Unlike you, I can't say with any certainty.

I'd suggest that he was either being boorish and crass to someone whom he perceived to be less powerful than him - and who's offence was worth no more to him than the price of a beer; or he was trying to start an intellectual discourse about the experience of a black immigrant in a post-industrial northern town. If it was the former, he's a racist who deserves to be vilified; if it was the latter, he failed miserably and behaved like a racist who deserves to be vilified.

Either way, this kind of stuff needs to be challenged - only by calling out the unequal treatment of women, ethnic minorities, LGBQT people and others, will we arrive at a society which is genuinely equal; which seems to me to be a very low bar to aspire to.

Argyle is clearly an intelligent man, but he must have mush for brains to come out with a comment like that.
Sometimes people can get over sensitive about these things, but in this instance he has no excuse whatsoever.
I see that quite rightly he has finally stepped down from his post.
Had he been an employee, he would have been sacked on the spot.
Rugby league has a proud tradition of being inclusive. Lets keep it that way.

The sad thing is Canada is one of the most tolerant countries in the world.
I can't think it has gone down well in that country having a fledgling sport start an issue that is very much against their ethos.
We are probably lucky the sport isn't bigger yet as we would have suffered far more in people's perception than we are now.

I'm happy that we are debating it as education is probably the biggest weapon against racism but it saddens me that so many still don't get why it is wrong.

BTW I'm a middle aged, fat, bald white guy from Yorkshire. I have never experienced racism first hand but I do know what it is like to be labelled as something because of someone's immediate perception. We've come a long way from the racist tv of the 70s and the acceptance of jokes about it but we still have a long way to go.

Where did I say with certainty? I, just like you in the next paragraph, have just offered my own opinion on what I thought. Hence why I said "I took it as..."


Which of course is your opinion which you are entitled to.


I agree that it needs calling out, and I agree there certainly needs to be consequences for it (which are proportionate to the level of prejudice displayed).
I don't think calling it out is the answer to prevention though. Only through education will you stop this, and education starts with talking about it and discussing it. What is racism? Why are certain terms racist? How do people feel when it's said?

You also said

Which is of course your opinion, which you are entitled to; my question was about how you had formed that opinion?



Thanks.



I won't argue about the need to educate - but I also firmly believe that this type of behaviour can be deselected from society if enough decent and right-thinking people make it clear that it's not acceptable; peer pressure is powerful. I went to the pub to watch football with my 19 year old son and a group of his mates the other week - someone in the pub yelled a racist slur at an opposition player on the TV and, without exception, the group of lads called it out and made it clear that it wasn't ok; the guy came over, held his hands up and apologised, then went home. That seemed powerful to me - and given that the racist was not likely to be attending any educational establishment, is the only type of lesson he's going to be getting.

Don't worry, the RFL have fined argylle £7,500 that should stamp it out

I don't spend too much time trying to find excuses to downplay the situation; whatever his intent was, he has revealed himself as (at least) casually racist, and I'm glad that the player has called it out. Maybe he'll think more carefully about how he expresses himself in future?



Somewhat - although I guess what matters is the opinion of the victim - not yours or mine; and the player in question has made his views pretty clear.

None of us were there, we don't know anything more than what we have read in the press, and yet so many on here are confident enough to label him a racist and then want to shut down anyone who suggests they may be jumping to conclusions.

I've been listening to Savage Garden for about 15 years, i dont listen to anything else.

P.s, the ad at the bottom of my page is for world of books, bet yours isn't eh?

Cheers lads, have a fab day

Another poster speaking sense, please hand in your brain and report to room 101.

We know that the player has released a statement about what was said - and that Mr Argyle has not contested that version of events; and stood down from his position, as a self-imposed sanction.

I don't see anyone shutting anyone down - just talking; that's still ok isn't it?

You'll be telling us next you're having Jambalaya and Philly Gumbo for tea.

The RFL and their disciplinary procedures are another issue altogether!
Can't think of one single person that things they do that job well.