Ron Atkinson.................

[Northerner]

And his 'f*king lazy thick ni*er' comment live on air.

Discuss please.

but that there are black players means an awful lot to black teenagers

but that there are black players means an awful lot to black teenagers

Anyone who would dream of saying those words is a racist - he's a sexist too. He had to go. No question IMO. Nigger is an exceptionally offensive term if you are black - redolent of slavery and segregation. And as one commentator pointed out today, the 'thick, lazy nigger' he was referring to speaks at least two more languages than Mr Atkinson. Black people who work with him have complained about his racist attitude.

Every time I have heard Desailly speak he sounds far more intelligent than Ron Atkinson - RA was on Room 101 the other night and he was such a tosser - DP got quite angry watching it - he calls him the kitsch tosser!!

Thats funny about you mentioning nigerians - it is actually a thing perpetrated by a lot of the other black people - my best friend is moving hose and her black neighbour one side has warned her not to sell her ouse to a f*cking nigerian - like the man the other side!! - out of the tow neighbours - both married to english white people I would actually say that the nigerian man and his family are actually much nicer and trustworthy than the woman who is complaining - thing is she can say stuff like that and get away with it - well actually my friend told her that she did not like the way she spoke about him and found him very nice and trustworthy and if she had a nigerian family come to look at her house she would treat them no different to a white or asian family - that soon put her nose out of joint!!

I also used to work in a hairdressers and one of the black stylists there refused to have nigerian clients because they were 'dirty'!! - no one had the uts to say she was racist though - I think I would probably have sacked her if I could!!

Dh says he said 'Women belong in the boutique and the discoteque, not the football field'. Now dh often says things like, "shouldn't you be in the boutique or discoteque, darling.'

Or should that be discotheque?

I think RA also suggested the kitchen was an appropriate place for a woman...

I've only just caught this thread and I (of course) agree that his comment was very inappropriate (and more), BUT RA was at the helm of the campaign to stamp out rascism in football campaign for years ?!

From what I've been reading today, he arrived at West Brom (? or Aston Villa - one of those Brummie clubs!) as manager when there were already 2 black players on the squad - he added another (they were known as the Three Degrees harhar) and it was the first team to regularly play any black players, let alone 3.

Apparently before this the feeling was that black players were a bit soft (god knows why they thought that) and would whinge about the climate???? Presumably having actually met some and seen what they were really like he realised they were an asset rather than the reverse.

I'll see if I can find the bits I was reading but it sort of sounds as if the bandwagon was already rolling and he just took the reins. Possibly!

Of course there has been a lot of support for him today from some black players - I loved Carlton Palmer's - "my kids have been sick on him" - !!!

The thing I found most frightening about this was the really casual way he used what is such an awful word. I completely agree with his comment that Desailly was a "f lazy", but ar$e or tw*t would have been an appropriate ending rather than an insult based on his race and supposed characteristics of that. And his "apology" smacked so much of the "some of my best friends are black" school.

I'm not excusing him in any way, but I think that R.A. is a product of his generation. My dad is known to come out with racist remarks (especially about footballers) but he is in his 70s and this was the language he grew up with. R.A. was talking off air (as far as he knew) and was annoyed that Chelsea had blown it. I'm a footy fan, and do often lay into players if I feel they have under-performed. I'd never use the n word - but I'd probably say "scouse git" for example.

I think he had to resign, because it is not acceptable that such stuff is broadcast, however inadvertantly. But he probably doesn't deserve crucifying.

It might excuse your dad, but not someone as worldly wise as RA. He knew what the word means to black people. Unfortunately, I can't describe what it means to us because there is no equivalent word for a white person. There just isn't. Which was a great shame when I was at school and really, like REALLY, needed one to throw back at the people calling me N**r. (I can stand much less sight of that word, as you can see)
(but you may prefer not to take my word for it - I'm half nigerian )

Incidentally, I think the bid to reclaim the word and render it harmless (ie, black people calling each other N**r) was a good idea that never really worked. It's still just as offensive when used by a white person, because they could soften down the word, but they'll never eradicate the hatred in the meaning behind it. Spastic has also been given the same treatment (ie, disabled people calling each other Spas in fun). It would be interesting to know whether that has been any more successful.

It's funny, isn't it - the fact that he employed black footballers (to improve his team, therefore reputation and paypacket, presumably) is cited in mitigation, but when men use vile language about women, or make outrageous assumptions, or even hit them, we don't say 'Oh, he's married to a woman, therefore he can't possibly be chauvanist/sexist/mysogynist' do we? We know they frequently go hand in hand.

Quite Blu.
Some of my best friends are racists. Seriously. They make an exception for me, it seems. I become an honourary white person. Ha!

I thought this was quite interesting

Ron Atkinson article in Observer

home in worcetshire? he lives in Barnt green ffs

intersting htat they too mentiont he generational issue

I think its generational too, also a private thing - noone dares say things like that out loud now (my g'parents did). Glad he resigned over it, he's basically a (secret) bigot.

Interesting article. I still think the generational stuff is a red herring for someone of RA's standing. He's led a jet set lifestyle, he's got a high profile, he knows which way is up. You just can't compare him to someone of the same age who has lived in the same small town all their lives. Ditto Jim Bowen, who was banged to rights for making a similar comment on radio. He, too, claimed that people used to use that word all the time when he was young (and also that it meant something different). But even 40 years ago, only a particular sort of person with a particular attitude towards black people would have used those words. What are these people saying - 'Oh, it was OK back in the days when we were all racists'. What?!

I'm old enough to have been saying 'eeeny meeny..' 40 years ago, and in our household and school it was 'catch a tigger by his toe', and everyone was well aware that the N word was deeply offensive. (Unlike 'Coloured'...).

I agree that the generational thing is a red herring anyway. He's a Manager and a public commentator: imagine an employer in the civil service referring to someone like that. And, as we've heard ad nauseam how many black players he has employed, he's certainly been around enough to know it is offensive - and to change his language if he gives a toss!

Dino doesn't use that word despite playground use, so why should RA use it as an excuse?