Maurice Ross Sacked

[Old_pie]

The mind boggles. All personnel in a position of authority, power or responsibility should consult their lawyer before making any statement or advance of any kind.

And if we really have snowflakes in our team then maybe that's why we are non-league. (my lawyer is uncertain as to whether that statement will pass the fit and proper test but I'm not going to pay him any more).

[laddo]

Well that's certainly new one on me. We are Non League because we had/have snowflakes(?) in the team.

We should add it to the long list of reasons, put it right at the bottom.

[Old_pie]

Mo Ross seems to feel that we didn't have enough bite, energy and fight in us, not enough "animal", and if what he said he said is what he did say then this seems to go along those lines. I'll say he knows more about these things than either of us.

[kill_the_drum]

IF, those were his exact words, then I would say no.

I don’t think so either.
It’s a stupid comment to make but I say that in the context of the world we now live in.
It’s sad and everyone loses. Ross will probably never work in football again, the club have lost an assistant, and some will probably see fit to backlash against Enzio.
For what? Using the word African in a non derogatory context!
It was more offensive to someone like me because I’m 40!

[drillerpie]

If those were his exact words, is that racist?

I would say no, which is why I prefer Charlie Slater's description to the Mirror's.

Ultimately though, it was a stupid thing to say. Its the kind of remark whose appropriateness depends on how the other person takes it.

It could be taken as funny in the right kind of circumstances - between friends perhaps - but between an employee and his line manager who have only known each other for five weeks, and in the current climate, it was ill advised (which he seems to fully recognise).

[the_anticlough]

I don’t think so either.
It’s a stupid comment to make but I say that in the context of the world we now live in.
It’s sad and everyone loses. Ross will probably never work in football again, the club have lost an assistant, and some will probably see fit to backlash against Enzio.
For what? Using the word African in a non derogatory context!
It was more offensive to someone like me because I’m 40!

I guess that as a leader of a multiracial, multinational squad of players you have to be alert to certain sensibilities.

Enzio's born in Holland and according to Wiki is of Surinamese descent (South America). Now, you don't want your coach turning to the subs bench slagging off the players on the pitch in general, do you? Seems unprofessional to me. This did that, and also associated the player with an imagined, negative stereotype of an entire continent no less, through the race of that particular player. Ross's statement is good, he's being accountable. I want our squad to forge a great team spirit and togetherness and we've got far more chance of getting that without that brand of divisiveness I think

[countygump]

I don’t think so either.
It’s a stupid comment to make but I say that in the context of the world we now live in.
It’s sad and everyone loses. Ross will probably never work in football again, the club have lost an assistant, and some will probably see fit to backlash against Enzio.
For what? Using the word African in a non derogatory context!
It was more offensive to someone like me because I’m 40!

You would have thought it's the sort of ill thought out comment, where an apology would be enough to sort the matter. IF, that's what was said.

[Elite_Pie]

By Kenny Macintyre
BBC Scotland

Maurice Ross has publicly apologised to Notts County's Enzios Boldewijn for the "clumsy" and racially "insensitive" comment he made to the Dutch winger.

Former Rangers defender Ross says guilt prompted him to resign as County assistant on Monday after the remark during Saturday's draw at Altrincham.

He regrets that he has caused "pain, hurt and sadness" to the 28-year-old.

"I take full responsibility of it, I am not trying to hide away," Ross told BBC Scotland Sportsound.

"This is why I'm here today, not to be exonerated. I'm here to apologise to an individual who is a cracking footballer, a cracking lad. I can only say sorry."

Notts County - who announced Ross' departure on Monday - declined to comment when contacted by BBC Scotland.

Detailing the remark he made to Boldewijn, Ross said: "The exact words I said were, 'He looks like he's moving like a 40-year-old. What age is he actually? Does he have a doctored African passport?'

"I had no other intentions other than I was questioning the mobility of a footballer. When I hear it back now, I'm wincing at it.

"It was a clumsy, insensitive analogy. And it's one if I could take it back, I would. I just feel sad that I've made a really lovely boy feel bad about him myself. That's where my pain lies."

Ross, who was appointed by the National League club in March following his exit from a first-team coaching role at Motherwell, insists he is not looking sympathy but that the "flippant" comment is not a true reflection of him as a person or coach.

"I've got foreign children," he added. "I've lived in different cultures, in Asia, in my playing career I've been to Turkey, I've integrated well with other cultures, and I just feel I've let myself down."

The 40-year-old said he "hadn't thought anything of" the incident until Monday when he was contacted by County manager Ian Burchnall.

"The manager spoke to me [again] later that day - I hadn't had any communication with the club - and he said the player was really upset and felt so uncomfortable.

"I said that on the back of that I feel I had to resign. I did it instantly."

If this is a full and factual account of what happened, I think Mo Ross has been very hard done by. It wasn't the brightest comment, but it wasn't a resignation issue either in my opinion. It's the sort of thing that should have been dealt with in-house with an apology and a handshake. Similar things must happen at clubs all over the land on a daily basis. The reason we can't judge is because we don't know the full story. Was this a one-off incident, or was there previous history and this was the straw that broke the camel's back? My guess would be that it goes a bit deeper, but what happened has happened. The only positive is that we can use it as a catalyst to try and reignite what has been a disappointing season.

[kill_the_drum]

I guess that as a leader of a multiracial, multinational squad of players you have to be alert to certain sensibilities.

Enzio's born in Holland and according to Wiki is of Surinamese descent (South America). Now, you don't want your coach turning to the subs bench slagging off the players on the pitch in general, do you? Seems unprofessional to me. This did that, and also associated the player with an imagined, negative stereotype of an entire continent no less, through the race of that particular player. Ross's statement is good, he's being accountable. I want our squad to forge a great team spirit and togetherness and we've got far more chance of getting that without that brand of divisiveness I think

I don’t disagree with your points but the reason why he’s gone, and the reason this has made national news is because race has been referenced.
The malice in his comments are that Enzio is playing like an old man, but that certainly isn’t what has cost him his job. In my opinion the African comment isn’t malicious, but certainly naive.
How does a naive comment result in feeling like you’ve got to walk from your job and make national news?
It just seems out of kilter to me.

[irishpete]

There is going to have to be a line drawn under the racist carry on. Plenty of things get said. Enzio wants to try being English & living in Ireland. I could take people to the cleaners over some remarks