The Woolster

If you are really cool with it after being told that it could cause offence, then I am actually fucking offended by it. Proximity to blackness is a term used to describe when white people are associated with or are integrated with black people/communities, so lets this clear when I say that being mixed race does not mean that I, or any other mixed race person, have a proximity to blackness, thanks.

*sigh* If something has different possible meanings, then it is not clearly anything. By the way, and I'm fine with it, because I don't think their is any intent, but some people of mixed heritage might take offence to being told they have proximity to blackness, they may consider it to be a little bit, well, racist... I'd probably try to refrain from using it in the future.

The picture in and of itself is not actually racist, is it? People have ascribed the meaning/intent to the picture, and if both parents were white, you would not say it was a racist picture. It is clear that Baker is not ignorant of the possible connotations of picture, so the question is whether you believe him when he says it had not occurred to him, in which case it was not racist but he did make a mistake, or you don't believe him, in which case it is clearly a form of casual racism. Both are possible. I guess you disagree with my view that calling everything that could potentially be racist as actually being racist might actually be damaging the fight against racism?

I did not see my dad as an ape, he just looked like one... some white people look like apes, like Gareth Bale. The vast majority of black people do not look like apes. Jokes aside though, if it is structural and unconscious, then intent is absolutely relevant! It signifies the difference between someone who is ignorant, perhaps through circumstance, and someone who is an actual racist.

We so should have done this... To be honest, we probably still could with de Ligt, at least for a year. He'd get another year's experience playing week in week out, which he might not get here, he'll be a better player, Ajax would get to keep him for another year, Lovren would be down to last year of his contract and we'll probably be looking to move him on, everyone's happy.

Coming on who exactly? Pictures or GTFOH!

Yes, actual racism needs to be called out. To help fight racism, I think we actually need racists to be more overtly racist so that those with ignorance may see it for what it is, although there would be some short term pain with that. But its another reason why we the approach of being outraged may do more harm, in my opinion it would be far better to question, attempt to understand, and discuss.

Am I gonna get a load of news reporters knocking at my door...?

Danny Baker didn't send the card, I did, so interested to hear your view

Kind of covered this point in my other post, on the face of it, it does seem positive, but if that offence turn to outrage, then it potentially does more damage than good.

I would think that the baby is quite unlikely to be black

I am mixed race, my dad was black (light skinned), he was wrinkly and usually very grumpy, for his birthday once when I was in my teens I got him a card with a picture of a grumpy looking gorilla. Was that (I) racist?

Something is only racist if it is meant in a racist way. In my experience, the majority of 'racist' comments are due to ignorance rather than racism, otherwise it is people of a certain age where their long term memory has overpowered their short term memory (Amber Rudd callinf Dianna Abbot coloured comes to mind), or people just not thinking or putting 2 and 2 together, which is possible in this case, but I don't enough about him to say. The vast minority are actually racist. I think it is very unfortunate that the conversation about what racism is has generally been reduced to the lowest common denominator, which in my view has been driven by mainly white, middle class people who abhor racism, without thinking about the bigger picture because it doesn't affect them. Many people are now too scared to talk about racism in case they say something that might cause offence and get labelled a racist. As I said, in most cases I think it is ignorance, but if conversations are not being had it means the people with ignorant views could be missing out on the chance learn why their views are wrong. And with racism being reduced to the lowest common denominator, it draws the discussion away fro the real issues of racism. The irony that he has been sacked by an entity that is quite possibly institutionally racist has not been lost on me.

I have it 8-3...

His head movement early in the fight was unreal

Anyone else watching Canelo-Jacibs? Froch chatting shite as per...

I was at the bottom of page 671, and couldn't be bothered going through 35 pages so skipped to the last page, and these were the last and first posts on the respective pages. It amused me

I'm currently watching it having recorded it, 7 minutes into extra time, 11 minutes left on the recording... Glad to heart we won though! We weren't even close to out best, our attack were so isolated, but were better after the first half at least

Think they changed it to a one-off match this season

Looking forward to this. This is probably our best all-round U18 team for a good 8 or so years

Err, Txiki Begiristain was hired by City in 2012. Guardiola joined Bayern in 2013 and was there for 3 seasons, at what point did he advise City to hire him? I think Bgiristain is Director of Football of the entire City Football Group, he is most definitely above Guardiola.

Not that I can tell. They have Woodward, who was an accountant/investment banker and is the money man, but I don't think there is anyone below him who is covering all areas of the football side of things

No, the view that a DoF, if they are a proper DoF, has the final decision in transfers or that its only transfers that they are involved in is the red herring. They should be covering everything football related, 1st team, academy, medical, sport science, scouting, maybe even the women's team. Some 'DoFs' may have a different job titles, and some with the DoF job title might not really be a 'DoF' if all they are doing is sorting out transfers. But there have been some successful ones in England already. You could even argue that the most successful was Alex Ferguson.

http://global.espn.com/football/club/manchester-united/360/blog/post/3832011/man-united-rebuild-must-follow-in-footsteps-of-hated-rivals-liverpool Them trying to replicate what we have done is great news if you ask me, because I don't think they will be able to do it successfully whilst the Glazers/Woodward are in charge. Their only hope would be to get a really top quality DoF and completely delegate all football decisions to him. And it comes with the added bonus of being patient with Solskjaer and giving him at least 3 years!

Too much faffing about, but he does look quite good. Quick and accurate