Everyone's favourite tabloid journo confirmed for 23 Feb

[Ollie]

BBCRB is turning into Big Brother, for what outcome? See people arguing for people's entertainment. Classy. unloyal to the royals.

No, it really isn't. After an entire season of getting great guests from in and around the club to talk about how well we're doing, and why, we're talking to one of the few people able to make their voice heard across the country who maintains a negative stance towards the club.

Just as BBCRB didn't turn into Big Brother when we had, say, Kevin Doyle or Brian McDermott on, it won't turn into Big Brother when we get Oliver Holt on. The fact he doesn't like Reading doesn't mean it all suddenly changes.

[ElmParker]

Quite right.

Holt is a loathsome little pumper, but he still has a right to be heard.

I think it’s a masterstroke to get the b*stard on.

[cheeryoleary]

Just out of interest, how are you going to screen the calls?

For instance, if a 7 year old should phone up and want to ask Holt why he doesn't like Reading, gets put on air, then hands the phone over to his dad who then asks why he's a oxf*rd cocksucker?

[noise]

I think the Daily Mirror is a bit bigger outlet than BBC Berkshire? If he is coming here to apologize, he can do it in his award winning column. I've listened to the Footy fone in for aslong as I can remember, because I enjoyed the insight on what is going on with the club, not with what someones illinformed, verging on the libelous, opinion. You can't really think someone who talks about an unibrow or the name of a stadium (which he was a bit late for, it was opened in 98 ), has a worthy opinion to be heard on the Reading FC footy fone in?

[Ollie]

ElmParker - thanks for your support but for me, personally, it's not about his right to be heard. It's more about actually interacting with him. Noise, what I mean by that is: Print journos can very easily slip into their own world where they write what they like and probably get lots of abusive emails back in return, but you can delete an abusive email remarkably quickly. You can't duck out that easily when you're on air and it means we can ask questions and try to get answers.

As I said before I'm not expecting Saturday morning's headline to be "Oliver Holt - I'm Sorry And I Love Reading Shock", but I do think it'll be interesting to hear a print journalist explaining themselves and facing a bit of open criticism, without it turning into anything like a slanging match, which wouldn't be any use to anyone.

Like I said before, if this was Henry Winter I'd be saying exactly the same thing. The one side of this coin is it's a man who clearly doesn't like Reading, but you don't have to focus on that and just lob vitriol at him. The other side is that he's a national journalist covering Reading in a big way for the first time, so why's he doing it the way he is when a lot of people like the club and think Reading, as an entity, is a good thing? That's what I, personally, want to hear about.

[ElmParker]

Post of the day.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The other side is that he's a national journalist covering Reading in a big way for the first time, so why's he doing it the way he is when a lot of people like the club and think Reading, as an entity, is a good thing? That's what I, personally, want to hear about.

Smart question Ollie, make sure its the first one that Tim asks....

[RoyalBlue]

The other side is that he's a national journalist covering Reading in a big way for the first time, so why's he doing it the way he is when a lot of people like the club and think Reading, as an entity, is a good thing? That's what I, personally, want to hear about.

Smart question Ollie, make sure its the first one that Tim asks....

Suggest he puts some decent punctuation in first!

Pea brain 'works' for The Mirror, not the Guradian.

[Royal Lady]

So, Ollie, in answer to my question on about p2 or 3 - are you confirming that you WILL indeed, give the low-life a hard time?

[Coppelled Streets]

So, Ollie, in answer to my question on about p2 or 3 - are you confirming that you WILL indeed, give the low-life a hard time?

I certainly hope the BBC presenters are well prepared and get this gobshite in a corner where he is left to feel very orkward and embarrassed.
Please please give this guy exactly what he deserves, and use big words that'll leave him bamboozled.

Ta.

[Ollie]

We're not going to simply go on air and yell abuse at him.

We're not going to simply let him repeat his Daily Mirror article on radio.

Tim will have his own strong ideas about how to approach it, and I'll have a load of texts and Hob Nob questions - from which I'll choose those I feel make an effective point without descending into mud-slinging.

[Royal Lady]

We didn't ask you to yell abuse. We asked you to not give him an easy time, matey!

[Para Handy]

One thing that went without comment after yesterday’s drivel from Holt was his mind-numbing views on other aspects of football.

After criticising Hunt remorselessly and calling Wally a thug, he then wrote (in the same column):

RIISE ABOVE CRAIG'S SLUR
Oliver Holt 21/02/2007

I'VE always been a fan of Craig Bellamy and nothing that is supposed to have happened last week in Portugal has changed that.

Whatever happened between him and John Arne Riise can't have been that serious if Riise's in the squad for tonight's game in Barcelona.

If Bellamy was a nutter with a putter, Riise's leg would be badly bruised or in a cast. There's no sign of either. By recent standards of sunshine breaks gone wrong, this one looks particularly tame.

Bellamy's an easy target because he's got form and he hasn't had a great season by his own high standards.

Criticise him for his football by all means but don't use a trifling incident in a bar late at night as a nine iron to beat him with.

So an accidental challenge is considered attempted murder while going for someone with a golf club is ‘a trifling incident’?

Yes, I was wondering if that would come up. I thought exactly the same way as you about it. A classic case of his hypocrisy and agenda shining through. Now, I can't be arsed to waste any more time on the bloke. Hope everyone enjoys the show tomorrow. I have no interest in what he says for the reason that he's an absolute nobody in relation to Reading Football Club or football in general. If it was Bobby Robson or even the aformentioned Henry Winter it would be worth the listen. Oliver Holt, I'm afraid not.

Good to see you back btw.

[RoyalBlue]

If anyone is tempted to ring BBCRB tomorrow, here's my suggestion (cribbed from a fellow Hobnobber):

Ring up on the pretence of having a genuine question. Once on air very pointedly ignore the scumbag Holt completely and ask Tim/Joel when they are going to get a guest who knows anything about football.

[soggy biscuit]

Dear Mr Holt,

1. What do you think of the geeky internet clique that has collectively decided to dislike you just because you don't lavish praise on Reading FC every 5 minutes?

2. What is your view on those that choose to just follow the crowd so as to fit in?

3. How do you feel about freedom of speech and some people's refusal to accept it just because your view doesn't match theirs?

regards

Soggy Biscuit

[Yorkshire Royal]

Mr Soggy, will you please stop antagonising the fishes.. I fight for freedom of speech regularly (having read that, what a ludicrous thing to say, but I'll leave it anyway), but his last column is "inciting Reading hate".

And if you are not allowed to incite racial or religious hate, then you certainly shouldn't be allowed to incite Reading hate.

In fact it could be said that football IS a religion. But again, that would be a ludicrous thing to argue.....

[Ian Royal]

Mr Soggy, will you please stop antagonising the fishes.. I fight for freedom of speech regularly (having read that, what a ludicrous thing to say, but I'll leave it anyway), but his last column is "inciting Reading hate".

And if you are not allowed to incite racial or religious hate, then you certainly shouldn't be allowed to incite Reading hate.

In fact it could be said that football IS a religion. But again, that would be a ludicrous thing to argue.....

Following your football club as a religion seems marginly more sensible than any of the normal religions to me.

Results are tangible, you can sometimes get answers to your prayers and the people in charge very rarely bugger children.

(sorry)

[soggy biscuit]

[Forbury Lion]

2. What is your view on those that choose to just follow the crowd so as to fit in?

Supplemental Question: What is your view on those who take an opposing view simply to create controversy and sell newspapers?

[Para Handy]

Dear Mr Holt,

1. What do you think of the geeky internet clique that has collectively decided to dislike you just because you don't lavish praise on Reading FC every 5 minutes?

2. What is your view on those that choose to just follow the crowd so as to fit in?

3. How do you feel about freedom of speech and some people's refusal to accept it just because your view doesn't match theirs?

regards

Soggy Biscuit

Dear Mr Biscuit,

1. I hope with 7,000 plus posts, you're including yourself in that group. If not why not? There's a difference between lavishing praise and downright, unsupported nonsense. I have no problem with Lawrenson predicting a defeat for us every week. I believe he is impartial although somewhat uninformed. If you can't see the difference between that and the bile that Holt is spewing forth, then you are not the poster I thought you were.

2. FFS. What do you expect? This is a Reading fan's site. Guess we should all tut politely and concede he has a point then?

3. Freedom of speech... LOL. I think some of Mr Holt's viewpoints easily cross freedom of speech into libel territory.