Feeding Time!

[Just-Jude]

After all the recent criticism, Rio Ferdinand and Roy Hodgson have been appointed to the all white FA Commission. Is the England manager a strange choice considering his racist comments to Andros Townsend during the Poland match.

[Everhelpful]

Never heard anything Racist,why are you trying to say it was,as explained, it was a joke from the 60's.?Funny or not it was still a joke,plus, it never offended Andros Townsend so what exactly is your problem?Are you trying to provoke debate just for the sake of it.

[Mamyalynne]

Heaven forbid Just-Jude would do so!!

[Canary42]

LOL at mamya

[FredPuli43]

It wasn't racist , for a start. And his comments weren't to Andros Townsend, though that is immaterial.

[ll_billym]

No, having Roy Hodgson on the FA Commission is not a strange choice.

[bazwillrun]

This idiot is just on a fishing expediton

[New Judge]

“It wasn't racist…”

Quite agree, Fred. Unfortunately what we think is not relevant. One of the preposterous findings of the ludicrous MacPherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence was its definition of a “racist incident”:

“…a "racist incident" will now include incidents categorised in policing terms both as crimes and non-crimes. It will now encompass "any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.” A new Code of Practice will record all such crimes.

So it matters not what you, I, or least of all the supposed “victim” of such an incident thinks. If Just-Jude believes Mr Hodgson’s recycling of the “astronaut and the monkey” joke is racist that is good enough. I trust the Wembley constabulary has recorded this most serious incident accordingly.

But back to the question. What I find astonishing is that it is deemed necessary to set up a Commission of Enquiry to find ways to improve the England football team. I should have thought that was the sole aim of the (highly paid) team manager.

[Gromit]

If I understand rightly that the remit of the Commission is to bring on young players, it would make more sense to have Stuart Pearce the Under21 manager rather than Hodgeson.

I think everyone acknowledges that Hodgeson's comment was NOT racist.

Ferdinand has a lot of experience at the top level and he will pe pensioned off from United soon (Hopefully).

[Just-Jude]

I get it now, if you're a fan, it's racist. If you're a manager or player, it's a joke.

[Gromit]

No JJ

It was a 50 year old joke first without any hint of racism attached to it.

[FredPuli43]

JJ, presumably you think 'monkey' must be racist because the player is black. Hodgson drew the analogy of the astronaut being useless or superfluous except to feed the monkey in the spacecraft; a reference to an old joke, based on a real monkey and a real astronaut in a real situation. The monkey in the spacecraft was the only really important element in the enterprise, without him or her the whole thing wouldn't be a success and utterly pointless. Hodgson was asked what he thought of the performance of one particular player and he replied that [like the astronaut] he was only there to feed [i.e get passes to] the monkey, the winger Townsend. As Townsend was the star performer twice, that joke had particular resonance, for he was the key to victories twice, the only important one, far more important than his team mate.

Now what is racist in that ? Would it be insulting if Townsend were white, Rooney say, in that situation ? Well, yes, but only to the other player, the one jokingly belittled by the manager, as though he had no other role or importance than that.

[ChillDoubt]

All they need now is Gok Wan and they'll have the full set.

F F S!

[Orderlimit]

"if you're a fan, it's racist. If you're a manager or player, it's a joke."

Paul Elliot representing the FA had to resign for using a racist remark JJ, after calling using the N-word, although I don't believe the police were involved in the case.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2283318/Paul-Elliott-resigns-FA-racism-row-Richard-Rufus.html

[FredPuli43]

The Commission had, from the start: the Vice-chairman of the FA, the Chairman of the League Managers' Association, and the Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, all representing the different important organisations in the game and appointed ex officio.Until quite recently, the Chairman of the PFA was Clarke Carlisle. Had he still be in office therefore, he would have been appointed. He is black.

Hodgson has said that Ferdinand had been under consideration for some time but the appointment could only be made when the playing commitments of were shown not to make any difficulty. The Times reports that Ferdinand tweeted last week about how bringing on youngsters was a dream job and how Gareth Southgate must be loving it. (I thought Southgate stopped being director of elite management for England last year, so I don't get that bit)

[baza]

It's only football, 11 blokes each side wearing shorts and kicking a ball about in a field, hardly worth wetting your knickers about.

[davetuc]

Rio Ferdinand????? The man who cheated a drugs test and turned his back on England, is now asked to help with future development. Dreadful appointment!

[Svejk]

Vote Joey Barton.

[Svejk]

^^^^^^
He could help with translations as well.

[sp1814]

Would it not have made more sense for this murderer to have remained in the Ukraine to carry out his bomb plots in mosques there (not that that would have been in any way 'acceptable').

Is there not enough tension here without the added headache of this deluded young man.

Also - what's with it with racists who attack lone men in their 80s?

Would it not have been a much fairer fight if he'd gone for someone his own age who may have had a chance to put up a fight?

Ukrainian terrorist