The dreadful truth is that Savile actively supported Leeds General Infirmary so residents of the City may well be amongst his victims - and despite what some idiots who make obscene paedo jibes through the comments section on here seem to believe, child abuse and rape are not laughing matters.
The story really is very sad. I never liked Savile, I always considered him creepy, but until this story broke, I had to respect him. His efforts on behalf of Stoke Mandeville Hospital (where my son was born) were monumental and his work on behalf of charity in general must command admiration, even now.
How do you weigh in the scales a life like Savile's? He came from nowhere and worked his way to the top, despite suffering a spinal injury when working as a Bevin boy. He was a pioneer in his chosen field and contributed hugely through his charity work. We have no idea what may have happened to corrupt his mind sexually, nor do we know the personal angst he may have felt. This is not to excuse his behaviour - it is utterly inexcusable - but if you were to weigh those whose lives he helped against those whose lives he damaged, the scales may tip in his favour.
The really sinister dimension of this story is the way he was protected by institutions with a duty of care. Critics mock police checks for people working with children, but one Savile case shows why they are absolutely necessary. However, I am not sure what will now be gained by opening this wound any further. What he did was awful, but he is dead, gone, no more. It really is time to move on, ensuring that there can be no repeat but not turning the past into a media circus and a compensation cow. How many opportunists are now preparing false claims because Savile visited them in a hospital I wonder? And where is the burden of proof?
Anyway, there will be no Savile jibes from me and certainly no attempt to tarnish the City nor its football club because of his abusive actions. It is a sad final chapter to what was previously a weirdly epic story and the big questions for me are the extent to which employees were pressurised by senior managers not to spill the beans and why, exactly, these managers felt to need to cover up Savile's actions.
98 comments:
A fine article HF. Respect to you for those balanced and well articulated views. Anyone who saw the JS interview with Louis Theroux a few years ago will not be surprised at the revelations.
Thoughtfully produced article. Well done.
Just when I thought you'd never go up in my estimations you've managed it. When I read the title of your article I have to admit I feared the worst, but I was wrong. Good on you and shame on those that have tried to goad you into a different perspective.
Well said that man.
The power of the fickle mob is truly incredible. One ITV programme has lead to a mass nationwide witch hunt - searching for answers that will never ever come.
I'd like to say that I do not tolerate any kind of actions, like those Saville has been accused of. The fact of the matter is, he will never be called to account.
Why did this not surface a couple of years ago when he was alive and well?? The man has always been 'strange' and has had rumors following him for years, but no one ever chirped up. Now it seems everyone is crawling out of the woodwork to tell tales of abuse. Sadly we live in an age where infamy is sought after - you need only look to the amount of companies who claimed damages against the BP spill when it did nothing to their trading whatsoever. I believe a couple of people were imprisoned for false accusations.
To hear stories of 'strip him of his knighthood!!!' are ridiculous. For one, his knighthood isn't an inherent title ergo it dies with him. The other story being his charity wanting to rename. No matter what claims there are against the man you can't deny his massive charitable donations. I saw earlier in the week someone tweeted on BBC sport that no matter what Lance Armstrong did, his charity work should be acknowledged above all else. Should the same not be said for this man?
I hope these claims are fictitious, and for the sake of his family this horrible scenario ends very very quickly.
#MOT et al
The scales are in his favour? If what he is accused of is true, then there is no excuse or balancing to be done because he did a lot for charity. So are you saying this is ok.?I feel sick reading your pitiful attempt to justify these actions, you should be ashamed.
Yet another well written post, however I think people would be pretty stupid to think it was anything more than another excuse to have a dig at Leeds fans. I'm a little perplexed as to the reason why a so called football blog would find it necessary to make comment on such an issue, that said a lot of the things you post leave me puzzled. Please get back to the up front, honest and at times very funny, jibbing of Leeds as they are easier to respond to.
I usually think that your a first class twat when I read your articles however with this I feel like you have got it spot on really well written
Well balanced and thought out article. Quite the opposite to your normal provocative s--t stirring articles that we all love so much.
In you defence of you regarding the earlier comment stating that you should be ashamed????? I'm lost and confused as to how the comments could be deemed a sick article, in reality the writer of that comment needs to get a life. If any one should be facing the music, in the absence of JS, it should fall on the toes of Esther Rantzen the self appointed 'child guru' or the likes of the old dear that claimed to be a nurse at the time of a visit by JS, now that's what should make you sick you saddo, if they heard or knew of this happening then they had a duty of care to act accordingly not to state the obvious once the events have unfolded.
Anony-mouse says,
Hello again HF. Good article if you don't mind me saying. This has been horrible hasn't it? He was weird as f*ck but I wouldn't have expected all of this.
I can see why the likes of 10.49 are still defending him eloquently, but wrongly to my mind. People are in denial about this- just read the thread on KUMB to see that- the treatment meted out to 'pocket pardew' for his words on page one of that thread may have come back to haunt their posters.
The only thing I'd say is we don't know if this was always in him, or if his opportunities (totp, keys to wards, being put in virtual charge of Broadmoor ffs a one stge), the time he was 'operating', his past or whatever factor changed him/ turned him. But it is at least a strong possibility that he was always a deviant who chose to go into charity work primarily to gain access to vulnerable, young victims. Maybe we'll never know.
To those who will say this is unfair- he can't speak for himself or answer these charges I'll agree with you to some extent. But the stories we are hearing from different parts of the country and institutions show the same modus operandi and ring true. I hope he has the afterlife he deserves and more than anything that his multiple victims find as much peace as they can.
I am really impressed with your insight. We in football need more of this kind of social awareness and I think that it is out there given the majority response of football supporters to the recent Hillsborough revelations. As a Leeds fan I was expecting all sort sof jibes to come our way but felt that it was just an unpleasent but predictable part of it. You have reminded me it doesn`t have to be.
Now get back to bashing Leeds, Bates and Warnock!!
I have to say this article is well written in parts but notice I say only in parts.
I think whilst some of the charity work Saville did was commendable in his lifetime this is now sadly tarnished due to his unforgivable actions.
You mention the good and bad deeds he committed in his life in the form of trading the scales in to which you so obviously quote.
The guy quite clearly was a vile and corrupt man - you cannot trade good in for bad. Therefore I find your post a little paradoxical in places.
I very much doubt if you were a victim of such a monster you would indeed come across as being so flippant or obtuse.
I concur with majority of other readers that this post is a vast improvement on the usual garbage you post.
I do believe it is better to just say nothing on certain subjects sometimes instead of inviting debate on such a subject to which you have here in your latest post.
I was fully expecting another trolling blog, but give yourself a pat on the back for realising that some topics are just too sick to use as inter football club bashing.
The football club allegiances of paedofiles, serial killers etc have no reflection on the rest of the supporters and anyone trying to use such things as ammunition are simply belittling the heinous crimes.
However, I must pull you up on your 'scales of balance' being tipped in Saville's favour. If the allegations are true he does not deserved any recognition for his other good deeds and history should remember him as a sick evil human being.
Great article, i for one never liked the guy having met him a few times; i just thought he was weird and probably gay; still living with mother vat his ripe old age always raises question marks (oedipus anyone?)i too wonder why all this women have suddenly appeared ? emancipation has been around a long time and the police and general attitude to what may have been acceptable in the sixties moved on rapidly. i started work in the late sixties and even an arm round a female colleague was enough to get you sacked; so i wonder about all these people like Rantzen who claim to have known about him and the other men involved chose to keep quiet? anything to do with fear of their own modest success going down the toilet? i too cannot see what possible outcome there would be - i find itbrather convenient that these females wait till the man is dead before making their claims, therefore there can be only one side to the stories; he cannot reply all evidence is long gone (hotel receipts etc). to me this is just a money grabbing exercise, especially from those women who have chosen to employ a solicitor to pursue claims against the BBC, hospitals and charities for failing to protect them. the majority of these women were old enough to know exactly what they were doing and if they were abused why keep going back for more as with the girl in his flat? it seems to me that these women were no worse or better than the groupies (all about the same age) of the time; no doubt hundreds will come forward now at claim various rock groups shagged them without permission, hell even my mate and i got a fair share and we only carried the gear for a local band. anyway i ramble well done again.
I must admit, I saw the title and feared the worst, but you have surprised me for once.
Thank you.
Much as i believe your anon PR machine is at work here Hammer! We shall put that aside and hold my verbal to ask you 2 questions which i require a response.. 1 What has this to do with football?? 2 London has many vile beasts, why single out Leeds for this beasts action??
Oi! Twonk! Put a thumbs up or down thing am e bob on here.
Shut up you cockney twat
What I find strange is not one person came forward when he was alive, not a single so called victim, yet now he's dead they pour from the woodwork how is that. He was a DJ in leeds Mecca when i was younger and I've never heard anyone say a bad word against him, there's something very strange here cos lets be honest they could have caused him a lot of damage when he was alive, yet all this comes out now he's dead and he cannot defend himself. There's something not right somewhere. So for fifty years he did this and not one person came forward, not one. I did'nt like Saville very much, but he did play some good music. and he did save numerous lives.
Pleased to see some sensible responses. Sadly I have had to moderate out any number of sick responses and the usual abusive responses from people who only seem to have read the headline and then assumed the worst. One clown has talked about an East London rapist as if it is some sort of competition. Very sad. Another thinks he is clever to make even more obscene allegations (unfounded) against Savile and then complained I have not carried his post. Even sadder.
saville had absolutely nothing to do LUFC, he just happens to of been born and lived in the city. i'm sure there have been plenty of sex pests and peado's born in east london and i'm sure they had nothing to do with west ham! pointless article, nothing to do with west ham united or football!
1240, your response is rather pathetic but I will answer it.
1) I say it has nothing to do with football. The post was provoked by others trying to make a link as I say in the article - and refute.
2)Why do you seem to think it is a competition? I am not attacking Leeds here - not the City, not the people, not the club. Why do you, therefore, try to score points off of London? Of course London has many "vile beasts", as you term them, many far worse than Savile, but so what? I say it is wrong to try to attack Leeds because Savile was born in the City so your point is irrelevant.
1035, the real Rod Belfitt?
I agree with Neil 10.46. Innocent until proven guilty, we are English! Yes, some will say "There is no smoke without fire", but that is why our legal system is the envy of the western world. Why did all of these accusers wait for a frail old man to die before pointing the finger? By the way, you are still a sad man with no life, to be sitting there typing anything and everything about the great city/club/and fans of Leeds. MOT
My mam always said he was a paedo, how right she was, but why didn't this come out when he was alive?
What's this got to do with football?
Btw my mum always said he was a wrong un years before all this came out
Hammer its another twisted reply. Make of my Qs what you like ole bean but dont feed offa them hey??
"Anyway, there will be no Savile jibes from me and certainly no attempt to tarnish the City nor its football club because of his abusive actions"
Why even mention him then? Not only is this supposed to be a West Ham blog (please change the title if this has changed), but this isn't even a football related story. You have purely posted this as a disgusting attempt to get more Leeds fans to come to the site and generate extra hits. Profiting from sexually abused children. What next? Can you go any lower?
I think it is unfair to judge him & assume he is guilty without a fair trial where his side of the story could be heard..
You wrote "What he did was awful.." & "Anyway, there will be no Savile jibes from me and certainly no attempt to tarnish the City nor its football club because of his abusive actions." Why are tou judging him..??
Unfortunately mud sticks as they say.. & VERY unfair.. If he waz proven guilty then i would be the first person to say bring back hanging..
ER I think you ll find a daily mail article last week hints at him been a necro , ul see as this jimmy story will run and run
To be honest, it really doesn't have any merit about it and the link to 'Leeds United Football Club'; does it?
Just because some 'idiot' tried to goad you to write an article linking Leeds United to Jimmy Saville; that doesn't then equate to you having to type off the article distancing Saville from Leeds United. Why did you feel justified to do so? Did this 'idiot' do it in public and for all Leeds fans to see? Does his 'goading' warrant your response, probably not.
I agree with a lot of what is said in response to what you've written. I find it 'odd' that 340 lines of enquiry are being followed, possibly from up to 60 'alleged' victims. I say 'alleged' because that is what they are! Oh, wait, they aren't are they? No, because a Met Officer has come out publicly and said that Saville is was long-term, predatory paedophile.
I agree with comments made by Neil (10.49) that one ITV programme has led to a nationwide witch hunt with claim piggybacking onto allegation and nuzzling up to supposition. Supposed cover up from 1959 up until cases received from 2006. I find it 'odd' that EVERY 'victim' has the same modus operandi when it comes to the reasons they stayed quiet. Now I know some complaints were made and then dismissed. I can understand the age of the 'victims' coming into play when they don't have the confidence from youth but you'd think that one might have pushed for courage in their older years.
Nope, EVERY one of them stays silent until a 'Watergate-esque' expose brings forth the first trickle; then the claims, allegations and accusations break the bank of the levee. This silence thing has me bothered somewhat. First, NONE of the 'victims' pursued their claims; you can understand that from the nature of being a victim. But for those who 'witnessed it' to stand back and do nothing - simply wrong. Even worse, for those in "the know" (such as Paul Gambacchini admitting they knew about these rumours 30 years ago) - morally reprehensible. They can't hide behind the 'insignificant pawn' argument as to why they didn't step forward.
Every day a new claim or allegation: particularly telling was the one from the former Radio 1 Press Officer Rodney Collins who is quoted as saying: "There were allegations that there were girls, underage girls involved, maybe, in the caravan." Notice the 'maybe' that introduces some form of grammatical conditionality to that statement; there could have even been geese in there, maybe.
Seems that people are all too quick to vilify on the basis of weight of accusation rather than let the accusations drive the process of justice. Such 'weight of accusation' led to Derek Bentley being erroneously hung for supposed murder of a policeman and Stefan Kisko wrongly imprisoned for supposed rape and murder of a young girl.
Tawdry is how this accusation-led narrative is: as tawdry as writing a story that denies links between an alleged mass paedophile and a football team that you write continuously and ever-increasingly more spurious articles about.
If the vile allegations, because that is what they are - vile, turn out to be true then Jimmy Saville deserves the vilification and then some. Let's just wait until that moment rather than encouraging the possibly misjudged certainty of his actions by the wider populace who often don't possess the skill of faculties to p*ss in the bowl most of the time.
In short - I can't fathom the need nor validity for you to write a blog entry, however perfectly crafted, that links a football team to the media outcry of an accused paedophile with baying wolves of society at his dead door.
Graham
Sorry the daily telegraph not mail, I've just revisited the article and it's been talk in Leeds since the 70s at the old mean wood hospital morgue! Watch this space bubble boy
"Pleased to see some sensible responses." Maybe this is because for once it is a sensible post. One thing in common in almost all of these sensible responses is criticism of most of your other posts! Take a hint - change the standard/subject matter of your normal posts and hey presto you may get compliments all the time
Just when we thought there weren't any lower levels for you to stoop to you prove everyone wrong again. You use a disgusting serial paedophile to make yourself look and feel better. This is then followed by the inevitable self sent toadying comments. You are one vile nasty piece of work. Why do you ban foul language and homophobic comments and allow people to make comments about j,savile? Thats if indeed they WERE made by other people. You make me feel sick to the stomach and i promise you that this will go further now. And i can guarantee you won't post this.
An excellent article. Probably the first one I have read where virtually all the comments have some relevance to the message in the article. I may be wrong but looks like you've actually initiated a debate here so well done! You could be an excellent writer if you wanted to be. Just stick to subjects like this and don't write about football as you know absolutely nothing about it. And please, please don't try and interpret games or give your opinions after the event as it is really quite embarrassing.
Best one yet.
I wanted to call you a twat as always!!
but well said respect mate.
Glad to see you didn't jump on that band wagon what that dirty bastard did is not funny I hope everybody who turned a blind eye can live with themselves I don't care how much charity work he did
I never thought I would find myself starting to enjoy your posts, but hammersfan I do not mind admitting that I am. Of late your posts about leeds have been far less 'troll-like' and far more balanced and interesting. Well done and thank you
Here's an idea, why don't you just stop writing about LUFC in a sad attempt to gain large readership because f our huge on and offline fan base?!!?!
Still a wank stain
another pathetic attempt to get as many replys as you can. go and suck on JS cigar you tosser
Your article was going well until you said the dreaded weigh what he did. how can you or anyone say that the bad he did was outweighed by the good he did. Every crime he committed against anyone was inexcusable. There are people hurting out there and you need to respect their feelings. The good he did counts for nothing because if he didn't do it, someone else would have donr the charity work. Saville is a disgrace...... Only ever remember him for that!!!!
You are a Prick, you have managed to connect Leeds United to what Saville did, Such an Ass..... And whats so distrubing is most idiots on here can't see what you did, you must be smiling big today as some idiots are even thanking you for doing it....
Very well done.
First decent article you wrote. Everyone in Leeds with their ear to the ground knew Jimmy was into necrophilia and other depraved stuff. What's interesting is the scales you refer to. There probably hasnt been any other person in the history of the planet that did so much good and so much evil. His charity work was non pareil. I wonder if he can be posthumously destripped of his knighthood?
I'm glad you resisted the temptation to be crass about this dreadful business but why comment on this at all in this space? What has it to do with Football, let alone West Ham? Given your ongoing obsession with Leeds United, it is hard to accept that you don't have some other agenda.
And this reply is why you need a like button
I thought this was a mature response to a difficult subject.
And I'm a Leeds fan?
I can't believe there are people (apparently including the author of this article) who are stupid/twisted enough to think that doing any amount of charity work in any way makes up for noncing kids.
As for the scales tipping in savile's favour with regards to his good deeds versus his evil, one child rape utterly undoes anything good the perpetraitor has ever done and if you think different you are just a sick as savile.
Poor response Wyla. Read the artcicle eh? And think before you respond. I clearly say, "This is not to excuse his behaviour - it is utterly inexcusable" but the suggestion is that as many as 60 may have suffered at the hands of Savile. How many have been treated by the spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville? Many more than 60.
Saville was aman utd fan one word sums him up same as his football club SCUM
One question:
WHY WOULD YOU TRY AND GAIN A CHEAP SHOT BY EVEN PUTTING THE NAME JIMMY SAVILE IN THE SAME ARTICLE AS THE NAME LEEDS UNITED?
THERE NEVER WAS/HAS/IS OR WILL BE ANY ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE TWO, NO MATTER WHAT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE THINKS SO WHY HAVE YOU BOUGHT ATTENTION TO IT?
YOU HAVE NEVER EVER STOOPED SO LOW!
NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE ON HERE PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR ALLEGED 'STANCE' ON THE MATTER, YOU HAVE NO REASON TO ASSOCIATE THE TWO NAMES BUT HAVE CHOSEN TO DO SO.
I ONCE RAISED MONEY FOR THE JIMMY SAVILLE APPEAL AND BELIEVE THE MONEY WENT TO THE RIGHT PLACE. I WON'T BE ASKING FOR IT BACK BECAUSE OF REVELATIONS AGAINST A DEAD MAN.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T CONDONE WHAT MAY COME TO LIGHT OR MAY BE PROVEN OR NOT PROVEN IT'S RATHER A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS THAT IF ANY OF THIS IS TRUE THAT THERE MUST BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWINGLY ALLOWED THIS TO GO ON, AND KEPT THE MOUTHS SHUT FOR WHATEVER REASON? THEY ARE THE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD BE CRITISING RATHER THAN TAKEING CHEAP SHOTS USING THE LEEDS UNITED NAME!
IT IS PERHAPS SAD THAT THE MAN HIMSELF IS NOW DEAD AND UNABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND IT MIGHT SEEM THAT THE LEGAL TRADE ARE NOW LOOKING TO GAIN COMPENSATION (AND THEIR COMMISSION?) AGAINST SOMEONE THAT CANNOT DEFEND HIMSELF (HAD HE BEEN ALIVE HE WOULD STILL BE ENTITLED TO DEFEND HIMSELF NO MATTER WHAT WRONG HE HAD DONE)
AND WORST OF ALL THRE ARE ARSEHOLES LIKE YOU THAT WILL DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO PULL YET MORE PUBLICITY TOWARDS YOUR SHITE SITE!
LEEDS UNITED HAVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER IN THE WHOLE OF THEIR HISTORY TO DO WITH JIMMY SAVILLE?
SO WHY DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO DO THIS?
YOU ARE NOTHING TO DO WITH LEEDS UNITED AND I SERIOUSLY HOPE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE GIVEN YOU ANY CRREDENCE TO THIS SITE WHATSOEVER CAN NOW SEE WHAT A CHEAP SHOT THIS IS AND WHAT A TOTAL ANUS YOU ARE.
GO DRAG UP YOUR OWN REAL SKELETONS AND LEAVE US LEEDS SUPPORTERS IN PEACE FOR ONCE AND ALL.
LEEDS4ALONGTIME
OH, AND I HAVE SOME MATES WHO ARE TRUE WEST HAM SUPPORTERS THAT REALISE WHAT AN EMBARRASMENT YOU ARE
Yet another article with you trying to darg the Leeds name into any sort of argument just to gain publicity, why don't you walk around the arse end of London where you come from and look at the problems YOU have rather than just try and gain publicity thorugh any means like this? Jimmy Savile NEVER visited #Elland road was NEVER a Leeds United supporter so why do YOU feel you need to connect the two?
I guess the fact that Jack the Ripper operated in the London means that West Ham are guilty too, then?
You said..
Critics mock police checks for people working with children, but one Savile case shows why they are absolutely necessary.
Savile would've passed all the CRB checks as he hadn't got a criminal record. Thus your point is irrelevant
All a CRB certificate is, is proof that you hadn't been found out up until the day of issue
"Poor response Wyla. Read the artcicle eh? And think before you respond. I clearly say, "This is not to excuse his behaviour - it is utterly inexcusable" but the suggestion is that as many as 60 may have suffered at the hands of Savile. How many have been treated by the spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville? Many more than 60."
Not a poor response at all, why would anyone ever use this persons name to draw attention to their site, let alone associate it with any kind of football team whatsoever?
The owner of this site is just dragging up a dead persons name who cannot defend themself no matter what they have doen, in order to gain publicity for himself.
Maybe we can all start citing Jack the Ripper and his links to the East End of London and then 'disassociate' him with Wet Spam?
You really do have to sink to some depths on here don't you?
"A fine article HF. Respect to you for those balanced and well articulated views. Anyone who saw the JS interview with Louis Theroux a few years ago will not be surprised at the revelations. "
So just what the f**k has this actually got to do with Leeds United?
So why the f**k do you feel you need to drag Leeds United's name into this shite?
"Kih Samui Whutes said...
Well said that man"
What the hell has this got to do with Leeds United then?????
"Yet another well written post, however I think people would be pretty stupid to think it was anything more than another excuse to have a dig at Leeds fans"
Not another 'well written post at all, why the f**K has this idiot linked J Savile with Leeds United whatsoever?
Why is a football blog even mentioning J Savile OTHER THAN the fact he is linked with the same city where our team plays?
Jack the Ripper springs to mind, but I don't see this idiot trying to 'distance' wet spam from him any time soon?????
"yet all this comes out now he's dead and he cannot defend himself"
Jimmy Savile may be proven (or not) to be guilty of something or nothing, but if this guy did get away with what people are alledging then there seems to be (yet another) case of police negligence here?
But why do we need this idiot to miindlessly even associate Leeds United with this person?
Just another cheap shot at Leeds....
"Why do you seem to think it is a competition? I am not attacking Leeds here - not the City, not the people, not the club. Why do you, therefore, try to score points off of London? Of course London has many "vile beasts", as you term them, many far worse than Savile, but so what? I say it is wrong to try to attack Leeds because Savile was born in the City so your point is irrelevant"
If you are not attacking the city - then why name it?
If you are not attacking the football club - why mention it?
Just another predictable way to draw attention to your sad site, I hope you are proud of using Jimmy Savile to do that.......
... the guy is dead and cannot defend himself, no matter what he is alleged to have done?
why didn't you come forward and 'accuse' while he was alive?
... basically because you actually know jack shit and want to jump on the band wagon....
my ex-sister in law actually WORKED at Stoke Mandeville and always maintained that J Savile was a 'dirty old man' which none of us believed at the time....
... HOWEVER!
... this has nothing whatsoever to do with football, and certainly nothing to do with Leeds United?
You are one sad creep to even try and score points in the light of what may or may not be proven?
"Poor response Wyla. Read the artcicle eh? And think before you respond. I clearly say, "This is not to excuse his behaviour - it is utterly inexcusable" but the suggestion is that as many as 60 may have suffered at the hands of Savile. How many have been treated by the spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville? Many more than 60."
Read it over and over again, what has this got to do with the city of Leeds, Leeds United football club, and anything whatsoever to do with the world of football?
Just another pathetic article trying to grab the headline....
"but the suggestion is"
Yep, just a suggestion, where is your PROOF then?
Had Savile still been alive you would NEVER have dared publish this article, but he's dead now so that's fine.....
I don't condone anything but people like you are now crawling out of the woodwork ready to condemn and even claim compensation, and yet keep quiet when the guy was alive to answer these allegations?
But then you spend all your time ignoring the obvious facts about your own club and attack others to draw attention to yourself....
i have kids and id kill anyone that messed with them, i have only seen the headlines and to be honest your right how many people will now come out and say well he was there my kid was there give me money ie Michael jackson 1 of the greatest for what he did (dancing and music)nothing else feel sorry for mj he didnt have a life only fame and his parents . let savil rest in peace her is gone. i wont listen to media ie MJ we all know people are out to make a quick $. lets take action with those still alive and are guilty. ps i read these articles about leeds from west ham makes me chuckle but this is 1 story that shouldnt be related to football (no need)
No matter what you say these are the facts.
The whole basis of this article is the Leeds connection in the headline.
You done it far to many times before.
If the article had been written without any connection to Leeds headline then I would have respected it
The Leopard does not change it's spots and Hammersfan does ANYTHING to cause provocation with Leeds supporters
True or not true I can almost guarantee that the vast majority of purported victims will be nothing more than crooks looking for reparations from the BBC purse (that's TV licence money to you and me), many won't have been anywhere near him.
I was in the industry in the 70's and Jimmy Saville was frowned upon for the young girls but kids? - not that I know of.
Most DJ's had their teen groupies but there were people employed to stop embarrassments and keep things legal. Over 16 was always requisite but alas, there was no "think 21" in those days.
Mistakes were made, some girls looked old enough and lied about their age and also lied about being on the pill which caused no end of problems but then you have to start asking who exactly is the victim?
And out come the Mr Angries, or Mr Angry infuriated to the point of distraction by the responses yesterday - with so many expressing approval for the article. Sadly so many Leeds fans seem incapble of reading, thinking and applying balance. I say there is no link between Savile and Leeds United, so why the anger? There is no connection in the title either. He was BORN IN LEEDS. THAT is the only Leeds connection, and I say that is no reason to criticise the City or the Club.
What is interesting is the way that some are defending Savile, and arguing the allegations are unproven, whilst others are condemning him out of hand. Funniest response? The guy who wants to bring back hanging. Presumably he plans on digging up the corpse and hanging it by the neck just to display his fury!
Get a grip guys. Read the opening paragraph, it explains why the article was written.
Explains why the article was written!?
The article included Leeds because you knew it would appear on News Now and it gets your website hits.
now then now then hows about that then boys n girls...........huuuuugh huuuugh! well said hf
Your rationale doesn't hold up. You run a West Ham blog, which for some reason posts more articles about Leeds. Not only that, you now branch out beyond football to child sex abuse. In other words, you're getting more traffic on your site as a result ohildren being sexually abused. You are the lowest of the low, and if hanging were to be made legal again you would be an ideal candidate.
Call it what you want mr. You wrote an article on it and put it up on a news now link for Leeds utd fc. When it has jack shit to do with football.
Funny the way replies follow in a flock. Yesterday the responses were broadly positive, then the angries joined in, so "opinion" swung the other way. See if you can think for yourself guys rathet than joining in the bleat, "Four legs good, two legs better"!
Not your biggest fan normally but this article is sensible. In terms of the questions about why this never came out when he was alive to defend himself its simple. The laws of liable are much more lax when a person is dead as they can't sue making it more likely people will risk coming forward. Also the machine which protected him when alive is much slower to protect him when he is dead. A very sad day when people will cover up for such terrible actions just because of fame. JS was always odd but how must these poor folks have felt watching being bigged up on TV knowing what he had done. Perhaps his charity work was an attempt to assuage his feelings og guilt we will never know.
Sheeple ? You twister!!
Hammerfan, you always avoid answering the critical point that has been raised over and over again...YOUR HEADLINE WILL EVOKE A RESPONSE FROM LEEDS SUPPORTERS AND YOU KNOW IT...the article of course allows you to take the moral highground and claim that you were intent of a measured piece of journalism . If the title had been 'Jimmy Savile, my Opinion' then no hits from Leeds fans (and ofcourse hardly any readers). Yet again you use the most powerful word you can (LEEDS) both to get a decent readership and to DELIBERATELY get to certain amount of abusive response which you can apply same moral highground to belittle these replies.
You are one sad man.
Here we go again twisting up replies to suit yourself.. However much you try to justify this blog it has naff all to do with football or Leeds united. Hence people being people and telling you.. Why dont you put this on a relevant news link if you think its newsworthy? Cos if its anything like your other musings its other peoples writing wrapped up as your original words. When put that way it shows who is the sheep!!
Again critics are missing the point. I would have not produced an article on Savile but for comments left on here. One tried to slander the City and club on the basis of Savile being born in Leeds and the other from somebody claiming to be a Leeds fan, inviting me to make the link so he could express disgust and outrage. The article is in answer to that and sensible readers have responded in the right way, seeing it as a negation of stupid and vile attempts to slander the people of Leeds on the basis of the actions of one man. Quite how the critics are attempting to turn it the other way is beyond me. You have very twisted, bitter and angry minds. Now, if I had written, "Dirty Savile, Dirty Leeds" you would have had a case. But I didn't; I wrote the opposite.
Hammer ole bean dip your hands in sulphuric acid!!
In response to the 10:12 post - Am i correct in thinking, the comments you are responding to in your article have never been seen by anyone other than yourself? So if you hadn't have put the acticle together we would all be non the wiser about these so called jibes? If that is the case why did you feel the need to bring it to the publics attention and title it as you did? I'm sure far worse things have been said with regards to linking football clubs around the country to synonymous situations of that with Jimmy Savile, but I don't see any articles relating to these? Had you have never posted the things about Leeds that you have (and lets face it the majority of the stuff is very funny) I would be likely to believe that there is no underlying agenda, however that's not the case and I think you've overstepped the mark. If you were genuinely trying not to get under the skin of the leeds faithful maybe a more appropriate title would have been - My view on Jimmy Savile by a Hammers Fan. That way you would have avoided all suggestions that you were linking Jimmy Savile to Leeds.
This is just my view on the situation and it seems as though the response you posted at 10:12 is just your way of trying to dig your way out of something you probably shouldn't have written.
1234, you are wrong. In comments on "From Cornwall to Leeds" thread the following was posted:
"Anonymous said...
Come on HF, we all know you're itching to do a Jimmy Savile article. I know you will be able to lower the bar even further.
13 October 2012 23:59"
That is the comment posted by the Leeds fan. Check it out on the thread. And note that the time and date preceded my thread. In truth, I had no idea Savile was from Leeds before the comments appeared and could see no relevance anyway.
I'm not sure if I posted the attempt to besmirch the people of Leeds and the club by an idiot making the link between the City and Savile, I will need to check as I can't remember the thread it was aimed at. It was one of those, "Does it breach the rules" dilemmas. Anyway, as I say, I am refuting the links and having carried the thread, seem to have opened up an interesting debate amongst those who read content rather than simply fire off Mr Angry style protests.
You are still one of the biggest dickheads on the internet. Possibly the biggest.
Hammersfan, the problem is, nobody believes you. You know the impact of anything you write which has the word 'Leeds' in it.
Time and time again people have pointed out the irrelevance in your articles to the 'Leeds' quotation in the headline
Noone's debating that your content is a thoughtful observation or even quite prudent, however to say you suddenly felt the need to respond to a Leeds fan who mentioned Jimmy Savile when you ignore hundreds of other remarks is stretching belief to say the least
People know you now, you're not convincing here, and it's getting tedious.
By your logic, Hammersfan, if someone tells you to place a loaded shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger, you will oblige.
1509, if I am tedious why do you keep returning? Isn't that perverse?
1644, I wouldn't know about that, but you think I'm a cock and you keep swallowing everything I produce, so what does that say about you exactly?
"Anonymous said...
Come on HF, we all know you're itching to do a Jimmy Savile article. I know you will be able to lower the bar even further.
13 October 2012 23:59"
Really? You wrote a particularly well-written, yet still tawdry attempt at 'refuting' a link between Leeds United and Jimmy Saville.
Like Zammo in Grange Hill when he became addicted to Lady H, you could've "just said no".
Why not follow suit and write refutations about other places associated with horrific crimes and football teams.
Write a similar refutation about:
Madeleine McCann and Sporting Lisbon.
Denis Nilsen and Crouch End Vampires.
Bradford City and Peter Sutcliffe.
Ian Brady and Rochdale.
Go on, I dare you. You must have it in you!
I only dare you to see if you can be goaded into a similar defence as you used to write your "Leeds Savile row" 'article'.
You forgot Jack the Ripper and West Ham, and Harry Redknapp and Tottenham!
Or maybe even write about the fact he met with Pope Benedict and was honoured by him. Then you could even write a similar refutating of a link between Savile and Roman Catholic Church.
Hell, seeing as the Pope was a member of the Hitler Jugend, why not even write something about Hitler and Leeds United.
Go on, you know you really wanna.
Hammersfan
In reply to my last point; defend yourself and validate your reason for writing your Savile/Leeds article.
Go on; choose just one of the above parings and write a similar article refuting a link.
Go on; I'm sure that you're itching to. Maybe you could even lower the bar even more.
Either that or simply admit to wanting to write the article for cheap-thrill trolling and you used a throwaway comment by some cocksmoker of one of your posts as justification for it.
shame on you hf.
Why do I need to when you keep doing it for me? Personally, I would not have made any of those links, just as I would not have made the Savile and Leeds non link but for others - but you clearly have something of an obsession GS.
in response to poor response wyla, you don't get to decide what is a poor response when you have written such utterly reprehensible shite, I am fully capable of reading your simple little blog and usually i quite enjoy the aggro they create but you have lost my respect through what you have written on this. It doesn't matter if it's one victim and a thousand hospitals mate, that's the point, if anything YOU sir should read my response again!
are you a virgin hf? i bet you are
1509 here again..I keep returning as I want you to know that people realise that the use 'Leeds' in any article for any flimsy excuse you can think of deliberately.
The proof is in your last response to me where you ignored this point completely and focused on my final line where I rightly described you as tedious.
Your need to get get people riled up is perverse.
Hammersfan writes..."I would not have made the Savile and Leeds non link but for others "- Anybody out there believe this?
Hammerfan only wrote this because other people brought it up in comments.
He didn't do it (as people might have thought on numerous other occasions) to mention Leeds in every headline that he can.
Oh no, that's simply not true.
Hammersfan was so riled up by the 'others' mentioning a Jimmy Savile Blog that he was bound, no, forced, no, obliged to write this Article around the headline.
Yes Hammersfan,this is Irony, which you claim to write and yes it is Sarcastic, which you often are yourself.
Lets spell out what I'm saying here more directly.
To claim that you were writing this as a response rather than another reason to provoke makes you a stranger to the truth.
You Sir, are a liar.
here here and well said that man. Any chance of a some Gary Glitter jokes instead?
What a brilliant write up. It seems very strange to me that in 1989 Savile took out a writ against the News of the World when they accused him of having clout to release dangerous prisoners. The N o W paid Savile damages. Now, if there were any substance of all these now alleged incidents then surely the hacks of the other papers would have helped their mates at the N o W. I laughed when a guy said he toured round Manchester in his Rolls Royce in the mid 50's. As far as I can see Savile didn't buy the Rolls till 2002!! I might brelieve some of the tales going around but lots are simply jumping on the bandwagon. By the way, Savile was only ASSISTANT MANAGER at Leeds Mecca for most of his short stay there. I used to go in the Mecca at that time (so dod Billy Bremner and Gary Sprake and the only disco night was Mondays!! How come then all these
'kids' seem to be going in every night?
Hold on, what did you say? He helped more people than he sexually abused, therefore we shouldn't say bad things about him? That's evil stuff, man.
Dude was a bad man, has nothing to do with football, nor where he was from. End of.
What about the paedophiles within St John ambulance who are about to receive awards from the Queen's representative:
http://bit.ly/ourNZexperience
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