Pizza Hut in apology to black AFCB players over bill row (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Pizza Hut in apology to black AFCB players over bill row
8:55am Monday 6th December 2010 in News By Joanna Codd
Pizza Hut in apology to black to AFCB players over bill row
A RESTAURANT chain has apologised to a group of black players from AFC Bournemouth who were told they would have to pay for their food before eating.
The players say their group was singled out in a branch of Pizza Hut and told they would have to pay first because of “the way you look”.
Half a dozen players had gone to Pizza Hut in Castle Lane West for a late lunch after a training session was cancelled because of the weather.
One of them, Anton Robinson, told the Daily Echo: “We ordered our food. The manager came up with the bill and said: ‘Would you mind paying first?’ “We asked if that was the policy and he said ‘no’. When we asked why he’d asked us, he said: ‘It’s the way you look.’ “We had a good idea what he was trying to get at. A group of white kids came in straight after us and they weren’t asked to pay before they had their food. The only thing that was different was the colour of our skins.
“We said we were professional footballers and were happy to pay when we had finished. That’s what normal people do. He hadn’t asked other customers to pay before their meals.
“It got a little bit heated, then he said: ‘If you’re not going to pay the bill now, I’m going to call the police to escort you off the premises’.”
Mr Robinson added: “We’re all grown men and we were smartly dressed. When the lads go out for a meal, we know we’re representing the club. We know that people recognise us and we have to behave.
“We were angry, but we kept our cool. The police spoke to customers who were eating around our table, and they said we were fine. We hadn’t shouted, kicked up a fuss or anything.”
Player, Liam Feeney said: “I couldn’t believe it. You don’t really expect it any more. I could understand it if all young men had to pay before their meal. The fact that there were other groups of white lads younger than us who weren’t asked didn’t really leave anything else for it to be.”
A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed that officers attended the restaurant after receiving a complaint from Pizza Hut about disruptive customers.
“A group of men had been asked to leave. They weren’t happy about this, but we spoke to them and they did leave,” he said.
A spokesman for Pizza Hut said: “We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, so immediately investigated this incident. While our duty manager’s actions were absolutely not racially motivated, we are very sorry for the way this was handled.
“Police recently recommended that the restaurant started asking people to pay for their meal before dining, to combat a number of incidents where customers had left without paying.
“Unfortunately, it seems this approach was not enforced as a blanket policy and we have ensured all staff have been retrained. We will be contacting the customers concerned to apologise.”
Comments(127)
stuarto
says...
9:13am Mon 6 Dec 10
Badly paid, badly trained staff making bad decisions based on ropey managerial dik-tats, cobbled together as a reaction to other incidents, invariably creates these type of incidents. Unfortunate for Pizza Hut that it happened to Bournemouth players rather than the thousands of the rest of us, it happens to on a daily basis.
stuarto
says...
9:14am Mon 6 Dec 10
Nick68
says...
9:19am Mon 6 Dec 10
.
An apology after the event is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
.
Boycott Pizza Hut!
nikkioctober
says...
9:21am Mon 6 Dec 10
uvox44
says...
9:23am Mon 6 Dec 10
If the other customers confirmed the good behaviour of the players then why were they still asked to leave by the police? Surely they should have charged the manager with wasting their time!
I don't often go to Pizza Express but from now on I'll downgrade that to-NEVER.
Huey
says...
9:30am Mon 6 Dec 10
nikkioctober wrote:yeah people without tastebuds probably love the place
I don't think it was due to the colour of their skin, I'm pretty sure it was the because they were in football gear, which people can asssociate with hoodlums! Also - this isn't a place for you to be telling people what they should eat, just because you don't like Pizza Hut doesn't mean other people don't.
TinyLegacy
says...
9:52am Mon 6 Dec 10
Yawwwn!
says...
9:55am Mon 6 Dec 10
As Mr Robinson states that they were all smartly dressed as they were representing the club, it was surely nothing to do with their attire, this is pure racism and needs to be addressed! I would hate to be treated differently because of the coulour of my skin if I went out to a restaurant.
Rednax
says...
10:06am Mon 6 Dec 10
Yawwwn! wrote:I agree. When the Police arrived they should have arrested the Manager for racism. Sounds lke a proper cretin. He should lose his job for this.
I believe you can be arrested and charged for being racist in public which cause's offence (maybe someone can correct me on that if I am wrong?). if that is the case...why is the manager not charged and arrested for his racist actions? As Mr Robinson states that they were all smartly dressed as they were representing the club, it was surely nothing to do with their attire, this is pure racism and needs to be addressed! I would hate to be treated differently because of the coulour of my skin if I went out to a restaurant.
Huey
says...
10:09am Mon 6 Dec 10
Rednax wrote:Making him eat one of his own pizzas should be punishment enough
Yawwwn! wrote: I believe you can be arrested and charged for being racist in public which cause's offence (maybe someone can correct me on that if I am wrong?). if that is the case...why is the manager not charged and arrested for his racist actions? As Mr Robinson states that they were all smartly dressed as they were representing the club, it was surely nothing to do with their attire, this is pure racism and needs to be addressed! I would hate to be treated differently because of the coulour of my skin if I went out to a restaurant.I agree. When the Police arrived they should have arrested the Manager for racism. Sounds lke a proper cretin. He should lose his job for this.
Local fan
says...
10:11am Mon 6 Dec 10
An apology from Pizza Hut is not enough... its disgraceful.
Upkeep
says...
10:20am Mon 6 Dec 10
Trevor Dykes
says...
10:22am Mon 6 Dec 10
In Absentia
says...
10:23am Mon 6 Dec 10
rook
says...
10:36am Mon 6 Dec 10
nikkioctober wrote:Most likely the Pizza Hut was aware of the previous financial state at AFCB and wanted to make sure they got the money :-)
I don't think it was due to the colour of their skin, I'm pretty sure it was the because they were in football gear, which people can asssociate with hoodlums! Also - this isn't a place for you to be telling people what they should eat, just because you don't like Pizza Hut doesn't mean other people don't.
roysses
says...
10:44am Mon 6 Dec 10
It is not using the "race card", it is reporting illegal activity by a major chain of restaurants.
djdaface
says...
10:49am Mon 6 Dec 10
I know I would loose mine for any such behaviour
djdaface
says...
10:50am Mon 6 Dec 10
worried to death
says...
11:09am Mon 6 Dec 10
Adrian XX
says...
11:20am Mon 6 Dec 10
djdaface wrote:The manager is perfectly entitled to ask for payment up front if he suspects that payment at the end might not be forthcoming. However, if his reason is "because you're black", he is breaking the law. Since we can't read his thoughts, we don't know whether or not his decision was racially motivated.
It shouldn't matter what you look like, hoodies, black anything, you cant single a person out and ask them to pay for the bill. This man should loose his job he is clearly not fit for it.
I know I would loose mine for any such behaviour
The Liberal
says...
11:25am Mon 6 Dec 10
Adrian XX wrote:Well, I can't think of any other reason. As stated in the story, a group of white kids weren't asked to pay in advance. The players were also 'smartly dressed'. If it wasn't racially motivated, the manager should at least have stated the real reason.
djdaface wrote:The manager is perfectly entitled to ask for payment up front if he suspects that payment at the end might not be forthcoming. However, if his reason is "because you're black", he is breaking the law. Since we can't read his thoughts, we don't know whether or not his decision was racially motivated.
It shouldn't matter what you look like, hoodies, black anything, you cant single a person out and ask them to pay for the bill. This man should loose his job he is clearly not fit for it.
I know I would loose mine for any such behaviour
djdaface
says...
11:31am Mon 6 Dec 10
Would you charge somebody in the dentist before they had treatment because you were worried they couldnt pay?
Small business where you have alot of trouble, maybe acceptable, but large chain in a small shopping area...
I know I would have walked out if it was me and not gone black sorry back.
ondulado
says...
11:54am Mon 6 Dec 10
It seems to me that the manager called the Police, not because the players were causing a disturbance, but because, having asked them to pay up front, which they refused to do, he could not then serve them without losing face and therefore called the police, citing that they were causing a disturbance.
The players do not appear to have been causing any sort of disturbance until they were asked to pay, and no doubt even the most relaxed and laid-back individual is going to be somewhat aggrieved at this request, so I can understand if matters became more heated at that moment.
Pizza hut have been made to look very foolish indeed!
fulhamfc
says...
11:54am Mon 6 Dec 10
I will be ringing them to find out........ If this member of staff has broken any such rules, is it policy that he is retrained or disiplined? Although they state they have retrained, i bet it is not in being diverse and treating people equal.
KLH
says...
12:23pm Mon 6 Dec 10
nikkioctober wrote:They were actually smartly dressed, Nikki. Which to me says suits and ties or smart casual, which doesn't mean football gear.
I don't think it was due to the colour of their skin, I'm pretty sure it was the because they were in football gear, which people can asssociate with hoodlums! Also - this isn't a place for you to be telling people what they should eat, just because you don't like Pizza Hut doesn't mean other people don't.
The people that walked out without paying may also have been smartly dressed adult black men. But Pizza Hut should have handled it differently.
I myself, because of my autism, get odd looks from security guards, shop assistants and others because my eye contact possibly gives the impression I am shifty, but it doesn't mean to say I am. People assume too quickly.
garymcm
says...
12:38pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288
says...
12:52pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fulhamfc
says...
12:58pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288 wrote:mmmmmm Really, so is it correct to ask people to pay before they are served? Can you please tell us all your account of this event.
personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.
nikkioctober
says...
1:05pm Mon 6 Dec 10
KLH wrote:Well, fair enough, if they were smartly dressed, then I take it back for judging them on their clothing. But, again, we've only heard their side, how do we know how they were behaving? Don't get me wrong, if it was racially motivated then it is damned disgusting and the manager deserves everything thrown at him. I think people can be too quick to use the race card these days though.
nikkioctober wrote: I don't think it was due to the colour of their skin, I'm pretty sure it was the because they were in football gear, which people can asssociate with hoodlums! Also - this isn't a place for you to be telling people what they should eat, just because you don't like Pizza Hut doesn't mean other people don't.They were actually smartly dressed, Nikki. Which to me says suits and ties or smart casual, which doesn't mean football gear. The people that walked out without paying may also have been smartly dressed adult black men. But Pizza Hut should have handled it differently. I myself, because of my autism, get odd looks from security guards, shop assistants and others because my eye contact possibly gives the impression I am shifty, but it doesn't mean to say I am. People assume too quickly.
madgeman
says...
1:10pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fulhamfc wrote:If the Echo bothered to speak to independant witnesses before 'breaking' the story it wouldn't be so sensational.
louie288 wrote: personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.mmmmmm Really, so is it correct to ask people to pay before they are served? Can you please tell us all your account of this event.
At the end of the day the Echos business is too sell papers, and like any paper morals or the truth doesnt come into it!
rook
says...
1:15pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288 wrote:Very interesting to hear the alternative view from an eye witness. It seems a different angle on the story could have been investigated, although as it turns out, it now appears Pizza Hut are doing the decent thing by making no comments about this specific incident.
personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.
Frogmarch2
says...
1:25pm Mon 6 Dec 10
free wessex
says...
1:28pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288
says...
1:30pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fulhamfc wrote:maybe, maybe not, but all I can say is the players were not behaving as the model citizens thats been led to believe. They were generally loud and obnoxious with a distinct lack of respect for anyone else in the restaurant. I know for a fact that this restaurant in particular has had a problem with youths who eat and run so my guess is the manager felt they came into this category. I do not think this was in anyway racially motivated. The police, I feel, were called because the manger was feeling threatened by what looked like a group of yobs. I certainly had no idea they were professional footballers.
louie288 wrote: personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.mmmmmm Really, so is it correct to ask people to pay before they are served? Can you please tell us all your account of this event.
denisd
says...
2:33pm Mon 6 Dec 10
free wessex wrote:Free Wessex makes a good point, I was born in Bournemouth and moved to London for thirty years to pursue my career.
Disgraceful! but as an ex- Bournemouthian it does not surprise me. One of the reasons I left for good is because it is a nasty corrupt bigoted racist Tory town always has been and always will!
I came back to Bournemouth in 2005 and there is a large proportion of people here who can only be described as rascist and bigotted.
Whether it is through ignorance, i.e. not having the ratio of ethnic people in the area or not I don't know.
I can only say that I have experienced more racism and bigotry in the past five years here than I did in thirty years among an ethnic community.
Avengerboy
says...
2:37pm Mon 6 Dec 10
djdaface
says...
2:41pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288 wrote:if you see this behaviour all the time, and you did not know they were footballers then you cant be sure you were present during this incident really can you...
fulhamfc wrote:maybe, maybe not, but all I can say is the players were not behaving as the model citizens thats been led to believe. They were generally loud and obnoxious with a distinct lack of respect for anyone else in the restaurant. I know for a fact that this restaurant in particular has had a problem with youths who eat and run so my guess is the manager felt they came into this category. I do not think this was in anyway racially motivated. The police, I feel, were called because the manger was feeling threatened by what looked like a group of yobs. I certainly had no idea they were professional footballers.
louie288 wrote: personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.mmmmmm Really, so is it correct to ask people to pay before they are served? Can you please tell us all your account of this event.
louie288
says...
2:49pm Mon 6 Dec 10
BourneRed
says...
2:53pm Mon 6 Dec 10
louie288
says...
2:56pm Mon 6 Dec 10
ondulado
says...
3:14pm Mon 6 Dec 10
If we are now saying that the AFCB players were behaving in an offensive or disruptive manner, causing concern for the staff, why did the staff not just ask them to leave instead of asking to see the colour of their money? Does the fact that they have money in their pockets, whether they are wearing suits, hoodies or anything else, allow them to be a nuisance to other customers? If you choose to eat or drink at a pub etc, you pay up front. If you buy a sandwich from a shop, cafe etc, you pay up front. I think the manager got it wrong in asking for proof of ability to pay and should simply have refused to serve them.
It would be nice and different if the Echo managed to get both sides of the story for once before printing the page! To suggest this was racially motivated sounds pretty ludicrous and a safe bet that everyone will make the most of it.
Fred Luton
says...
3:35pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Id have to be starving to go in one of those places. There are so many other nice places to go to eat in this area. I think EH needs to educate the boys taste buds a little..............
. :-)
Brock_and_Roll
says...
3:36pm Mon 6 Dec 10
bisadave
says...
3:38pm Mon 6 Dec 10
"The police, I feel, were called because the manager was feeling threatened by what looked like a group of yobs"
Looked like a group of yobs? In what way did they 'look like a group of yobs'? Isn't this where we came in?
louie288
says...
4:16pm Mon 6 Dec 10
bisadave wrote:'look like' from attitudes and behaviour, not from personal appearance as you seem to be implying
louie288 wrote: "The police, I feel, were called because the manager was feeling threatened by what looked like a group of yobs" Looked like a group of yobs? In what way did they 'look like a group of yobs'? Isn't this where we came in?
AndyAFCB
says...
4:21pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fulhamfc
says...
4:29pm Mon 6 Dec 10
djdaface wrote:''I know for a fact that this restarant has had problems in the past'' Yet you still go in there, its clear that you have a different oppinion to others, however it still doesnt give this plonker the right to ask for money up front. What is also clear is that Pizza Hut will now get less custom then before even in this restarant that is claimed is bad and had problems previous.
louie288 wrote:if you see this behaviour all the time, and you did not know they were footballers then you cant be sure you were present during this incident really can you...fulhamfc wrote:maybe, maybe not, but all I can say is the players were not behaving as the model citizens thats been led to believe. They were generally loud and obnoxious with a distinct lack of respect for anyone else in the restaurant. I know for a fact that this restaurant in particular has had a problem with youths who eat and run so my guess is the manager felt they came into this category. I do not think this was in anyway racially motivated. The police, I feel, were called because the manger was feeling threatened by what looked like a group of yobs. I certainly had no idea they were professional footballers.louie288 wrote: personally i'm quite disgusted at the judgement passed after only reading one side of the story!!! I was actually a customer at the time of this alleged racial incident and i can tell you now this story has been totally twisted. If the footballers were not behaving like some of the local youths then this would not have happen. As far as I can see the players have thrown in this instead of taking any accountability for their own actions and are now holding a major grudge.mmmmmm Really, so is it correct to ask people to pay before they are served? Can you please tell us all your account of this event.
hammer
says...
4:36pm Mon 6 Dec 10
how_very_dare_you
says...
4:48pm Mon 6 Dec 10
eyesropen
says...
4:55pm Mon 6 Dec 10
PaulRaffle
says...
4:58pm Mon 6 Dec 10
I trust that Pizza Hut will investigate fully, and well done to the Echo for actually publicising this matter, even though Vitals had the exclusive earlier in the week.
30850LordNelson
says...
5:10pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fedupwithjobsworths
says...
5:19pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Avengerboy
says...
5:22pm Mon 6 Dec 10
30850LordNelson wrote:Well played!
This a sad sign of the times.........in Harry Redknapps' day they would have been straight in the bookies or the pub if training was cancelled.
lew clayton
says...
5:24pm Mon 6 Dec 10
glennzilla
says...
5:37pm Mon 6 Dec 10
djdaface...Your comparison between banks, dentists and restaurants would only be relevant if personal details, proof of ID, proof of address and, in the case of banks, proof of income were requirements for frequenting restaurants.
uvox44....How does the law relate to establishments such as MacDonalds, KFC, Burger King or many of the takeaway establishments that provide seating?
This article has failed to provide all of the pertinent facts and as such judgement should be reserved. It is quite possible that the group of 'white' lads were regular customers known to the management or they may have been off duty staff redeeming their employee discount. Until the full facts are disclosed we will never know the reason why these lads were not asked for payment up front.
Smartly dressed may infer suits and ties but we have no confirmation of their attire, but as their visit was directly after a cancelled training session I would be more inclined to believe they were in clean sports wear which to some may be deemed smart.
louie288 provides an eyewitness account more in keeping with the behaviour of AFCB players that I have experienced as a cab driver. Far from behaving as role models they have been more like prima donnas expecting priviledges such as one AFCB player who told me that his status excluded him from paying his £4 taxi fare!
In my experience people who have been 'wronged' often give a very one-sided view that fails to include any suggestion of fault on their part, I suspect that this is the case here also.
saynomore
says...
5:50pm Mon 6 Dec 10
saynomore
says...
5:53pm Mon 6 Dec 10
30850LordNelson wrote:Do the Bookies or the pub let you pay after your bet or beer,I dont think so.
This a sad sign of the times.........in Harry Redknapps' day they would have been straight in the bookies or the pub if training was cancelled.
BmthSeagull
says...
5:56pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Tezza1965
says...
6:27pm Mon 6 Dec 10
I for one will never set foot in there again until the aforementioned muppet has been replaced and their policy of pre-judging anyone they "don't like the look of" has been abandoned.
My advice to the players involved is to stop by Frankie & Bennys at Castlepoint from now on. Better food and better service and no racists running the place!
BournemouthMum
says...
7:10pm Mon 6 Dec 10
how_very_dare_you wrote:I can't understand anyone wanting eat in Pizza Hut, they serve over-priced junk and always seem to be under-staffed. Far better spending a little extra and eating at Frankie & Bennys, the staff are great and the food is far superior to anything found at Pizza Hut. Hopefully the fact that this story has gone national will lead to a lot of people boycotting the place.
Top story on the Mail Online.
robman
says...
7:31pm Mon 6 Dec 10
saynomore wrote:You obviously havn't followed the story, in the above establishments everyone is treated the same, ie pay on ordering. In Pizza Hut you pay on completion of the meal. The black players were treated differently to everyone else in the resturant, ie racist. Not to difficult for you to follow now.
You have to pay before you eat in KFC or Burger King even if you are eating in so whats the problem.Also in my excperience in some pubs like Elephant and Castle in West Moors or The Tap and Railway in the same location and The Harbour Lights in the Waterfront building and Debenhams and The Moon in the Square,and Weatherspoons on nPoole Quay, shall I go on??
Mike Pickering
says...
8:21pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Billions of man-hours are wasted on these purile games every year - time and effort that could be spent feeding the hungry (even with Pizza), providing clean water for everyone that needs it, improving our environment, educating and inspiring our children etc etc. Instead we project our regional allegiances onto a group of people who forego a meaningful life in lieu of playing games designed for adolescents , infantilising both those playing and spectating. Sport is ultimately a childish distraction from the real challenges and games in this world, where it's not points or goals that are earned but humanity and respect that is enriched.
oneshortleg
says...
8:22pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Somethings not right
says...
8:29pm Mon 6 Dec 10
High Treason
says...
8:30pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Tezza1965 wrote:How can you claim the place is racist? The police did not think so or are you another using the race card to stir things?
Excuse the pun, but I think the muppet running Pizza Hut in Castle Lane has just scored a massive own goal. I for one will never set foot in there again until the aforementioned muppet has been replaced and their policy of pre-judging anyone they "don't like the look of" has been abandoned. My advice to the players involved is to stop by Frankie & Bennys at Castlepoint from now on. Better food and better service and no racists running the place!
Somethings not right
says...
8:45pm Mon 6 Dec 10
saynomore wrote:I have an account at the Bookies and a Tab at the Pub so Yes
30850LordNelson wrote:Do the Bookies or the pub let you pay after your bet or beer,I dont think so.
This a sad sign of the times.........in Harry Redknapps' day they would have been straight in the bookies or the pub if training was cancelled.
Somethings not right
says...
8:51pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Somethings not right
says...
8:58pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Either make everyone pay up front or nobody
fartington
says...
8:58pm Mon 6 Dec 10
I let the hotel know about this, and demanded payment before the second half of the show began.
They paid up....but they are not to be trusted. Black or white, football players are not the sharpest tools in the shed....just the richest.
colbie
says...
9:06pm Mon 6 Dec 10
A group of at least 20, and I would even say probably nearer 30, young blokes came in all at once, dressed in track suits with the Southampton FC badges on. They were all seemingly ok, probably all around late teens in age.
Anyway, they all got served straight away and treated just like any other customers.
Pizza Hut must have had a change in policy since.
Skyrah
says...
9:09pm Mon 6 Dec 10
As an ex publican and restauranteur, I can confirm that male only groups are slightly more likely to 'do a runner' than mixed groups or female only groups. In these days of political correctness and spurious cries of racism and discrimination, the manager should have been cautious and be seen to act fairly and indiscriminately - perhaps pointedly asking the other all male (and all White) party to pay upfront?
The fact that the manager seemed unconcerned about appearances,
does I'm afraid to say, give the impression that the manager deemed the footballers somehow unworthy of respectful and decent treatment.
So what if they were arrogant or boisterous? Many people eating out consider it quite ok to be obnoxious and nasty to catering establishment staff! Not nice, but sadly comes with the generally minimum wage!
Sad and disgusting if this incident was racially motivated, badly and unprofessionally handled if it wasn't. If I still had a restaurant I'd be happy to take advantage of all the publicity generated and offer these lads (obnoxious or not) a free meal, which is the very least that Pizza Hut should be offering!
Sent from my iPhone
raypike
says...
9:11pm Mon 6 Dec 10
fartington wrote:fartington....so all footballers are thick in your view??? No...just you!
A little while ago I stage-managed a show for this lot involving strippers. I overheard them plotting how to leave the hotel with their bill unpaid. I let the hotel know about this, and demanded payment before the second half of the show began. They paid up....but they are not to be trusted. Black or white, football players are not the sharpest tools in the shed....just the richest.
Arjay
says...
9:13pm Mon 6 Dec 10
I wasn't there, so I don't know what happened -and neither, as far as I can tell were any of you, except for louie288, whose account seems to have been largely trashed by people who have no idea what actually happened!
Why does averyone always play the race card with these kind of incidents? Could it not be that the colour of these guys' skin actually had nothing to do with the manager's actions??
Oh no, that's right, that has already been dismissed as nonsense --goodness knows on what real evidence?
Pizza Hut could very easily sort this out once and for all. Make everyone pay up front.......
.
Sorted!
alasdair1967
says...
9:37pm Mon 6 Dec 10
hedge end bob
says...
9:43pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Upkeep wrote:Just like the pizza, this comment lacks TASTE!!!
There is always the possibility that the manager is a Saints supporter.
Hardy Lass
says...
9:45pm Mon 6 Dec 10
raypike
says...
9:53pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Skyrah wrote:Having had my own business, the only people who went deliberately without paying their bill were 2 little old ladies, whom i found out after made a habit of doing this. Conclusion...dont pigeon hole people or groups but treat your customers with respect unless they are causing you a problem.
Glenzilla a rational and well thought out post, some of which I agree with. As an ex publican and restauranteur, I can confirm that male only groups are slightly more likely to 'do a runner' than mixed groups or female only groups. In these days of political correctness and spurious cries of racism and discrimination, the manager should have been cautious and be seen to act fairly and indiscriminately - perhaps pointedly asking the other all male (and all White) party to pay upfront? The fact that the manager seemed unconcerned about appearances, does I'm afraid to say, give the impression that the manager deemed the footballers somehow unworthy of respectful and decent treatment. So what if they were arrogant or boisterous? Many people eating out consider it quite ok to be obnoxious and nasty to catering establishment staff! Not nice, but sadly comes with the generally minimum wage! Sad and disgusting if this incident was racially motivated, badly and unprofessionally handled if it wasn't. If I still had a restaurant I'd be happy to take advantage of all the publicity generated and offer these lads (obnoxious or not) a free meal, which is the very least that Pizza Hut should be offering! Sent from my iPhone
Phixer
says...
10:12pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Try not paying the next time you order a Pizza Hut delivery!
slimline
says...
10:30pm Mon 6 Dec 10
Yawwwn! wrote:You can only be arrested and charged with rascism in this country is you are white and English.
I believe you can be arrested and charged for being racist in public which cause's offence (maybe someone can correct me on that if I am wrong?). if that is the case...why is the manager not charged and arrested for his racist actions? As Mr Robinson states that they were all smartly dressed as they were representing the club, it was surely nothing to do with their attire, this is pure racism and needs to be addressed! I would hate to be treated differently because of the coulour of my skin if I went out to a restaurant.
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Why should the manager be arrested for rascism anyway? So he asked for a bunch of young males to pay up front. Has anybody asked if they have ever made a bunch of young WHITE men pay up first?
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Typical of this Country now. White people to afraid to say boo to somebody of a different colour in case they get lynched as rascists. Remember that copper in London who said most muggings were done by young black men? He lost his job over that, despite the fact that the conviction records proved him right. Nobody wanted to listen to the truth, just the rent a mob.
Tezza1965
says...
10:33pm Mon 6 Dec 10
High Treason wrote:When you've ruled out every other possibility the truth is usually staring you in the face. Racism is alive and well at Pizza Hut, Castle Lane, Bournemouth.
Tezza1965 wrote: Excuse the pun, but I think the muppet running Pizza Hut in Castle Lane has just scored a massive own goal. I for one will never set foot in there again until the aforementioned muppet has been replaced and their policy of pre-judging anyone they "don't like the look of" has been abandoned. My advice to the players involved is to stop by Frankie & Bennys at Castlepoint from now on. Better food and better service and no racists running the place!How can you claim the place is racist? The police did not think so or are you another using the race card to stir things?
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Tomorrows headline in the Echo...
Pizza Hut sack manager of said establishment. Goodbye and good riddance.
ragj195
says...
11:08pm Mon 6 Dec 10
bigfatsteve
says...
11:45pm Mon 6 Dec 10
misplacedspaniard
says...
11:55pm Mon 6 Dec 10
glennzilla
says...
12:44am Tue 7 Dec 10
Tezza1965 wrote:Most likely due to contractual obligations the manager will never be permitted to publicly justify his actions or indeed give his version of the events. How is it at all possible that every other possibilty can be excluded when we are only presented with one version of events?
High Treason wrote:When you've ruled out every other possibility the truth is usually staring you in the face. Racism is alive and well at Pizza Hut, Castle Lane, Bournemouth.
Tezza1965 wrote: Excuse the pun, but I think the muppet running Pizza Hut in Castle Lane has just scored a massive own goal. I for one will never set foot in there again until the aforementioned muppet has been replaced and their policy of pre-judging anyone they "don't like the look of" has been abandoned. My advice to the players involved is to stop by Frankie & Bennys at Castlepoint from now on. Better food and better service and no racists running the place!How can you claim the place is racist? The police did not think so or are you another using the race card to stir things?
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Tomorrows headline in the Echo...
Pizza Hut sack manager of said establishment. Goodbye and good riddance.
afcbman
says...
1:11am Tue 7 Dec 10
On a final note, if I were young, black and was asked to pay up front when other customers had not, I too would assume it was because of some form of discrimination.
Remember the first rule of customer service is "the customer is always right"!
butlincat
says...
4:25am Tue 7 Dec 10
High Treason
says...
7:21am Tue 7 Dec 10
butlincat wrote:I think the laws on discrimination create many problems. Laws can make it an offence but can't stop what people feel and creates resentment.
I find this article not worthy of newspaper space. Its there simply because these characters play this game for this town. So what? Who cares about their problems with Pizzaland? And if Pizzaland want to check people out - good luck to them. These characters should get over it and stop crying into their saucers. I notice ordinary people dont make typespace in a local paper over a silly meal. Whatever next? Who cares? The world is the way it is and its being reported about so-called footballers Pizza meals? Silly.
The Liberal
says...
8:44am Tue 7 Dec 10
butlincat wrote:And I suppose you think Rosa Parks was being silly for refusing to give up her seat on a bus?
I find this article not worthy of newspaper space. Its there simply because these characters play this game for this town. So what? Who cares about their problems with Pizzaland? And if Pizzaland want to check people out - good luck to them. These characters should get over it and stop crying into their saucers. I notice ordinary people dont make typespace in a local paper over a silly meal. Whatever next? Who cares? The world is the way it is and its being reported about so-called footballers Pizza meals? Silly.
PTBarnum
says...
9:36am Tue 7 Dec 10
Sounds similar to me?
'pay for your meal with no guarentee that it will be as the picture shows!"
saynomore
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9:52am Tue 7 Dec 10
robman wrote:My point was why dont Pizza Hut charge up front anyway,for all customers, it works for the establishments listed
saynomore wrote: You have to pay before you eat in KFC or Burger King even if you are eating in so whats the problem.Also in my excperience in some pubs like Elephant and Castle in West Moors or The Tap and Railway in the same location and The Harbour Lights in the Waterfront building and Debenhams and The Moon in the Square,and Weatherspoons on nPoole Quay, shall I go on??You obviously havn't followed the story, in the above establishments everyone is treated the same, ie pay on ordering. In Pizza Hut you pay on completion of the meal. The black players were treated differently to everyone else in the resturant, ie racist. Not to difficult for you to follow now.
tjayuk
says...
10:14am Tue 7 Dec 10
uvox44 wrote:uvox44 dont confuse pizza express with pizza hut! Pizza express is far superior and well worth a visit dont want you boycotting the wrong restaurant!
I believe the law over paying for food when eating out is that you are within your rights to refuse payment if you feel the food is not up to standard-so how can you be charged up front?
If the other customers confirmed the good behaviour of the players then why were they still asked to leave by the police? Surely they should have charged the manager with wasting their time!
I don't often go to Pizza Express but from now on I'll downgrade that to-NEVER.
If a restaurant asked me to pay up front I would just get up and leave bad service if you ask me.
Also someone mentioned the dentists charing upfront! funnily enough it happenend to me!! I asked if it was incase i did a runner or died in the chair and they said its just policy. Again i voted with my feet and got out of there as soon as i could.
polblagger
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10:16am Tue 7 Dec 10
Never mind retraining, the manager involved should have been fired instantly. This kind of obvious racism has no place out on the street, let alone in a chain of family orientated restaurants.
Disgusting.
static kill
says...
10:49am Tue 7 Dec 10
The Liberal wrote:I'm sure she would feel utterly betrayed to see the way some people of ethnic minorities accuse others of being racist just to "win" some petty argument. Shame on them.
butlincat wrote:And I suppose you think Rosa Parks was being silly for refusing to give up her seat on a bus?
I find this article not worthy of newspaper space. Its there simply because these characters play this game for this town. So what? Who cares about their problems with Pizzaland? And if Pizzaland want to check people out - good luck to them. These characters should get over it and stop crying into their saucers. I notice ordinary people dont make typespace in a local paper over a silly meal. Whatever next? Who cares? The world is the way it is and its being reported about so-called footballers Pizza meals? Silly.
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Not that I'm saying that's the case in this situation.
Okthen
says...
12:00pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Fluffy Bunny
says...
12:59pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Not true is it?
Everyone has jumped on the bandwaggon and made this worse.
Pizza Hut are wrong. Full stop.
I challenge the players tho to come out and say they were in blazers
WibbleFishBananna
says...
1:12pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Grow up and stop playing the race card, nobody spat you, called you names and kicked seven bells of crap at you the same time, all they did was ask you to pay up front for your meal, hardly makes Pizza Hut a wing of a neo nazi organisation.
Bring back common sense to the UK now!!!
High Treason
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1:15pm Tue 7 Dec 10
scaff
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1:36pm Tue 7 Dec 10
CourtOffside
says...
1:49pm Tue 7 Dec 10
scaff wrote:So they should just accept being treated differently because they are black - and if they don't they've got a bad attitude?
if they had just paid as asked (for whatever reason) this wouldn't be in the echo or on radio 2....maybe they had attitude? hmmm
They would have accepted it if it was the restaurant's policy for every customer. It wasn't.
Local fan
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2:01pm Tue 7 Dec 10
SkyBlueCherry
says...
5:30pm Tue 7 Dec 10
No more PizzaHut for me!
Players have always been great when I've seen them out/at the gym/on train etc so clear cut.
BubbaJay
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6:29pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Too late, Pizza Hut. Serves you right. You should have had more concern for, and shown more respect to, your other employees.
CC C-siders
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6:58pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Mike Pickering wrote:Wow, talk about missing the point. What are you banging on about? What a load of sanctimonious clap trap.
I would have refused them service on the basis that they were professional sports-players and I have an unhealthy bias against professional sports, full-stop. Billions of man-hours are wasted on these purile games every year - time and effort that could be spent feeding the hungry (even with Pizza), providing clean water for everyone that needs it, improving our environment, educating and inspiring our children etc etc. Instead we project our regional allegiances onto a group of people who forego a meaningful life in lieu of playing games designed for adolescents , infantilising both those playing and spectating. Sport is ultimately a childish distraction from the real challenges and games in this world, where it's not points or goals that are earned but humanity and respect that is enriched.
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Sport actual helps to unite people, unlike anything else. You seem to take yourself far too seriously and expect everyone to sit around feeling guilty about the state of the world.
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Cheer up and get a life of your own before trying to right the rest of the world.
BubbaJay
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7:51pm Tue 7 Dec 10
robman wrote:That these guys were discriminated against seems irrefutable. However, it is not a foregone conclusion that it was racially motivated.
saynomore wrote: You have to pay before you eat in KFC or Burger King even if you are eating in so whats the problem.Also in my excperience in some pubs like Elephant and Castle in West Moors or The Tap and Railway in the same location and The Harbour Lights in the Waterfront building and Debenhams and The Moon in the Square,and Weatherspoons on nPoole Quay, shall I go on??You obviously havn't followed the story, in the above establishments everyone is treated the same, ie pay on ordering. In Pizza Hut you pay on completion of the meal. The black players were treated differently to everyone else in the resturant, ie racist. Not to difficult for you to follow now.
This branch of Pizza Hut has had long-standing problem of some customers leaving without paying.
Having had dealings with this manager in the past, I can assure you that he is such a cretin that he is unlikely to have considered that his attitude to these guys could be construed as racist.
If he felt intimidated in any way by their demeanour or even that they were simply bigger and stronger than him, it would be no surprise to me that he thought it might be a good time to invoke the bad advice from the police to ask for payment upfront.
The fault lies fairly and squarely with Pizza Hut who have ignored repeated reports that this guy is totally clueless about how to treat customers and staff with respect and common courtesy. So bad is he, that I would not be surprised to read that he suffers from Aspurger's Syndrome.
Given the problems they've had there, they should bring in a policy of charging everyone upfront, for fear of offending people like me, who wouldn't dream of doing a runner but would get upset if single out.
I wouldn't wish to see this guy sacked as I know he has young children, and because the biggest fault lies with Pizza Hut for not training him properly and for ignoring repeated complaints about him.
noddyholder46
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8:48pm Tue 7 Dec 10
The manager, like 99% of the rest of bournemouth, didn't recognise these not famous losers, and quite rightly gave them no leeway when they did identify themselves as nobodies.
The other guests in the restaurant were no doubt behaving in a more acceptable manner.
I think its shameful that the lowlifes then tried to play the discrimination card in an attempt to distract from their own behaviour..
WFC4ever
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9:06pm Tue 7 Dec 10
noddyholder46 wrote:You would be right to call them "losers" if you were talking about the England footbal team but this was a bunch of players from one of your local side who have be very much winners over the past 2 years or so!
Looks like a load of obnoxious, spoilt, arrogant boors were disturbing the staff and guests in a restaurant, and were treated accordingly. The manager, like 99% of the rest of bournemouth, didn't recognise these not famous losers, and quite rightly gave them no leeway when they did identify themselves as nobodies. The other guests in the restaurant were no doubt behaving in a more acceptable manner. I think its shameful that the lowlifes then tried to play the discrimination card in an attempt to distract from their own behaviour..
All bar one of the previous posters were at the said incident so its a case of their word against the management but if the players were behaving badly why didn't the Pizza Hut manager just say so rather than making such a crass comment which can be mis-understood as an insult.
WFC4ever
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9:07pm Tue 7 Dec 10
BubbaJay
says...
9:46pm Tue 7 Dec 10
WFC4ever wrote:"...why didn't the Pizza Hut manager just say so...".
noddyholder46 wrote:You would be right to call them "losers" if you were talking about the England footbal team but this was a bunch of players from one of your local side who have be very much winners over the past 2 years or so!
Looks like a load of obnoxious, spoilt, arrogant boors were disturbing the staff and guests in a restaurant, and were treated accordingly. The manager, like 99% of the rest of bournemouth, didn't recognise these not famous losers, and quite rightly gave them no leeway when they did identify themselves as nobodies. The other guests in the restaurant were no doubt behaving in a more acceptable manner. I think its shameful that the lowlifes then tried to play the discrimination card in an attempt to distract from their own behaviour..
All bar one of the previous posters were at the said incident so its a case of their word against the management but if the players were behaving badly why didn't the Pizza Hut manager just say so rather than making such a crass comment which can be mis-understood as an insult.
Because he doesn't have the inter-personal skills to do that. It no doubt went through his head that this group might be a problem and that this might be the time to invoke the ludicrous new policy of using his discretion and asking for payment up-front.
As a result, he totally fouled up and Pizza Hut have made the national press.
Their practice of employing completely unsuitable people to manage their branches, and not giving them sufficient training on how to interact with customers and staff, has led to this national embarrassment for them.
The old adage, "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" couldn't be more appropriate.
noddyholder46
says...
9:46pm Tue 7 Dec 10
WFC4ever wrote:no worries, its irrelevant anyhow - the one independent witness you refer to said the players were treated fairly given their poor behaviour!
sorry meant *weren't* at said incident....
doodlescat
says...
10:57pm Tue 7 Dec 10
TinyLegacy wrote:Must be wonderful to be so smug. Let's hope you never feel the sting of discrimination.
Good to see the race card being pulled out at the earliest opportunity again!
Up with the partridge
says...
11:24pm Tue 7 Dec 10
Local fan wrote:Yep, just shows why they are so sluggish - full of Pizza.
This story has rightly been in the national press today.
butlincat
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12:03am Wed 8 Dec 10
Gordon Clifton
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12:48am Wed 8 Dec 10
The Liberal
says...
8:16am Wed 8 Dec 10
Gordon Clifton wrote:The players claimed in the story that they were dressed smartly. How can you possibly conclude that the players were behaving badly if you weren't there and are relying on the dubious 'eyewitness' report of another poster?
The reaction of the police is a pointer to the truth. Had these blokes been sitting there like suited accountants, auditors or actuaries, black or white, I doubt that the police would have been called. Equally, I doubt that the police would have supported the manager in ejecting them. The latter point is key. I conclude that the footballers were behaving in a manner likely to cause disturbance, disruption and distress to others around them. Such behaviour, if it belongs anywhere, is best confined to a traditional spit 'n sawdust pub, not a family restaurant.
As for the police, they often get things badly wrong and will nearly always side with the proprietor in a case like this, no matter what the evidence.
WFC4ever
says...
8:29am Wed 8 Dec 10
Only one person was there so can really comment on how they were acting.
I have no problem with that suggestion but the manager didn't really need to add his extra comments.
A polite "please can you behave in front of the other customers" might have been more suited....and the poilice would have probably arrested them for public disorder had the players been acting much such a bad manner.
sussexcherry
says...
9:32am Wed 8 Dec 10
butlincat wrote:So you feel that you have been discriminated against for no good reason, isn't that what this story is about?? You have come on here saying it's not a story and then cried in your beer, pathetic.
Mountain out of a molehill. Meaningless. So many other important things should have been reported in the place of this tripe. Things are going on that the Echo wont report, and you should know. Im not getting banned from these comments again, as i dont like being banned from anywhere, so i have to shut up.
kangman2012
says...
10:31am Wed 8 Dec 10
The Liberal
says...
11:52am Wed 8 Dec 10
kangman2012 wrote:Yes, a sad racist society.
A brief comment: Reading between the lines it seems we have a perfect example of the "blame culture". Pizza Hut puts the blame on a group of people, this group of people put the blame on Pizza Hut - add to that a little sprinkling of the "racist" card by certain sources and you have the perfect "mountain from a molehill". For me it just sums up what a sad society we actually live in....!
WibbleFishBananna
says...
1:40pm Wed 8 Dec 10
As it is people these days do not have the common sense or moral courage to accept the responsibility of their own actions and like to blame everyone else.
Read through the Bournemouth Echo site and you will see a lot of it, councils fault, schools fault, shops fault everyone else's fault, just not their own.
Jonkers
says...
1:44pm Wed 8 Dec 10
In Absentia wrote:Both of them?
Perhaps AFCB fans should boycott that particular restaurant until Pizza Hut make a donation to a charity of the players choice?
themindboggles
says...
2:55pm Wed 8 Dec 10
This is blown out of all perspective.
The Liberal
says...
10:38am Thu 9 Dec 10
WibbleFishBananna wrote:The fact that you describe them as 'prima donnas' (when you don't even know them) shows just how prejudiced you are.
Well said, if these prima donna's had just said OK and paid up front, there would have been no issue.
As it is people these days do not have the common sense or moral courage to accept the responsibility of their own actions and like to blame everyone else.
Read through the Bournemouth Echo site and you will see a lot of it, councils fault, schools fault, shops fault everyone else's fault, just not their own.
The Liberal
says...
10:40am Thu 9 Dec 10
themindboggles wrote:Blown out of perspective? That's just your opinion.
This is very common in the hotel industry if a group seem young and maybe a bit of a risk they ask for a deposit for a room.
This is blown out of all perspective.
It seems to me that if the players hadn't genuinely felt that this was a case of racial prejudice (whether it was or not), it's unlikely that they would have made such a fuss.
slimline
says...
12:46am Fri 10 Dec 10
.
The same ones who moan about Pizza Hut and swear they will never use it again, are the same one who moan about another tesco Express opening up. They swear they will never use them either, but they always do. Even if some stick to it, people won't care, as it means less people in the queue.
weevie
says...
10:04am Sat 11 Dec 10
The trouble is - a quick glance and what do you see? A group of sports-gear (and don't forget the current thug fashion is JUST THAT) wearing young-men, probably laughing at something as they enter.
I'm sorry but my 1st reaction would not be a good one.
Huey says...
9:10am Mon 6 Dec 10