[Archived] Big Ron Forced To Resign

[trueblue]

Oh ###### !! this means we get more of Jim Beglin commentating... I HATE that guy !!!!!!!!

[jim mk2]

Over reaction if you ask me. If Ron says nigger it's regarded as racist, if Sam Jackson calls Ving Rhames nigger it's a term of endearment.

I'm no big fan of Ron's, but he's apologised and that should be the end of it.

Nanny state.

Good grief.

[AlanK]

Over reaction if you ask me. If Ron says nigger it's regarded as racist, if Sam Jackson calls Ving Rhames nigger it's a term of endearment.

I'm no big fan of Ron's, but he's apologised and that should be the end of it.

Nanny state.

Good grief.

Whats up Jim? Have you just seen the wicket you`ll be playing on this weekend?

AS calls it the nanny state and I call it the cotton wool syndrome.

You, yourself have called Londoners names over the years. You racist.

Sorry Jim, even though we won`t condone what Ron said, we still won`t bite at a seriously sensationalised story that your sort love.

[chris]

don't think he really a classic racist, it was just a heat of the moment thing, he did sign a lot of black players so i'm fairly sure he does not hate them, i who likes Desailly anyway, hopefully Ron can recover from this I thought he was alright

[92er]

At least Beglin played for us.

[super_neill]

The only people he has been sacked by is The Daily Mail and some magazine columnist obviously having a guy who is known as a racist writing for you doesn't do you any favours. What a shame

[Manchester Blue]

Over reaction if you ask me. If Ron says nigger it's regarded as racist, if Sam Jackson calls Ving Rhames nigger it's a term of endearment.

I'm no big fan of Ron's, but he's apologised and that should be the end of it.

Nanny state.

Good grief.

Whats up Jim? Have you just seen the wicket you`ll be playing on this weekend?

AS calls it the nanny state and I call it the cotton wool syndrome.

You, yourself have called Londoners names over the years. You racist.

Sorry Jim, even though we won`t condone what Ron said, we still won`t bite at a seriously sensationalised story that your sort love.

Being from London doesn't make you part of a different race, as much as it may seem that way. Jim hasn't sensationalised anything merely reported the facts. You say you aren't condoning what Ron said but then suggest it is something and nothing. I will repeat in case anyone can't comprehend calling people a nigger is highly insulting and downright disgraceful.

At least Ron did the decent thing and resigned, though he probably had little choice.

[Exiled_Rover]

Did anyone see the Trevor McDonald news at half ten interview? That was a great example of pathetic reporting, the bloke (no idea who he was btw) interupted Ron on three seperate occasions suggesting he's racist and Ron, to his credit, thorougly denied it without resorting picking up the chair he was sitting on and smashing the reporter with it. I know I felt like doing it!

[Jordan]

The only people he has been sacked by is The Daily Mail and some magazine columnist obviously having a guy who is known as a racist writing for you doesn't do you any favours. What a shame

and the Guardian.

I dont understand calling a black person a nigger i racist where in rap and all that other crap music every other word is nigger.

[colin]

Atkinson called Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly a "###### lazy, thick nigger"

Now if anyone wants to justify that, feel free.

Ian Wright was on Radio Five earlier this evening where he described ocassions where Atkinson made similar "joke" comments to him and Garth Crooks.

Atkinson said that he said he had only made them in jest, but continued to make them and ignored the insult that it caused.

comment

Edited April 23, 2004 by colin

[Exiled_Rover]

Today, only three of the 92 league managers, and only a handful of coaches, are black.

Wow, talk about a crock of sh*t! How can you say that in complaint when you've just said:

Atkinson, though, had a strong association with black players in the 70s when, as manager of West Bromwich Albion, he brought in the famous "three degrees" of Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson at a time when black players were not established in the professional game.

So if black players weren't established in football in the the 70's how do you expect them to be in coaching and managerial roles thirty years later?? The first black players to break through professionally will only have become realistically eligible for such roles ten years ago. Now as the number of black players increases their chances of becoming involved in the coaching side of the game increases.

This is another journalist who's blown it all out of proportion, that makes two and I've seen and I've hardly been following the story

Edited April 23, 2004 by Exiled_Rover

[thenodrog]

Ian Wright was on Radio Five earlier this evening where he described ocassions where Atkinson made similar "joke" comments to him and Garth Crooks.

Ian Wright?!? Hmmmmm a guy once described as the most naturally balanced footballer in the country....cos he has a huge chip on both shoulders!

This is the guy on whose chat show every black guest was introduced as 'brother'. Imagine the hoo-haa Colin if Parky reserved that term of endearment for whites only?

[Al]

Whatever happened to good old British freedom of speech and 'I do not agree with what you say but I will defend to my last breath your right to say it.'?

All been sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.

Until a white man can call a black man a nigger and a black man can call a white man a honky with no offence taken either way there will always be racialism.

[thenodrog]

Did anyone see the Trevor McDonald news at half ten interview? That was a great example of pathetic reporting, the bloke (no idea who he was btw) interupted Ron on three seperate occasions suggesting he's racist and Ron, to his credit, thorougly denied it without resorting picking up the chair he was sitting on and smashing the reporter with it. I know I felt like doing it!

One gets used to it after a time.

[Ricky]

Former Liverpool striker John Barnes, who managed Celtic briefly, has been unable to find a job since leaving the club.

Surely the reason he has not been able to find a job is because of the mess he made whilst manageing Celtic 'briefly', and not anything to do with the colour of his skin.

[thenodrog]

I see that you obviously missed the match MB.  I suggest you watch a re-run of Desailly elbowing Morientes.  All this other stuff is just a case of sticks and stones mate,  words no matter how offensive they are viewed are not as dangerous as that assault with his elbow.

I don't need to see a re-run as I watched the game on Tueasday. I honestly can't see how anything that Desailly did can have any bearing whatsoever on what 'Big Ron' said. If he had kicked the fella square in the knackers I still wouldn't condone calling him a 'nigger' and never will. It is not acceptable and it is not in any way being politically correct to suggest that it is unacceptable.

Well can there be any justification for handing Desailly what will probably be a 3 match ban and a derisory fine whilst some old geezer gets one for life? I suggest not!

The way some people are reacting raises the possibility of a revue of capital punishment for this type of offence.

[Tom Pringle]

Did anyone see the Trevor McDonald news at half ten interview? That was a great example of pathetic reporting, the bloke (no idea who he was btw) interupted Ron on three seperate occasions suggesting he's racist and Ron, to his credit, thorougly denied it without resorting picking up the chair he was sitting on and smashing the reporter with it. I know I felt like doing it!

Twas shocking, i sat there thinking 'He's not a racist, he's made a dodgy comment he shouldn't have'

It's not like Ron is spearheading a campaign for the BNP!

[DP]

People will have their views on this but despite everything Ron Atkinson has shown, just like he did on Room 101, that he's an egotisical IGNORANT fool.

Whether he's racist or not isn't the issue. In the high profile job he has, complete with the influence he may or may not have, he was right to lose his job for his stupidity alone.

Desailly's elbow, gangsta rap, bling bling, Ian Wright, PC Guardian readers - they don't even come into it.

[Rovermatt]

I just hope for Atkinsons sake the masses don't take the moral high ground-holier than tou attitude, and start slating him.

The guys made a big mistake, I'm sure he knows that more than anyone and obviously regrets it big time, but some of the stuff I have read, admittedly in the tabloids, regarding Atkinson is ridiculous.

One outburst dosen't make him a racist, and I just hope that this incident dosn't give redundant scribes the chance to tarnish football with the racist brush again, lets face it slagging football has been flavour of the year for many 'journalists'.

Very true. The tabloid hysteria yesterday ('Bigot Ron' ) was laughable. Yes his unpleasant comments were worthy of a sacking, but he won't be jumping into a pick-up wearing white bed-sheets now that he's been 'outed.' That right-wing rags like The Sun and The Mail can scramble to the moral high ground on such an issue is so ludicrous, it's funny.

[Rovermatt]

but Atkinson's slur is both slanderous and highly distasteful. There is no way ITV could or should have allowed him to continue as an employee.

Hardly slanderous , Matt - he was talking to himself (or so he thought) .

I wonder how many times I'd have been sacked at work if my every comment had been broadcast to all and sundry........Let he without sin.....

I'm not 100% sure myself, when I wrote it I had just been 'engrossed' in a chapter on the the tort of defamation. I was on a roll.

Now I understand why the mods are so edgy.

Whats up Jim? Have you just seen the wicket you`ll be playing on this weekend?

AS calls it the nanny state and I call it the cotton wool syndrome.

You, yourself have called Londoners names over the years. You racist.

Sorry Jim, even though we won`t condone what Ron said, we still won`t bite at a seriously sensationalised story that your sort love.

So what if black people call each other 'nigger'? I really can't see any justification in a white man using it as a pejorative term. It's nothing to do with raging PC liberalism, it's bloody common sense.

Edited April 23, 2004 by Rovermatt

[Manchester Blue]

Ian Wright was on Radio Five earlier this evening where he described ocassions where Atkinson made similar  "joke" comments to him and Garth Crooks.

Ian Wright?!? Hmmmmm a guy once described as the most naturally balanced footballer in the country....cos he has a huge chip on both shoulders!

This is the guy on whose chat show every black guest was introduced as 'brother'. Imagine the hoo-haa Colin if Parky reserved that term of endearment for whites only?

Ian Wright actually came across very well

...he was asked why is it ok for a black guy to call another black guy nigger ... but not ok for an old white guy to say it...

...he said the word didn't offend him really but the way Ron said it in conjunction with 'lazy' made him sound like an old deep south plantation manager...

..at the end he said he'd still shake hands with Big Ron and he still had a lot of repect for him but he was just gutted (and you could hear it in his voice that he was) that the incident had happened in the first place...

Can't see where Wrighty's making gain out of Ron's 'error' there more like he is just a bit disappointed. The ful transcript of what Big Ron said is here. I won't reproduce it but it doesn't make it look and better or understandable.

Edited April 23, 2004 by Manchester Blue

[Verminator]

Wonder if ITV knew about his old club.....

[LeftWinger]

Great picture. I like Ron- his terms and phrases are excellent. I don't see why he should have resigned, political correctness gone mad. He's not actually said anything that isn't true.

[The Harwood Yankee]

Political correctness gone mad, IMO. Fair enough, he shouldnt have said what he did but they were comments made in private, accidentally broadcast. He should have been made to apologise, perhaps a fine as a rap on the knuckles, but no way should he lose his job over it. Whether he harbours old-fashioned views on the use of outdated language or not, the fact that such words have never found their way into his commentaries shows sufficient professional decorum, so why should he lose his job?

More likely if he hadnt resigned ITV would have feared a backlash from blacks boycotting his commentaries & therefore less revenue which, as we know from our debates on The Premiership on this site, is really all that ITV is interested in.

[DP]

More likely if he hadnt resigned ITV would have feared a backlash from blacks boycotting his commentaries & therefore less revenue which, as we know from our debates on The Premiership on this site, is really all that ITV is interested in.

So what you're saying is Big Ron worked for a money making company which feared his continued employment would damage their reputation and result in them losing lots of money.

So you'll agree the only solution was for the 2 to part company?