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“On current away form, we wouldn’t beat the WI”

Racism in football, high-speed car crashes and ill-timed books from England cricketers, this week’s sporting quotes by JANINE SELF has the lot

Neither Anton Ferdinand nor John Terry will give ground over allegations of racism

“We print posters and glossy booklets and make players wear Kick it Out t-shirts. But these are just words and while the message might make some people feel better about themselves, it’s not working. I was at the centre of my own racism storm and was bombarded by vile Tweets. I had messages from mothers, fathers, teenagers and students, complete with their personal profiles and pictures of themselves. Some gave their BlackBerry Messenger pin. I received between 50 and 100 messages that clearly came under the category of race hate” Stan Collymore in his column in The People.

“The sneering cynics who giggle that Terry has no reputation to lose, even if guilty, are as unthinking as the cavemen who consider racism an extension of football’s notorious banter. The reputation Terry has to lose is that of not being a racist and it is quite an important one” Martin Samuel in his Daily Mail column.

“We fully back John. He spoke to Anton after the game. For us it was end of story. It’s just a big misunderstanding and something blown out of proportion. I find it strange when people don’t trust the words of a representative from your country. The clubs are in touch with each other and for us the matter is over” Andre Villas-Boas, manager of Chelsea.

“His scoring record just shows how important he is to this team. He’s had so many injuries and it shows that when we have a fit Robin throughout the season we are a totally different team. It’s not a one-man show but Robin gives us that extra dimension, one that we never quite had before. We’re happy and hopefully he’ll stay fit and keep banging in the goals” Theo Walcott Arsenal’s Robin van Persie hit a hat-trick in the 5-3 win over Chelsea.

“What worries me is that the views of a small minority of people, many of whom are anti-racing, anti-everything, are driving this and their views are given equal weight to those who work with horses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Eight million watched the Grand National, 100 or so wrote in to complain about the whip. Should that make it racing’s biggest problem? Not in my book” AP McCoy as whipgate went into a third week.

“He has scored 27 goals in 26 Premier League games and still people tell me he is not a centre forward. How many goals does a centre forward need to score? The intelligence of his movement is so exceptional and his confidence is so high that he takes advantage of every situation” Arsene Wenger, Arsenal manager.

“He’s not spoken to me for a long time but I made the effort, put my arm around him and said ‘good luck for the race’. He gave me a really small acknowledgement, which was to be expected. In the race I tried to overtake. I tried to pull out of it as he didn’t give me any space but we collided” Lewis Hamilton reflects on his on-going feud with Felipe Massa, which flared up again in the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday.

“My view is that I braked later than him, I was in the front and I was in the grippy area. I didn’t see him and then I started to turn. What else could I do? It is the umpteenth time that Hamilton runs into me this year and it seems it’s some sort of fatal attraction. If it is Lewis, if it is not Lewis, I would do the same thing. I don’t have anything against him. Nothing. Zero” Felipe Massa, who was punished with a drive-through penalty for the manoeuvre.

“Felipe is under enormous pressure within that team and that causes him to react and, in truth, Lewis will be feeling under pressure because of the great performances of Jenson Button. They’ve got to figure it out by themselves” Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal.

“You don’t have to watch the news to see evidence of economic ruin. You simply have to go to Salford and gaze upon the MediaCityUK building, the home of BBC Sport. It is a truly horrific sight, seemingly the result of arming a few dozen young children with steel and glass and asking them to make a big office” Jonathan Liew in the Telegraph.

Graeme Swann: inside the tent...?

“On current form away from home, we wouldn’t beat the Women’s Institute. And no disrespect to the WI — I’m sure they have some very fine leg-spinners” Graeme Swann on the 5-0 ODI whitewash in India which was overshadowed with the launch of his autobiography where he suggested that Kevin Pietersen should never have captained England.

“I still do not agree to anyone writing a book in the middle of his career” Pietersen.

“I personally disagree with current players making comments about their team mates. My personal opinion is it’s not the right thing to do. I don’t think the commercial opportunities are that important. However, I think Pietersen has handled it very well and he and Swann get on fine. I think he has handled it very maturely and there aren’t any issues arising from it” Andy Flower, England coach.

“Andy Flower is right. He usually is. Sportspeople, especially those involved in team sports, should not write autobiographies while they are still playing. The truth simply cannot be told, and, if it is, trouble generally ensues. It is bad enough when the critics are urinating into the tent from outside. For a team-mate to be doing so from inside is hard to take” Steve James, Sunday Telegraph cricket columnist

“They said Callum was wholly responsible for what he ate while on the UK Athletics training camp with the UK team. This is shameful. The UKA took him to the hotel and fed him. Then he failed a drugs test” John Priestley, father to sprint hurdler Callum Priestley, who has decided to quit the sport since being banned for having traces of clenbuterol, an anabolic steroid, in his blood after eating possibly tainted beef in South Africa.

“Something needs to be done to protect athletes. When you don’t think you’ve done something, it’s incredible to think that you could go through the process and lose your whole career over it” Michele Verroken, the former head of anti-doping in Britain, who is convinced of Priestley’s innocence and has called for a wider inquiry into clenbuterol and its use in livestock feed.

“It’s important for my wife and it’s important for me to make sure that I’m around to support her. It’s no coincidence that the birth of our first daughter inspired me to some really great golf. Family does put a lot of things into perspective. My job is very important but the family out-trumps everything” Luke Donald, who became the first Briton to finish as top earner on the USPGA Tour, but is missing the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this week with his wife due to give birth to their second daughter.

SJA WORKING LUNCH: Baroness Grey-Thompson on the 2012 London Paralympics. Thu Nov 17: click here for booking details