Atkinson counts cost of racist outburst

Ron Atkinson was tonight counting the cost of a racist outburst which shocked the world of football and forced him to resign from his post at ITV Sport.

The pundit, whose contract to write expert analysis for British newspaper The Guardian has been terminated by mutual consent, emerged from his Worcestershire home this morning to insist he was not a racist.

The furore surrounding Atkinson erupted after it emerged that he had made an insulting racial remark about black Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly, believing he was off-air.

Atkinson, 65, is understood to have called Desailly a “f****** lazy n****r” after Chelsea lost 3-1 to Monaco in Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

Talking at the gate of his imposing, partially-timbered home in the village of Barnt Green, Atkinson apologised for the tirade, which was heard by viewers in the Middle East.

Asked why he had resigned rather than try to cling on to his broadcasting job, the former Manchester United manager replied: “I thought I had put ITV on the spot.

“What I said was obviously unacceptable.”

He stressed that he thought his comments were not being transmitted, adding: “We didn’t hear it until the following day. I was only talking to myself, into a monitor set.

“I had taken off the headphones and whatever. I was looking at some playbacks on the game.

“At that stage I was thinking more as a fan. At the end of the day, we all wanted to see them go through to the final and thought they had a wonderful opportunity.”

Atkinson said: “I apologise, I owe him (Desailly) and anyone else I have offended an apology.

“It was not meant as a racist comment, it was meant in anger and really because I wanted them to win.”

The commentator said he had not yet started to consider alternative lines of employment, telling reporters: “I have got to get this out of the way first.”

A statement released by the The Guardian said: “Our contract with Ron Atkinson to write a weekly football column has been terminated with immediate effect by mutual agreement.”

Atkinson had worked for the broadsheet for four years, penning a Friday column and offering analysis on Mondays.

Ironically, the flamboyant ex-footballer, who also managed West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, devoted a chapter of his memoirs to the subject of racism, describing himself as a “committed champion” of black footballers and calling for “a mature, reasoned approach” to tackle the problem.

He nurtured the talent of football’s version of The Three Degrees - Cyrille Regis, Brendan Batson and Laurie Cunningham – during his first spell as manager of West Brom between 1978 and 1981.

Atkinson, who today cited his involvement with the trio as proof that he was not racist, said he had been offered words of sympathy by black players.

“One of the pleasing things is that a number of black players have come out today and been supportive.

“I have had Cyrille (Regis) and ’big’ Paul Williams both on the phone.

“I was one of the first, if not the first, to play black players.”

The remarks were broadcast by channels in the Middle East, where the live feed had continued to run after full-time.

An ITV spokesman said: “We do not in any way condone the comments in question, which were not broadcast as part of ITV’s coverage, but were made in an off-air conversation after the game.

“It was a regrettable lapse by a respected and experienced broadcaster who has been part of the ITV sports team for many years.”

Black Tory peer Lord Taylor of Warwick said it was “entirely right” that Atkinson had offered his resignation and that ITV had duly accepted it.

He said Atkinson’s reputation as a pioneering coach for his work and support of black footballers during the 1970s had now been tarnished.

“What he said was totally unacceptable and just because it was off-air is no excuse whatsoever,” the peer added.

Lord Taylor, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Football Group, said the comments were a timely reminder that racism was still an issue in the game.

He pointed to the lack of black and Asian football fans at matches and the small numbers of ethnic minorities represented at senior levels of the game as evidence of continued discrimination within the sport.

“Ron’s a wily character, he knows all publicity is good publicity and that he has been in the headlines, but I think there has to be a signal that this will not be tolerated,” Lord Taylor said.