What was supposed to be a talk about the pandemic’s impact on the sport devolved into an unprompted array of stereotypes.

The only surprise about Greg Clarke’s resignation as chairman of England’s Football Association on Tuesday is that it had taken so long to get to this point. Even by the lowly standards of the position, he has been a disaster. In his four years in the job, scandal has followed scandal and gaffe has followed gaffe. He has given no indication at all of understanding football, leadership, people or the modern world. Pity his poor communications team, which must have watched his every public appearance through its fingers, dreading the next slip. 

Finally, on Tuesday, came his appearance at a House of Commons Select Committee, which was supposed to be an investigation into football’s response to the pandemic and the economic crisis that has left perhaps as many as