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22/04/2004
Atkinson quits ITV after racial slur gaffe
Former football manager and top pundit Ron Atkinson has quit ITV Sport, and the Guardian where he wrote a weekly column, after using racist language on air in reference to a Chelsea player.
Mr Atkinson has apologised today for comments he made after ITV's Tuesday night coverage of the Champions League semi-final fixture between Chelsea and Monaco.
He is reported to have made the gaffe, a racial slur involving the Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly, as the live programme was going off-air. The feed to the UK had been terminated, but his comments were still picked up by viewers in the Middle East.
Today, Mr Atkinson said that he is not a racist – explaining that his "unfortunate" comments were motivated out of frustration at Chelsea's performance. He has also offered to apologise in person to Mr Desailly over the issue.
Ron Atkinson, who has managed Manchester United, West Brom and Aston Villa, said that during his career he had a track record of developing black players and believed that he had worked closely with more black players "than any other manager in the country".
(gmcg)
Mr Atkinson has apologised today for comments he made after ITV's Tuesday night coverage of the Champions League semi-final fixture between Chelsea and Monaco.
He is reported to have made the gaffe, a racial slur involving the Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly, as the live programme was going off-air. The feed to the UK had been terminated, but his comments were still picked up by viewers in the Middle East.
Today, Mr Atkinson said that he is not a racist – explaining that his "unfortunate" comments were motivated out of frustration at Chelsea's performance. He has also offered to apologise in person to Mr Desailly over the issue.
Ron Atkinson, who has managed Manchester United, West Brom and Aston Villa, said that during his career he had a track record of developing black players and believed that he had worked closely with more black players "than any other manager in the country".
(gmcg)
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Recovered Body Confirmed As Missing POlice Officer
Cumbria Police have confirmed that a body found on Tuesday was that of a missing police officer. Police searching for Detective Sergeant George Atkinson, recovered his body in the Cogra Moss area. Mr Atkinson was 46 years old from Springbank, Whitehaven. He was employed as a Detective Sergeant at Cumbria Constabulary, based in west Cumbria.
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