With Kerr having admitted she stuffed up, and acknowledging the error of her ways and the damage she had caused, the only other major issue FA might have had was the fact she didn’t tell them in advance that she had been charged, leaving chief executive James Johnson and his board to find out at the same time as the rest of the world.
Presumably, all grievances were suitably aired in the meeting between Kerr and FA’s board, and in the federation’s thorough review of the “events”, which included input from other unnamed stakeholders.
It left FA chairman Anter Isaac with the following view: “Knowing how Sam feels about the events, along with the additional context we’ve learned, has added vital perspective that the general public may not be aware of. Setting aside those difficulties, this one incident should not offset the incredible contributions she has made, both publicly and privately, on and off the field – for more than 15 years.”
It’s important to remember that Kerr was found not guilty by a jury. The case brought against her was spurious and a waste of British public resources. None of her sponsors have deserted her. Her teammates want her back. And when she walks out onto Leichhardt Oval on Tuesday afternoon for the Matildas’ open training session – her first with the team since October 2023 – it’s hard to imagine anything other than a warm reception from the fans in attendance.
Banning Kerr from the captaincy would have not only put her, her teammates and thousands of Matildas fans offside. It would have been FA giving in to the culture warriors howling about reverse racism and calling for her to be stripped of the captaincy, or the many others drawing false equivalencies between what would have happened to a male athlete in an alternate universe had they said something completely different.
As for the Matildas, re: football? (Remember that?)
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Though they won’t benefit from her help on the pitch, having her back is an immediate shot in the arm for her teammates.
Kerr is such a popular figure in the dressing room that her sheer presence should uplift their spirits – and frankly, after their bruising SheBelieves Cup experience, they need as much psychological help as they can get.
When these friendlies were booked a couple of months ago, it was widely assumed that the Matildas would have a permanent head coach in place by now. But with interim coach Tom Sermanni still keeping the seat warm, they remain stuck in a painful purgatory, unable to properly move forward because, at some point soon – hopefully very soon – a new coach with new tactics and a new selection outlook will soon wipe the slate clean and start all over again.
