Football pundit Barry Glendenning backtracks over Sir Jack slur

Barry Glendenning has come under fire from Wolves fans in a Twitter storm after the comments were published online for a weekly podcast by The Guardian newspaper.

He also likened Sir Jack to Hitler and referenced Sir Jack being 'cold on the slab'.

Enraged supporters attacked Mr Glendenning for the comments, labelling them a 'disgrace', with many calling for an apology saying they would boycott the Guardian.

Sir Jack died last week aged 91 and tributes have poured in from all over the world to the much-loved former owner.

The Football Weekly podcast had paid tribute to Sir Jack in a week earlier and had received an email from someone expressing surprise that the tribute 'glossed over his being an appalling old racist bigot'.

During this week's podcast Mr Glendenning says in response 'I mean he was a big massive racist', and then adds 'but in an endearing kind of way'.

Seconds later Mr Glendenning said: "But at least he was open about it, but then so was Adolf Hitler and that doesn't make him a nice guy does it?"

Mr Glendenning, who has more than 70,000 followers on Twitter, told the Express & Star he was wrong to make the remarks.

He referenced a 2003 interview Sir Jack gave to the Financial Times in which the former Wolves owner apparently admits being xenophobic.

Mr Glendenning backtracked on calling Sir Jack racist, or comparing him to Hitler.

Oh dear!

Barry Glendenning – (laughs)

JR - This er…I mean the poor feller's passed on now, is it….

BG – Well, that's fair point; I mean he was a big massive racist, but…

JR – But was he? But….

BG – But in an endearing kind of way, ya know…

JR – Did he have lots of Chinese friends?

BG – Er……I don't think so. No. He would unless, on his estate in the Bahamas. No one's allowed to drive foreign cars in…

JR – Really…

BG – Yeah.

JR – What? Only Bahaman models or…

(laughing)

BG – No, I think English models but….he didn't like, er…., yeah he was quite openly xenophobic and racist.

JR – Hmmmm…

BG – Erm…but…he was also very generous, and I think if someone's not even, ya know, cold on the slab, it's just……yeah, maybe we should have touched on it at least but, I don't like….

JR – (tries to interject) The problem…

BG – But as my mom says, if you don't have anything nice to say about a dead person, just don't say anything.

JR – Yeah, I think the issue might have been on the basis of Ian Macintosh's glowing eulogy to the amount of money that he handed over to Wolves, I described him as one of football's good guys.

BG – (laughs)

JR – Which, well, yeah….

BG – But, ya know, erm…

JR – And he's not in any position to…

BG - I was about to praise him for, ya know, but at least he was open about it, but then so was Adolf Hitler and that doesn't make him a nice guy does it?

JR – Well, I'm glad we're clear on that. Good, anyway, thanks…

BG – Yes, but he was quite openly Xenophobic.

He said: "I used the word racist which I shouldn't have. I meant xenophobic.

"Last Thursday (in a previous podcast) we were talking about Sir Jack and everything we said was positive

"Somebody wrote in and took exception to the fact we hadn't mentioned some of his more noticeable foibles.

"We probably didn't reiterate all the good things we said about him a week earlier.

"Some people got offended.

"I do not think in any way Sir Jack Hayward was like Hitler."

He said he would reiterate the apology and make clear his comments during this the next podcast.

Mr Glendenning has also defended himself on Twitter and replied to a host of fans who have reacted furiously to the podcast comments.

Sir Jack bought Wolves in 1990 for £2.1million.

He transformed the fortunes of the club, particularly off the field when he funded a complete rebuild of Molineux.

His finest hour came in 2003 when Wolves were finally promoted to the Premier League.

Sir Jack gave tens of millions of pounds to Wolves but 'sold' the club for a tenner to Steve Morgan in 2007.