Re: Ray French MBE : Sat Jan 01, 2011 10:48 am  

Avery much deserved reward for his unstinting work

Re: Ray French MBE : Sat Jan 01, 2011 10:48 am  

Well done Ray, fully deserved for the decades of service to the game.

Compare that to the England XI who will play 20 days of Cricket and will each earn an MBE with the coach and captain getting a knighthood!

Re: Ray French MBE : Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:23 pm  

He's terrible to listen to on tv these days but it's spot in fir his service to the game.

Well done ray

Re: Ray French MBE : Sun Jan 02, 2011 12:36 pm  

All this adoration for Mr French, is it the same man when he was a Cowley, threatened boy's who played for the Under 16 Rugby League team I ran that they would not get selected at school if they continued to play league? the same man who made so much money out of rugby league playing, books and the BBC commentating?

Personally I am not for honours for stars of TV, theatre, films or sport who have done nicely financially out out their work, I am more for the lady from Sutton who has run a young football team for many years, who like many of us gave time and money without question.

As far as the BBC TV commentating the BBC should have relieved Ray of his role many years back, once again they have managed to produce like sadly Eddie Waring became a Joker! which is not good for our great game!

I am sure Ray is a great guy and superb family man, there is no doubt his loyalty to St Helens Rugby League Club, but I was only in my early 20's when he Tried to stop young 15 and 16 year olds playing rugby league and as I state why honour someone for what they are paid to do as a job????

Re: Ray French MBE : Sun Jan 02, 2011 2:09 pm  

jaybs wrote:

All this adoration for Mr French, is it the same man when he was a Cowley, threatened boy's who played for the Under 16 Rugby League team I ran that they would not get selected at school if they continued to play league? the same man who made so much money out of rugby league playing, books and the BBC commentating?

Cowley High School did not play rugby league while it was a grammar school. Was it still a grammar school when you were there? According to a family member who also coached rugby league and knew Ray French from Cowley High School, it was Ray French who coached rugby league at Cowley once it had become a comprehensive and once it had changed its school policy towards rugby.

Re: Ray French MBE : Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:37 pm  

jaybs wrote:

All this adoration for Mr French, is it the same man when he was a Cowley, threatened boy's who played for the Under 16 Rugby League team I ran that they would not get selected at school if they continued to play league? the same man who made so much money out of rugby league playing, books and the BBC commentating?

Very harsh.IF Ray French said that,i am sure that you have taken it out of context.My teacher at school wasnt over keen on us playing for teams outside school,regardless of the code,due to picking up injuries,playing too many matches in one week and possible fixture clashes.
I also dont think he made a fortune from playing and i am sure his media work doesnt make him millions.He's hardly driving round town in a Rolls Royce.
Ray French has a genuine love of both codes of Rugby.He does a lot of work down at LSH that us league fans dont realise.You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about something but that should not deter from him gaining a well deserved honour.

Re: Ray French MBE : Sun Jan 02, 2011 7:38 pm  

Very much deserved, congratulations Mr French, i personnally love his commentary and one of the best after dinner speakers I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

For the record, Cowley's got a long history of Rugby Union, certainly when i was there, 7 years ago now, it was very much the dominant code at the school, as a Pilk Recs player at the time there where numerous times i was made to feel a little pressured into putting school before club, something along the lines of 'What do you think university selectors would do if they had two educationaly balanced applicants but one plays the international sport of Rugby Union and the other plays the northern provincial sport of League, it come down to that one day etc etc....'

It may be different there now though with the like of Mike Bennet on the teaching staff and having the new training ground.

Re: Ray French MBE : Mon Jan 03, 2011 11:40 am  

snowdog wrote:

Very harsh.IF Ray French said that,i am sure that you have taken it out of context.My teacher at school wasnt over keen on us playing for teams outside school,regardless of the code,due to picking up injuries,playing too many matches in one week and possible fixture clashes.

I know what he said thanks! and so do the players involved, I always played rugby league outside of school, in fact the team I was involved with/ran had players such as Andy Platt who would have only otherwise played Union at West Park as many other good players, Ray and myself had many heated discussions!

The sad thing is there are more kids playing rugby league now in London than such as in our home town and many famous league towns!

I said I respect Ray, but please don't try to tell me his work was just a labour of love for BBC TV and those who think his commentaries are still good, well that shocks me as it is the BBC as always treating our game so badly, perhaps the hnour is a great time for Mr French himself to stand down himself and let more new blood come though, such as rugby league fanatic on BBC Radio Five Live George Riley, now I would respect Ray is he does that as the Rugby Leaguer used to say "All For The Good of The Game"

Re: Ray French MBE : Mon Jan 03, 2011 11:50 am  

I don't honestly think anyone would praise his commentaries in recent years and hasn't he already in effect stood down?
Interesting to hear it wasn't all flowers and puppies.

Re: Ray French MBE : Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:17 pm  

I am a Royalist, but some mates are not, but I accept and respect their opinions, it would be a boring world if we all thought the same. Regards the Honours System I do feel it is totally outdated now, the outcry from such as the sun about Bruce Forsyth to be made a Sir, the man received an honour some years back.