Disappointed but not in the least surprised to read that at least two tables walked out of the Scottish Football Writers Association annual awards dinner in the couse of the keynote speaker's 20 minute speech allegedly litered with grossly offensive sexist, racisit and homophobic 'jokes.

Well done to those who were brave enough to take a stand and shame on those, including many of our most prominent journalists and broadcasters who just sat there and laughed.

No wonder we are still struggling to get women and girls to participate in our game and no wonder that the many gay players, professional or otherwise, are terrified to be open about their sexuality. I thought that we had come along way from the days when bananas were thrown at the feet of Mark Walters without any comment or condemnation from the likes of Archie Macpherson.

More disgrace and more shame on Scottish football. Once again great credit to those, mainly although not exclusively women, who had the courage to make a stand and call it out and who will, no doubt, even now be getting vile abuse on social media as a result.

We can't leave it to women, people of colour and the LGBTQ community to deal with this. It's not a problem of their making and we all need to work to fix it.

I see Dick ****** Campbell is being discussed elsewhere. I heard him speak at a dinner once. He did apologise in advance to the one or two females present... Maybe Ange as the manager of the year instead of Dick was just diplomatic 😉

Archie Macpherson lies to pensioners so you can't expect high standards from him.

Do we know who the speakers were?

30 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

I see Dick ****** Campbell is being discussed elsewhere. I heard him speak at a dinner once. He did apologise in advance to the one or two females present... Maybe Ange as the manager of the year instead of Dick was just diplomatic 😉

Archie Macpherson lies to pensioners so you can't expect high standards from him.

Do we know who the speakers were?

The speaker principally complained of was Bill Copeland, a criminal defence lawyer who supplements his income on the after dinner circuit.

I have to declare an interest in knowing and not particularly liking the said gentleman.

15 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

The speaker principally complained of was Bill Copeland, a criminal defence lawyer who supplements his income on the after dinner circuit.

I have to declare an interest in knowing and not particularly liking the said gentleman.

Willie Young spoke alongside Dick and was very funny without swearing much.

At another do I heard another Glaswegian who was a "comedian" and just embarrassed the two women at the front table, I'll need to ask around as I've forgotten his name.

It appears the speaker who caused upset was indeed Bill Copeland. Reading some of the replies to Eilidh Barbour on twitter it appears we have a long way to go in this country with equality in football sadly. 

The most racist and mysogynistic after dinner speaker I have ever heard was the late Peter Osgood.

It was thirty years ago and, even by the standards of the time, utterly appalling.

The only reason that the women present were not offended is that none were permitted at the 'Sportsman's Dinner'.

We may have edged forward since then but clearly not nearly far or quickly enough.

30 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

The most racist and mysogynistic after dinner speaker I have ever heard was the late Peter Osgood.

It was thirty years ago and, even by the standards of the time, utterly appalling.

The only reason that the women present were not offended is that none were permitted at the 'Sportsman's Dinner'.

We may have edged forward since then but clearly not nearly far or quickly enough.

I was the first female member of the management committee of the pre merger Caledonian FC and was not allowed to attend the North of Scotland dinner etc. In these days they were definitely  "sportsmans" dinners. I also was not allowed in several boardrooms at the time especially in the central belt being a female. 

As you say we've edged forward but it is clearly not enough 

The traditional title of a ‘Sportsman’s Dinner’ isn’t a very inclusive one and I don’t think it gets used much these days. But you kind of knew what to expect, jokes and language that you wouldn’t get on tv.

I too saw Dick Campbell speaking at one, and in his very first sentence he dropped the C bomb (and not ‘County’, although that followed soon after as he’d recently been sacked by them supposedly for getting them to the top of League 1 with the wrong type of football).

I am one of the many at fault for the fact  that we have not moved on nearly as much as we should have.

I attended many of these events, boxing dinners were the worst where the only women in attendance were the scantily clad girls who entered the ring to be wolf whistled at and hold a a card with the number of the next round.

I squimed in my seat at what was being said  Andy Cameron was another serial offender as compere, complained to Mrs Kingsmills when I got home and vowed never to go again (until the next excuse for 'networking') but was too cowardly to do or say anything at the time.

It's incumbent on those of us who were cravenly complicit to stand with those brave enough to make a stand niw.

I am genuinely ashamed that I did not do so when it might have made a difference.