Monsieur Salut answers a question raised by an eminent SAFC supporter on these pages. See the original debate by clicking on Niall Quinn: love means never having to say ‘I despise you’ ….
Did Niall Quinn really use the word “despise” to describe his feelings towards fans who watch currently illegal live broadcasts down the the pub instead of paying to see the games at the Stadium of Light?
Or, asked Tom Lynn with perfectly good reason, was the word put into his mouth by the SAFC corporate press people?
Now we have the answer, and it’s from the horse’s mouth, as this link provided by BBC Radio Newcastle’s Martin Emmerson shows.
Despise ’em he does.
Niall repeated the word when interviewed this evening, telling the Beeb he chose “despise” to generate attention for the club’s stand against the screening using foreign feeds of unauthorised games.
“I did use emotive language,” he said. “I did think long and hard about using the word despise. It was a tactical thing to say, which worked and it got a response.
“I’m delighted it got us to the front page of the papers and radio programmes and at last I can have a meaningful debate.
“I’m able to highlight the problem, I’m able to tell you our crowd has lost around 6,000 people in the time we became successful.”
Monsieur Salut has had his say. Niall has had his and many of you have had yours.
You know what to do if there’s more left to be said.
Off subject, but if you get 5 mins, get on Twitter, follow me @lee_safc.
I got e reply off Darren Bent and it’s caused quite a storm on there. Nothing major on my part, but his reply, well, the people that have got involved, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sun don’t pick it up……..
Is that your own brain that you are using to draft that message there Cyprus? Or are you just breaking it in for a half wit?
The question that I would like to post to Mr Quinn is this one.
What is his view of people watching Sunderland games live on Sky, on dishes that they have paid for, or down the pub that has forked out a fortune for a commercial Sky Sports subscription.
I’m not talking about the 3-00pm Saturday afternoon kick off watching a Croatian channel either. Does he despise the fact people are watching a channel which they have paid for directly out of their own pockets or indirectly through more expensive beer? He can’t on the one hand rub his hands with glee at pocketing the TV millions and then complain when people watch it. The channels which are being sold via Sky’s satellite feed to southern and eastern Europe have been paid for by the TV companies in those countries, and the pubs and clubs who have now been given the green light to show these channels are also paying a levy. The only difference is that they are paying less. We live in a free Europe, but it seems like Quinn would prefer us to live in a society not unlike Albania under Enver Hodxa where dictatorial rule prevails.
I fail to see the moral difference between watching these previously illegal broadcasts at 3-00pm on a Saturday and those transmitted by Sky at other times. Why the distinction?
Maybe the football isn’t that great Niall, despite our reasonable league position. Possibly it’s too expensive for people to go every week. In my humble opinion he has missed the point completely and by engaging in such emotional rhetoric has “grabbed the headlines” as he says, but for completely the wrong reason. He’s telling people how to spend their money and “despises” them for making what he had decided is the “wrong” choice.
He’s started a debate alright but not the one he claims to want. So, having said all that what is the purpose of the “debate” that he has failed to start? Does he expect the recent ruling to be overturned or will he suggest pub TV watchers be branded as “unclean” and not fit for entry to the stadia? What does he hope any debate to achieve?
All he’s achieved so far is to come across as a man whose boots have become too small, and that detracts from the great things that he has done for the club as well as the community.
Oh dear, the Muckems Chairman despise’s his own fans… tut tut tut… now that’s not very nice now is it.. lol
I completely understand what he’s saying tho, I mean, who wouldn’t despise the muckem fan base, what little of it there is,,… lol lol