READING CHAIRMAN John Madejski yesterday indicated he’d like a minute’s silence for former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, to precede this weekend’s Premier League match with Liverpool.
After the suggestion received a predictable response from Merseyside and the wider football world, the Royals have not said they’ll organise a pre-game tribute for the victim of the Hillsborough disaster.
A statement on the club’s website confirmed: “Supporters of Reading Football Club and Liverpool Football Club will hold a minute’s silence before Saturday’s fixture at Madejski Stadium as a mark of respect for the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
“With the game falling two days before the 24th anniversary of the tragedy, plans began last week for a fitting tribute to the 96 supporters who lost their lives. The Royals contacted Liverpool FC; spoke to the Premier League earlier today and they of course agreed it was absolutely correct to pay respect on such an occasion.”
Madejski had earlier joined Wigan counterpart Dave Whelan in supporting a tribute to Thatcher at the weekend’s matches.
“We have got to appreciate that Margaret Thatcher was a world leader who did so much for this country,” said the Reading chief. “So much that she deserves a minute’s silence.
“Obviously I can appreciate that perhaps some people won’t pay attention to it, which is sometimes the way at football, but I just think she was such a colossus in terms of the world stage that she deserves that respect from the whole nation.
“No colossus like that strides the world’s stage without disenfranchising people at some stage or another, however the positive things that Margaret Thatcher achieved for our country speaks volumes and I think that outshines things that might not be considered so brilliant like the poll tax and so on.”
A qualifying statement would have helped. Of course a woman interested or involved in football will, give or take, be as tactically astute as a man with the same level of interest or involvement. In my experience this is not the case with the vast majority of women but perhaps this is changing. As ever in public discourse everything is black or white, right or wrong, sexist or inclusive… and in this case both the offender and offended are at fault.
If that’s how he feels should have just kept it to himself . Should have known a statement like that would cause trouble