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Hodgson quizzed over Apartheid
Roy Hodgson's first press conference as England manager took a bizarre turn when he felt forced to state that he did not support the South African regime of Apartheid during the 1970s.
Hodgson was unveiled in front of the media at Wembley at 4pm and underwent some tough questioning as the reality of being England manager, and dealing with an unforgiving media, was driven home immediately.
One reporter brought up Hodgson's history of representing Berea Park in South Africa during his playing career, which ended in 1976.
At that time, South Africa was under the repressive Apartheid regime that enforced racial segregation.
Raising the issue of Apartheid, and race, comes at a sensitive time for the FA.
Former captain John Terry is due to face trial in July for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand - a charge he denies - and caretaker manager Stuart Pearce has fended off questions about an insult directed at Paul Ince, for which he apologised.
The new England boss, who will finish the season at West Brom before taking over the national side, said he was against the Apartheid regime during his brief playing career in South Africa.
"I was young when I went there and it was just to play football," he said.
"I didn't give the politics much thought. I think it's unfair to criticise me for that. All of us were against Apartheid but there wasn't much we could do about it."
