Sol Campbell

The former England defender Sol Campbell is considering joining the Conservative Party and believes he can have a major influence in securing “the black vote”.

Campbell, who retired in 2011 having won 73 caps for his country, said last week that he was thinking about joining the Conservative Party to fight Labour’s proposed introduction of mansion tax should they win the General Election next year.
However, speaking at the launch of his new biography at Cheltenham Literature Festival on Thursday, the former Tottenham and Arsenal defender admitted he is considering taking a more active role.

“[Let’s have] a conversation just to see where they want to go with things,” he said. “I think something has got to be offered for me to really think about it.

“I have got so much to offer. I think it is very important for the black vote. If the ‘black vote’ votes it will clearly push someone over the line. I am for getting people from my background to vote.”

He added: “If I am a consultant for the government then you can do your stuff but not be left with nowhere to manoeuvre.
“Politics is very hard work. You have to really commit to things. Some people get into it for the wrong reasons.”


More:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/10/sol-campbell-conservative-party-conversation
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Fighting the good fight against mansion tax now, yes that'll get the black voters out in their droves, what an absolute whopper. I also love how in the space of a few sentences he's went from having a conversation to appointing himself a government consultant :lol: he's becoming a parody of himself
 
ArmandTamzarian said:
Fighting the good fight against mansion tax now, yes that'll get the black voters out in their droves, what an absolute whopper. I also love how in the space of a few sentences he's went from having a conversation to appointing himself a government consultant :lol: he's becoming a parody of himself
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With all due respect but he's perfectly capable of achieving whatever he wants. His experience as Tottenham's former captain makes him capable to do anything from captaining England, leading the Tories to victory or becoming the new superman.
 
devilish said:
With all due respect but he's perfectly capable of achieving whatever he wants. His experience as Tottenham's former captain makes him capable to do anything from captaining England, leading the Tories to victory or becoming the new superman.
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I'd say hes more like Ironman myself
 
Christ, the famously inclusive Tories will be expecting him to shine their shoes or hold a tray of drinks...
 
'' I think something has to be offered for me to really think about it''
He is an idiot, he expects doors to be opened just because he was once Captain of the mighty Spurs. Pathetic attitude...
 
He's an embarrassment.

How dare he say his lack of involvement in football is down to anyone but himself? Let alone claiming someone should get the sack who has proven more than he is after his playing career?

There's Neville and co doing their badges whilst playing and then going on to prove they know what they are talking about, not only by being a pundit but by being a pundit who talks sense and not the bloody obvious. Campbell (correct me if I'm wrong), was missing for a long time, doing nothing productive it seems and then all of a sudden just expects now that he's interested he should get whatever role he wants.

Having him as a captain must have been a pain in the arse. You tell him he's talking shit on the pitch and he'll most likely haste said 'is it cos I'm black' (exaggeration but I can imagine him complaining a lot if spoken back to). Also when Beckham was England captain, I doubt Campbell was any use and did his best to destabilise things if he is so bitter about it still.
 
So will a Tory majority at the next election mean Gary Neville will be made illegal? Might win some Tory votes in Liverpool I suppose.
 
I bet Farage wasn't expecting this kind of response from the Conservatives to UKIP's gains this week. Maybe Labour should get Garth Crooks on board?

On a more serious note, I'd feel patronised if I were black by the implication that, just by virtue of having some random high-profile black guy on the campaign literature, I'd be more likely to ignore every major policy issue in choosing how to vote. If Sol had some self-awareness, he might see some contradiction in that kind of racial generalization with his campaign (if I can dignify his scattergun complaints with that term) for black coaches to be given the same consideration and opportunities as their white colleagues.
 
Nogbadthebad said:
Hes got a book to flog, so hes saying any old shite to get him in the papers
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"Sol Campbell's new book Any Old Shite is available in stores now, along with Roy Keane's Needless to Say, I had the last Laugh."
 
MoskvaRed said:
I bet Farage wasn't expecting this kind of response from the Conservatives to UKIP's gains this week. Maybe Labour should get Garth Crooks on board?

On a more serious note, I'd feel patronised if I were black by the implication that, just by virtue of having some random high-profile black guy on the campaign literature, I'd be more likely to ignore every major policy issue in choosing how to vote. If Sol had some self-awareness, he might see some contradiction in that kind of racial generalization with his campaign (if I can dignify his scattergun complaints with that term) for black coaches to be given the same consideration and opportunities as their white colleagues.
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Exactly. If anything, he proves to be completely unsuitable for politics.
 
Campbell is talking out of his hoop in order to sell books but it raises an interesting issue.

There are few black players and top level coaches around the world and given the number of black players there has to be a reason for that.

Seems there is racism at some level in football. The Malky Mackay carry on shows it still happens.
 
RedRover said:
Campbell is talking out of his hoop in order to sell books but it raises an interesting issue.

There are few black players and top level coaches around the world and given the number of black players there has to be a reason for that.

Seems there is racism at some level in football. The Malky Mackay carry on shows it still happens.
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There are almost zero British asians. The reason there is so few black coaches is because there were very few players to become coaches after they retired if we are talking about men in their 40s to 50s. Once the current generation of players retire and become coaches, managers etc there will be an increase because there are more.
 
The Mitcher said:
There are almost zero British asians. The reason there is so few black coaches is because there were very few players to become coaches after they retired if we are talking about men in their 40s to 50s. Once the current generation of players retire and become coaches, managers etc there will be an increase because there are more.
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There are a lot of young managers who get a chance in the football league. There are a fair few managers in their early 40's and few of them are black.

There are, as you say few, if any British Asians involved in professional football. Given the percentage of population I find that odd.
 
RedRover said:
There are a lot of young managers who get a chance in the football league. There are a fair few managers in their early 40's and few of them are black.

There are, as you say few, if any British Asians involved in professional football. Given the percentage of population I find that odd.
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You shouldn't do, it's not seen as a serious proffesional by them it's not race related.
 
Ducklegs said:
You shouldn't do, it's not seen as a serious proffesional by them it's not race related.
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What? So no Asian kids dream of being professional footballers? I've seen plenty of Asian lads playing at school and in the local leaves when I played so that's total rubbish.

Even in places where there are huge Asian populations you get no professionals? I suppose you think they only want to be doctors and play cricket?

Football is a working class sport played by pretty much all young lads in the UK.

The second best player in our School team was Bangladeshi. Played for the town side as well. He never even got a trial anywhere, despite his obvious talent and athletic abilities.
 
RedRover said:
What? So no Asian kids dream of being professional footballers? I've seen plenty of Asian lads playing at school and in the local leaves when I played so that's total rubbish.

Even in places where there are huge Asian populations you get no professionals? I suppose you think they only want to be doctors and play cricket?

Football is a working class sport played by pretty much all young lads in the UK.

The second best player in our School team was Bangladeshi. Played for the town side as well. He never even got a trial anywhere, despite his obvious talent and athletic abilities.
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Your school and town sides just aren't any good?
 
RedRover said:
What? So no Asian kids dream of being professional footballers? I've seen plenty of Asian lads playing at school and in the local leaves when I played so that's total rubbish.

Even in places where there are huge Asian populations you get no professionals? I suppose you think they only want to be doctors and play cricket?

Football is a working class sport played by pretty much all young lads in the UK.

The second best player in our School team was Bangladeshi. Played for the town side as well. He never even got a trial anywhere, despite his obvious talent and athletic abilities.
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Obviously racism.
 
RedRover said:
What? So no Asian kids dream of being professional footballers? I've seen plenty of Asian lads playing at school and in the local leaves when I played so that's total rubbish.

Even in places where there are huge Asian populations you get no professionals? I suppose you think they only want to be doctors and play cricket?

Football is a working class sport played by pretty much all young lads in the UK.

The second best player in our School team was Bangladeshi. Played for the town side as well. He never even got a trial anywhere, despite his obvious talent and athletic abilities.
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It is what it is, it's not my fault they have higher standards than the rest of us.

Perhaps you can explain why nobody gives a feck about football in India while cricket is the be all and end all.

It's cultural, I'm sure if the next Messi turned out to be Bangladeshi he wouldn't be shunned and denied his chance.
 
limerickcitykid said:
Your school and town sides just aren't any good?
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Worse players got pushed on. That's the issue for me and I think his race, sadly, played a part in that.

For once I think statistics tell a story. Very few black coaches, and no Asian players at all suggest that perhaps there may be an issue in the game.

Repeated scandals show that football isn't inclusive. Richard Scudamore would have been sacked in any other field for sexist comments. The Mackay debacle shows millionaire, top flight managers and club staff joking about how many "white faces" there was on a list of players.

Suggests to me that whatever the game wants to portray there are issues at the top level.

As it is its even worse abroad. Racism from fans is a regular occurrence and the governing bodies level embarrassing fines. It's a joke.
 
Ducklegs said:
It is what it is, it's not my fault they have higher standards than the rest of us.

Perhaps you can explain why nobody gives a feck about football in India while cricket is the be all and end all.

It's cultural, I'm sure if the next Messi turned out to be Bangladeshi he wouldn't be shunned and denied his chance.
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The fact is that while Asian children in the UK may have a cultural fascination with cricket, there are thousands of young lads who are second or third generation Brits born and raised in the UK and attending schools with non Asian kids fascinated by football. They'll be kicking a ball about in the yard with their white mates just like all the other kids.

Cultural issues might account for less people of a certain demographic being involved. Does it account for it to an extent that there are very few, if any, people if Asian descent playing the game?

The coaching position is just as strange for me. Sol Campbell should keep his mouth shut unless he has something sensible to say but I think some of what he says raises a fair and uncomfortable point.
 
ArmandTamzarian said:
Fighting the good fight against mansion tax now, yes that'll get the black voters out in their droves, what an absolute whopper. I also love how in the space of a few sentences he's went from having a conversation to appointing himself a government consultant :lol: he's becoming a parody of himself
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:lol:Does seem somewhat patronising for him to assume he can automatically command the 'black vote'. Yep, I'm sure all black people will see him and say 'I want that one', purely because he is black...oh and he is against the punitive mansion tax, which disproportionately penalises black people.

Ducklegs said:
It is what it is, it's not my fault they have higher standards than the rest of us.

Perhaps you can explain why nobody gives a feck about football in India while cricket is the be all and end all.

It's cultural, I'm sure if the next Messi turned out to be Bangladeshi he wouldn't be shunned and denied his chance.
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That's what I'd say. My missus' parents encouraged her to skip PE to study more. The idea that an amazing young Messi-like teenager wouldn't be given his chance because he is Indian is laughable. If anything, the big clubs would leap on it as a chance to crack the massive Indian market. United and Chelsea already have academies there, so it's not like the potential of a country that size is not being mined. They've just not come up with any great talent yet, but they will in time.
 
RedRover said:
Maybe, maybe not. It's uncomfortable though and the truth is that certain groups aren't represented in the game as they are in other sports or career fields.
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Yeah but you don't get many Asians in basketball. Not sure how many people are hand-wringing over that. Certain races are more adept at some sports than others due to their physical characteristics. That obviously doesn't hold for football, but it can't be a coincidence that the Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate distance running while more powerfully built Afro-Americans and Caribbean athletes excel at sprinting.
 
Jippy said:
:lol:Does seem somewhat patronising for him to assume he can automatically command the 'black vote'. Yep, I'm sure all black people will see him and say 'I want that one', purely because he is black...oh and he is against the punitive mansion tax, which disproportionately penalises black people.
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I think he's confusing representing black people with representing super-rich sports stars. With mansions.
 
Jippy said:
Yeah but you don't get many Asians in basketball. Not sure how many people are hand-wringing over that. Certain races are more adept at some sports than others due to their physical characteristics. That obviously doesn't hold for football, but it can't be a coincidence that the Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate distance running while more powerfully built Afro-Americans and Caribbean athletes excel at sprinting.
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Basketball isn't a sport played up and down the UK. Football is a national pass time in England.

Also, to be fair, it relies on certain physical traits that certain other ethnicities are more likely to have. The fact is if you're not six feet six you're not likely to seriously pursue basketball as a career.

The argument about athletics makes no sense here either. Clearly Kenyans and certain other african nations produce grear runners. I'm sure it's a mix of genetic ability and cultural factors.

To be a great long distance runner endurance is 99%. Football requires all sorts of different skills and you get all sorts of different types of players. I don't believe it's the case that there are no british Asian kids good enough to make it at a decent level and I just find it odd that there are none in a country with a significant Asian population.

It's not about why there are no players born in India in the football league - more why there isn't any british born Asians playing at a decent level.
 
When he talks about people from his background I can only assume he means overpaid muppets with little experience of the real world who like strutting about the place in fur coats. Westminster has plenty of such people already.
 
RedRover said:
It's not about why there are no players born in India in the football league - more why there isn't any british born Asians playing at a decent level.
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The cultural issues still apply- most parents push their kids towards the professions.
 
Adebesi said:
When he talks about people from his background I can only assume he means overpaid muppets with little experience of the real world who like strutting about the place in fur coats. Westminster has plenty of such people already.
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He's like a lot of rich people - self entitled and fond of the sound of his own voice. On that basis he'd make a great politician.
 
Jippy said:
The cultural issues still apply- most parents push their kids towards the professions.
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Well when I was about 15 I thought:

'Am I going to be good enough to play for Arsenal?'
- 'No'.

'Am I good enough for Leyton Orient at LB'.
- 'Maybe with a bit of luck'.

'Do I want to risk that v conventional degree/career choice'.
- 'No'.
 
Jippy said:
The cultural issues still apply- most parents push their kids towards the professions.
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Sounds a bit like a stereotype to me. Not all Asian kids parents push them to be doctors or lawyers. That's more about class than race.

A lot of Asian kids in our town are from a pretty shitty area to be honest. Few of them are likely to be being pushed on to Oxford.

People will have their opinions on all of this. Campbell talks shite but I just think the race issue is still live in football. More so than in other careers.
 
Maybe- just my experience of Asians I grew up with and the in-laws. The culture in Mauritius may be an extreme example of it- virtually all of her cousins work in financial services, accounting etc...and another is a dentist.
 
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