Everyone's favourite tabloid journo confirmed for 23 Feb

[Millsy]

If you don't want to give OT the time of day just call BBC Berks and put a question to Tim blanking OT. May be ask Tim if they have plans to get a guest on who knows about Football.

Excellent.

Let's all do that.

[Para Handy]

Quite frankly, who cares?

We're sixth in the Premiership. We're in with a shout of the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

If some second rate Mirror journo wants to wage a campaign against us, I, for one, couldn't give a fcuk. I suspect that his entrenched viewpoint, one that he seems to singularly hold amongst sports journalists, is doing him less favours than us.

As for tuning in to BBC Berkshire to listen to him... you've got to be joking. What for?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

As it can't really be done convincingly down a telephone line, would it be possible for someone at the BBC to dig out the footage showing Cech's knee clearly taking out Hunt's standing leg as he slides in, just for Mr Holt's opinion on it? (the camera angle is the one behind Hunt)

The further question of how of it would have been physically possible for Stephen Hunt to have been attempting to kick/knee somebody using his standing leg should perhaps also be raised.



It would be interesting to know why he feels that a two-footed kick at a corner flag closely resembles the Cech incident to a degree that made him use it as evidence of Hunt's guilt, when there was no similarily at all between the two events.

[ScottishRoyal]

Dear All,

Oliver Holy, Daily Mirror footy columnist, will be coming on this Friday night's Royals Footy Phone In on BBC Radio Berkshire to have his say about the mighty Reading FC and also take your texts and calls about his work.

Text 07786 202 303

Phone 0845 900 1041

All the best

Joel

Although surprised, I commend you for getting Holt on the show. It should be an interesting debate......



Oliver, sports journalism in Britain is far more aggressive and pervasive than sports journalism abroad, and this is often criticised. Perhaps the most recent objection was made by Phil Scolari last summer, when he highlighted the over-intrusive press as one reason for not taking on the England mangers job.

With this in mind would you acknowledge that British journalism can often make some peoples jobs untenable - most notably the media campaign in Scotland to oust Berti Vogts - and that this is counterproductive to success? As a journalist and a supporter wanting the best for your country, how do balance fair criticism and sensationalist demands from your editor to discredit a manger, team or player?




Oliver, many journalists refer to Reading as the 'new Wigan' or the 'new West Ham' when we are clearly very different on so many levels, so it appears that the journo's haven't done even the most basic research. Perhaps the most notable difference is that our most frequent 11 players this season were present in our Championship squad from last season and aren't recent purchases. Are these infuriating media comparisons a deliberate approach to accomodate the lowest common denominator readers who know nothing about our club or 'lazy journalism'?[/i]

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Oliver, many journalists refer to Reading as the 'new Wigan' or the 'new West Ham' when we are clearly very different on so many levels, so it appears that the journo's haven't done even the most basic research. Perhaps the most notable difference is that our most frequent 11 players this season were present in our Championship squad from last season and aren't recent purchases. Are these infuriating media comparisons a deliberate approach to accomodate the lowest common denominator readers who know nothing about our club or 'lazy journalism'?

Loving this one, especially the last comment.

FAO Ollie: Going by your comment about people not phoning in - will you read this one out or do you want someone to phone it in? Let us know as (with SR's permission) I'll phone in with this question if you won't read it out directly from HNA.

[Ollie]

FAO Ollie: Going by your comment about people not phoning in - will you read this one out or do you want someone to phone it in? Let us know as (with SR's permission) I'll phone in with this question if you won't read it out directly from HNA.

We'll still be reading plenty of questions out from here. The point about phoning wasn't that we'd rather you phoned - it was don't have a go at the people who do phone if you don't. Still more than welcome to leave questions here or text us!

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Oliver,
How can a journalist write a balanced review of a player's performance if the journalist has accepted money from that player?

Are any of your reviews written with an eye to gaining more work ghost writing player's autobiographies?

Which is the more morally reprehensible: accidentally injurring an opponent, beating up a woman or taking money from someone who's beaten up a woman?

[Silver Fox]

Firstly, unless Joel and co are paying Emily Bishop's son a large appearance fee what is everyone's problem with him being on? Unlikely as it seems he may be able to come up with a valid argument for his vedetta but more than likely they will simply give him enough rope to hang himself.

More importantly I need to know which is his favourite Oliver? Oliver Twist, Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello, oliver Hardy or (bonus 4th option) a Bath Oliver?

When you grow up would you like to be a proper journalist like Patrick Barclay or Henry Winter?

Who eats the most buns on Jimmy Hill's Sunday Supplement?

Apart from yourself, who is the least informed journalist that appears on Jimmy's show and do the rest of you hope not to be paired up with him when you're invited on?

Do you ever just want to tell Jimmy to shut the fvck up when he starts going on about the same things every week, a proper number 9 being a prime example.

What do you think is more disrespectful to the traditions of the FA cup?
a) sending out a team of players all of whom, A-Fed* excluded, have started at least one premiership game this season with the full intention of trying to win the game
b) going to the Emirates stadium with no intention of trying to score and hoping to force a replay

*A-Fed is our goalkeeper Adam Federici as I'm sure you know

[AbovetheI]

Oliver, how do you rate Steven Hunt? Especially after your derogatory and somewhat unfair comments on him in regards to the Chelsea game and the Sheff Utd game. We, as Reading fans, happen to believe that his work rate, teamwork and his professionalism are second to none. Have your opinions on him changed since i saw your somewhat lazy reports about him? Because i really don't think you've ever seen him play a full game for Reading. (I'll apologise if i'm wrong)

I'd apprecitate if you could answer these questions. Thanks.

[Sharpy]

is he actually going to be in the studio? up at caversham park?!!

i fancy a road trip back to ma roots....

[Forbury Lion]

I'm of the opinion that a cruicial factor in the tabloid reporting of the the Hunt/Cech incident was the ability to use the "Witch Hunt" pun, I'm sick of puns and implore you to call a Holt to it.


Have you ever received a death threat? If not, Does it concern you that some of your post may be going astray?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Junction 11, if you feel so strongly why don't you ring up and speak to Holt?

Not got the bottle me thinks

He lives to write the shit that's published in the Mirror. What beggars belief is BBCRB handing him the platform. I don't have to listen!

Holt,

I think that you are missing the point M4J11.

BBCB should (as aforementioned) be commended for bringing a bit of controversy to the programme, and indeed Mr Holt should be commended for actually coming onto the programme to face the music.

Hopefully, the quality of questions that he has to face, will not give him the luxury of gaining a few more negative column inches at our expense.

[Dirk Gently]

Ollie, while you're at it you need to sort out your own colleagues at BBC Radio!

Russell Fuller Radio 5 Live, 19.06 pm Monday 19th Feb :

And we'd like to hear from West Brom fans about how they feel being just one match away from a tie with Manchester United.

Obviously the replay is a foregone conclusion and not even worth playing, then.

[Magic_Shovel]

Have you ever received a death threat? If not, Does it concern you that some of your post may be going astray?

Quality

[ScottishRoyal]

Oliver, many journalists refer to Reading as the 'new Wigan' or the 'new West Ham' when we are clearly very different on so many levels, so it appears that the journo's haven't done even the most basic research. Perhaps the most notable difference is that our most frequent 11 players this season were present in our Championship squad from last season and aren't recent purchases. Are these infuriating media comparisons a deliberate approach to accomodate the lowest common denominator readers who know nothing about our club or 'lazy journalism'?

Loving this one, especially the last comment.

FAO Ollie: Going by your comment about people not phoning in - will you read this one out or do you want someone to phone it in? Let us know as (with SR's permission) I'll phone in with this question if you won't read it out directly from HNA.

That's fine mate.

[ScottishRoyal]

Oliver, in 2004 your editor at The Mirror Piers Morgan was fired having authorised the newspaper's publication of what transpired to be faked photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by British Army personnel. Morgan was also fired from The Sun newspaper by Rupert Murdoch in 1996 after publishing photographs of the wife of Charles, Earl Spencer leaving a detoxification clinic. As a journalist he has often flown too close to the sun.

What influence has Piers had on your career and how do you gauge where the line is that he often crossed, selling the greatest number of papers without being libelous or indecent?

[Royal Lady]

Oliver - how many of your "readers" can actually read your newspaper and how many just look at the pictures?

[Harold]

Oliver - dont listen to these Reading fans. They cry everytime somebody doesn't give them the credit they think they deserve.

[Fat Leather Jacket]

Oliver, you have a friend