Not Charlton related, but this has really wound me up today A thoroughly decent bloke according to players he has worked with. Someone who has managed in five countries with success, and speaks four languages. Now accused of "racism" because he used an intelligent analogy in the dressing room about an astronaut and a monkey. The pathetic PC race lobby has been quick to pounce on him, my particular bête noir is that idiot Jason Roberts, who clearly sees himself as the new Malcolm X, and managed to turn every call when hosting 606 into a debate about his colour. We have actually got to a position in this country now where it is deemed offensive to use the word monkey. Shame on the person who leaked this out of the dressing room, as well.
Where's it all going to end, I wonder? It seems a bit like the new McCarthyism. I was watching an old Bernard Manning recording recently with my daughter, who couldn't believe that anyone could get away with that sort of thing. Manning ran the whole gamut of racist material, from genuinely highly offensive, to gentle Jewish humour. WE seem to have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, even the most gentle sort of dig being frowned on now.
I usually steer clear of what I would call 'political' threads on here and stick to onces of a more football related nature. However, I couldnt agree more here. Yes, the analogy was a bit long winded and out-dated at best in a dressing room environment but was clearly nothing more than that. It is a sign of the times we live in, coverage of the game now means peoples every word is under scrutiny and sadly even a managers half time team talk being 'behind closed doors' is now a thing of the past. Being friendly friendly and rational no longer sells stories and everyone is out to get someone else, not just in the media but in everyday life. As for the person who leaked this story, I think all it does is prove that they did not understand the context in which Hodgson was speaking and if anything plays into the general stereotype that all footballers are thick.
He should be hounded for using a crap joke . It is ridiculous though - but you do wonder which player leaked that.
I think the whole thing is hilarious. The gutter press win win with this tripe. First of all you wind up the cardigan wearers of Battersea spitting their fair trade tea all over their polish maid narrowly avoiding their children, Nelson and Winnie and then you get some failed black footballer whose only achievements is Wigan Player of the year 2002 to discuss inequality within the multi-cultural diversity of the England team. It is a prime example of the inner fear we have of that spectre called racism, a crime that is for whites only. A real don't mention the war scenario, Quite frankly, I don't give a monkeys! doh!
The irony is that the analogy Roy used about "feeding the monkey" was a fairly complicated one (for your average footballer), which apparently went straight over Chris Smalling's head
I agree with Thurrock Addick... I usually steer clear of the political threads on here but V-a-V has it completely spot on. The media always ask why we're so crap when it comes to every Major Tournament?? Well here's your answer - Its because those pricks deliberately find scandals to run and run (we all know this one will too) until the competition and then be used as an excuse by the same media for us failing once more. Really pleased with Dyke coming out supporting Hodgson saying that it needs to be put straight to bed (i.e. Barwick and Bernstein usually dither like hens over this sort of thing) - Also good to see that Townsend and Collymore (someone who always jumps on the bandwagon when there is this sort of issue) have come out defending him. For me though ultimately the press have got it completely wrong... they shouldnt be concentrating on the joke, they should be concentrating on finding the little snake (Defoe?) that leaked this info in the first place else what happens if we go to Brazil and that person decides to leak tactical info to an opposition??
Its a dirty smear, pure and simple, instigated by a player Hodgson no doubt left out, and then whipped up by stooges in the Press who never wanted Roy as England manager, and "useful idiots" in the race industry who are always on hand with a quote. When its someone like Ron Atkinson then no problem, he was caught bang to rights, end of career, full stop. But when you start smearing a bloke who is himself part of an ethnic minority for using an analogy about an animal to get his point across to a player, enough is enough.
I had my reservations about Dyke, but as he's the complete opposite to the guys before him it's refreshing to see him not be afraid to come out and be quite brash in this situation, as well as others.
Jason Roberts on Twitter this morning; "Hodgson "joke" is the comment of a 66 year old man who probably does not see why a comment like that might be a problem in 2013". Idiot.
Police officers could face disciplinary charges for saying "nitty gritty" because it dates from the slavery era. Spurs fans arrested for singing "Yid Army" - something they have sung for 35 years. A few years ago my daughter came home from nursery school proudly singing a new song she had learnt "bah bah rainbow sheep" Throughout several Uk councils and organisations, any terms using the word 'man' as a prefix or suffix have been ruled as not being politically correct. 'Manhole' is now referred to as a 'utility' or 'maintenance' hole. The traditional pud Spotted Dick has been given the title Spotted Richard, after UK council bosses feared the original name might cause offence. A school in Southall renamed its Easter eggs 'spring spheres' to avoid causing offence to people who did not celebrate Easter. A UK council has banned the term 'brainstorming' â and replaced it with 'thought showers', as local lawmakers thought the term may offend epileptics. A school in Bradford will now have a 'holiday tree' every year at Christmas, rather than a Christmas tree. [video=youtube;VOhXpmozpbE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhXpmozpbE[/video]
I love the way the press bottom feed, and everyone without a vested interest (or can't make a few quid) steers well clear until the sun gets a hit.... I can hear it now in the sun office, "well that's Stan, , Rio, Les, Clarkey all giving it a miss, come on we have got to find someone, I know someone whose career is over and can't even make it on celebrity come dancing, Bingo! Jason Roberts.... I just want to know when a monkey is not a monkey?
FHB has I right with deeming it the new McCarthyism, with everyone afraid to make common sense suggestions for fear of being accused as racist and led to the pillory of a media flogging. The pathetic tweet of Jason Roberts shows him for what he is. I never thought that I would say bravo to Stan Collymore but at least the man has recognised that most of us could not believe that RH was racist nor that there was any possible intent of that nature. I hope whichever dumb-assed idiot in the squad leaked this with the intention of making himself a martyr has the common sense to make himself unavailable for the next match because it is difficult to play football with your own bullet damaging your metatarsal.
Nothing worse than the cynicism of the washed up ex footballer, now looking for a new niche in the media.
You guys have said it all and I have nothing to add, but I feel compelled to post because this is the first, and will probably be the last, time I ever agree with Vol-au-Vent. And my thoughts too immediately went to Defoe. It was presumably a black player and one with a grievance against Hodgson. Doesn't leave many suspects. Although, as someone suggested, a player may not have been deliberately culpable at all. One could have mentioned the joke in all innocence to a friend and eventually someone decided to make a few dirty quid.
Think Kick it Out has actually mishandled several scenarios since Paul left. The organisation has fast become a joke.
Agree with Vol on this one. The one thing I would say, though, as eddie has done, is that we don't know why the player in question leaked the joke - he might not necessarily have wanted to accuse Hodgson of racism, and could just have been a bit dim (a footballer? Dim? Surely not) in talking about the half-time team talk to the Sun reporter, who then whipped it up into a supposed piece of racism. But this whole thing is the very definition of a storm in a (half-time) tea cup.
With any luck it was Danny Welbeck, resulting in RH dropping him from the squad with immediate effect. The bloke is stealing a living......
