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.

The remark, made when he thought his microphone was switched off, was not broadcast in Britain but was heard in several Middle Eastern countries where TV stations were still taking a live feed from the game.

When asked in an interview today whether Atkinson should have resigned, Hill insisted: "It was the language of the football field they do swear. In that context, you wouldn't think that words like 'nigger' were particularly insulting: it would be funny. Without meaning to insult any black men, it's us having fun.

"What about people who make jokes about my long chin? I mean, nigger is black so we have jokes where we call them niggers because they're black. Why should that be any more of an offence than someone calling me chinny?

"If everyone was kicked out of their job for saying the wrong sentence at the wrong time, not meaning it to be heard publicly, there would be very few of us left at work.

"I don't think Ron is a racist. I've known him a long time. He has an awful lot of charm and doesn't mean to do any damage."

Piara Powar, director of Kick It Out, football's anti-racism group, described Hill's comments as "mind boggling".

"Hill's comments are as offensive as Ron Atkinson's. It is a frightening insight into some of the attitudes his generation still hold."