Ridsdale's Alleged Comments: Beware the Gutter Press

I cannot believe that people have been getting so worked up this morning about a tabloid newspaper report that inaccurately attributes comments about our fans singing about their hatred of the English to Peter Ridsdale.

Doesn anyone actually bother to read such reports before calling for sackings, resignations, etc?

Read this report form the Express (the one everybody is apparently so angry about):

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/vie ... nder-siege

In it, the paper alleges Ridsdale said: "I’ve never known anything like the hate here – they chant ‘Stand up if you hate the English’. To be honest, if God was the manager here he wouldn’t be good enough for some of these fans."

However, in a piece in the Star, which shares the same publisher, the very same journalist attributes the quotes about the fans to manager Dave Jones! Read this:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... g-English/

And Jones himself said: "I have seen intense hatred at Merseyside and Midlands derbies but I have never known anything like this. When they chant, ‘Stand up if you hate the English’ we stand up too. To be honest, if God was the manager here he wouldn’t be good enough."

Calm down, people. You (and the Chairman) have been stitched up by the gutter press.

Peter Ridsdale replied to my e-mail confirming that Dave Jones did in-fact make those comments.

Peter Ridsdale replied to my e-mail confirming that Dave Jones did in-fact make those comments.

Of course.

It is Jones all over, but people wanted to believe it was Ridsdale, so they swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

Whether or not those words were actually said, surely there was some intimation of that sentiment ?
I couldnt give a monkeys whether or not they have been accurately quoted, because lets be fair PR & DJ have shown the fans very little respect over the years anyway. To me it smacks of some people thrashing helplessly around in the water.

I am not sticking up for PR, but I think you will find it was Dave Jones who made all these comments about Our Fans.

Whether or not those words were actually said, surely there was some intimation of that sentiment ?

Where?

Ridsdale didn't mention anything at all about our fans hating the English and wanting him out as a result, and yet he is being hammered for comments which were actually made by the manager! Whatever you think of the Chairman and the way he runs the club, that's just not right.

Last edited by The Lone Gunman on Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Whether or not those words were actually said, surely there was some intimation of that sentiment ?

Where?

Ridsdale didn't mention anything at all about our fans hating the English and wanting himout as a result, and yet he is being hammered for comments which were actually made by the manager! Whatever you think of the Chairman and the way he runs the club, that's just not right.

TLG I did say in my post neither PR or DJ have given us the respect we deserve, meaning whoever (If either of them did) made the comments.

Frankly you are probably right, Ridsdale has done himself so much damage recently, I'm surprised th Haitian earthquake wasn't put down to him. Having said all of that, I can't think of a more deserving cause for our hostility, can you

Peter Ridsdale replied to my e-mail confirming that Dave Jones did in-fact make those comments.

Of course.

It is Jones all over, but people wanted to believe it was Ridsdale, so they swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

Ah okay, I get what you mean now. I thought you were saying that neither of them made any such comments.

Ridsdale is quoted as saying

“But this campaign is vicious and it’s unbelievable. All I am getting is abuse when I wake up every morning. I am terribly under siege. If I walked away I would still get the blame. That’s why I have to try to finish the journey I started when I took over a club left more than £30m in debt by the previous owner"

It could be something completely unrelated, but he's obviously talking about some sort of abuse 'campaign'

Of course. And there is an abuse campaign, is there not?

However, the thing that people have been getting excited about today is his alleged comments about our fans hating the English and wanting him out for that reason. He has even been accused by some of our more sensible contributors of playing the race card.

It's clear to me that he made no such comments. What do you think, Owain?

Of course. And there is an abuse campaign, is there not?

However, the thing that people have been getting excited about today is his alleged comments about our fans hating the English and wanting him out for that reason. He has even been accused by some of our more sensible contributors of playing the race card.

It's clear to me that he made no such comments. What do you think, Owain?

I agree that he obviously didn't say what we first thought, as I had only read the Express Article where they seem to be getting the quotes mixed up!

We're never really going to know in what context his quote was taken from though, so I guess we will never know what campaign he was referring to. Obvioulsy there are plenty that want Ridsdale out, and also a lot have called for Dave Jones' head over the last months but whether that is an abuse campaign where the fans wont be satisfied until they're both gone I don't know.

But it is clear that it was Jones that made the comments about the english thing and not Ridders

Of course. And there is an abuse campaign, is there not?

However, the thing that people have been getting excited about today is his alleged comments about our fans hating the English and wanting him out for that reason. He has even been accused by some of our more sensible contributors of playing the race card.

It's clear to me that he made no such comments. What do you think, Owain?

I agree that he obviously didn't say what we first thought, as I had only read the Express Article where they seem to be getting the quotes mixed up!

We're never really going to know in what context his quote was taken from though, so I guess we will never know what campaign he was referring to. Obvioulsy there are plenty that want Ridsdale out, and also a lot have called for Dave Jones' head over the last months but whether that is an abuse campaign where the fans wont be satisfied until they're both gone I don't know.

But it is clear that it was Jones that made the comments about the english thing and not Ridders

It seems Jones then is trying to get involved in battles which don't concern him. Do you think its self preservation and more accurately massively inflated contract preservation ?