Barrister accuses FA of being "racist institution" Football Association chairman David Bernstein has hit back at claims that the governing body is "institutionally racist." The claim was made by Peter Herbert, chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, who also criticised the FA and Chelsea after police dropped an investigation into referee Mark Clattenburg. Bernstein said in a statement: "These ill-informed and unhelpful remarks are at odds with the progressive and responsible approach being followed by the game with the support of Government to deal with these serious issues." Herbert hit out at the FA and Chelsea for not reporting allegations to the police that top-flight referee Clattenburg made comments to Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, which were understood to have been interpreted as racist. The FA is investigating the matter after receiving a complaint from the club but neither body involved police. The SBL did make a complaint to the Metropolitan Police based on media reports of the alleged incident but officials at Scotland Yard have announced no action will be taken "because no victims had come forward." The FA have a dreadful record of indifference on hate crime generally. Failing to challenge anti-Semitism at Tottenham Hotspur and at other grounds, eventually finding John Terry made a racist remark but remarkably found him not to be a "racist," whilst the derisory penalty of a four or eight-match ban [Luis Suarez] is believed to be a suitable punishment for what in any other industry would be summary dismissal for gross misconduct." Herbert also claimed on Sky Sports News the FA was "institutionally racist." He added: "Institutionally racist? Of course it is. They don't even implement what the Stephen Lawrence inquiry [MacPherson Report] recommendations were about how to report a racial incident, whether the victim or any other person believes it is. If an institution fails to follow 14 years after the MacPherson Report's recommendations and it has a history of under-reporting race hate, what would you call it? We would call it institutionally racist. Professional Footballers" Association chairman Clarke Carlisle defended Chelsea and the FA. He said: "I think it would have been better if it remained within the remit of Chelsea and the FA to put any subsequent case to the Met Police." The FA is expected to announce the outcome of its investigation into Chelsea's complaint this week.