In Honour of Obama: pick your all-time Reading black XI

[wolsey]

I'd have Dean Gordon as left back, you can move Gilkesy forward to left midfield

Obviously you don't remember Steve Richardson then.

Also Paul Canoville would get in my team before Gilkes or Salako on the left.

[Forbury Lion]

Picking an all time Reading White XI would probably be seen as racist, so for that reason this thread is locked.

[Forbury Lion]

Thread unlocked, poll added instead.... feel free to vote.

[rhroyal]

Can we add an "It's just funny" option to the poll?

[Row Z Royal]

Picking an all time Reading White XI would probably be seen as racist, so for that reason this thread is locked.

The important bit.

Whip this over to AE for a bit of proper debate.

[Gus the teenage cow]

forbes, you are an absolute disgrace to even post that poll

[Ian Royal]

I don't think the thread is racist.

I think it's a sad sign of society that we feel the need to distinguish players by colour of skin though. I think the point is given Obama's historic victory, it shows how far ahead football in this country is to American politics (and indeed British)that we can find a fairly good quality team made up solely of black players, who up until 20 odd years ago were under represented in the sport, just as black people would seem (certainly at first glance) to be under represented at senior policical level.

Whether that is Gus' intention or not is debateable.

Shaka
Rosenior, Primus, Sonko, Gilkes
Kebe, Rougier, Bikey, Salako
Lita, Goater

Sub: (struggling for another 'keeper)Asaba, Jones, Owusu, Williams, McPherson

VERY attacking team that. Not sure about goals from the strikers though, but Owusu, Asaba and Williams on the bench for that.

[PistolPete]

This thread isn't racist.

My All time blonde haired Reading XI:

----------Quinn------------Dixon-----------
Convey----Parky--------Caskey------Doyle
Shorey---Kromheer----Hunter----Ingimarsson
-----------------Hammond-----------------

Notable omissions-

Kromheer, Bodin, Butler

[Tony Le Mesmer]

In an enterprising 3-4-3:

Hislop

Ray Wallace
Bob Hazell
Brain Statham

Robert Codnor
Byron Glasgow
Omar Daley
Bas Savage

Francis Jospeh
Derek Christie
Neville Roach

[bobbybottler]

In an enterprising 3-4-3:

Hislop

Ray Wallace
Bob Hazell
Brain Statham

Robert Codnor
Byron Glasgow
Omar Daley
Bas Savage

Francis Jospeh
Derek Christie
Neville Roach

Hislop is out of place in that XI

[bobbybottler]

(struggling for another keeper)

Clive Lyttle?

[Thames]

John Darkie on the wing surely!!??

[phil in cornwall]

Can we add an "It's just funny" option to the poll?

Also "Who cares?"

[PEARCEY]

I don't think the thread is racist.

I think it's a sad sign of society that we feel the need to distinguish players by colour of skin though. I think the point is given Obama's historic victory, it shows how far ahead football in this country is to American politics (and indeed British)that we can find a fairly good quality team made up solely of black players, who up until 20 odd years ago were under represented in the sport, just as black people would seem (certainly at first glance) to be under represented at senior policical level.

Whether that is Gus' intention or not is debateable.

Shaka
Rosenior, Primus, Sonko, Gilkes
Kebe, Rougier, Bikey, Salako
Lita, Goater

Sub: (struggling for another 'keeper)Asaba, Jones, Owusu, Williams, McPherson

VERY attacking team that. Not sure about goals from the strikers though, but Owusu, Asaba and Williams on the bench for that.

What about Steve Richardson at full back...very tough, nuggety defender

[bottom left hand corner]

I don't think the thread is racist.

I think it's a sad sign of society that we feel the need to distinguish players by colour of skin though. I think the point is given Obama's historic victory, it shows how far ahead football in this country is to American politics (and indeed British)that we can find a fairly good quality team made up solely of black players, who up until 20 odd years ago were under represented in the sport, just as black people would seem (certainly at first glance) to be under represented at senior policical level.

Whether that is Gus' intention or not is debateable.

Shaka
Rosenior, Primus, Sonko, Gilkes
Kebe, Rougier, Bikey, Salako
Lita, Goater

Sub: (struggling for another 'keeper)Asaba, Jones, Owusu, Williams, McPherson

VERY attacking team that. Not sure about goals from the strikers though, but Owusu, Asaba and Williams on the bench for that.

Goater had to be one of alan pardews worst signings :S

[Great Knolly]

I'm definitely a don't know on this one. As with Obama, what do you call someone who has a black parent and a white parent. Obama is as white as he is black. In one of the teams picked here, there is Salako, Rosenior and Asaba as a sub. I don't know, but I would guess that there are some white parents in there. Would Salako make a white XI too. The easy answer would be that he probably isn't good enough.
This is not like picking a team of players born in Berkshire, or Mali, or Kansas. The boundaries aren't clearly defined. If Liam Rosenior marries, and has kids with a white woman, are his kids still black ?

[Barry the bird boggler]

Devil's advocate...

If someone started a thread saying what is your all time white XI they would be branded a racist.

Therefore by the same argument this is also a racist thread.

How you personally feel is, of course, your own decision.

[Silver Fox]

Can we add an "It's just funny" option to the poll?

Why?

BTW one thing is clear, if we played an all-black XI at least no player would be singled out by the boo boys

[Maguire]

Firstly things first, they'd have to find a way of ironing names and numbers onto replica gloves and tights.

[The 17 Bus]

Big Lol at Forbes for even thinking this is racist, MOBO awards, loads of black awards in London and other cities.

How low can HNA go??