Football Sex Abuse: Eric Bristow Condemned For Suggesting Victims Not 'proper Men'

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/38139647

Appalling remark from Bristow, but typical of his type I suppose.

[mikey4444]

Agcristie.....My remark was made in the the heat of the moment, which I am sure you will have realised.

Bristow has shown what a wonderful perceptive fellow he is by his remarks on this subject. Like everybody else on here, I think he is a slob, and I can't see why I should justify myself in that view.

[agchristie]

Mikey, I appreciate your passion but you are allowing your emotional response to run away with you I feel.

It is disappointing that you have failed to address my question as to who you are comparing Bristow with.

[anneasquith]

I know little of EB. No idea if he is slob( whatever that is). He made a foolish statement IMO, doing a great disservice to any abused victims. I doubt he is not the only person who would comment likewise.

[vulcan42]

I am surprised mikey has not mentioned that Eric Bristow went to a grammar school, which probably, in mikeys opinion, would explain everything.

[agchristie]

A slob is to behave in a 'lazy or slovenly manner'.

...just like some throwaway comments on here.

[jackthehat]

Appalling remark but I imagine there are many people who think the same way, sadly.
(read the comments underneath the DM's for confirmation of this)

[ummmm]

Naomi - I think you might have been watching too many gangster films. burying someone in concrete is not the mindset of most 'geezers'

[jno]

TTT, you've missed a (justified) opportunity to point to the effects of Twitter here. In days gone by Bristow would have confined his rants to the pub where only his mates would hear. Now Twitter allows him to speak to the whole world, and the whole world reacts.

[hereIam]

As much as I disagree with him mikey, I don't think he's a 'slob' !!

[agchristie]

Herelam - it is easy for some to cast derogatory adjectives such as 'slob' that is well wide of the bullseye.

[naomi24]

ummmm, I rarely watch gangster films but I was born and bred in the East End of London so I have a pretty good grounding in the 'geezer' stakes.

[agchristie]

I will say one thing about Bristow, well maybe a few, it is very easy to ridicule him and rightly so for his comments in this matter, but let's not forget that this is a man who remained the best darts player for nearly a decade and was knighted for his services to sport.

He was also responsible for discovering the best darts player ever: Phil Taylor and funded him at the time to facilitate his career.

His genius came from the oche rather than in his communications though he remained extremely popular in his travels around Working Men's Clubs and in competition. He has donated extensively to charity too.

It is often true that one is best remembered for one's mistakes. It would be a shame if his errant comments detract from his many successes.

[woofgang]

Being good at something and being kind and generous doesn’t make you sensible or intelligent or understanding. I could have let pass the comments about how he thought that abusers should have been dealt with but I cannot accept or let pass this
"He added the victims should not be able to look themselves in the mirror for not "getting their own back" on their abusers in adulthood.”
It is unforgivable to state or imply that someone who has been abused should feel shame.

[ummmm]

I watched his victims on TV today and one of them said he hadn't told a soul about his abuse. How do they explain to their family and friends why the beat the crap out of someone when they've kept it secret for so long.

[andy-hughes]

woofgang - //"He added the victims should not be able to look themselves in the mirror for not "getting their own back" on their abusers in adulthood.”
It is unforgivable to state or imply that someone who has been abused should feel shame. //

I would not gainsay your view for a moment, but we do have to look at this in context.

This is a man who probably by his own admission is an unreconstructed product of his upbringing and profession.

His comments suggest that he has never suffered any sort of abuse, be it bullying, or intimidation as a child, or any sort of difficulty growing up or as an adult.

This means he speaks from a position of ignorance, and has no understanding of the situations of which he is giving his opinion.

His view is seriously simplistic, and based on lack of empathy and understanding, but ideally, someone somewhere who is close to him may have a quiet word about being aware that not everyone has had his chances, his gifts and his charmed life, and they deserve sympathy and understanding, not ridicule from behind a keyboard.

[agchristie]

He is due to be interviewed in the morning by Piers and Susannah which should give us more insight.

[Mamyalynne]

I think for some people and obviously Eric is one - that is part of their coping mechanism, to react that way.

Obviously it reads badly to those of us who don't react the same.

[jno]

agchristie, he's an MBE.

[agchristie]

Jno - yes, thanks for the correction ;o)

[mikey4444]

Bristow apologises :::::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/38154785

I don't watch TV in the morning, but if somebody could post the clip I would be obliged.