Re ‘the comment above’, I grew up in Heaton but I didn’t take offence to what you inferred. I obviously don’t speak for everyone but Ashley is being given grief not due to prejudice but due to his actions and behaviours for a lot of people. The insults are just labels for many people.

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I think that’s correct. Labels are often used to make ‘convenient’ insults but they don’t really have meaning within themselves.

Take ‘the cockney mafia’ for instance (please, take them!) – I don’t think anyone really believes that Ashley has Sicilian connections who’ll ensure his detractors are going to wake up next to a horse’s head. And anyone who knows where Ashley is from and has a map of the UK will know he’s not a cockney.

Like all insults though, they can be taken for what they are or something can be made of them (sometimes with justification and sometimes not). Much of it is about context.

No one, not even Stardust uses the same kind of venom and warped nastiness on Keegan that the Keegan radgies and the Shearer radgies have used against Ashley.

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Humour?

“When fans sing “sad Geordie b*stard and a sh*t football team”, I don’t take offence to the ‘Geordie’ bit.”

Bowburn, you don’t seem to get it. That’s because you ARE actually a Geordie and you deliberately avoided some of the very personal insults / stereotypes levelled against people from London, eg the strong inplication that they are all dishonest barrow boys who can’t be trusted, that they’re loud, agressive etc etc…

What if they called you a thieving Mackem bastard because someone from Sunderland had taken over their football club and they didn’t like him (or her) very much? After all, there’s no difference, is there?

ps look at some of the comments above.

I guess I’d be a Keegan militant? And Hugh is backing Keegan after the tribunal. But have you genuinely seen me or Hugh grief Ashley or be abusive about him? There are many more like us.

Stardust said Keegan is dead to him. It doesn’t get clearer than that.

When fans sing “sad Geordie b*stard and a sh*t football team”, I don’t take offence to the ‘Geordie’ bit. I recognise it as a tag. I also recognise there is also prejudice against people from this area but it just depends who you speak to.

Ashley is wrongly tagged as a Cockney but the venom isn’t based in prejudice and down to geography for many. It’s because of his actions. That popular ditty was sung with extra gusto today. ‘Cockney’ just happens to fit in nicely with the tune.

“Worky, do you mean this from the Journal?:

‘Asked outright if he would take the job if offered, the former Republic or Ireland defender replied: “Yes I would.”’

Hmm. I simply refuse to believe the facts, a bit like you Ashley strumpets do with that tribunal.”

No, though I vaguely recall that. I was reading him talking about ‘Spurs in one thing. Up until the point where he and Hughton were kicked out to make way for Ramos, he’d spent his whole career there and that was his life. But of course, he was never going to get his first full managerial position there, only Newcastle would consider doing crazy things like that. He said (very roughly mind) that now he was away from there, he saw himself carving out a career in management.

It’s ridiculous comparing brainwashed Keegan radgies with your so-called “Ashley strumpets”. No-one worships Ashley the way the Keegan militants revere their mini Rasputin. Most of the people, who have defended him in some areas don’t even like him very much! No one, not even Stardust uses the same kind of venom and warped nastiness on Keegan that the Keegan radgies and the Shearer radgies have used against Ashley. Finally, I’ve never seen any of them insulting millions of people from Lancashire just because Keegan happens to come from Yorkshire.

‘Asked outright if he would take the job if offered, the former Republic or Ireland defender replied: “Yes I would.”’

Hmm. I simply refuse to believe the facts, a bit like you Ashley strumpets do with that tribunal.

“Does Hughton actually wants to be a manager in the long-term though?”

Yes Hugh, he’s said it before and I telt yez. Bowburn’s the same, it just doesn’t go in ’cause your both too busy cracking one off over Ashley gannin’ and Kev coming back!

“Correction: Wrong Roberto!!
Roberto Martinez is now at Wigan.
Roberto Di Matteo is the new West Brom Manager.”

Argggh! I often do that sort of thing nowadays, ricky. I think I’m getting senile dementia.

Thanks for letting me know.