An apology......but not warranted

[AustrianAndyGull]

It came to my attention today when chatting to someone at the game that there are other forums out there for torquay fans and for fans that have been suspended from using the mainstream sites. I have no idea what they are called and i didn't ask, however, there are apparently a few comments on them indicating that some of my matchday posts may have racist connotations, for example the Burton thread when i talked in a frivolous manner regarding some european migrants. I have removed them from the thread out of respect to anyone who may have considered this in their minds as i do not wish to offend anyone of any colour, creed, nationality, or anything at all that may be different to myself. I personally did not consider them racist, perhaps a little naive given todays climate where you can't say, type, suggest, infer anything that just one person might construe as being racist. I will apologise for any offence i may have inadvertantly caused and will apologise for this.

Those of you who have met me and obviously my friends, family and acquaintances who you have not met consider me a well educated but down to earth, friendly and reasonable man who has no grudge or bitterness to any foreign peoples. In fact my family are from central/eastern europe and some of them live in the UK and are immigrants. If an alien landed from Mars, so long as he was a decent 'being' , willing to get on with everyone and make a fresh new start and everything that goes with a new life then good on him and i wish him well.

Anyway, i don't particularly feel that my apology is particularly warranted as i can't see that i have done anything untoward and i'm sure the mods would have taken any 'perceived racist material' off the site as soon as possible but if anyone took the least bit of offence then i am sorry.

I am actually quite distressed and saddened by this and i have also been accused of ageism and allsorts in my matchday threads which i apologise for if anyone has taken any offence. I try and make matchday threads appealing and fun in my eccentric way but as i just never know if i'm offending anyone or not then i shall continue to do them but totally joke, comment and opinion free. I just can't risk offending anyone and it's sad it has to come to this as i enjoyed the banter and off the wall stuff myself. My matchday threads in future will just be the stats, facts and a run down of the town we are visiting and i hope this will be ok for you all.

I just don't need all the aggro and accusations from whatever source they are coming from and so therefore i feel now that i cannot talk openly and freely to you all for fear of being labelled something i'm not. Fair enough i'm a bit weird, a bit mardy, a bit of a whiner, a bit OTT, a bit sensitive to criticism, a bit deluded and unrealistic, a bit eccentric, a bit fat and a bit skint. The one thing i can categorically state is that i am definately NOT racist in any way shape or form, i totally refute any allegations from wherever they came from and if any of you are thinking that i am then i would like to know on what basis you have formed your opinion.

I hope this is an end to it and i shall now look forward to doing the heavily sanitised Chesterfield thread having lost my freedom of speech for fear of offence.

Sincere thanks for reading.

[Southampton Gull]

Andy, this is the largest of the forums and obviously the others suffer an inferiority complex where this site is concerned. Ignore it like I've done for years. Some people will do anything to have a dig at this forum and always will do, it really isn't that important what they think.

Thread Moved.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks for the support Dave, means a lot. As someone who is not really that clued up to the internet and what goes on and stuff i thought it best to apologise as i didn't want to get into trouble in any way with anyone ( if that were possible? i don't know? ). Like i didn't want people to spread things over the internet that i'm a racist or have the coppers knocking at my door or anything.

[SuperNickyWroe]

dont be soft andy.
we have met and i can assure you that if that was the case I would have told you in no uncertain terms.

so keep calm and carry on.

you big daft mad basket-case!

[stevegull]

Don't talk wet Andy! (SNW, I'm using it again!)

The thing that's so good about your match previews is the humour. Stick at it!

[SuperNickyWroe]

Don't talk wet Andy! (SNW, I'm using it again!)
The thing that's so good about your match previews is the humour. Stick at it!

bl**dy southerners using our sayings! =D

[Dave]

Andy agree with the others ignore it, you really have done nothing wrong. Also I have met you and can assure people reading that I found you to be very pleasent and certainly not a racist.

Keep calm and carry on the majority on here enjoy your matchday threads just the way they are look how many times you have won the potm, the thing is in trying to avoid offending it is easy to cause more offence, in posting your opinions you will not please everyone not even worth trying to.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Cheers Dave, Super ( i think? ) and steve!

[bengull]

Andy, you have nothing to apologise for at all. Having had the pleasure of your company many times this season I can confirm to all those that haven't yet met you that you are every bit the 'down to earth, educated man' you claim to be. Not one person on this forum so much as raised an eyebrow at your anecdote and that would suggest to me that those who read it took it in exactly the manner you meant it, and in the general good humoured way all you posts are constructed.

Those who have an issue with what you write don't appear to be friends of this website, In regards to this we have to ask why they no longer post on here, it would seem those who snipe aren't just sniping at you, but at us all, so you shouldn't take it personally. Keep going to matches, keep writing your opinions, let the haters sit at home and hate.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Andy, you have nothing to apologise for at all. Having had the pleasure of your company many times this season I can confirm to all those that haven't yet met you that you are every bit the 'down to earth, educated man' you claim to be. Not one person on this forum so much as raised an eyebrow at your anecdote and that would suggest to me that those who read it took it in exactly the manner you meant it, and in the general good humoured way all you posts are constructed.

Those who have an issue with what you write don't appear to be friends of this website, In regards to this we have to ask why they no longer post on here, it would seem those who snipe aren't just sniping at you, but at us all, so you shouldn't take it personally. Keep going to matches, keep writing your opinions, let the haters sit at home and hate.

You bloody liar!!


Thanks Ben, appreciated, now booger off again!

(Partridgism when he tells Michael to bugger off in a mock geordie accent)

[bengull]

You probably think i'm a reet indecisive tit!

[AustrianAndyGull]

M62!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOCTOPUSSY. I don't think society is quite ready for a view t'kill!

[westbaygull]

Oh, pfft. As the others have said, Andy, please don't sanitise your threads. Although I don't post very much now - because it's that flamin' long since I've been to a match - I still read this site daily and often have a chuckle at your posts (no mean feat, I'm a miserable cow). Those that don't like your posts don't have to read them, simple as that. Many of us on here will have been slated at some time or another, it's all part of using forums and daring to put your views/opinions/humour out there. So, stop being, um, a girl and think b*ll*** to them all o:)

[SuperNickyWroe]

Oh, pfft. As the others have said, Andy, please don't sanitise your threads. Although I don't post very much now - because it's that flamin' long since I've been to a match - I still read this site daily and often have a chuckle at your posts (no mean feat, I'm a miserable cow). Those that don't like your posts don't have to read them, simple as that. Many of us on here will have been slated at some time or another, it's all part of using forums and daring to put your views/opinions/humour out there. So, stop being, um, a girl and think b*ll*** to them all o:)

1. yes we have - great isnt it!

2. he cant help it jane.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks so much for that westbaygull. I probably will carry on with the eccentricities on the threads but i'll just have to be bloody careful what i put in future. Hope i still make you chuckle.

By the way, has anybody EVER used the word 'chuckle' in normal spoken conversation? It's one of those words that get used a lot in text but never used when spoken. Random.

Oh and what do you think of Dave Flitcroft being named Tykes boss Super?