Jason Roberts...Do you sometimes find him annoying?!

[RoyalBlue]

Oh yeah - nobody can be racist to white people.

That's right, it can only ever be racism if it is done by a white person against a coloured person.
If for example a coloured islamist person rapes a woman because she "is a whore who doesn't wear the burkha and has no man present", then that is not racism, that is just a) cultural enrichment or b) cultural differences/misunderstandings. Either way it is a fantastic thing and we should all be glad to see it happen.

Christ, piss off and support someone else, please. You are an embarrassement. FWIW I'm in the Jason Robert's can say what he wants gang. LOL at those that think that one of our most articulate footballer's of recent years shouldn't say what he feels.

"most articulate"?

Don't think so. Having a lot to say is not the same as being articulate. Roberts is not particularly articulate and we have had many players over the years who have been considerably more articulate.

Whatever they might say in public I suspect the club will not be happy and that he'll be moved on at the earliest possible opportunity.

Agree with that. I'm not sure Brian will be overly keen on him becoming the leader of the dressing room and I suspect the management in general are beginning to regret his wide involvement in the media.

[ankeny]

So your anti-racist credentials are more valid than Ankeny's? Is there a Brendy-approved scale we can refer to in order to check this out?

I am not mate,just tell where I'm coming from but don't lecture me .People like see everything white is bad and everything black is good.Your part of the problem,this country is the most welcoming in the world,ask the black soldiers who were over here in the war.In the fifties there was a witch hunt for commies ,now there is one for rascist.

[ankeny]

So your anti-racist credentials are more valid than Ankeny's? Is there a Brendy-approved scale we can refer to in order to check this out?

I am not mate,just tell where I'm coming from but don't lecture me .People like see everything white is bad and everything black is good.Your part of the problem,this country is the most welcoming in the world,ask the black soldiers who were over here in the war.In the fifties there was a witch hunt for commies ,now there is one for rascist.

Sorry RR ,wrong quote,I was referring to Hampshire Royal

[buzzby]

Rio Ferdinand also not wearing the Kick it out t-shirt.

[windermere_royal]

Roberts, Jem. garath and Jobie not wearing the T.shirts, all the Liverpool squad are.

[southbank1871]

So Fergie can fukk off then basically.

I don't necessarily agree with Roberts, but he's got every right to wear the t-shirt or not wear the t-shirt. And talk of Reading looking to get rid of him because he speaks his mind is a little bit silly.

[genome]

Joleon Lescott also not wearing one

[sputnik]

Also all of Swansea v Wigan not wearing them according to radio 5

[buzzby]

Joleon Lescott also not wearing one

They have said he has never worn one.

[ankeny]

So your anti-racist credentials are more valid than Ankeny's? Is there a Brendy-approved scale we can refer to in order to check this out?

I am not mate,just tell where I'm coming from but don't lecture me .People like you see everything white is bad and everything black is good.Your part of the problem,this country is the most welcoming in the world,ask the black soldiers who were over here in the war.In the fifties there was a witch hunt for commies ,now there is one for rascist.

[creative_username_1]

Some of my best fiends have friends that are black

[Hampshire Royal]

So your anti-racist credentials are more valid than Ankeny's? Is there a Brendy-approved scale we can refer to in order to check this out?

I am not mate,just tell where I'm coming from but don't lecture me .People like you see everything white is bad and everything black is good.Your part of the problem,this country is the most welcoming in the world,ask the black soldiers who were over here in the war.In the fifties there was a witch hunt for commies ,now there is one for rascist.

I agree with you about this country being one of the most welcoming in the World, and I also agree with you that racist tendencies have lessened in the past few years. I do not, however, see everything white as bad and everything black as good. The vast majority of my family are white, it's just my wife and two of my children who aren't. Why I dislike racism and believe it to be one of the things in this world which need to be got rid of is simply because I know that some people look at my wife and see only the colour of her skin. I hope that by the time my 2 daughters grow up (they're 4 and 2) that all white people will see them and not make up their minds about what sort of people they are simply by looking at the colour of their skin. The change is starting (helped by organisations like Kick It Out) and I hope it will make our society as race-blind as Brasil is now.

[tink]

It amuses me that certain parts of the media are criticising Roberts for failing to tow the line, but in refusing to do so he is actually giving the issue more publicity, and thus whether or not you agree with his tactics, they have worked, because by not wearing the shirt, it has got more people looking at the issue. If he had just gone along with it, then no-one would have said a thing, and everyone would have kept quiet and assumed everything was hunky-dory.

So fair play to Roberts for doing what he believes is the right thing to do.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

In my case not at all.

I disagree with his premise.

His argument is because we've had two high profile incidents last year that Kick it out isn't doing it's job.

It's my opinion that the whole reason those events have been such big news is because kick it out has done it's job. White players have been racist to black players for years with nothing being said. Now when it happens, there are repercussions, because black players feel that it is now not something they have to put up with. This is of course a good thing. If Roberts doesn't think those repercussions are enough, then that is all he needs to say. Not drag the organisations name through the mud. Go ahead and campaign on that premise, but to boycott the organisation is frankly a step too far.

We are going to see a lot more incidents of racism in the media now, but this is a good thing because it continues to highlight the issue. It doesn't mean that the racism issue isn't improving though. We are talking about it and those responsible are getting punished, that's improvement in itself.

I don't think he's "dragging the organisation's name through the mud" - he's just saying that racism in football is still a problem, and there need to be effective campaigns and effective organisations doing something about it.

An organisation that only seems to raise awareness, and which seems to most people to be all about distributing t-shirts isn't enough. And the fact that it exists means that many people in the game have an attitude "we wear the t-shirts every year, so we don't need to do anything else..." which is what his main issue is.

He's doing something he believes in, so all power to him AFAIC!

[Royal Lady]

If only Roberts put as much effort into trying to head the oxf*rd ball once in a while, as he does with his posturing and tweeting, we might get more chances up front when he's playing.

[ZacNaloen]

I don't think he's "dragging the organisation's name through the mud" - he's just saying that racism in football is still a problem, and there need to be effective campaigns and effective organisations doing something about it.

An organisation that only seems to raise awareness, and which seems to most people to be all about distributing t-shirts isn't enough. And the fact that it exists means that many people in the game have an attitude "we wear the t-shirts every year, so we don't need to do anything else..." which is what his main issue is.

He's doing something he believes in, so all power to him AFAIC!

Of course he is dragging their name through the mud, he's calling an organisation that has had success in raising awareness ineffective, and made it so that incidents like suarez's and Terrys actually get punished.


What else can they do? They have no power except to campaign and raise awareness.

Public opinion against racism is high. The problem in football was that it goes unsaid. Kick it out has made it so that is no longer the case. That's a success.

Yes, Kick it out should have been campaigning for stronger punishments particularly for Terry who should have had at least the same punishment as suarez. But his argument that the organisation is ineffective is patently false. His argument for boycotting it is therefore weak. He should be campaigning in their name making the points he is making now. I doubt very much they have a paid membership.

And his original complaint on twitter that Kick it out should change their name back to "kick racism out of football" is just plain ignorant.

[Royal Lady]

I agree with Zac fwiw. As I asked earlier, what does he expect them to change? Perhaps he could work WITH them to try and instigate some of these changes, rather than slagging them off.

[Royal Ginger]

He's got a decent amount of press for the issues, instead of a token t-shirt parade. I think he's done a good job.

[ZacNaloen]

No denying that, I just think he's needlessly undermined an organisation that has done good work and needed a vocal ambassador to breathe new life into it within ranks. Especially as the job is obviously not done. Not a vocal critic.

They'd probably have welcomed him with open arms but he's kind of poisoned the well for himself now hasn't he?

[Stuboo]

No denying that, I just think he's needlessly undermined an organisation that has done good work and needed a vocal ambassador to breathe new life into it within ranks. Especially as the job is obviously not done. Not a vocal critic.

They'd probably have welcomed him with open arms but he's kind of poisoned the well for himself now hasn't he?

I agree with Zac.