There’s Trouble at T’ Woke Mill
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There is no cricketer who has lived, breathed and devoted his sporting life to Yorkshire CCC more than Andrew Gale. Geoffrey Boycott pales in comparison.
He joined the Club in 2001 at the age of 18; made his first-class debut three years later; going on to become one of the modern club greats. In 2009, Gale became the youngest county captain in the post-war era and five years later held aloft the county championship, the first for Yorkshire in 13 years. He repeated this feat the following year. At the end of the 2016 season, Gale retired from first-class cricket and was immediately appointed Yorkshire's first XI coach.
And then the trouble at T’ Woke Mill began.
For a man who had devoted his life to Yorkshire; who had given his all and so doing had brought glory and success to the county… to be then suspended as Head Coach for an “alleged racist slur” which he tweeted out in 2010, only to be callously sacked the following month alongside the Director of Cricket and all other members of the coaching staff on the back of an hysterical mainstream media touting Azim Rafiq as the patron saint of anti-racism… How would you feel? The club whom you gave your life to, then stabs you in the back because of a tweet from 11 years ago. How would Sussex supporters feel if a similar situation had occurred at Hove where Chris Adams was made the fall-guy.
Fortunately, Gale had the confidence to stand up to this grave and extreme injustice and took action. Described as “a man’s man”, he is just the type of individual that extreme wokeism desperately wishes to stamp out.
The Daily Mail who has closely followed the story published an extraordinary claim yesterday. After Yorkshire finally agreed to compensating Gale a six-figure sum, they then reneged on the deal the very next day.
The newspaper writes, “Yorkshire had reached an agreement with Gale, and former bowling coach Richard Pyrah, at a mediation hearing in Leeds on Wednesday, following months of negotiations… Both players had signed their parts of the agreement, but after Yorkshire officials left the talks before they concluded, a signature from the club was still required. In an extraordinary development
Sportsmail has learned that Yorkshire are now refusing to sign this legal agreement.”
What makes this even more bizarre is the club is believed to have signed the paperwork relating to Pyrah's settlement, but not for Gale, increasing the sense he is being singled out for individual punishment. Why? Because Gale put his head above the parapet and sought out the media to express his views on Yorkshire’s sacking.
In a statement released earlier this summer, he stated, “As a starting point, let me say that I was very disappointed when Azeem's original allegations were first brought to my attention. For the avoidance of any doubt, I deny each and every allegation that Azeem raised with YCCC and then via the ECB suggesting that I have used racist language and bullied Azeem. I was originally stunned, but I am now angry that he has raised such allegations against me.”
It continued, “I will always be unhappy with how my career ended, but I refuse to have my life defined by unsubstantiated allegations by an embittered former colleague and by a YCCC/ECB witch-hunt. Similarly, I refuse to act or be perceived as a perpetual victim despite the fact my treatment from the club was abhorrent.”
So the three Cs for Yorkshire CCC. Callous, Cowardly and Contemptible. If you express your outrage at outrageous claims, expect the woke mob to single you out. To rub salt into Gale’s gaping wound, Pyrah is the 10th former staff member Yorkshire have paid off in relation to the Rafiq affair in a series of compensation payments that could total over £2million.
Sportmail explains, “In their 2021 accounts Yorkshire revealed that they have set aside £1.9million for 'various costs associated with the racism allegations', but with seven more claims including Gale's still pending the club are expecting to exceed that figure. It is understood that Yorkshire have already agreed to pay out over £1.3m as well as covering the legal costs of all parties, while they are also facing a potential High Court claim from former head of sports science and medicine, Wayne Morton.
“Morton spent 38 years at Yorkshire and is also claiming on behalf of four other members of the medical and physio team, whom he employed as sub-contractors. In addition former Yorkshire analyst Phil Dicks may also claim for unfair dismissal. Former chief executive Mark Arthur is understood to have received the biggest pay-off with a package worth around £380,000 including bonuses, while Rafiq was given around £200,000 in compensation for the racial harassment and bullying he suffered at Headingley. Former director of cricket Martyn Moxon also received a pay-off in excess of £100,000.”
The Moral of This StoryIn Yorkshire’s case, extreme Wokeism is madness, madness and more madness. Not only does it require immediate psychiatric help, but must be rooted out, now, before it becomes a part of the world’s psyche. For extreme wokeism is a 21st century form of fascism. Anyone who dares to stand up to it, is singled out and dealt with, just like the jackboots of the 1930s Nazi party, burning books and setting fire to shops, they didn’t agree with.
Of course, as a society we must continue to endeavour and overcome racism of all types, but the line between common sense/fairness and extremism is there for all to see at Yorkshire CCC. The phrase, “Extremism is the enemy within” comes to mind. For all the present problems at Sussex, at least a majority are on the field. Thank god we don’t have to suffer the injustices going on at Yorkshire and the humiliation and upset this must be causing supporters.
Daily Mail Articlewww.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11218911/Yorkshire-threaten-withdraw-compensation-offer-Andrew-Gale-amid-Azeem-Rafiq-fallout.html