Football - Newcastle United v Middlesbrough - FA Barclays Premiership - St James Park - 05/06 , 2/1/06 Graeme Souness - Newcastle United Manager Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee Smith NO ONLINE/INTERNET USE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE +44 207 298 1656.
Graeme Souness is a sad, pathetic bastard.
There is it in a nutshell. There it is without sugar coating it or overemphasising.
Over the last couple of years, he’s been engaged in a pitiful battle against himself, as his views and opinions become increasingly irrelevant in a game which has broadened its appeal and where fans grow ever more sophisticated.
What we’re seeing from him is two things, basically. The first is a classic example of what we’d call “rage against the dying of the light.”
His own career. His own legacy. His own importance to a world which has gotten way too modern for this dinosaur.
The second is the stripping away, finally, of the last vestige of his legitimacy and the exposure of who he is underneath all the smart suits and years of polishing his public persona. We’re seeing, at last, the true man.
And what we’re seeing is ugly and feral and twisted. We’re seeing a misogynist, an extremist, a nationalist and a charlatan. Some of those things we’ve known for years, but they have appeared only in flashes. Not that many of us were kidded by his two-bob mask … those of us who’ve seen sectarianism’s full face recognised it in him long ago.
But now the rest of the world is seeing it too. It’s a ghastly sight.
His comments today about James McLean and the torrents of bile he has to endure where he lays the blame at the door of the player, and particularly where he suggests that the abuse McLean’s family suffers is his own fault because he took a very public stand against wearing the poppy do not, as some surmise, veer close to racism.
They are racism.
They are heartless and they are disgusting and nobody should accept them.
We know where he made those remarks, and so the idea that his bosses might hold him accountable for them is daft if we’re being generous. Everyone who listens to that show now plays their own role in dumbing down the level of debate, and since its tone has become particularly spiteful and nationalistic and right-wing of late the damage doesn’t stop there.
Souness’ latest decision to become a controversialist is, in part, what is driving him to these remarks.
But there was a part of Souness which always thirsted to unleash the beast within, and that’s as obvious as anything is.
His talk about how whilst at Ibrox he was the manager of a “Protestant and monarchist club” marks him out as a member of the British equivalent of America’s backward, right-wing, hillbilly, Confederate flag waving shit-kicker idiocrasy and they make him sound bigoted and the club a throwback to a bygone age.
They do neither party any favours at all. But he’s past caring about that.
All that matters to him now is to be part of the national conversation, even if the nation is looking at him like a drunk who just shit in his pants.
That’s why I opened this article will the words “Graeme Souness is a sad pathetic bastard.”
He is an attention seeking whore.
And this article already gives him more of it than he deserves. He used to be a failed manager.
Now he’s a failed human being.
James McLean, on the other hand, is a person of the highest personal integrity and courage.
It takes balls and conviction to do what he does and to put up with what he endures.
Those are things the likes of Souness will never understand, safe behind a microphone, never having to face real people again, cossetted in a celebrity bubble where he is still tolerated, in part because he’s put himself squarely in an environment full of likeminded scum.
McLean, in short, is everything that Souness is not, and deep down Souness knows it too.
Which is the other reason for his bile soaked rant today.
He knows a coward when he sees one, and that’s every time he looks in the mirror lately.
James McLean has the kind of bravery that moral cowards like Sourness regard with envy and spite.
Apart from highlighting this in the article,I don’t think it is worth wasting energy or breath on this creature whose inner world one can only regard with revulsion.
I like to think of Souness as the guy with a face that’s worn out 5 bodies ! For sure ………
Sourness, just a rancid old bigot with knuckle dragging appeal. Out dated in every way and only given a plarfom to appease like minded dinosaurs. He has learned very little regarding respect and displays a despicable wee arra peepl entitled ignorance and arrogance. Auto switch off if he hear his bile or see his contorted coupon.
Have you noticed the older these people get the more outlandish their comments become. I noticed a change in my dad and gran when dementia hit as it prevents the filter between knowing what is acceptable to say and what is not. Maybe that is what the problem is and people like Souness need taken off the air before they start saying things that will cause controversy.
Agree with James here.Souness was always thick as two short planks,and alot of people were never fooled with the sharp suits and Sean Connery accent.He said to Ian McCall back in the day “Your nothing but a socialist”.Meaning it as an insult.McCall was like I’d like to think so”.As an old friend of mine once said,”He says nothing,but says it well”.Folk seduced by suits and accent
Can’t wait for that scum cunts next heart attack. HH
The cunts cunt
Poundland hard man
Loathsome racist
Poppy season must be upon us. HH
I remember Souness headbutting a Celtic midfeilder at Hampden in a league cup quarter final. Sent off but not before he kicked the boy. He’s a forgotten man, except for his hatred of Celtic. An old Hun with nae baws. GIRUY Souness.
Sourness….?? Bitter…?? NAW ….!!
But His EGO, and the Reek of Sulfur….
Enters the Studio TEN Minutes afore HE does…
Ditch HIM, along wi’ yon Dimwit, Jamie Carrag-Hockle..
Micah Harris is the rising star of football punditry….
Bright, affable, and humorous…
Always polite….And never talks over, or antagonises his fellow pundits..
Provides excellent analysis..
Go on BBC….pull the plug, and put [Souness-in-Da- Box]…..!!!!
[ T-67…… You’re not Micah’s Gran, by any chance ??…Ed ]
Remember when he broke Siggi Jonsson’s leg in 1986 and then he ran away from every Iceland player for the rest of the game. A pussy and a bully not a “man’s game” the cowardly way he played.
Best opening sentence ever James, and to think that mob on the other side of Glasgow, want him back in an advisory role. God help us.
He’s not exactly clever. Sectarianism and Racism cost lives. His tackle in the Steua Bucharest game was the worst I’ve ever seen (including the Argentines & Spanish back in the day).
I would love to see James McLean at Celtic. This guy would give everything every time he pulled on the jersey. As part of the Celtic player pool he would be a fantastic addition for us.
I’ve read all your comments about Graeme, and agree with them, bigot, low intelligence, no management skills, no knowledge of the arts of the beautiful game, but surely then he ticks all the boxes for the post of The Rangers manager. He certainly gets my vote,
If he gets the hun job then physios and club medical teams better stock up on splints and bandages
Nice picture of Graeme by the way- clever comb over at the sides of his head completely masks his horns.
I have always worshipped the ground he is going into, what a despicable creep he is.
That will be the Graeme Souness who in the late 60s into the 70s was often seen running off the parks in Saughtonmains (where he grew up) greetin and threatening to come back with his big brother. I’ll bet he’s wiped those memories from his memory banks. The other boys in Saughtonmains still remember though.
Very good article my only thoughts at the end were how sad to be him! I had just watched the green brigade video about the food banks and read this. He’s is pathetic but he did sign a Catholic so he can’t be a bigot how many times has that been rolled out! He is also the guy who put the late queen’s picture up in the dressing room. Sorry for the long post and rant.
I can’t believe we had the bigoted (unt on Irish TV.
I’ve personally worked for Graeme and he seems the perfect gentleman. Was very complimentary about my work and thanked me for working late to get the job done. The original poster obviously doesn’t agree with his stance on not wearing a poppy, but to me it’s disrespectful to all the lives lost in the wars, not to wear one.