Stamping out soccer racism should start with a handshake

What’s in a handshake? Everything it seems. They have long been symbolic of friendship, co-operation and sportsmanship as well as presenting diplomatic minefields – little wonder the short ritual has been examined over the decades by an army of sociologists and cultural attachés.

Indeed, Professor Geoffrey Beattie from the University of Manchester has developed a mathematical formula for the perfect handshake which takes into account 12 variables, including eye contact, spoken greeting, hand temperature and dryness(illustrated below).

The mind boggles. But  Beattie’s genius has relevance because during the past seven days English football has been dominated by the art of the handshake, or the snub of them.

Last week, Chelsea’s John Terry was once more snubbed by Anton Ferdinand in true pantomime fashion, as was Ashley Cole before the QPR match. Ex-England captain Terry was cleared of racially abusing Ferdinand in July but clearly the case goes unanswered in the QPR player’s eyes.

To snub or not to snub a proffered paw has become a serious dilemma among a few of the EPL’s stars and one wonders if it is not time for the FA to engrave  Beattie’s mind-scrambler into its players’ code of conduct, or – as some have called for this week – scrap the pre-kick-off ritual altogether.