If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options
Ron Atkinsons comments
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I must admit I found it funny with his comments lets just remind ourselves of what he said..
Referring to the underwhelming performance of the French defender, Atkinson said: "He's what is known in some schools as a fucking lazy thick ni**er." Atkinson's conversation was picked up by microphones that should have been switched off once the broadcast from the stadium had concluded.
My point/question is he makes this obviously racist remark, yet there is good reason to believe that he's not really racist, he's given support to black players when this wasn’t popular when he was a club manager.
He's obviously worked with black people and not as far as I know been accused of racism before.
Is it possible to say things like this and not be racist, e.g. lets just compare a different example of this?
Ron Atkinson says the same thing about a welsh player substituting Welsh for ******,, He could have said this and he wouldn’t have had to resign and most Welsh people wouldn’t take it seriously.
Can someone make comments like this and not really be racist?
What if it was a black man saying the same thing about a white bastard?
Referring to the underwhelming performance of the French defender, Atkinson said: "He's what is known in some schools as a fucking lazy thick ni**er." Atkinson's conversation was picked up by microphones that should have been switched off once the broadcast from the stadium had concluded.
My point/question is he makes this obviously racist remark, yet there is good reason to believe that he's not really racist, he's given support to black players when this wasn’t popular when he was a club manager.
He's obviously worked with black people and not as far as I know been accused of racism before.
Is it possible to say things like this and not be racist, e.g. lets just compare a different example of this?
Ron Atkinson says the same thing about a welsh player substituting Welsh for ******,, He could have said this and he wouldn’t have had to resign and most Welsh people wouldn’t take it seriously.
Can someone make comments like this and not really be racist?
What if it was a black man saying the same thing about a white bastard?
0
Comments
Working with black people is not necessarily proof of not being a racist. One comment often heard from racists is that [blacks] are only good for playing sport.
Perhaps Atkinson genuinely sees himself as a non-racist. Perhaps he doesn't believe that black people are inferior and he just lives in a time warp where calling someone a n***** is a 'cheeky' remark :rolleyes: . But it ain't a cheeky remark at all- it's about the most offensive word you can say to a black person.
He should have known better.
tHIS IS A TYPICAL DEFENCE OF RACISM!! Welsh people would be offended!
I remember a mate who got mugged in london by some black lads and made racist remarks regarding them afterwards, but I know he wasnt racist.
Is a white person using the N word in any circhamstances automaticaly a racist regardless of anything else..
And he insisted he was no racist after his comments on Desailly - "He's what is known in some schools as a fucking lazy thick ******" - were broadcast by channels in the Middle East where the live feed had continued to run after full-time.
"I would be perfectly happy to apologise," he said. "You have got to have respect for somebody who has done what he has done in football."
As the furore over his remarks continued, Atkinson maintained that his track record in football, particularly in introducing black players while manager at West Bromwich Albion, proved that he was not a racist.
"It is unbelievable really. It is nobody's fault but my own," Atkinson told Radio Five. "When I finished watching the game, I put my microphone down and am sitting there watching some tapes of what went on for Chelsea.
"And I must admit I was talking to myself, or with myself, more than anybody, having a pop and unfortunately used a phrase which I really don't know how I have said that.
"I had the shock of my life the next day when I was told. Nobody else around me heard me say it, unfortunately the feed was still on and there was a microphone on the table which picked up what I had said. For that I apologise.
"To the people I offended, particularly Marcel Desailly, I would apologise for the comments I made," he added. "It was not an intentional comment, but it was an unfortunate one. I did not even know I had said it.
"I have worked with more black players, I would think, than any other manager in the country and I bet none of them has ever heard me say it to them."
well you've answered your own question really.
It's not the word, it's the context and I'm sorry but if your mate made racist comments about someone - then they WERE racist. How can they not be. It's like a woman here in work who came in one morning and said 'Jesus a big black man just really cut me up on the roundabout' - that is racist...why did she even have to mention his coulour, like it matters??!!
However - if you are attacked and you go to a police station and they ask you to describe the attacker and you say 'he was 6 ft, black with a blue jacket on' then that isn't racist. 'If you said 'he was 6 ft a N****r, wearing a blue jacket' that is racist.
Patti smith has a song called 'Rock n roll ******' which isn't racist ...well - unless someone takes offence and then I guess it becomes so!
In other words...his racism is so ingrained that he isn't even aware of it .....DANGEROUS (But no doubt something many many more people struggle with) ...perhaps now he is aware of it he will work through his problems with racism!!
Everyone knows that black people use it amongst themselves ALL the time, with no real problems.
Yet, when its used by white people then its racist.
I'm certainly not trying to defend comments like this, its just interesting how the same word can be deeply offencive in one way and just another word in another way.
Words only have the power we give them and I think some people do go out of their way to be offended.
I've experienced racism against me (white) by asians but I was more just surprised and curious than offended.
Also, it is painfully obvious that a black person using it on another black person isn't being racist. A white person using the said word is a diffrent matter.
Same reason why Tottenham supporters calling themselves 'Yid Army' is okay, but rivals supporters shouting 'The Yids!' at them is not.
in a similar vain, but off topic rather, why does the news, when reporting about sexuality in the church, always have to refer to someone as the gay priest/bishop. they never refer to the others as the straight bishop. why does it matter?
and back to the topic, if people of the same race, sexual orientation want to refer to each other in certain terms, they can, they come to it from an equal footing. I used to have a supervisor who referred to himself as a big fat queen (he did fit that description) but it would be inappropriate for any of us to call him that.
Same as if someone said "shit, that ginger just cut me up" doesnt strickly mean that you hate all people with ginger hair.
Context. Reclamation of language etc.
"If all n**gers used the word not only amongst themselves, which they already do, but with the oh fays then after a while the word wouldnt mean anymore than, God bless you and I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth by help me god."
Yes - but the Ginger person would have a right to be offended.
If someone cuts you up it's the cutting up thats bad so race, colour, hair colour shouldn't really come into it! I don't need to know the colour of the mans skin - I'm only inteested inwhat he did wrong. But then I'm not a policeman trying to track him down!!
its like the fact the n word comes from spanish meaning the colour black
So - racism exists in all races/cultures....doesn't mean it's not bad!
Employing black people doesn't mean anything I'm afraid, one of my first bosses was a member of the NF. A lot of people will keep their true feelings to themselves as being open about them is unacceptable.
If a black man makes a racist comment about a white person he is a racist, end of. There are no different rules in my eyes.
If you go to the Sports forum you will see that we have managed to discuss the Chelsea game without using racist terms, I'm sure it didn't occur to any of the posters to do so, theres absolutely no reason or excuse for Atkinson to do so.
Just some examples of racial, cultural or sexual offensive slang (Mods, don't erase please, I'm making a point here)... These words are not bad, evil words... :nervous:
I've never liked those little *, that, my friends, is censorship. Someone up there wrote fucking lazy thick ni**er. Are you kidding me? "Fucking" isn't offensive anymore... And what is this of The N word?!
I'm not saying this fella is a racist or not, I don't know him. But I can't say he is just because he said one these words. I must be one hell of a racist homophobic bastard if the rule You said ******, you're a racist applied.
If these words are used in the wrong context they will be offensive. "Leche", milk in Spanish, can be offensive depending how you say it, or that is what teachers told me before throwing me out when I was a student.
Political correctness has gone way too far. My mother never uses the word black when she speaks Spanish (negro) on a bus because she has recieved many dirty looks. And a Spanish friend of mine has problems as her name is Paqui.
Edited to say:
I apologize. I didn't know The Site had an automatic nig*er-detecter... Maybe some of you weren't so PC after all...
Just about good manners, why do you want to go around offending people? If you know a word will cause undue offence then why use it?
Ironic that the people who complain most about the loss of 'old-fashioned' values such as politeness, chivalry, courtesy etc are often also those who complain about 'political correctness' when reduction of PC seems to be mainly about wanting to be able to be as offensive as possible.......
:rolleyes:
As long as the right words are used
Systemised atrocity ignored
As long as bi-lingual signs on view
I was obviously asleep when I heard the massed asses complaining about his description of Totti as "a diving little twat". The words obviously matter more than the sentiment- can't say as though I'm surprised.
Ron: "What in heaven's name was f***ing Ranieri thinking in bringing Veron on?"
Second, unidentified voice: "He'll get savaged by the press.."
Ron [in an increasingly animated voice]: "Oh and f***ing rightly so.
"And I'm sorry, but I f***ing think that f***ing Desailly is a cheating f***._ That was wrong."
[Noise from crowd and interference momentarily obscures Ron's voice...]
"He's f***ing been gone for two and a half years! And instead of playing like an old man and_saying 'alright I'll f***ing stay where I can't get exploited'...
"I've always thought that he has no awareness of danger.
"He is what is known in some schools as a f***ing lazy thick ni**er."
[Still Ron, but now shouting]
"That is a f***ing disgusting performance.
"Full marks to them though. They were f***ing different class."
I'm torn, to be quite honest. You can't go around using words like that, but anger does things to people. Read the whole thing and it is just that he is upset at Desailly's inept performance- if Desailly was fat and ginger, another word would have been used, and no-one would have complained- witness Atkinson's tirade against Francesco Totti six months ago, again with him thinking the mikes were off.
But hey, who cares about reasons, we should just burn him at the stake now!
I don't think he is really any kind of hardcore racist or anything but public broadcasting is all about image and impression, if you can't control yourself then you aren't up to the job really.....
I know that he is from a generation where that it was more apporiate to use it, but its not an execuse.
He was right to resign
But the society we live in is not fair and Ron was wrong to say what he did.
Give it a rest and get that fucking chip off your shoulder.
Its boring.