Alan Davies...

[Dan_85]

Taking a pasting on Twitter right now from the Scousers, with regards to last week's podcast...

TV funnyman Alan Davies is set to provoke a storm of protest for a foul-mouthed rant criticising Liverpool Football Club's refusal to play on the anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster.

The Jonathan Creek and QI star made his shocking outburst during the latest edition of his popular podcast for Arsenal fans 'The Tuesday Club'.

The 46-year-old -- who once hit the headlines for biting a homeless man's ear in a drunken attack outside a swanky London club -- was discussing the dates of the forthcoming FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

Liverpool's clash with Merseyside rivals, Everton, takes place on Saturday, April 14th. Tottenham take on Chelsea the following day -- the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Liverpool refuse to play on April 15th as a show for respect for the ninety-six football fans who died in a crush at an FA Cup Semi Final at the stadium in Sheffield on that date in 1989.

But Davies seemed to care more about the fact that Liverpool's stance meant Chelsea were having to play their FA Cup tie only three days before their Champions League last-four clash with Barcelona.

He ranted: "Liverpool and the 15th -- that gets on my tits that shit. What are you talking about, 'We won't play on the day'. Why can't they?"

Laughing nervously, one of his co-presenters, Ian Stone, tried to point out why Liverpool FC don't take a business-as-usual approach to the most painful day in the club's history, saying: "Because it's too sad a memory."

But that simple and obvious explanation failed to deter Davies, who was on a roll.

He said: "Do they play on the date of the Heysel Stadium disaster? How many dates do they not play on? Do Man United play on the date of Munich? Do Rangers play on the date when all their fans died in that disaster whatever year that was - 1971?"

Davies - who trades off his cuddly TV image - continued in his attack by savaging the Liverpool legend and manager Kenny Dalglish, who has defended the decision not to play on April 15th.

Davies raved: "Every interview he's given this season he looks like he wants to head-butt the interviewer. This tight-mouthed, furious, frowning, leaning-forward, bitter Glaswegian ranting, 'Liverpool FC do not play on April 15th'."

After beginning a poor impersonation of Dalglish, Davies broke off to say his attempt to mimic the Scotsman's accent was "terrible because I hate him".

Despite his fury on behalf of Chelsea - the last English club remaining in a European competition - Davies went on to admit he would think it was "awful" if they went on to win the Champions League.

Davies then aimed his sights at Tottenham Hotspur -- bitter city rivals of his beloved Arsenal. He claimed Spurs had refused to move a fixture back in 1980, two days before the Gunners were due to play a semi-final against the Italian club Juventus in the Cup Winners' Cup.

In another display of breathtaking insensitivity, Davies fired a scathing salvo at White Hart Lane bosses using a term the Nazis labelled Jews with in their vile propaganda. Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, is Jewish and the club has a strong Jewish following among its supporters.

He said: "What vermin run that club. They always have. Absolute vermin. Scum of the Earth."

Davies then began singing: "You burn your own town," a crass reference to the summer riots that devastated parts of Tottenham in north London.

During the podcast, Davies also made fun of the Arsenal striker and Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh who was recently pictured smoking a shisha pipe. He joked Chamakh was "stoned out of his box" and was Arsenal's "club dealer" peddling hashish to the rest of the squad from a "Range Rover with blacked out windows".

He also made potentially libellous remarks about Oliver Holt - The Daily Mirror's Chief Sportswriter. Insisting on referring to him as "Oliver Horseshit", he called the award-winning journalist a "dickhead", suggesting he had an issue with drink. "You can smell the alcohol in his tweets!" he laughed.

One listener to the podcast said: "I couldn't believe my ears. Alan Davies comes across as such a nice bloke on the telly but he sounded like a lout in this broadcast.

"He should apologise immediately to the relatives of the Hillsborough Disaster -- his comments were appalling. I can't believe they let him broadcast this rubbish."

http://rhubarbgrumble.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... et-to.html

[REB]

davies likes the sound of his own voice and comes across like a dick .

[Dan_85]

I can see why he might rub people up the wrong way. I think he's alright though, always enjoy the podcast. And think he makes a valid point here. Utd play on the date of Munich, why can't Liverpool play on April 15th and do something to mark the occasion? Minute's silence, special shirts etc.

[tel]

He's fucking right of course. Bradford play on their anniversary, united, rangers and Bolton all play on theirs. Why should the car thieves be any different? It's about time their victim mentality was questioned.

[LDB]

I thought it was fine, listened in context it was clearly a rant intended to be partially tongue-in-cheek and i didnt think at the time that it was much more controversial then what is usually on the podcast. Looks worse when written down by some snide journalist.

[StuartL]

I haven't listened to any of their podcasts - sounds like a bit of a rant after a few jars down the pub - might listen in now

[RNTGOONER]

The podcast is meant to be like a chat in the pub, it is not like it is broadcast to you, and you tune in by accident, not too much more than a druken bunch of football fans might say, you burned your own town chant was coined by chavski anyway, seems like an attack on alan davies tbh, and i dare say he would laugh reading it.

ManU and Liverpool fans / podcasts are worse to each other imo, just crap journalism about an inane podcast you don't have to download.

[Henry Norris 1913]

tabloids will love it- "foul mouthed alan davies going off on hate-filled racist tirade". what he said was right.

[LDB]

, Davies fired a scathing salvo at White Hart Lane bosses using a term the Nazis labelled Jews with in their vile propaganda.

Anyone know what this is referring to? The word Vermin? If so its disgraceful to suggest there is anything anti-Semitic in what he said. All sorts of people can be called Vermin and if I were Davies I'd have my lawyer after that insinuation if this thing kicks off.

[Dan_85]

I haven't listened to any of their podcasts - sounds like a bit of a rant after a few jars down the pub - might listen in now

As has been said, it's exactly the kinda stuff 95% of Arsenal fans are saying to each other in the boozer before or after every game. They take the piss outta a lot of people, opposition fans, players, managers as well as plenty of people at our own club. It's nothing serious, far from a "hate filled rant". It'll be a sad indication of the state of things in Britain today if it gets blown up into anything bigger.

[RNTGOONER]

, Davies fired a scathing salvo at White Hart Lane bosses using a term the Nazis labelled Jews with in their vile propaganda.

Anyone know what this is referring to? The word Vermin? If so its disgraceful to suggest there is anything anti-Semitic in what he said. All sorts of people can be called Vermin and if I were Davies I'd have my lawyer after that insinuation if this thing kicks off.

Spot on, he has never came across as a racist or bigot, anti-semite to me, i bet this is more about him ripping that journo than anything. accusing somebody of that is worse than joking about them liking a drink.

[potter]

They say that the truth hurts . Must have touched a raw one somewhere.

[QuartzGooner]

Sounds as if he was pissed. If anything the people that run Spurs have been unremarkable rather than "vermin".

I guess over time Liverpool might play on the Hillsborough anniversary but the wounds are too raw at present.

[LDB]

Sounds as if he was pissed. If anything the people that run Spurs have been unremarkable rather than "vermin".

I guess over time Liverpool might play on the Hillsborough anniversary but the wounds are too raw at present.

Do me a favour, what purpose does it serve not playing football on the anniversary day? Surely they should want to play on that day so they can have memorials and minutes silences and what not.

[QuartzGooner]

LDB:
It's the idea that families in Liverpool will want to go to local church services, take quiet time to reflect on it.

Things should change over time, a natural progression, but currently I do not have a problem with it.