http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa2JYCNF2_g
Could Alan Hansen become the latest high profile pundit to get the sack after an ill-advised gaffe live on television?
Speaking about the racism row which has become such a hot topic because of the Luis Suarez and John Terry cases, Hansen said: “I think there’s a lot of coloured players in all the teams, all the major teams, and there’s a lot of coloured players that are probably the best in the Premier League and, as I say, if you look 25, 30 years ago, it was probably in a bad way, not as bad as some of the nations in the Continent, but certainly there’s always, always room for improvement.”
Hansen’s comments, specifically his use of the word ‘coloured’, created plenty of debate on Twitter last night, with some suggesting that the Scot was well out of order, with others saying that he was merely out of touch and that this was a case of political correctness gone mad.
Others still took the opportunity to have a cheap laugh at Liverpool fans’ expense, suggesting that Hansen should get an eight-programme ban from Match of the Day as a result of his comments.
If the BBC decide to take a firm stance on the matter, Hansen could follow in the footsteps of Richard Keys and Andy Gray, Rodney Marsh and Ron Atkinson, who all were given their P45’s after putting their foot in their mouths live on TV. The player has today apologised in a one-sentence statement, saying: “”I unreservedly apologise for any offence caused – this was never my intention and I deeply regret the use of the word.”
For some reason, Hansen commands an incredibly large salary from the Beeb, so although it is a terribly crude suggestion, they might take advantage of the opportunity to get him off the wage bill. It seems pretty clear that there was no intention to offend in his comments, but whether that will be a good enough defence remains to be seen.
On the other hand, Hansen may get off lightly, as Tony Cascarino did when he said that Johan Djourou was “having a holocaust” on Sky Sports News during Manchester United’s 8-2 win over Arsenal earlier in the season.
In any case, have a look at the video above to listen to Hansen’s comments in the context they were made so you can make your own judgement.
