Should Ollie Robinson be dropped from next cricket series??

According to Wikipedia Robinson was sacked by Yorkshire in 2014 for “unprofessional actions”. It doesn’t say whether they included his comments on Twitter, but it could be argued that he has already been punished and learned his lesson.

BlueBelle Are you saying that no-one can change views or opinions once they are past 18?

At 18 I was very much influenced by my parents views - as I got older I formed my own opinions, many of which were very different from theirs. I would hate to be judged on anything I said or did at 17 and 18 as I am definitely not that person now

lollin if I found that my male doctor had made disparaging sexist remarks when younger I would change my doctor because what is deep in your mind at 18 will be with you at 28/38/48 You are cooked at 18 and whilst you ll make loads of mistakes you ll get drunk you ll fall over you ll pinch the wrong person your love life might be a car crash you ll say ridiculous things ( especially when drunk) but NO ONE says racist things unless they have racist values and the same goes for a sexist

I m just completely amazed that some people don’t see it and think it’s ‘just teenage banter’ and anyone who sees it for the awfulness it is deserves the ridiculous term ‘woke’

Of course the remarks should never have been made but he was only 18 and has apologised several times. Should he not be judged on his current outlook and how he talks to and about people now? Has he made similar tweets or comments in the last few years or has he seen the error of his ways?

We cannot continue to punish people for things they posted years ago if they have shown they no longer hold those views

What a doctor or other public servant did in the past is not my concern; it is how he behaves now that matters.

Amazed he hasn't blamed his parents or teachers yet. I am afraid in past decades I have had some very sexist remarks made to my face me by Drs.

I wonder if he was someone not in the public eye just a neighbour or in another profession if people would feel the same way. For example if you found out your doctor had now been found to have made serious sexist remarks when younger. Yes some learn much later in life but how would you feel

Has no one ever learnt from their mistakes?

NotSpaghetti

Of course you are right worriedwell about teaching our children about the internet - but we should primarily be teaching them to be open to difference, to be inclusive, to not define people by one thing about them and not to tolerate abuse of others - I'm sure there's more, but you get the idea.

It's important that people realise that "slagging" women for being women, calling people "N******" etc is not just a "stupid comment" from a "silly boy" but speaks to the person he was - and reflects on the society we are.

Yes that's true, I suppose because my kids are mixed race I sort of take it for granted that they would be inclusive of others but I suppose that isn't always true.

No jabberwork the next poster did use the word woke and I was answering both of you
I guess this man had forgotten all about this incident until someone kindly brought it to the appropriate authority who knows he may have used it since and not been caught out or he may have thought it but grown up enough not to use it who knows but I m very glad someone did remind him gives him some food for thought
No he shouldn’t be punished for life, of course not that would be ridiculous but he needs to have some form of recognition
It’s not a slip up

I haven't called anybody or thing 'woke'. It's not a word I use. I have said that the young do tend to say and do things that they regret later in life. I guess this man had forgotten all about this incident until someone kindly brought it to the appropriate authority.

None of us would like to be judged by what we said when aged 18 but his comments weren't 'silly' they were vile.

You can't hang something around his neck for life for the follies of his youth but also it can't be just set aside - a one game suspension seems fair to me.

Yes he has apologised profusely, but only after he was exposed.

Are you saying people shouldn't be allowed to respond because that sounds deeply sinister as well. Under no circumstances should he be sacked, but I and anyone else can call him an arse.

Both the last two posts jabberwok and umstrongran are making excuses and blaming right minded people by calling them ‘woke’ for expecting people to be respectful kind and non racist
You do not say racist things if you are not a racist they don’t just pop out your mouth like ‘f u’ might, it’s in your brain, in your make up in your very being and making excuses for someone who is a racist makes people as bad
There is NO excuse at any age

This Robinson case has left a very dirty taste in the mouth.

A 19-year-old makes comments when he may or may not have been fully sober. And eight years later, at the greatest moment in his life, he is publicly shamed and humiliated for making them.

The Woke forces at work are making this a deeply unpleasant and increasingly sinister society in which we now live.

I don't agree. A lot of people are extremely foolish at 18, say and do things they later very much regret, some of course aren't foolish. All those of us who have behaved badly in one way or another can do is to apologise, there's nothing else you can do short of suicide, and I don't think many people would expect someone to do that.

I don’t agree with those that are brushing this under the carpet

I know I made huge mistakes at 18, BUT from the age of 3 or 4 I would NEVER have thought, said or done anything racist, it was not in me and that’s the difference… yes you might get off you head with drink, you may even be daft enough to try drugs, you might have sex without a condom BUT someone who is not a racist would never ever make remarks or tweets with the N word or any other dreadful thing that he is supposed to have said

Give me a child at 7 and give me the man I m afraid how ever much he denies it at 18 you have a very good idea of the politics you want to follow and the morals you want to have
If as an adult MAN at 18 , old enough to vote, to go to war for his country, to have a baby if he is stupid enough BUT to make hideous racist remarks, then yes he should be made to realise it, and saying sorry just doesn’t cut the mustard

It’s very rare for a racist to change the opinions they had at 18 and I d be very surprised if his apologies are as genuine as they seem I hope they are but yes he needs a year out to have a good think

Party and Anniebach completely wrong you can NEVER justify racism you are making it sound like he said ‘ oh bother’

past silly comments ?

This was actually only a few years ago, not 1970!

Yes, as GillT says, we have all done or did things we regret - but not many of us were "accidentally" using this horrible language and using the #racist.

No, I don't want to "hang him out to dry" but it needs addressing in a meaningful way... Then he can get on and prove himself to be the person he now says he is.

Agree Parky

Oh for goodness sake "he who is without sin should throw the first stone". I presume most gransnetters were not subject to the pressure and trial by the masses, and can conveniently forgot past silly comments. Let's stop judging people by today's standards.

Most of us have said or done things which we are now embarassed about or even ashamed of, but the vile language he used was only a few years back, not some mythical time before most intelligent people knew that it wasn't acceptable to use such language. However, given the past behaviour of this country's PM, it would be hypocritical in the extreme if this young cricketer was hung out to dry for past bad behaviour. Maybe a suspension as an example and a warning to others to think before they post.

Of course you are right worriedwell about teaching our children about the internet - but we should primarily be teaching them to be open to difference, to be inclusive, to not define people by one thing about them and not to tolerate abuse of others - I'm sure there's more, but you get the idea.

It's important that people realise that "slagging" women for being women, calling people "N******" etc is not just a "stupid comment" from a "silly boy" but speaks to the person he was - and reflects on the society we are.

No of course he shouldn't be punished for comments made years ago aged 18. He's apologised profusely, what else can he do? He can't put the clock back, he can't unsay what he would now be appalled at saying, so why behave as if this was a recent event? Apologise is all he can do, and he's done that several times, so what else can he do as for some, he is clearly beyond redemption. Most of us have done or said things in our youth that we would now not be proud of but most of us can redeem ourselves, but in this case clearly not!

He is a cricketer, not a politician. And when a young man is 18 he says all sorts of things that would appal his older self. I think we can all empathise, look back and thank god there was no FaceBook or Twitter!
Formerly, a teenager would have sounded off with his friends – it’s what pubs are for. Now, they no sooner feel an opinion coming on than they take to tweets, which don’t disappear into the ether, as Ollie Robinson thought.

I'm not sure what should happen to him but I do think it highlights that we need to teach children about the dangers of putting things online as they are there forever.

I am forever drumming this into my lovely but know it all GS, he's 16 and thinks he knows it all but he still has some growing up to do which is normal but in the past people would have long forgotten some stupid comments from a teenager but now it will follow them for life.