Trailblazers
"I never thought it would happen in my lifetime"?
I wish I had a quid for every time I've heard someone say that during the last few weeks.
So we now have a wonderful black president - but what next - a woman, a gay man, a black woman, a gay black woman?
The first trailblazer I remember was Angela Rippon, the BBC's first female newsreader. It was said that people just wouldn't accept receiving distressing news from a woman. Women just weren't serious enough.
Angela was hardly a revolutionary - she spent most of her later life mouldering away on 'Come Dancing'. It wasn't strictly necessary then so no one watched it.
Then there was Trevor McDonald - the first black newsreader. A man with such gravitas and elocution skills you'd be scared to even say hello to him.
Who was England's first black footballer?
I remember a campaign in the early seventies by (I think) The Sunday Times to get a few home-grown Pelés and Eusébios onto our pitches.
My research shows that the earliest may have been Clyde Best.
So West Ham had their very own Bestie?Paul Ince was the first black manager of an English premiership side. He lasted for 6 months. I hope Obama will be more successful than Paul.
Surely Britain will one day have a black prime minister.
We tried a woman once but it didn't work.
KAZ
posted by KAZ at 7:56 am
29 Comments:
the internet!
(I first heard about this method of communicating with people thru electric wires and the like back in 1983, at uni, from someone who was studying Naval Architecture and used to correspond via a computer with people who worked for the American forces)(slgithyl off topic, but haven't had a coffee yet)
I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. . .
(there you go, you're a pound up, and it's not even nine o'clock!)
ooops, I think that was supposed to be slightly - I do need that coffee
Let's hope we never have a Scotsman as Prime Minister.
I think the US will have a gay black woman president long before we have a black PM.
I recall during the dark days of Thatcher's reign there were stories of boys asking their parents if a boy could ever be PM.
I've been wondering for a while when they'll update spell-checkers to recognise Obama (I know I can do it myself but that's not the point). I suspect a conspiracy.
There, three disparate comments with nothing joining them together.....my language skills are really, really blurred today.
There is a conspiracy. One day Spellchecker and Word Verification Code will take over the world...
Sx
Im still not convinced Thatcher was really a woman..........Lovely Picture To Greet The New Week!
View 1:
Perhaps we could all run the country by true democracy via the internet.
Thanks for the £1.
View 2:
I much prefer slgithyl.
Enjoy the coffee, I've already had 3 cups.
Dave:
I wonder what the odds are on having a one - eyed Scotsman for Prime Minister?
NiC:
Interesting prediction.
That's a bit like my students in Ardwick finding out that Fish and Chips was a British meal.
They thought it was Chinese.
Scarlet:
So you suspect that Osama has hacked into Windows.
It's spooky the way that word verification is so often relevant to the comment.
Tony:
So sorry.
But I sometimes think we need reminding . Some people (not yourself of course) have short memories.
Obviously I should be PM, but failing that I'm sure a black lesbian dwarf with a hare lip and a speech impediment would do a better job than the current numpty.
Perhaps we could have a prime minister that can do the job - that would be novel.
By the way, wasn't Arthur Wharton the world's first Black Professional Footballer? He played for Preston North End in the 1885-6 season.
(He was also probably the first African to play professional cricket in Britain.)
Garfer:
'A black lesbian dwarf with a hare lip and a speech impediment'.
That's just like you, always wanting to get a top job for your girlfriends
Ziggi:
I really think that the job is undoable.
Why on earth would anyone want it? It's not as if it's a steady job either.
Dave:
I apologise to Arthur.
Apparently, he also held the world record for the 100 yds. What a star!
However, he was a bit of a 'one off'. In the late 60s and early 70s there were no black players in top level British football even though the talent was obviously around.
Have you gone yet?
I'm still gobsmacked by fax machines, but science was never my strong point. I'll be the next PM if someone would find me a fabulous wife (butler, housemaid, cook, bottlewasher, secretary, fashion adviser, etc etc)
I bet that after this PM I will only see white public school educated Englishmen get the job in my lifetime.
Clyde knew how to fill a shirt.
I know EXACTLY where the line in the sand is drawn.
America will NEVER elect an Atheist Vegan Lesbian...
Canada might, but only if she were as hot as our "Grrr" Governor General.
I want to see a gay (male) couple in the White House.
Imagine the inaugural circuit party!
First black footballer (it says here): Arthur Wharton was a Ghanaian who played for Preston in the 1880s and later for Rotherham and Sheffield United. He sometimes played in goal, sometimes on the wing. Imagine asking David James to do a shift in left midfield.
Sorry, Dave's already said that. Really must read other comments first.
I'm with MJ. Would be awesome. They would bring real class back into the White house. Maybe when they leave it would be pink.
I'd quite like Adrian Lester from Hustle to be our first black prime minister as he looks damned good in a suit and could pick the pockets of his European counterparts and blame it on the Germans / French / Italian (whoever is out of favour at the time). Either that or Kenny Lynch.
Mopsa:
Fax machines were somehow unnatural - you put in a piece of paper in Spain and it comes out 2 seconds later in Manchester.
Very Paul Daniels.
The internet is easy to understand by comparison.
Geoff:
You didn't exactly say the 'never .. in my lifetime' so I'll claim 50p.
I bet you have that card with Booby Moore in your old pencil case.
HE:
Would an Atheist Vegan Lesbian wear plastic shoes?
Not suitable for the most powerful person in the world.
mj:
Yay!
And all the new opportunities for fag hags.
Malc:
Arthur gave the word versatile a whole new meaning.
In future just skip the post and read the comments - much more stimulating.
Pete:
And they would serve colourful cocktails with colourful umbrellas.
Steve:
Please not Kenny (I'm such a popular guy) Lynch.
Adrian Lester - yes please.
I wonder if we'll ever have a TOTAL Ladies' man from Plymouth who can down a pint in UNDER four seconds as our PM!!!!!!!! lol
Sorry, bit late, and very pedantic but:
The first black man to play in a full international for England was Viv Anderson of Nottingham Forest. (Clyde Best played for Bermuda.)
Paul Ince was the first black *British* manager of an English Premiership team; Ruud Gullit (Dutch) and Jean Tigana (French, I think) preceded him.
Julien:
From the size of the bags under his eyes, I bet Gordon is no stranger to the pint.
Hello Tim:
Pedantic is fine round here.
Poor Paul Ince - I so much wanted him to succeed. Blackburn Rovers is still the team I support in my heart.
Absolutely no question about it. It wouldn't be proper if they didn't.
We are yet to have a black, gay, female or otherwise very PC PM.
At least I don't think any of them have been gay but then you never really know I suppose.
Pete:
And we always thought the Danes were progressive.
We were when it came to porn.
Go figure!
Pete:
Danish Blue??
I remember Alf Garnett describing Clyde Best as 'yer actual English coon' on Til Death.
I'm glad Malc and Dave mentioned Arthur Wharton of Preston North End. In the late 60's early 70's North End had an Indian player called Ricky Heppolette. For some reason, Indians didn't count as 'black'.
In the late 70's, West Brom had Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham, and Watford had Luther Blissett and John Barnes.
Paul Ince is an arrogant tosser with no special talent, which shows he has overcome prejudice to an extent that only white men usually manage.
For some reason, Indians didn't count as 'black'.
They probably thought he was a prince.
Didn't Paul Ince do OK at Macclesfield?
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