Staffordshire Football Association and the BNP
In an Elephant never Forgets, I wrote about the disgraceful dismissal of BNP member and council candidate, Stan Leese by Staffordshire Football Association because of his patriotic beliefs.
Stan, who stood in the Northwood and Birches-Head ward had lost by just 30 votes in last Mays local elections but his membership of the British National Party was enough to get him suspended for three years from the SFA.
He had been offered the option of quiting The Party and retaining his position but bravely refused and paid the penalty for standing up for freedom.
Stan who is 76 had given over 61 years of his live to serving his local football community but this meant nothing to his politicaly motiviated persecutors.
The inquiry into Stans membership admitted that the BNP was a perfectly legal party and even the hanging judge said;
"The board do not believe you are in any way racist."but he was still was still removed from the job he loved doing. Shameful.
Now in an about turn, the SFA have overturned his ban and written to Mr Leese asking him to take up again his position as Honouray Vice President. I know what I would say but then again I am no lover of football.
The chairman of the board of directors Barry Shenton told Mr Leese: "Having taken all aspects of the matter into consideration, the board members were of the opinion that little was to be gained by maintaining the suspension.Now I would like to thing that this was a victory for common sense but I must also wonder if the fact that the BNP Group Leader for Stoke-On-Trent, Councillor Abby Walker was on the case and that Stan had a very good case for appealing against his suspension also had something to do with it.
Either way, a good result for Stan and the BNP and a lesson for other organisations contemplating taking illegal action against the patriotic members of the British National Party.

