Soccer veteran Hill claims racist comments are just ‘fun’

JIMMY HILL last night launched an astonishing defence of disgraced commentator Ron Atkinson by insisting that racist comments are simply a matter of “fun” between footballers.

Hill, 75, became the first major football figure to publicly defend fellow pundit Atkinson's use of the words "lazy, f****** thick nigger" to describe Chelsea's Marcel Desailly during a live commentary last month.

Atkinson, 65, immediately resigned from ITV Sport, admitting he was an "idiot" and apologised to the player.