David Moyes to be SACKED over comments

[Thunder Bolt]

What was the question and why was it cocky?


Edit This was the question, just to help you out. A perfectly valid question for any journalist to ask imo.

Moyes had made the remark following Sunderland’s 0-0 draw with Burnley on 18 March, after Sparks, who works for BBC Newcastle and Radio 5 Live, asked whether he felt under more pressure that day because the club’s owner, Ellis Short, was watching his relegation-threatened side.

Here we will have to disagree. The way which reporters believe that they are entitled to question, poke, tease, belittle and add to the job insecurity of all sorts of people in a position of authority, and not expect to get a less than friendly reaction back is what is ridiculous in my opinion.

How exactly did the reporter poke, tease or belittle? As a reporter, she is entitled to question, as that is her job.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The fact that the player he says he brought in in his place 'to add a bit more Britishness' is NOT actually British (Rep of Ireland) does add weight to your viewpoint!

Irish teams were always willing to get stuck in.

 

[McTavish]

Reporter, whether male or female, gets a bit too cocky with their questioning. Manager emphasises that they are the top dog in this place of employment and that the reporter should show a little more respect. End.

...by threatening violence - classy.

 

[wellquickwoody]

How exactly did the reporter poke, tease or belittle? As a reporter, she is entitled to question, as that is her job.

You missed out the bit about job insecurity?

 

[drew]

David Moyes seems to have been enduring a long, midlife crisis ever since he left Everton.

His comments to Vicki Sparks were quite disturbing. Doubt he would be casually threatening violence (even in jest) to Geoff Shreeves or Damien Johnson because he objected to their line of (perfectly valid) questioning.

He should have been fired by Sunderland about 3 months ago because it was clear that he was so negative about their chances this season before a ball was even kicked, which has had a detrimental effect on his players.

Seriously, have you actually listened to the clip? If so, can't see how you could describe it as disturbing. If you genuinely think it is then you must be shitting yourself everytime you go out your front door!

 

[pasty]

What a complete non story. How is sexist? Because he said "even though you're a woman"? Have we really got to the age where we have to pretend that women aren't the fairer sex, and they should be equally entitled to a slap as men are?

It's bollocks like this that detracts from actual sexism in the world today, on important things like women not getting paid as much as men. Next it'll be sexist to hold a door open for a woman.


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Gave up long ago on that sort of thing after I offered a woman older than me my seat on a rammed tube carriage only or her to have a pop at me saying "Do you think I am less able to stand than you because I'm female"

 

[Bold Seagull]

Here we will have to disagree. The way which reporters believe that they are entitled to question, poke, tease, belittle and add to the job insecurity of all sorts of people in a position of authority, and not expect to get a less than friendly reaction back is what is ridiculous in my opinion.

You sign a contract to be a Premier League manager and you know that the rewards are high but the job security low. There is no illusion in what you sign up to, and that includes a contractual obligation to speak to the press multiple times per week. That is an integral part of their professional role. Yes, they may get stupid questions, but fielding those questions is part of their professional conduct. He quite clearly failed in upholding that standard.

Moyes clearly felt so to, as he apologised and admitted his behaviour was unacceptable. There is no defending what he said, and I'm not sure he would either. You seem to be thinking it is okay though?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You missed out the bit about job insecurity?

That's his problem, not hers. All managers in relegation zones feel job insecurity. It was a professional question which demanded a professional answer.

 

[NooBHA]

In their professional capacity as a journalist in which the manager is contractually obliged.




The way some of these managers think they can talk to and attempt to humiliate reporters doing their job is getting ridiculous.

I agree 100% - Just watch Chris when he is asked difficult questions. He almost never gets drawn into controversy. I say almost because I remember one incident he nearly did and that was asked about the Kieran Dyer v Lee Bowyer fight several years after the incident when he was at Newcastle even though he wasn't even manager of Newcastle at the time of the incident BUT on the whole, he never allows himself to get drawn into ''traps'' by reporters.

He takes his time normally and answers like a politician. It's a skill and a skill that Managers should learn. First and foremost they are football Managers but interviews are also part of their job. They need to learn those skills as well.

In everyones jobs they have to have many skills. A plumber has to be able to fit toilets as well as unblock sinks. Not a good example to link the two I know

 

[drew]

I concede that violence cuts both ways but in the main, it is men inflicting violence on women.

I had a little chuckle about the ''man suggesting to slap a man'' and I don't mean that on a sarcastic way. If a bloke said to another bloke I am going to slap you''. The other bloke would probably say ''**** off'' and punch his lights out

Is that really the world you live in? I pretty sure everyone I know wouldn't react like that if I jokingly suggested I might give them a slap if they made a comment.

 

[GT49er]

The fact that the player he says he brought in in his place 'to add a bit more Britishness' is NOT actually British (Rep of Ireland) does add weight to your viewpoint!

Player from the British Isles then. Quibbling over!

 

[Diablo]

Storm in a teacup......Reporter and Moyes seemed to be in jocular mood......Papers and others want to make it out as something it isn`t...She`s accepted appology,should be end of story !!

 

[NooBHA]

Is that really the world you live in? I pretty sure everyone I know wouldn't react like that if I jokingly suggested I might give them a slap if they made a comment.

No I actually don't live in a world like that NOW; however I did grow up in a really rough council estate when I was young where YES that often would happen.

 

[drew]

That's his problem, not hers. All managers in relegation zones feel job insecurity. It was a professional question which demanded a professional answer.

He answered her question and then the interview finished. The banter came after and there was no suggestion that she genuinely felt threatened!

 

[drew]

No I actually don't live in a world like that NOW; however I did grow up in a really rough council estate when I was young where YES that often would happen.

But are you not missing the point, ie the difference between a couple of knobs posturing and a bit of very light hearted banter between two professional people or between two friends, in the latter cases neither party genuinely thinking the other is actually going to slap them.

 

[wellquickwoody]

That's his problem, not hers. All managers in relegation zones feel job insecurity. It was a professional question which demanded a professional answer.

Not a professional question in my view, a bitchy childish question designed to get a reaction, which it did.

 

[Hillian1]

Storm in a teacup......Reporter and Moyes seemed to be in jocular mood......Papers and others want to make it out as something it isn`t...She`s accepted appology,should be end of story !!

Yes this.

Such a shame that NSC has decided to take offence on her behalf, even though she isn't offended.

 

[rippleman]

Just to add something. When I asked my wife how she would have felt and reacted had some bloke said the same thing to her at work she said "I'd probably get the first punch in"

Yup! A knee in the knackers would have sorted out the daft twonk.

Is threatening to slap a woman ever acceptable? Sad to see that some think that threatening to slap a woman is just "mucking about". Ho hum

 

[joeinbrighton]

Seriously, have you actually listened to the clip? If so, can't see how you could describe it as disturbing. If you genuinely think it is then you must be shitting yourself everytime you go out your front door!

Yes I did listen to it and actually it changed how I thought about it.

When I first read a summary of what Moyes said, I thought it was a bit of an overreaction and that it was Moyes being clumsy in what he said.

Listening to it, yes it is clear that Moyes' tone is jocular and on the surface, he is trying to give the impression that the words are in jest.

However, the words along the lines of "do that again and you will get a slap even though you are a woman" and "be careful if you want to come back here again", there is something unpleasant about even thinking it is appropriate to say that in the context of a joke. It is belittling in tone, almost saying "who do you think you are asking me these questions?" or "don't have the temerity to ask me a difficult question".

I work in an office where most of my colleagues are women. Like any office, there is banter and repartee between colleagues. Would I say to a colleague "you are asking for a slap" if they were pushing their luck though? No, because that crosses a boundary I think of what is acceptable to say to a female colleague in a professional environment. David Moyes is not a colleague of Vicki Sparks', but he is talking to her in a professional capacity and so he should really follow the same guidelines on how he interacts with her.

These types of incidents are scrutinised a lot more now than they were before the days of 24 hour news media and so there is a natural tendency to think everything is blown out of proportion. But with that, people should also know that they are more likely to be picked up on stuff and moderate what they say and how they behave.

The unspoken issue with this is that a lot of people that will dismiss this as a storm in a teacup are possibly subconsciously thinking "what business has a woman got asking David Moyes that question?". One only needs to go on Twitter and realise that there are plenty of people out there who think like this and who think it acceptable to air those viewpoints on social media, not caring that they are sharing those thoughts with the Twittosphere.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Yes this.

Such a shame that NSC has decided to take offence on her behalf, even though she isn't offended.

How do we know that Vicki Sparks wasn't offended?

All we know is that David Moyes says he apologised to her and that he said that she accepted his apology.

Given that Vicki Sparks hasn't spoken publicly about this herself, we are having to take Moyes' word for it, but his recollection and perspective of the conversation he had with her could, in fact, be entirely different to hers.

And even if she did accept his apology, that doesn't necessarily mean she regarded his comments as acceptable and "part of the job".