ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

The Ignorance of BBC World

Here is a copy of the note I emailed BBC World after it failed to even mention the name Everton FC during a programme on the city, which spent a good portion of time extolling the virtues of that other team in the city.

"Last week's Fast Track featured the City of Liverpool as Europe's Capital of Culture. A good portion of the programme focused on Liverpool FC. Not one mention of the city's other Premier League team Everton FC was made--literally not one word, not even the name Everton. Now how ignorant or daft is that?

"Okay, so Liverpool FC may be more glamourous at the moment, but come on, half the city supports Everton and it currently stands in fourth position above Liverpool. To not spend 10 seconds and mention Everton by name shows a laughable lack of understanding of the city you covered and was plain unprofessional."
John Boyd, Japan Posted 12/02/2008 at 13:03:20

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Comments

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Patty Beesley
1 Posted 12/02/2008 at 14:50:08

To say that I am "up in arms" over situations like this, I am afraid the reason is that the RS have won trophies over the recent years and we haven?t, therefore not a sod acknowledges we even exist when doing programmes on our beloved City.

Stefan Tosev
2 Posted 12/02/2008 at 15:19:33

Hate to say it but its about Liverpool not Kirkby

Jay Harris
3 Posted 12/02/2008 at 15:32:30

John
give us the email address and we should all write to them.
If we continue to hound these people and the FA in force they?ll have to pay some attention.

Trudy Boston
4 Posted 12/02/2008 at 15:43:49

Makes you wonder doesnt it. Not only does Liverpool boast two cathedrals but two huge footballing giants with a proud and long tradition. Sadly some people will only associate the city with the red coloured team and we seem to pale into the background. I wonder if the programme had gone down a different road if it was broadcast in the mid 1980s.

As a former liverpool stalwart once said after signing, Liverpool is full of evertonians. I think thats a fair reflection. It was the same then i dont feel anything has changed. We are the peoples club after all.

Chris Roberts
5 Posted 12/02/2008 at 15:51:41

Two things. First I think at the moment we are the more attractive club to most British football fans and secondly that is rubbish of the BBC not to mention EFC.

Oh yeah and what has Kirkby got to do with this? Does some monkey have to mention it in every post about anything?

Stefan Tosev
6 Posted 12/02/2008 at 15:56:07

No Chris,

it does show you what the exposure and prestige of Kirkby comapared to Liverpool is and what EFC is going to miss

Jay Campbell
7 Posted 12/02/2008 at 16:19:41

Chris Roberts Kirkby will be mentioned to all of our dying day’s because it is the most stupid, boneheaded idea ever in the club’s history that’s why it keep’s on cropping up.

If we were moving to another yard in Liverpool or staying at Goodison the stadium subject would never gerra mention end ov.

Dave Lynch
8 Posted 12/02/2008 at 16:22:16

Come on lads get a life.
We have a big game coming up and you are arsed whether we get a mention for the capital of fuck ups.
This capital of culture has been a fuck up from start to finish.
The less we have to do with it the better.
Some of you whinge when we have our players mentioned in the press.
Insinuating that they are being manipulated into leaving.
You can’t have it both ways.

James Martin
9 Posted 12/02/2008 at 16:18:25

Personally I think we should just laugh at these fuckers. It’s their incompetence, their ignorance. We know who we are, and when you talk to any genuine fans of other clubs, they know what’s what. Ditto for the few serious journalists. We are ’the people’s club’, not the ’diner’s club’. we’re the ’team of no stars’. It’s Everton Versus the rest of the world and we are going to win.

Mick Simo
10 Posted 12/02/2008 at 16:57:08

Personally I do care when our history and culture is never mentioned, I do care when Everton are never mentioned as the first football club in the city, yeah I do give a fuck when the likes of Sky and the bbc just wiped our history away when they mention the bastard son of Everton FC, Yeah I do care when the Dixie Dean is never mentioned in the same breath as some other football legends, never mentioned we was founder memebers of the football league.The School of Science never mentioned when people talk about great sides. Like the song goes ’If you know your history’ some dont though.

Rob Fox
11 Posted 12/02/2008 at 17:29:16

Stefan

this exposure we will miss if we leave the city.

Where is it like?

Robbie Skinley
12 Posted 12/02/2008 at 17:45:51

Stefan
Don’t quite see why you’ve brought the stadium debate into this one and unless I’m missing the point of your second post, we aren’t getting a mention anyway from being in the city as the media only give a toss about the RS, so don’t see how that’s proof we’ll be worse off than now

Seamus Murphy
13 Posted 12/02/2008 at 17:52:56

Stefan - Kirkby has nothing to do with this. It is quite simply lazy journalism.

Stefan Tosev
14 Posted 12/02/2008 at 17:45:32

Rob,

at least we have the right to complain now

Keith Glazzard
15 Posted 12/02/2008 at 18:39:30

Blues living in the Liverpool city boundary have the privilege of paying towards a £20 million deficit for the C of C stuff this year . Its up to you to vote in people who only want Redshite in your city and charge you on top of that for giving them publicity - none of my business.

Tell you what - when Everton are winning things in the next ten years, Kirkby, if that’s where we are, will miraculously be transported into "Liverpool", according to the media. Just like all those London clubs, who have got sod all to do with London.

Robert Carney
16 Posted 12/02/2008 at 20:39:44

FFS start getting used to it and stop whingeing.

It won?t be long before the pair of lying bastards have us in Kirkby.

What will we cry about to the BBC then.

John Boyd
17 Posted 12/02/2008 at 22:49:42

Here's the reply from BBC Word ? and my rejoinder:

"No one expects you to mention everything; that's a pure excuse of a reply. You are completely ignoring the fact that the programme completely ignored the fact that the city is famous for two football teams and that half the city is dissed when you can't find even ONE SECOND in the programme to mention Everton's name."

On 2/12/08 11:15 PM, "BBC World" wrote:

Dear Mr John Boyd

Thank you for your email regarding this edition of 'Fast Track'.

Due to the time constraints of a 30-minute programme it is simply not possible to mention every aspect of a particular place and we do have to sometimes make difficult choices about what and what not to include. That said, we are sorry that you are disappointed by this omission and your comments will certainly be seen by the 'Fast Track' team. You can, of course, write directly to them if you wish. Their email address is: fasttracktravel@bbc.co.uk

Thank you again for watching BBC WORLD, and for taking the time to write.

Regards,
Mario Giannini
BBC World