Matt Wild - General Manager

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

On the three-person panel that's coming in for criticism for not giving John Yems a longer ban.

The downfall of John Yems and why jarring response is a 'slap in the face' to the victims

It is unlikely Yems will get another job as a manager but the written reasons that are meant to justify his punishment are unsatisfactory

theathletic.com

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Can't read it behind a pay wall. What does it say?

 

[Jonzy54]

Can't read it behind a pay wall. What does it say?

Sky reported many of the things he said ,absolutely disgusting

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Sky reported many of the things he said ,absolutely disgusting

Don't have Sky either!

 

[scrufftyguy]

Can't read it behind a pay wall. What does it say?

Try pasting the link into here… RemovePaywall | Free online paywall remover

 

[Jonzy54]

Don't have Sky either!

Fair enough .Amongst the disgusting things he said included referring to black players as Zulus ,Asians as curry munchers ,asking an Asian player if he was going to blow the ground up and another black player if he was that colour because he had been on his holidays.
I accept certain people might say something once but this type of incessant language is bang out of order and is simply inexcusable .

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Don't have Sky either!

Read it now in Guardian and Sky, thanks.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Have some posts been deleted? Page 2 seems completely disconnected from page 1.

 

[JamesWolves]

Not a good look for Mr Wild is it

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Read it now in Guardian and Sky, thanks.

Tony Agana was one of the three man panel. He is black, so the leniency is a bit surprising.

 

[Rhyl Wolf]

The disciplinary commission accepted that "he is not a conscious racist." Jesus wept. Hate to meet their definition of a conscious racist.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Sorry, what's this got to do with Wild?

EDIT: Never mind. Read the article. Not great for Matt Wild at all.

 

[Kcb92]

You'd have to be totally naive to believe he didn't know what he was saying was offensive.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Ok

You'd have to be totally naive to believe he didn't know what he was saying was offensive.

But some people never move on and have no concept of applying changing standards to themselves. The kind of thing he routinely said to players was commonplace in the 60s/70s. Things change but some people never move on. I am not excusing it, but he needs a bit of education as to the effect these comments have on people.

 

[Perton Wolf]

The disciplinary commission accepted that "he is not a conscious racist." Jesus wept. Hate to meet their definition of a conscious racist.

Agreed, pathetic judgement.

 

[Monketron]

Sorry Matt you will have to go on the induction course next week, your first task is to find a new striker.

Over 2 years old yet this post could have been made today

 

[MattH]

I had some business dealings with non league boards in the past. Let's just say their approach and views on racism were an eye opener.

 

[SilverstoneWolf]

An absolutely disgraceful decision by the 3-person panel of which Wild was one. I have never heard such a protracted series of disgraceful (and illegal) comments to be dismissed so readily as ‘banter’ or ‘unconscious racism’.

This decision will be seen by Neanderthal fans as a ‘green light’ to continue spouting racist bile and defend it claiming it to be ‘a joke’ and pushing the blame onto the victim for ‘not taking it’.

I hope the club sacks the guy, or at least sends him on a very very long and intensive course about our society as it is and not what he seems to prefer it to be.

Absolutely fuming that we gave someone ina senior position who would be party to this decision.

 

[WickedWolfie]

An absolutely disgraceful decision by the 3-person panel of which Wild was one. I have never heard such a protracted series of disgraceful (and illegal) comments to be dismissed so readily as ‘banter’ or ‘unconscious racism’.

This decision will be seen by Neanderthal fans as a ‘green light’ to continue spouting racist bile and defend it claiming it to be ‘a joke’ and pushing the blame onto the victim for ‘not taking it’.

I hope the club sacks the guy, or at least sends him on a very very long and intensive course about our society as it is and not what he seems to prefer it to be.

Absolutely fuming that we gave someone ina senior position who would be party to this decision.

At face value the decision seems perverse. However the panel saw the evidence which we haven't. I'm therefore a little cautious about being as adamant as you are.

 

[JadeWolf]

Just been reading up on this. Very concerning that someone high up in our club can hear some of the comments made and decide they weren’t deliberately racist.

Wolves and Wolverhampton prides itself on diversity.

 

[Premier Quality]

At face value the decision seems perverse. However the panel saw the evidence which we haven't. I'm therefore a little cautious about being as adamant as you are.

This - the other two panel members were Tony agana and a lawyer - you’d imagine there were good reasons to reach the decision they did.

 

[SilverstoneWolf]

Fair comment - and 'trial by media' or 'trial by hear-say' never a good look. But if the comments that I have read are even remotely correct, then I cannot see any mitigating circumstances which warrant such leniency. Even the FA is considering reviewing the decision of its own committee!

 

[Wonder Boyo]

At face value the decision seems perverse. However the panel saw the evidence which we haven't. I'm therefore a little cautious about being as adamant as you are.

I agree about the other evidence, but to be fair, Kick it Out and a number of other organisations have condemned the panel's decision. Not sure if they have seen all of the evidence either. However, if not, why not? There should be complete transparency in cases like this about what evidence informed their decision. Especially when the decision seems bizarre like this one. It's also the fact they released a statement saying he was not consciously racist. On the face of his comments that sounds absolutely ridiculous. What were the reasons behind their belief of the truth of that statement?

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. So what is the mitigating evidence?

 

[WickedWolfie]

Fair comment - and 'trial by media' or 'trial by hear-say' never a good look. But if the comments that I have read are even remotely correct, then I cannot see any mitigating circumstances which warrant such leniency. Even the FA is considering reviewing the decision of its own committee!

Re your last sentence the FA regrets the ending of the days when they were judge, jury and executioner. That changed, and independent panels were set up, because of the threat of litigation in real Courts.

Having, a few years ago now, spent eight years of my life addressing litigation against HMG l have seen my fair share of apparently perverse decisions and the reasons behind them.

 

[sillytuna]

I'm not saying this is right but it looks like they decided he didn't pick players differently on the basis of race, but he did constantly use racist language and tropes.

In this day and age I can't for the life of me understand how that isn't seen as racist but that is what it looks like. The manager's own comments since then only show up what an awful person he is imho.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Fair enough .Amongst the disgusting things he said included referring to black players as Zulus ,Asians as curry munchers ,asking an Asian player if he was going to blow the ground up and another black player if he was that colour because he had been on his holidays.
I accept certain people might say something once but this type of incessant language is bang out of order and is simply inexcusable .

I heard part of an interview with him on Talksport yesterday. He was unapologetic for the most part, and pointed out that most of the charges levelled at him, related to actual discrimination eg player selection, were dropped or he was found innocent. He did acknowledge that his language was as reported, and that he had accepted those charges and cooperated with the investigation. But he tried to make the case that he was just old fashioned in his manner, and hadn’t appreciated that using such language was itself against the “rules”. I highlight that because another part of his defence was that he’d been found to have broken FA regulations, not the law, and that’s held to a different standard.

Based on what I heard him say, he comes across as an unpleasant individual, likely a bully, who still doesn’t get that his “banter” is demeaning, discriminatory and intimidating to those he singles out as different. The language he used was totally inexcusable in this day and age, and had he used it where I worked, he’d likely have been fired because it violated the company’s policies on harassment and use of discriminatory or offensive language.

I find it remarkable that he wasn’t permanently banned by the FA. But I don’t think we can pass judgement on the members of three person panel as we are not privy to the evidence actually presented, or guidance given on which to make a judgement.

 

[wwbug]

So not really a Director of Football then?

Don’t need one with Super Lopetegui .

 

[Jonzy54]

Don’t need one with Super Lopetegui .

Julen will embrace all matters relating to the first eleven whereas a DOF will be more involved in signings,recruitment,contracts etc at all levels below .

 

[KBWWFC]

Just been reading up on this. Very concerning that someone high up in our club can hear some of the comments made and decide they weren’t deliberately racist.

I know people who have contacted kickitout and by extension the club about the most vile racism, extremism, and threats of violence and seen the club's responses.

I'm under no illusions - Wolverhampton Wanderers honestly doesn't care.

 

[wwbug]

Julen will embrace all matters relating to the first eleven whereas a DOF will be more involved in signings,recruitment,contracts etc at all levels below .

I have always been a strong advocate of a DOF.
But now I just believe Lopetegui can identify and coerce players with his vast football knowledge and his stature . And Mendes adds to that.
Thats just leave the legality and negotiations which is quire a different position .
Great managers don’t need lesser DOF imo . It causes friction.