ex Prem Ref Bobby Madley

[JeMeSouviens]

ex Premiership referee Bobby Madley who disappeared from reffing in mysterious circumstances has given his side of the story:

https://therefereesword.blogspot.com/2019/12/time-to-move-on.html

Should he have been dismissed on the spot like that? He knows he did the wrong thing, I think a public reprimand and apology would have made the point far better than a secretive dismissal?

The bit about rumours that spread of him being a "dog botherer" because he supports Huddersfield (aka the Terriers) is quite funny though. :greengrin

[Keith_M]

Trial by the Media, Social or otherwise, seems all too common now.

People seem almost desperate to attack somebody on the flimsiest of evidence, presumably to make themselves look better.

I imagine the FA were preempting that, as opposed to the actual level of seriousness of the event.

[Peevemor]

He sent the video to someone who'd been a huge part of his life for 10 years, someone he then had an argument with over a family issue.

Provokes more doubt than anything else for me.

[neil7908]

Have to say it does sound like he's been very hard done by there. It would surprise me if not but wonder if he's spoken to a lawyer?

[SMAXXA]

He sent the video to someone who'd been a huge part of his life for 10 years, someone he then had an argument with over a family issue.

Provokes more doubt than anything else for me.

Why in what way?

[Peevemor]

Why in what way?

Can you imagine the one that person you're close enough to trust with a career-threatening private joke landing you in the sh** like that?

Madley's account of what happened does some very unfair, but we're only getting one side of the story and for me there has to be something more to it than a one-off argument.

[Tomsk]

He sent the video to someone who'd been a huge part of his life for 10 years, someone he then had an argument with over a family issue.

Provokes more doubt than anything else for me.

I find myself resistant to making a call on this either way. On the surface if you take Madley's version at face value he seems very hard done by. On the other hand I find it hard - or at least dearly want - to believe nobody would lose their job for such a trivial offence alone.

[Just_Jimmy]

I'm not discriminatory cos my dad was disabled ...

I'm not racist cos my friend was black...

He sent it. He obviously thought it at the time. Remorse because it's wrong or remorse because he got caught?

He was a pish referee as well. For what it's worth.

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[H18 SFR]

I met Mike Riley around 15 years ago - total, total, total knob. He'd have loved dealing with this. Honest to god, it would have been right up his street. Total knob.

[matty_f]

I think it's harsh, humour is really about context and a joke between friends taken out of context could look horrendous. I reckon I'd be sacked on the spot if I was in a public role and someone for a hold of my phone.

Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle tell jokes that, if they were written down as texts and published, would look like sackable offenses, but they're not when they're in context.

[hibsbollah]

It was joke at his own expense, not the disabled person in the video. I'm not even sure he needed to apologise, far less lose his job for it.

[JeMeSouviens]

Can you imagine the one that person you're close enough to trust with a career-threatening private joke landing you in the sh** like that?

Madley's account of what happened does some very unfair, but we're only getting one side of the story and for me there has to be something more to it than a one-off argument.

I don't know if it's connected or not, but he has a new Norwegian wife and has moved to Oslo.

[norwayhibs]

I read in one of our red tops that he is reffing 3/2 division teams this season and will be promoted to 1/ elite division next season

[Joe6-2]

Trial by the Media, Social or otherwise, seems all too common now.

People seem almost desperate to attack somebody on the flimsiest of evidence, presumably to make themselves look better.

I imagine the FA were preempting that, as opposed to the actual level of seriousness of the event.

Social media the VAR of real life!

[Allant1981]

Surely there must be more to him being sacked than that, a lawyer would have a field day with that

[Cataplana]

I think it's harsh, humour is really about context and a joke between friends taken out of context could look horrendous. I reckon I'd be sacked on the spot if I was in a public role and someone for a hold of my phone.

Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle tell jokes that, if they were written down as texts and published, would look like sackable offenses, but they're not when they're in context.

I struggle with some of Frankie's jokes about sexual abuse. I understand why he tells them, but they are right on the edge for me .

Doesn't stop me watching his show, because I think most of it is brilliant.

[lyonhibs]

I think it's harsh, humour is really about context and a joke between friends taken out of context could look horrendous. I reckon I'd be sacked on the spot if I was in a public role and someone for a hold of my phone.

Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle tell jokes that, if they were written down as texts and published, would look like sackable offenses, but they're not when they're in context.

Agree 100%, particularly the bit in bold and I'll bet it would apply to a lot of people on this board, if they're being honest.

A loss of appreciation for the importance of context when it comes to judging people, especially if we're talking about an on the spot sacking, is a common occurrence in the social media era.

[worcesterhibby]

Maltese Ref's would never have done this..they were awesome (looks away to the horizon with a misty-eyed look)

[Vault Boy]

That's a shocker for the guy, certainly not justified if his account of what happened is accurate.

[HH81]

I know the full story of this given his family is based in the town I live in. I had forgotten about this.

My friend was involved and it's all a bit of a mess. He made a bad error of judgement.

[matty_f]

I struggle with some of Frankie's jokes about sexual abuse. I understand why he tells them, but they are right on the edge for me .

Doesn't stop me watching his show, because I think most of it is brilliant.

Yeah, I'm not comfortable with all of his jokes either, saw him live and he made a joke about Lewis Hamilton's brother having cerebral palsy which I thought was awful, to be honest.

[Sir David Gray]

I think it's harsh, humour is really about context and a joke between friends taken out of context could look horrendous. I reckon I'd be sacked on the spot if I was in a public role and someone for a hold of my phone.

Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle tell jokes that, if they were written down as texts and published, would look like sackable offenses, but they're not when they're in context.

Frankie Boyle's not a good example as I feel his "humour" crosses a line of decency and acceptability but in general I agree with the gist of that.

Frankie Boyle also doesn't keep his content private amongst friends, it's public for anyone to watch. I think a private text sent to one individual, which Bobby Madley has done, is completely different to posting something on Twitter or on stage during live performances.

There surely must be more to this story as it's definitely not a sackable offence based on what's been said. As others have said it was a joke against himself rather than against the person in the video.

[Keith_M]

It was joke at his own expense, not the disabled person in the video. I'm not even sure he needed to apologise, far less lose his job for it.


That's how I took it as well.

[Sammy7nil]

I'm not discriminatory cos my dad was disabled ...

I'm not racist cos my friend was black...

He sent it. He obviously thought it at the time. Remorse because it's wrong or remorse because he got caught?

He was a pish referee as well. For what it's worth.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

People find all.sorts of things funny that others find offensive this was a joke made in private. Very harsh imho if the story is factual.


I met Mike Riley around 15 years ago - total, total, total knob. He'd have loved dealing with this. Honest to god, it would have been right up his street. Total knob.i

Do you think he is a knob ?:greengrin

[Smartie]

People find all.sorts of things funny that others find offensive this was a joke made in private. Very harsh imho if the story is factual.

i



It's so harsh that I've come to the conclusion Madley's version of events must be far from factual.

[RyeSloan]

It's so harsh that I've come to the conclusion Madley's version of events must be far from factual.

Agree. IF that is all that happened then I don’t see how, with legal representation from his Union, that decision could ever have been reached. It sounds more like blackmail than a sackable offence.

I’d also have expected him to take it to a tribunal for unfair dismissal rather than just let it be.

But that said it sounds like he had quite a few other things going on in his life at the same time so it’s impossible to tell just from this one short version of events.

[overdrive]

I loved how he felt the need to even address the “dog bothering” rumours. I better remember to never send a joke to my ex-wife... it might end in rumours of beastiality. :faf:

[HoboHarry]

Little bit surprising to me that he hasn't been offered a job in another country like China. IIRC correctly, Mark Clattenburg joined the Chinese league last year....

[Keith_M]

It's so harsh that I've come to the conclusion Madley's version of events must be far from factual.


Do you think he really IS a dog botherer as well?

:dunno:

[WoreTheGreen]

I think the dog was just his chum

[JeMeSouviens]

I think the dog was just his chum

He wasn't giving it the Bonio then? :dunno:

[WoreTheGreen]

TBH I don’t ken o mate

[Pretty Boy]

There's a brilliant episode of South Park in which Cartman pretends to be disabled so he can compete, and win, in the special Olympics. He portrays a ridiculously over the top caricature of someone with a disability that taken out of context would be grossly offensive. As it is the joke is flipped and he is resoundingly beaten in every event.

This seems to me to be in the same ballpark. The joke is entirely self deprecating and aimed at the able bodied person. Had he text his mate saying 'the race is full of ******s so I'll win' then it takes an entirely different tone; but he didn't. If the context is as described by Madley then it seems he has been very harshly treated.

[Tomsk]

There's a brilliant episode of South Park in which Cartman pretends to be disabled so he can compete, and win, in the special Olympics. He portrays a ridiculously over the top caricature of someone with a disability that taken out of context would be grossly offensive. As it is the joke is flipped and he is resoundingly beaten in every event.

This seems to me to be in the same ballpark. The joke is entirely self deprecating and aimed at the able bodied person. Had he text his mate saying 'the race is full of ******s so I'll win' then it takes an entirely different tone; but he didn't. If the context is as described by Madley then it seems he has been very harshly treated.


I find the whole thing implausible.

Statement surely incoming from PGMOB. There must be more to this.

[hibeemikey21]

I find the whole thing implausible.

Statement surely incoming from PGMOB. There must be more to this.

But that’s precisely why I believe his account...it’s been 18 months...he has successfully rebuilt his life in a different country. Everyone had forgotten about him until now.

There’s no way he’d be re-opening this dialogue if he knew it wasn’t going to end well for him. If it was sinister, he would leave it well alone as it has long since been brushed under the carpet.

The reason for his delay in telling his side of the story could be because it was more dignified to let it all blow over, or, potentially, a non-disclosure agreement/policy which has since expired.

[Scott Allan Key]

Trial by the Media, Social or otherwise, seems all too common now.

People seem almost desperate to attack somebody on the flimsiest of evidence, presumably to make themselves look better.

I imagine the FA were preempting that, as opposed to the actual level of seriousness of the event.That's a bit rich coming from some posters.

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[CraigHibee]

He wasn't giving it the Bonio then? :dunno:

I think he was leading him on 🙈

I do feel sorry for him, his "friend" clearly had it in for him to do something like that especially when he wasnt actually making fun of the guy himself.

The dog thing though and the media nonsense was something else though, what folk dont know they will often make up.

I'd have sued the life out of them