Boycott apologises for racist knighthood joke

ESPNcricinfo staff
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Geoffrey Boycott, the former England batsman and Test Match Special summariser, has made an "unreserved apology" after suggesting that he'd have a better chance of getting a knighthood if he "blacked up" his face to look like a West Indian cricketer.

Boycott, who played 108 Tests for England between 1964 and 1982, including 29 against West Indies, made his remarks during a question-and-answer session at a VIP lunch during the first Test against West Indies at Edgbaston.

Knighthoods, he said, were handed out like "confetti" to West Indies greats - he named no names, but a total of 11 former Caribbean greats have been conferred the honour to date, including Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Curtly Ambrose.

"Mine's been turned down twice," he told the event's host, Gary Newbon. "I'd better black me face."

Boycott's remarks were met with an uneasy silence by his audience, a room that included several black guests who had paid close to £300 a head for the occasion.

In the wake of a wave of criticism, with one of those present denouncing him as a "dinosaur", Boycott took to Twitter to apologise.

"Speaking at an informal gathering I was asked a question and I realise my answer was unacceptable," he wrote. "I meant no offence but what I said was clearly wrong and I apologise unreservedly.

"I have loved West Indian cricket my whole life and have the utmost respect for its players."

The last England cricketer to receive a knighthood was Sir Ian Botham in 2007, with Sir Alec Bedser earning his a decade earlier in 1997.

THIS IS FALL DOWN FUNNY.

NO DOUBT IN THE FUTURE THERE WILL BE A SIR JASON HOLDER.

DESPITE THE TALK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE SMALL ISLANDS (AND THAT INCLUDES BARBADOS) LOVE THEIR KNIGHTHOODS AND BEING CALLED SIR.

I FEEL SORRY FOR BOYCOTT SINCE HE SEEMS TO CHERISH A KNIGHTHOOD AND SO FAR HAS NOT GOT ONE YET FOLKS LIKE PHILIP GREEN  HAVE ONE.

I THINK THERE WILL BE A SIR ALASTAIR COOK BEFORE THERE IS A SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT. THE BRITS NEED TO SKIP THE SIR GEOFF AND MAKE HIM LORD GEOFFREY BOYCOTT.

FUNNY AS HELL - HA HA  HA HA HA  HA  HA HA HA

A conviction for assaulting his girlfriend a few years ago, makes it highly unlikely that Boycott will ever receive a knighthood.

Boycott also doesn't seem to understand that a knighthood given to Ambrose by the Antiguan government, is different from the Queen of England giving an English player a knighthood.

yeah!  add to the conviction is this faux pas. 

Boycs better circle up his money to see if he has enuff to buy one.  he wont get one any other way

so sorry.

Boys grandma seh he by pass Sir : for Lord ! 

Lord Boycott of Yorkshire

someone will try and ban black paint and everything black

[size=small]Boycott could have easily made the point without getting down into the gutter.[/size]

Boycott has no point to make. Only 2 West Indians have received knighthoods from England, one for being the first black captain (Worrell), the other for being the Crown's propaganda mouthpiece during WW2 (in the 1930s and 40s, Learie Constantine helped smoothen race relations and urged West Indians into the British labor force and armed forces).

In comparison, the ENTIRE English cricket team got MBE's for winning an Ashes.

Boycott is implying that masses and masses of undeserving black people are stealing British knighthoods. In reality he's just angrily looking for a scapegoat as to why he doesn't have one.

but how many Sirs we have...

Curtly and Viv!  who else..Weekes.  Walcott was one ::confused::  who else..I cant think of anyone else save possibly Andy Roberts..is Andy a knight of the round table ::confused::

I doh see no Yardys in deh.  Trickies and Guyanans cant take knighthoods..except as english residents.

ah!  Richie Richardson.

the Sir business in the west indies cricket region is really an Antiguan ting then..a wholly owned, integrated  Wadadli project

Boycs is a rale impse yes.  and I used to look forward to his opinion on cricket!  chuuuuupes!  he cyant count no more.  he see 3/4 Antigua Sirs and think its a horde coming dong the road he shud be part of