20 Dec 2024 14:55:12
Ed001 a question about Howard Gayle. How come he never got hardly any recognition from the club? He was after all the 1st black player to play for the club when racism was aimed at him on a daily basis and yet you never see him at club events. For me he should be the club ambassador for life unlike that rat Owen.
{Ed001's Note - a lot of it was because of Smith always being around, and obviously Gayle didn't want anything to do with him. He does deserve better treatment and the club should bring him more into the fold. I know they are uncomfortable with what he has to say, but he is a good reminder of how far things have come and people need to know how bad things were back in his day. Especially now, with racism becoming a growing problem once more, it is good to remind people of just what damage it can do.
The problem is that sponsors don't want an ambassador who tells uncomfortable home truths, like Gayle would do. He has a story to tell of his life which they don't want to hear. They want to hear the good times, the victories and trophies and be associated with that.}
20 Dec 2024 15:07:41
Are you talking about John Smith? If so what was the issue?
{Ed001's Note - Tommy mate. He was always at games and club events as a club legend. It was Tommy Smith that racially abused him.}
20 Dec 2024 15:37:48
You're joking!
{Ed001's Note - no mate, I thought you knew that?}
20 Dec 2024 15:38:58
I didn't think that Tommy Smith was like that. How come the club didn't step in on Howard's side?
{Ed001's Note - I have no idea mate. They should have done something. I think that is the one thing that I feel lets Shankly down, that he never stamped that out.}
20 Dec 2024 15:47:07
Wow, I didn’t know that either about the Anfield Iron. For a summary of his comments - which are shocking now and would have been even in 1988 when he made them (recounting 10-20 years earlier) check out his Wiki page under ‘Later Life’ or Google Tommy Smith Dave Hill Interview.
Makes me pretty sad.
{Ed001's Note - I was gutted when I found out too. Smith had been my hero, I had his autobiography and was fascinated by him. Then I found that out and it just killed it for me. I lost all respect for him. I know it was a different time, but there is no excuse for the way he treated Howard Gayle.}
20 Dec 2024 15:57:12
Well even more so that Howard Gayle should be made part of the club in some capacity. Like a community officer or something. He's been let down by the club he loved and played for. Its disgusting the way that he has been treated.
{Ed001's Note - very true.}
20 Dec 2024 16:10:58
Wow, I've just read the extract from the interview he did in 1988. That's absolutely disgusting.
20 Dec 2024 16:14:28
Not sure Howard Gayle would be interested in being more involved with the club. From what I have read, he is very bitter about the treatment he received back then. You can’t blame the bloke really.
20 Dec 2024 16:24:49
Well, you learn something new everyday, I didn't know about this either. I don't remember hearing about it at least. Quite gobsmacking to be honest.
20 Dec 2024 16:52:31
You're right Bobby why would Howard be bothered with a club that never had his back while he was being racially abused by a senior player ?. It's still disgusting the way he's been ignored by the club. Like I never see him on or featured in any programmes on LFC. TV.
20 Dec 2024 18:15:55
Howard gayle is no angel. He called kid with adhd window licker when he was coaching in schools. I know that for sure not a rumour.
20 Dec 2024 18:20:52
Just read some of the interview and wow, what a way to kill your legacy.
20 Dec 2024 18:28:26
Well that's to say the least not very good at all John.
20 Dec 2024 18:29:48
I don't know much about Howard Gayle's story but he played 4 games for Liverpool, why would there be programs about him and why would he be a club ambassador? He played less games than Ben Woodburn, Danny Wilson and Istvan Kozma and you don't hear anything about those guys either.
20 Dec 2024 18:56:26
It's a shame that racism even exists. I remember my pops telling me about this when I was a kid.
I'd never condone racism and Smith let himself down with the comments.
There have been a few stories that Gayle was hard to get on with and even rude to players and staff but the racist comments were not needed.
20 Dec 2024 19:55:31
@TB2, I don’t think it’s the number of games he played that is the point it is more the point that he was the first black player to play for the club.
20 Dec 2024 19:58:36
I heard Phil Thompson tried to give him some tips about what to say to the board about getting a long term contract. Obviously it didn't work but made me respect Thompson a lot more as Fowler was my hero growing up and Obviously they didn't get on so I thought Thompson must have been an idiot. I don't know much about Gayle but I believe he was instrumental in getting through against Bayern Munich away on the way to winning the European cup.
20 Dec 2024 20:32:56
Howard gayle definitely played in some charity/ legend/ 5 aside type games for club a few years ago, i remember watching them. So he obviously still has some affinity to club.
20 Dec 2024 20:47:22
I get that WDW3 but does being the first of something deserve such attention that Barry is suggesting? Jimmy Carter was the first Asian to play for Liverpool, should he be a club ambassador? Should there be programmes made about him?
20 Dec 2024 21:27:31
Yes actually TB2 there should because Howard Gayle faced racism on and off the pitch on daily basis while it was generally accepted. As has been stated he was the first black player to play 1st team football for Liverpool F. C. which meant that he had excel every day that he went into training. It doesn't matter that he only played 4 times what matters is that he played at all which was a massive achievement on it's own. So yeah why not give him a 30 minute slot on LFC. TV or a job with the club just to even say"Fair play lad you broke barriers"but obviously you don't agree.
20 Dec 2024 22:43:40
Just reading the smith interview is enough to show you that he needs recognition. I suspect he would have played more if he was white. Yes the guy has a massive chip on his shoulder but I think under the circumstances you can’t blame him. The comments by Tommy Smith shows you what he had to deal with.
21 Dec 2024 00:36:08
Probably all the racism he faced daily give him that chip Bobby.
21 Dec 2024 04:16:08
I think Gayle deserves to be a voice acting with the official approval and backing of the club and what better than as an ambassador and, in my opinion, he should be encouraged by the club to give voice to the ‘uncomfortable truth’. It’s only by being open and honest and admitting that the situation could have been handled better that we can actually say that we have learned from past mistakes.
21 Dec 2024 06:40:51
Spot on wdw3,hiding from what went on in past solves nothing. The same mistakes will be made again.
21 Dec 2024 07:02:59
Totally agree WDW3.
21 Dec 2024 10:08:36
How about a public apology by the club, recognition that it was wrong to fail to protect Howard. Some acknowledgement that the club let him down.
He probably doesn’t see himself as a legend, he rightly has a lot of enmity for the club. If the club publically apologises and accepts it was wrong and failed Howard, that probably means a lot more to him and others.
21 Dec 2024 13:51:55
Ron I can honestly never see the club issuing an apology as I it would mean that they did something wrong to begin with.
21 Dec 2024 17:41:26
They should thigh Barry because it’s clear as an employer they had a legal obligation to protect their employees.
Allowing racist abuse warrants an apology AT LEAST.