I can’t hardly believe this warranted a press release from talkSPORT, but then again, I can’t believe anyone listens to James Whale or Mike Dickin without a gun to their head.
Raucous Sports Breakfast radio king Alan Brazil (above) has hit back at former boss Ron Atkinson, after the controversial walking advert for sun beds criticised the fiery Scot on TV.
Big Ron, who is currently starring in a reality TV football manger programme, attacked Brazil, a player he signed for Manchester United in the early 80™s, knocking the former Scotland internationals ability.
But last night Brazil, who won two European medals and played for Scotland 13 times said: œRon was so desperate to sign me that I was afraid to pick up the phone at home in case it was him again.
œAs I recall it, Atkinson had a less than average football career and is no position to make judgements on international footballers.
On television this week Atkinson, starring in Big Ron Manager, was sitting in the dug out at Peterborough when the crowd starting singing ˜its just like watching Brazil.™
On hearing the chant, Big Ron quipped to club chairman Barry Fry, ˜as long as they™re not talking ALAN Brazil, that™s fine.™
Brazil, who was watching the programme at home was incensed by the slur.
The following morning he told millions of listeners on talkSPORT: œHe was out of order. Ron and I had our differences when I was a player and he was a manager but I put that behind me many years ago.
œI™ve had a couple of drinks with then guy over the last few years but didn™t realise he was still venomous about the times we were together. There was no way in the world I was going to take that without responding.
œAnd another thing, on the programme last night Ron was going on about Bleasdale [the then Peterborough United manager] being insecure. Well let me tell you that in my time at Manchester United there was only one man insecure there and it was him. He always had to have his buddies around him.
If that’s the kind of “slur” that provokes such a response, we can only hope Brazil never finds his way into the Monday Night Football booth.