#AskJason

[sandman]

It's an hour later here in Prague and i'm tired and emotional.

[Lacoste]

You just come across as someone who couldn't afford not to be, that's all.

Sweet dreams, honey bunch. It's an hour later here in Prague and i'm tired.

Oooh, you live in Prague? You should have mentioned it before. That clearly changes my view of you. I didn't realise that you were a cosmopolitan, rich, sort. You really are a thick pcunt.

The words of an underachieving suburban shadow.

What time does the milkman come in the morning? What is it like, living the life of Arnold Same?

[Para Handy]

The words of an underachieving suburban shadow.

What time does the milkman come in the morning? What is it like, living the life of Arnold Same?

I work for myself. Do you? No idea about the milkman - get mine from the shop around the corner. So, to get back on track - what's your thoughts about the tweets directed at Jason Roberts. Acceptable?

[sandman]

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=120876

Think you might need this thread in the morning Lacoste.

[Reading4eva]

Fcuk me gently. I have read the last 3 pages of this drivel... And it is just that to assess what's going on.

The better question is "Would you ask to Jason's face these questions?". The man stands up for what he believes in... That's fair enough for me. I agree with a lot of the views he puts across, but I do sometimes think he should focus on racism as a whole, not just to black players where the focus seems to be.

The thick fcuk brigade on twitter though would rather ask him and I quote "what chocolate do you prefer, dairy milk or milky bar?" That's not a question! That's a complete shower of sh1te by someone in an office trying to be clever so they can brag about it at home... I'd love it just love it if Jason answered Milky Bar. Would really guzump the thick idiots who unfortunately decide to follow us.

The question still hasn't been answered - would you put these questions to Gilksey? An RFC hero, or just Jason as he cannot seem to recover from an injury (if we point the finger at anyone it should be the club for signing him... Not Jason - he is an old man at the end of his career when he signed and had the desired effect. It was the club who gave him a contract allowing him to extend it, not Jason).

Strangely the question has been dodged

[Silver Fox]

I do sometimes think he should focus on racism as a whole, not just to black players where the focus seems to be.

I'd certainly like to hear more about this racism as a whole of which you speak

[bigmike]

Fcuk me gently. I have read the last 3 pages of this drivel... And it is just that to assess what's going on.

The better question is "Would you ask to Jason's face these questions?". The man stands up for what he believes in... That's fair enough for me. I agree with a lot of the views he puts across, but I do sometimes think he should focus on racism as a whole, not just to black players where the focus seems to be.

The thick fcuk brigade on twitter though would rather ask him and I quote "what chocolate do you prefer, dairy milk or milky bar?" That's not a question! That's a complete shower of sh1te by someone in an office trying to be clever so they can brag about it at home... I'd love it just love it if Jason answered Milky Bar. Would really guzump the thick idiots who unfortunately decide to follow us.

The question still hasn't been answered - would you put these questions to Gilksey? An RFC hero, or just Jason as he cannot seem to recover from an injury (if we point the finger at anyone it should be the club for signing him... Not Jason - he is an old man at the end of his career when he signed and had the desired effect. It was the club who gave him a contract allowing him to extend it, not Jason).

Strangely the question has been dodged

Well said.

My 2 pence worth ..

peoples opinions and views are shaped by life experiences. It doesnt make his yours or my opinion less valid if they differ.

What is WRONG is to publicly attack someone for their opinion and mock them. Whilst Jason is probably a strong enough character to cope with it some people hit a low during their lives. The mongtards on twatter need to wind their necks in.

[Big Foot]

Fcuk me gently. I have read the last 3 pages of this drivel... And it is just that to assess what's going on.

The better question is "Would you ask to Jason's face these questions?". The man stands up for what he believes in... That's fair enough for me. I agree with a lot of the views he puts across, but I do sometimes think he should focus on racism as a whole, not just to black players where the focus seems to be.

The thick fcuk brigade on twitter though would rather ask him and I quote "what chocolate do you prefer, dairy milk or milky bar?" That's not a question! That's a complete shower of sh1te by someone in an office trying to be clever so they can brag about it at home... I'd love it just love it if Jason answered Milky Bar. Would really guzump the thick idiots who unfortunately decide to follow us.

The question still hasn't been answered - would you put these questions to Gilksey? An RFC hero, or just Jason as he cannot seem to recover from an injury (if we point the finger at anyone it should be the club for signing him... Not Jason - he is an old man at the end of his career when he signed and had the desired effect. It was the club who gave him a contract allowing him to extend it, not Jason).

Strangely the question has been dodged

It's laughable to compare Jason Roberts to Michael Gilkes in this context. Last time I looked, Gilkesy hasn't been out whoring himself in the media making edgy comments on anything even slightly to do with race...? (FTR, Not that this in anyway condones the baiting of Jason Roberts).

My view - I don't agree with a lot of what Roberts says, but can appreciate that's down to different backgrounds, upbringings etc etc - however, I'll refrain from baiting him as he was pivotal to probably the most enjoyable 5 months I've had of watching Reading play. I don't follow him on Twitter in an attempt to "preserve" knowing him just for his footballing exploits for us & I'd suggest other people do the same.

[Big Foot]

My thoughts exactly BF - the difference between JR and MG is that in many peoples eyes JR's has in some cases trivialised the fight against racism, MG hasn't. The responses seem proportionate to this perception.

Agreed with the first part, but I'd rather just ignore his alter-ego (basically him in the media) than engage with him, whether it's serious or trivial.

[melonhead]

My thoughts exactly BF - the difference between JR and MG is that in many peoples eyes JR's has in some cases trivialised the fight against racism, MG hasn't. The responses seem proportionate to this perception.

so JR has used his platform as a footballer and broascaster to do valuable work regarding racism, and gilkesy has never done so
for shame gilkesy!

[Big Foot]

My thoughts exactly BF - the difference between JR and MG is that in many peoples eyes JR's has in some cases trivialised the fight against racism, MG hasn't. The responses seem proportionate to this perception.

so JR has used his platform as a footballer and broascaster to do valuable work regarding racism, and gilkesy has never done so
for shame gilkesy!

I think this pretty much makes Gilkesy a massive racist.

[southbank1871]

Interesting piece by John Barnes in The Guardian.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... ohn-barnes

I'm not interested in what happened to Yaya Touré at CSKA Moscow – as far as I'm concerned their supporters can abuse who they want because, for me, what happened in Russia is the tip of a wider issue and, quite frankly, something of a smokescreen. For instance, how many black coaches are there in this country? Very few, yet all we're focusing on is CSKA Moscow, and the more we push for clubs like them to get banned or have their stadiums shut down the more we don't need to look at what is going on here.

The truth is that those at the top of British football do not care about getting rid of racism, they just don't want to hear it or see it. As soon as someone like Touré or Danny Rose gets abused in Eastern Europe there is shock and outrage from players, clubs and the authorities, yet no one is speaking about the people living in inner cities like Brixton who, because of their appearance and their background, have become completely disenfranchised from society. Why don't they care? Because the powers-that-be have enough wealth to not worry about these people.

Black players, in particular, should be tackling these issues because ultimately it will affect them when they retire. There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a top coach because of the perception that surrounds people who look like them. They are black – which, for many, means they are good athletes but incapable of being anything above and beyond that.

To a large extent this is down to unconscious racism and probably 99% of us are guilty of that – I know I am. We all have preconceptions of people based on what we have been told about them and their race and ethnicity.

I still come across managers of a certain generation, those in their fifties and older, who say to me: "I don't see you as black", and think that is a compliment. So what, I don't walk around with my jeans down by my arse, smoking a spliff, so that means I'm not black? These are the attitudes we need to change if black people as a whole are going to progress, and the only way we can achieve that is through education.

This is what footballers have to do – they cannot directly affect society but what they can do is use their standing in this country to make a wider audience aware of the wider issues surrounding race and stress the importance of understanding that what they have been told about a certain group of people is, in the main, wrong.

That, for instance, the best occupations black people can aspire to is being a footballer, or a runner, or a singer. People look at Barack Obama and say: "See, black people can be President" – no they can't. Any black person who has been successful, particularly Obama, has been lifted out of blackness and stands as the exception.

We need to talk openly about perceptions and not be afraid of the fact that we all have different views about different people based on how they look. There is nothing racist about an open, honest dialogue and it is certainly more productive then pointing the finger at the CSKA Moscow fans, or at Luis Suárez or John Terry, and demanding they are punished.

Personally, I don't blame Suárez or Terry for what they did – they are simply products of a society and environment that allows them to think it is OK to speak about certain people in a certain way. It would be far better if instead of banning them and demonising them, the Football Association aimed to educate them and make them see that black people are undeserving of racial abuse.

The truth is that Anton Ferdinand has more in common with Terry than he does with someone from Africa. They're wealthy guys from western culture who both drive Bentleys, both drink champagne and both listen to Tinie Tempah, yet Ferdinand is told he is different, that he is part of a race open to insults? That is ridiculous and, again, is the product of historically incorrect preconceptions.

Racism is never personal – it's about someone saying the group I am part of is superior to the group you are part of. How, for instance, can a handsome, talented, beautiful black footballer be personally affected by a fat, ugly, unemployed fan calling them a black this or a black that? I used to get that when I was playing and I used to just look at the people doing it and think: 'You're abusing me? Look at you, how can you even dare abuse me?!'

That is why it is pointless, and pretty ridiculous, to be worrying about a footballer getting racially abused – in no way are they the biggest sufferers, and, quite frankly, if I was someone like Touré or Rose I'd feel embarrassed if I had to look at someone who was suffering genuine racism and take their sympathy. A millionaire getting booed in Russia is nothing compared with generations of people never getting the chance to better their lives and those of their children.

Physically we are different – east Africans, for instance, are genetically inclined to run long distances in shorter spaces of time – but intellectually and morally we all have the potential to be the same. That is the type of equality I am interested in and is the message I give when speaking at universities and other public forums. And that is what more people involved in football, black players in particular should be doing. Because unless you get rid of racism in society, you can never get rid of it in football and as things stand there will always be these one-off moments when a player is abused or booed purely because of the colour of their skin.

Everyone goes into shock because they thought racism had disappeared from the game but how can it have done when it continues to exist in every other part of society at a more deep-seated, depressing level? Just because someone keeps their mouth shut for 90 minutes doesn't mean that for the rest of the week he isn't a racist, or hold unconsciously racist views, and until that is addressed, there will always be a problem.

Tackling racism is a long and complicated process but one thing's for sure; it cannot be solved by banning a player or closing part of a stadium. The problem is wider than that and if football really cared those involved in the game, players in particular, would worry less about one-off incidents like what happened to Touré when he played for Manchester City in Moscow and more about what is going on around them. Perceptions need to change and for that to happen, education needs to be pushed as the only way forward.

John Barnes has donated his fee for this column to charity.

[Ouroboros]

In the spirit of full disclosure, Lacoste, every time I read one of your posts I feel like I'm at risk of contracting thick-AIDS.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I read your posts and assume you already have it.

Then that must be your fault for not deleting all of Lacoste's disease-ridden posts before I read them.

A good mod should be a condom for the eyes.

[southbank1871]

He's only a mod in AE m8.

[Ouroboros]

I know this - anything I contract on the team board I consider my own fault.

[MouldyRoyal]

Good column by Barnes. Particularly think the "they don't want to hear it or see it" attitude applies to most of the people giving Roberts shit for being outspoken.

[Elm Park Pasty]

Good column by Barnes. Particularly think the "they don't want to hear it or see it" attitude applies to most of the people giving Roberts shit for being outspoken.

It was an extremely good column by Barnes. I've always thought part of the problem is that you cannot force society to move in a direction that it is not yet ready to go in (even if for the most part, it is always the right one). It takes time for society to move, my dad's generation was more enlightened then the generation before, but not as enlightened as mine. My generation is not as enlightened as the next generation that is moving out into society now, and that generation will not be as developed as the next. My father used travelled the world and made sure that I always treated people in the way I wanted to be treated myself. However, there is a limit to what we as individuals can do. This is a problem that is much larger than football, and to some degree is a symptom of a larger social problem of which one manifestation is racial.

[P!ssed Off]

In the spirit of full disclosure, Lacoste, every time I read one of your posts I feel like I'm at risk of contracting thick-AIDS.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I read your posts and assume you already have it.

Then that must be your fault for not deleting all of Lacoste's disease-ridden posts before I read them.

A good mod should be a condom for the eyes.

Just bloody foe him like I did it.
Skip his drivel.

[Extended-Phenotype]

My thoughts exactly BF - the difference between JR and MG is that in many peoples eyes JR's has in some cases trivialised the fight against racism, MG hasn't. The responses seem proportionate to this perception.

How has he trivialised it? By having a different opinion to you?

[Royal Lady]

My thoughts exactly BF - the difference between JR and MG is that in many peoples eyes JR's has in some cases trivialised the fight against racism, MG hasn't. The responses seem proportionate to this perception.

How has he trivialised it? By having a different opinion to you?

He does seem to play the race card quite a lot. He moans there are not enough black managers/coaches - but he himself has said he is not interested in coaching/managing - I wonder if he has any concrete examples of black people being actively denied the chance to manager/coach. He's a very eloquent speaker and would be good for Kick it Out etc, but it does seem that he looks for problems where there aren't any. IMO. Did he answer any questions in the end btw?