Referring to Godder's post, I find it annoying if people take offence when it is not meant. The word black was adopted as preferable to coloured by black people themselves...some then took a dislike to the use of black in words like blackmailed, blackballed etc. The word black has always had a negative image in English, but this existed long before it was adopted to refer to a race. The word coloured may be regarded as derogatory by black people, but never had a negative image in the English language. You have to take the rough with the smooth if you hijack a word for your own use. We should all be careful not to offend others (that's just good manners), but I'm sure there are bigger battles to fight than criticising someone for telling a story that actually shows that he never gave Townsend's skin colour a thought.
Glad to see Rooney defending him. I hate to say it... but I'm starting to like Rooney lately. Is it me or is the Mirror headline actually the racist part? Tabloids serve to enforce the views of the lowest common denominator of man - dark hearts of the populace - and in this instance they seem to be using the opportunity to put the words Andros Townsend and Monkey close together on the page. It's about as close to saying "lots of people think black guys are monkeys - including Roy" as you can get. Database error? This site is getting awkward...
What a pathetic attempt by The Sun to undermine Roy just after we have qualified. Publishing non-stories like this further optimises how ****e the paper is.
I bet there are a few monkeys that would be happy to be compared to a talented midfield footballer too.
Ironic given that the "story" originated on Twitter. I always assumed that everything on Twitter needs to be instantly dismissed as inane drivel. it's frankly unbelievable that print journalists desperate for anything to write about actually build stories from vacuous guff on a social media site.
It's suggested that a player told the sun this story and he was the offended party and not necessarily Townsend or Smalling for which the analogy was directed. If they were that offended then they should be brave enough to step forward and not hide behind a tabloid looking to shift some web advertising
You don't half talk some rubbish sometimes Godders. If anything is putting the fight against racism back it's comments like your made-up story here, which paint conscientious people as neurotic thought police, and undermine the severity of the issue.
Andros has said he wasn't offended and Hodgson has apologised saying he meant nothing by it, but Kick It Out have demanded an investigation. There are plenty of nasty things that they should investigate, but I respectfully suggest that this isn't one of them. I am more concerned that there is someone in the dressing room that chose to put this out in the public eye.
The thing is, a player obviously leaked the story. So they didn't like what was said. We blame the papers etc but they are getting exactly what they want by people discussing it.
It's not even worth commenting on, but I feel the need to add my opinion that it's utterly rubbish and I wish Roy could sue them for defamation of character. Hodgson has massively impressed since he came in, the very thought of him being racist is absolutely ludicrous.
Far more interestingly in the Sun yesterday... http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/16/sarif-industries-the-sun_n_4108549.html
I can assure you that this incident was most definitely not made up and most emphatically did occur and I'll thank you not to suggest that I take issues of racism lightly or that I would attempt to undermine efforts to eradicate it. Along with a great many posters on this website, you included, I may talk rubbish from time to time regarding football but racism is a matter that I take very seriously. What worries me now is your appalling ageism that implies that I am insensitive to and mock what are fundamental social issues. A little bit of reflection on your part regarding your latent prejudices might be in order I think.
How can he sue? A player has leaked the story to the press. So what was said is true but obviously wasn't ment to be racist.
Far more offensive than the monkey joke was when Roy said "get Milner on". And he hasn't even issued an apology.
Joey Barton made an interesting point (yes, really) on Twitter about how it was more worrying about the comment being leaked out to the press - it must have had some sort of adverse affect on someone in the dressing room.
I'm well aware that he can't actually take action, however for the word monkey to be considered racist when he was actually talking about a physical monkey is ****ing outrageous. Just heard Peter Herbert who is the spokesperson for the society of black lawyers talking on the radio, and he was basically saying the FA Haven't done enough and that they will take it further etc. As far as I'm concerned it's just a massive witch hunt, and the fact that he said the anecdote in the first place implies to me that he has the same way of thinking as me - race and skin colour is that much of a non-issue to him that he didn't even think about it. That Peter Herbert fella is an absolute clown, if he is their spokesperson then god help that organisation.
