Former Hull City manager Phil Brown issues heartfelt apology to CAA for “Holocaust of a game” comment on Talksport radio
Phil Brown, the football player turned manager has apologised for making a distasteful comment about the Holocaust on a radio show. Mr Brown, who managed Derby County, Hull City, Preston North End and Southend United, made the comment on Tuesday 6th February whilst a guest on Jim White’s show on Talksport Radio.
During the show, Mr Brown referred to Chelsea Football Club midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as having had a “Holocaust of a game” during Chelsea’s recent match against Watford.
The radio station had removed the comment when they uploaded the show to their website after broadcast but Twitter users had already begun lambasting Mr Brown, as well as the host, Mr White, for failing to call Mr Brown out on air.
The Holocaust was the planned, brutal genocide of Jews and others in Europe and many British Jews are the descendants of Holocaust survivors or those who escaped to Britain, so it is unsurprising that many people were upset by Mr Brown’s distasteful Holocaust reference, and the failure of Mr White to call it out.
Campaign Against Antisemitism received complaints about Mr Brown’s comment, so we approached Mr Brown directly to discuss the matter. He issued the following heartfelt apology: “I am genuinely sorry for the hurt and distress I caused by what I said on Talksport last week. It was wrong, offensive and completely unacceptable. I am especially sorry for the significant offense I caused to every member of the Jewish community. I fully understand the meaning of the word I used and the horror it represents. I can’t believe I used that word. I was wrong to do so and I am profoundly and wholeheartedly sorry.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism will take no further action in relation to Mr Brown but we are disappointed not to have heard from Mr White, who hosted the programme and let the comment pass without challenging it.
@talkSPORTDrive @JimWhite @bobmillstt You all kept very quiet when Phil Brown described a Chelsea players performance as a "holocaust." Completely unacceptable.
— Mahe Jones (@MaheJones1) February 6, 2018
Phil Brown on @talkSPORT having a good show with some good insights, then ruins it all by saying “Bakayoko had a holocaust of a game.” #GonnaBeAMeltdownIfPapersGetHoldOfIt
— Daz² (@DarranPaul) February 6, 2018
"holocaust of a decision"….according to Phil Brown
— Mahe Jones (@MaheJones1) February 6, 2018
@talkSPORT please do not tell me I just heard Phil Brown refer to Bakayoko as having a holocaust of a game!
— Daniel Cordell (@DanielCordell1) February 6, 2018
Phil Brown on @talkSPORT saying Bakayoko had a holocaust of a game. 😭😭😭
— Wayne Clark (@89Wclark) February 6, 2018