Comment: Is Jay Rodriguez the fall guy as FA walk a tightrope?

Only two people in the world, and perhaps only one, knows exactly what was uttered that day.

Unless we decide to delve into the murky world of lip-reading and guesswork, then this is destined to be a case of one man’s word against another’s.

There’s no doubt the Football Association are in a tricky position – perhaps an impossible one.

They have to be seen to be taking an allegation of racial abuse seriously.

Particularly so after they handled Eni Aluko’s allegations against former England Women’s boss Mark Sampson so disastrously, but also because it’s the correct thing to do.

But by charging Rodriguez this week, the FA are in danger of damaging a player’s reputation beyond repair.

Even if Rodriguez is cleared, he is probably still staring at years of abuse from the stands and on social media.

Mud sticks. In a world of internet searches and 24-hour social media scrutiny, many will believe there is no smoke without fire.

Rodriguez has not been proven guilty, but for some, the charge will be enough to condemn.

Regardless of the outcome, Rodriguez may be forced to carry this incident with him for the rest of his career.

Agents will always defend their clients to the hilt, but Rodriguez’s representative Gary Mellor hit the nail on the head with his words on Thursday night.

Mellor said: “Serious and disgusting allegations of this sort can taint someone’s life forever, even if he is later cleared of the charges.”

Natural justice means everyone has the right to a fair hearing and is innocent until proven guilty.

When a person is charged with a crime, it means the police or a public prosecutor believe there is a case which is worthy of being tested.

But if we are simply dealing with one man’s version of events disputed by another; how can anyone prove conclusively what was said?

Mellor has claimed there is ‘no supporting evidence’ to Bong’s allegations, and if that’s true, the FA are in danger of opening a can of worms.

It is not disputed that Rodriguez aimed a jibe at Bong. What is in fierce dispute is whether there was any racial element to it. Both parties are equally unequivocal in their version of events.

So how can the FA determine, on the basis of that alone, which man is telling the truth? And what if Bong simply misheard what Rodriguez said?

It was, after all, in front of a noisy football crowd in the heat of a game.

Mistakes can be made – and Bong may still be certain of what he believed was said, even if it was not actually what was uttered.

But if the FA have dragged Rodriguez’s name through the mud without any other supporting evidence then they are leaving themselves open to criticism and maybe more.

Rodriguez has mounted a vehement defence from day one. He has categorically denied any wrong-doing from the outset and is seeking legal advice on to how to best protect his reputation.

We now await the outcome of a three-person independent panel, made up of football and legal experts.

For what’s it worth, I have met Rodriguez, and while I may not be privy to what he said on the pitch last month, it would surprise me greatly if he said what has been alleged.

The son of a Spanish immigrant who has been a model professional at Burnley, Southampton and Albion, Rodriguez is hard-working, down-to-earth, trustworthy and caring.

These sort of allegations should be looked into forensically, and the FA have found themselves walking a tightrope.

But if there is no corroborating evidence, as Mellor claims, then they have unnecessarily put Rodriguez in an horrible situation and badly let down one of their players.