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

[loyalroyaldaz]

God help us if there is a gay black man in the changing room !

[Extended-Phenotype]

WThe straight ones might want to bum you

Wouldn't that by definition make them gay?
You seem to be very confused about sexuality.

No, just comfortable with it.

[3 veesinarow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19994204

Now the lead sports article of the BBC...

Jason Roberts set to snub 'Kick It Out' racism campaign
Reading striker Jason Roberts will not wear a 'Kick It Out' T-shirt in protest at what he perceives to be the campaign group's lack of action in combating racism in football.

Kick It Out's annual week of action starts on Thursday and players have traditionally worn shirts promoting it.

But referring to incidents involving John Terry and Luis Suarez, Roberts told BBC Sport: "I won't wear one.

"I find it hard to wear a T-shirt after what happened last year."

Chelsea captain Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by the Football Association for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match at Loftus Road on 23 October, 2011.

Liverpool striker Suarez received an eight-match ban and £40,000 fine for the same offence against Manchester United's Patrice Evra following a Premier League game on 15 October, 2011.

Roberts added: "I'm totally committed to kicking racism out of football but when there's a movement I feel represents the issue in the way that speaks for me and my colleagues, then I will happily support it.

"I think people feel let down by what used to be called 'Let's Kick Racism Out of Football'."

It's good that he's vocal and passionate, but could he be more effective in other ways? It's a high-profile thing and rightly so, but the droning noise is getting louder.

[DelBoyRodders]

What an embarrassment he has become.
The FA have taken action against John Terry - time for everyone to move ON.
I detest John Terry and Chelsea with a passion, but he's been punished now and we all have to accept that.
Calling for him to be sacked is OTT. If he was sacked another PL club would pick him up ASAP.
As for threatening not to wear the Kick it Out t-shirt this weekend is shocking. The organisation have done so much work to improve things over the last few years.
Just because we've had a couple of isolated incidents, doesn't mean nothing is being done.
Those incidents have been dealt with correctly.
Racism (particuarly surrounding football) is almost non-existent these days - I can't see what much more can be done to be honest.
Also it doesn't matter what you do there will always be occasional isolated incidents, especially if we choose to analyse everything to the nth degree looking for forms of racism and also if a black person provokes someone to hurling a black comment back at him.
Jason Roberts, please take that huge chip off your shoulder.

[ZacNaloen]

I'm beginning to wonder if Jason Roberts is truly as intelligent as he sounds.


Kick it out is about more than racism.

[RoyalBlue]

I'm beginning to wonder if Jason Roberts is truly as intelligent as he sounds.
.

Does he sound intelligent?

I think we have had some far more intelligent players than him (Sanchez, Lovell and Forster for example) and, before I'm accused of being racist, Clarke Carlisle hasn't played for us. However, IMO Jason is no Clarke in terms of intelligence.

[blueroyals]

They should have separate bodies to tackle separate issues tbf. Roberts does have a point.

I have absolutely no idea what this 'Kick It Out' group actually does. I see the t-shirts once a year and they disappear after that.

[Extended-Phenotype]

All for people standing up for their rights and I don’t believe racism is a ‘dealt with’ issue that some people make it out to be. Stats and data can be misrepresented by either side so I’d prefer to see a rational examination of equality in this country’s system rather than much more from the two sides barking at each other.

Are black people applying for their coaching badges? If not, why?

Are black people passing their coaching badges? If not, why?

Are black people with coaching badges getting jobs as coaches? If not, why?


Fair enough questions to ask. And Jason Roberts may have a point in all this but it will get lost if he loses public support by going too far. Reading this thread, it sounds like he is.

You can be as right as you want, but if you are irrational nobody will listen.

[Royal91]

I believe racism in the UK is very low! A couple incidents by two of the biggest C*NTS in football set if off!

I find him very annoying, its like he thinks everyone's out to get him! No we are on your side!

Now Sepp Blatter is the biggest C*NT going. Fifa need to do more from a global perspective! Ban Serbia from the next 10 tournaments and that would irradiate any racism.

You have to make an example of someone for the greater good.

Unrelated I know, but Portsmouth should have been liquidated like Chester City. Watch a large club go down and that shows you can't F*CK with finances!

[Stuboo]

I don't think I like Jason Roberts' approach. Slating Kick it Out doesn't seem right as I'm sure they've made some progress. He could have joined with them to make it better. He also could be seen as thinking tackling racism is more important than sexism and homophobia. On top of this, he is suggesting that last year was a disaster for racism. Well no, actually, both Suarez and Terry were given significant punishments (even though one of them was cleared in a court of law). He comes accross to me as ungrateful and dispariging of the great work we have done to tackle racism, and the average English fan who is most certainly not racist.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaar. Cool it Jason, and concentrate on playing for Reading first and foremost.

[Stuboo]

All for people standing up for their rights and I don’t believe racism is a ‘dealt with’ issue that some people make it out to be. Stats and data can be misrepresented by either side so I’d prefer to see a rational examination of equality in this country’s system rather than much more from the two sides barking at each other.

Are black people applying for their coaching badges? If not, why?

Are black people passing their coaching badges? If not, why?

Are black people with coaching badges getting jobs as coaches? If not, why?


Fair enough questions to ask. And Jason Roberts may have a point in all this but it will get lost if he loses public support by going too far. Reading this thread, it sounds like he is.

You can be as right as you want, but if you are irrational nobody will listen.

Spot on.

[ZacNaloen]

I don't think I like Jason Roberts' approach. Slating Kick it Out doesn't seem right as I'm sure they've made some progress. He could have joined with them to make it better. He also could be seen as thinking tackling racism is more important than sexism and homophobia. On top of this, he is suggesting that last year was a disaster for racism. Well no, actually, both Suarez and Terry were given significant punishments (even though one of them was cleared in a court of law). He comes accross to me as ungrateful and dispariging of the great work we have done to tackle racism, and the average English fan who is most certainly not racist.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaar. Cool it Jason, and concentrate on playing for Reading first and foremost.

I agree here to be honest. That a racist incident happened doesn't mean Kick it out is failing.

That the racist incidents were punished, more strongly by the FA than by a court of law even, suggests that the Kick it out campaign is in fact doing it's job.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Personally I don't think there's enough Welsh managers and coaches in the league either, considering the number of Welsh players in the various divisions - and there's not enough English managers in the Premier League. Oh and don't forget a lot of Premier League sides don't have enough English players in their first teams either...

[Extended-Phenotype]

Precisely. Which indicates it's a global league and we shouldn't be using national statistics to dissmiss possible inequality.

[Z175]

I do agree its slightly embarrassing knowing others are reading it thinking, hes just a Reading player (whos friends with the BBC bloke who arranges the stories!)

Hes got a point though, the "anti racist" stance of the FA, PL and UEFA has been exposed as meer lip service. The culmination of this failure to take it seriously is the appalling events in Serbia, which will be denied and practically unpunished. If the FA ban Suarez for 8 games, but John Terry for only 4, what they are staying is there are mitigating circumstances for Terry. The Serbs will claim the same.

If we want to be able to act as strongly as possible over events like in Serbia, we need to be able to take the morale high ground. But sadly its very muddy at the moment. Roberts will be walking out with the same Liverpool team wearing "Kick it out" t shirts on Saturday that were practically wearing "Kick them out" shirts a year ago. I'm not surprised he wants no part of it. I think our entire team should wear "We support Jason Roberts" t shirts to make this point.

[Z175]

Personally I don't think there's enough Welsh managers and coaches in the league either

1 in every 20 of the UK population is Welsh...

[No Fixed Abode]

The subject of racism is BORING.

[phil in cornwall]

At least Roberts is unlikely to be in the starting eleven at Anfield, so he won't have to decide whether or not to shake hands with Suarez.

[loyalroyal4life]

the thing now is other players are considering following roberts decision, maybe all our players at anfield won't bother

[DelBoyRodders]

Surely refusing to wear the Kick it Out t-shirt (black or white person) is a more serious issue than the refusing the tedious pre-match handshake?
Roberts and anyone who follows his actions are undermining all the work the organisation are doing on their behalf.
Very embarrassing for Reading FC and not the sort of publicity our club deserves or needs.
If he's threatening to walk off the pitch if he's abused then he's not in a good state of mind to play.
Big decision for the manager to select him.
Think he'll be gone in the transfer window if an offer comes in.
He did a good job last season and I have huge respect for that, but we don't need this hassle and publicity, so get rid!