Guardian lies

[LeazesMag 0]

Lots of OTT analysis in this thread.

 

Basically, its just a shite paper read by leftie loonies, that has printed a load of bollocks, as usual.

You have a brilliant mind.

 

Why beat about the bush. It's a shite paper, and attempted to plug it's loony left agenda. Nowt else to discuss.

 

Of course, your posts over the years have epitomised common sense and intelligence, shame you are rarely proved correct........

 

We've all had our share of howlers Leazes....

 

 

It's not a paper I read myself but rather than let them write what they want, someone's actually bothered to put them right. Good on them I say.

 

if that's what you wish. However, it reflects their loony left views. Bollocks of a paper.

[Meenzer 15716]

We'd gathered that, yes.

[Craig 6700]

.COM's take on it...

 

Colegate update

 

 

The story so far:

 

The Guardian published an article about racism in football and issues with certain ethnic groups playing at the top level of the game (that's online here).

 

When originally published, the article also included the following paragraph:

 

Andy Cole made his debut at St James' Park, Taylor*, then a student in the city, recalls: "There were protests outside the ground. But Andy scored a hat-trick that day and we heard no more from the protesters."

 

* that's Simon Taylor now Chelsea's "head of corporate social responsibility".

 

That got many people hot under the collar and while some added comments to the Guardian website, others set up a facebook page (online here). Our response was as follows:

 

That's an interesting take on history, as Cole made his Magpies debut away at Swindon Town in March 1993, when his appearance was greeted with applause by the travelling contingent.

 

His first home outing came the following week against Notts County and he capped an encouraging display with a finely-taken and well-celebrated goal. There were no protests outside the ground to our knowledge that day - they were to come later, when he exited for Old Trafford.

 

Earlier that season Newcastle had fielded Franz Carr in their side - and there were no protests from Toon fans then either (and had there been, then a local precedent existed for those involved to be arrested*).

 

There's never been any suggestion that racist abuse of players was once widespread in this region - along with many other parts of the country. Our own recollections, other fan reminiscences and memoirs from the likes of Bobby Barnes and Viv Anderson cover the subject well.

 

However we resent Newcastle fans being used as an easy target from a safe distance away by someone who has dreamt up a handy fable to make their own point.

 

If we're dredging up ancient history, let's look no further than good old Chelsea themselves and the behaviour of fans and team mates alike towards Paul Canoville here. Surely that would have been a more fitting (and socially responsible) example to use in the article?

 

 

 

* among the first people to be charged under the new Football Offences Act in 1991 was a 20 year-old Newcastle fan from Longbenton. He was later acquited.

 

The offending paragraph subsequently disappeared from the online edition of The Guardian, which then posted the following:

 

This article was amended on 26 May 2010 to remove a quote saying that there were protests outside the Newcastle ground when Andy Cole made his debut there in 1993, and that the player scored a hat-trick that day. A clarification covering the facts, and missing context, behind the quote will be published in the Guardian shortly.

 

Simon Taylor then emailed a complainant with a partial explanation and personal apology as follows:

 

"I thought it may be helpful to explain that the comments you refer to are an out-of-context part of an interview in which I spoke generally about racism within the game, the lack of Asian players and how role models can help inspire and overcome prejudice.

 

"I’m personally disappointed that my quote has come across in a negative way. What is missing from the piece is the fact that the groups I was referring to were explicitly not Newcastle supporters. The quote does not, nor would I ever, imply that Newcastle fans racially abused Andrew Cole. In fact the point I was making was in praise of Newcastle fans who shunned the minority who were attempting to stir up trouble at the time.

 

"I would never say these people were Newcastle or indeed football fans, in fact I would suspect the opposite to be true. Having lived in the city for seven years and having been back to St James Park subsequently I have nothing but the utmost respect for Newcastle fans.

 

"The wider point lost in the piece was how fans have been instrumental in overcoming racism within the game and how players and role models such as Andrew Cole, and in the case of Chelsea - Paul Canoville and Paul Elliott, deserve a great deal of credit in the fight against racism.

 

"I do hope this email helps to explain the context of the quotes and I can only apologise if anyone has taken offence."

 

So no mention of the facts that he got wrong, or the justification for using Newcastle as an example, rather than the club he works for.

 

The Guardian then added this to their corrections and clarifications section:

 

A piece about an initiative to foster young Asian footballers made a historical reference to racism in the game, and quoted an interviewee recalling that when Andrew Cole made his debut at Newcastle United's St James' Park, "There were protests outside the ground. But Andy scored a hat-trick that day and we heard no more from the protesters."

 

To clarify, this referred to Cole's first home game (his debut had been at Swindon). The player scored a goal, not a hat-trick. The reference to protests suggested there were demonstrations; rather, the speaker was referring to accounts from eyewitnesses at the match who reported seeing suspected National Front agitators handing out racist literature outside the ground.

 

The interviewee asks us to note that the context for his quote was a discussion of the positive role of fans and respected players in overcoming racism in the game: "The point I was making was in praise of Newcastle fans who shunned a few people at the time who were attempting to stir up trouble."

 

With regard to the agitators mentioned, we've now spoken to an eye witness who recalls a handful of people from outside the city trying to distribute racist literature outside the Gallowgate End. They were quickly moved on.

 

While the published clarification does lend some context to the original piece, only the addition of Simon Taylor's own apology and the additional information above make it in any way acceptable.

 

What doesn't alter is that The Guardian published a story which projected the view that Newcastle fans were openly racist to illustrate their point. That was not the case and warrants an apology from them.

[manc-mag 1]

The suggestion that the 'fact' he scored a hatrick meant that the protests then stopped quite clearly implies that the 'protestors' were Newcastle fans tbqfh. Just needs an admission that it was made up off the top of his head in this instance.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

It's not even a proper apology, not that I expect one either from him or the paper.

 

'I apologise if anyone has taken offence' is the usual bollocks that gets churned out by arseholes who know they're wrong but just haven't got the balls to say it in case they lose face with their peers. Cock.

[Guest alex]

The quote does not, nor would I ever, imply that Newcastle fans racially abused Andrew Cole.

That's exactly what it implied. The cunt.

[manc-mag 1]

It gets better still when you realise he didn't even witness the 'protests' himself

[manc-mag 1]

Didn't actually see the protests himself. Saw Cole score a hatrick. Not exactly the prosecutions star witness m'Lud.

[Guest alex]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

[LeazesMag 0]

So how many of you lot that read this rag is going to stop buying it ?

[Guest alex]

So how many of you lot that read this rag is going to stop buying it ?

I'm going to start buying it. Just in case they try it again.

[manc-mag 1]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

 

Probably at the same match that Blair was at as a kid, watching Jackie Milburn from Level 7.

[manc-mag 1]

So how many of you lot that read this rag is going to stop buying it ?

I'm going to start buying it. Just in case they try it again.

 

[LeazesMag 0]

So how many of you lot that read this rag is going to stop buying it ?

I'm going to start buying it. Just in case they try it again.

 

you working hard again today

[Guest alex]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

 

Probably at the same match that Blair was at as a kid, watching Jackie Milburn from Level 7.

Did you ever see him on Football Focus btw? Turns out the quote was bollocks, i.e. he said something along the lines of he was taken there in the 60s occasionally but he never saw the likes of Milburn. However, you could tell he was shitting it before they read it out as he wasn't quite sure what he had said or if he'd 'sexed things up' a bit.

[Guest alex]

So how many of you lot that read this rag is going to stop buying it ?

I'm going to start buying it. Just in case they try it again.

 

you working hard again today

Aye, yearning for retirement.

[LeazesMag 0]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

 

Probably at the same match that Blair was at as a kid, watching Jackie Milburn from Level 7.

Did you ever see him on Football Focus btw? Turns out the quote was bollocks, i.e. he said something along the lines of he was taken there in the 60s occasionally but he never saw the likes of Milburn. However, you could tell he was shitting it before they read it out as he wasn't quite sure what he had said or if he'd 'sexed things up' a bit.

 

he said he was sat in the terraces in the Galloway End [something like that]

[Guest alex]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

 

Probably at the same match that Blair was at as a kid, watching Jackie Milburn from Level 7.

Did you ever see him on Football Focus btw? Turns out the quote was bollocks, i.e. he said something along the lines of he was taken there in the 60s occasionally but he never saw the likes of Milburn. However, you could tell he was shitting it before they read it out as he wasn't quite sure what he had said or if he'd 'sexed things up' a bit.

 

he said he was sat in the terraces in the Galloway End [something like that]

No he didn't. I can't remember the actual quote but that was made up.

[manc-mag 1]

Probably thinks no one in the NE reads the Guardian so he'd get away with it. Probably been watching The Wire.

 

Probably at the same match that Blair was at as a kid, watching Jackie Milburn from Level 7.

Did you ever see him on Football Focus btw? Turns out the quote was bollocks, i.e. he said something along the lines of he was taken there in the 60s occasionally but he never saw the likes of Milburn. However, you could tell he was shitting it before they read it out as he wasn't quite sure what he had said or if he'd 'sexed things up' a bit.

 

Nah never saw that mate. Can just picture him squirming, like.

[Ayatollah Hermione 14047]

Lots of OTT analysis in this thread.

 

Basically, its just a shite paper read by leftie loonies, that has printed a load of bollocks, as usual.

You have a brilliant mind.

 

Why beat about the bush. It's a shite paper, and attempted to plug it's loony left agenda. Nowt else to discuss.

 

Of course, your posts over the years have epitomised common sense and intelligence, shame you are rarely proved correct........

 

Aye, it's awful when someone will constantly push an agenda down the throats of everyone.

[LeazesMag 0]

Lots of OTT analysis in this thread.

 

Basically, its just a shite paper read by leftie loonies, that has printed a load of bollocks, as usual.

You have a brilliant mind.

 

Why beat about the bush. It's a shite paper, and attempted to plug it's loony left agenda. Nowt else to discuss.

 

Of course, your posts over the years have epitomised common sense and intelligence, shame you are rarely proved correct........

 

Aye, it's awful when someone will constantly push an agenda down the throats of everyone.

 

the only "agenda" I've had, if you wish to call it that, is to post factual and correct information. I presume you are referring to the comments I have made about playing regularly in europe etc ?

[Howmanheyman 33828]

This Taylor bloke is now saying he really likes us Geordies and he meant to praise us, rather than condemn us? Hmmmmn..... Bullshit methinks. Let's hope he sues the Guardian for misrepresentation then.

[Craig 6700]

I find it hilarious the way that, by insulting our intelligence and suggesting we haven't correctly interpreted his point, he feels he's smoothed things over with us.

 

What an absolute helmet!

[Howmanheyman 33828]

I find it hilarious the way that, by insulting our intelligence and suggesting we haven't correctly interpreted his point, he feels he's smoothed things over with us.

 

What an absolute helmet!

Par for the course with these types. "No, I really love Noocarsell, I just didn't think of the shit-storm that would come my way for printing anti-Geordie hear-say as fact didn't mean for it to come across badly.

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3964]

He was not our first Black player so why would we have protested against him anyway?