players of Celtic FC

“While it is true that winning rather than losing a match is always preferred, it is not the most important aspect! More vital is the example you give when winning or losing, both on and off the field. An example that embodies the virtues of courage, perseverance, generosity and respect for the God-given dignity of others.”.

The Monsignor clutched at the Pope’s words and, in particular, the reference to the “dignity of others”. It was not for him to adopt the language of the back page of the tabloid media or even of the FTFC’s dressing room. He needed to be dignified and sensitive and focus – not on the sexual issue of the No 5s extra curricular activities – but on the dignity of friendship, team spirit and personal responsibility. If he used the right words the approach would work. If he used the wrong words it would fail. He had to prepare, think it through, see matters from different perspectives and be aware of the sensitivity of the encounter and his choice of words. The Monsignor was facing a new challenge. He needed to prepare carefully.

So what did the Monsignor say?

EPISODE 7. THE MONSIGNOR SPEAKS