Geoffrey Boycott's controversies over the years

22 August 2017 01:09

Geoffrey Boycott on Tuesday offered an unreserved apology for an alleged racist comment.

It is not the first time the 76-year-old former Yorkshire and England opener has courted controversy.

Here, we look back at some previous occasions in which his forthright views and actions have attracted unwanted attention.

January 1998

Found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Margaret Moore in a French Riviera hotel in October 1996, and was given a £5,000 fine plus a three-month suspended prison sentence. He was then ordered to pay Miss Moore a symbolic FF1 (franc) in damages but was left with an estimated £500,000 bill in legal costs after the Court of Appeal in Aix-en-Provence upheld the conviction. Speaking outside the court, Boycott said that although he was "disappointed and frustrated" at the decision, he had no regrets about lodging the appeal. "I've never run away from anything. I've never hidden. I've always fronted up. That's what I've done today," he said. "I'm not embarrassed about it. I never hit her. I will say that till the day I die."

January 2007

Labelled the honours system "a joke" following England's 2006/7 Ashes whitewash in Australia. Clearly unimpressed that every player who featured in England's 2005 Ashes success had been awarded an MBE, he said after the 5-0 drubbing Down Under: "People like me played 100 Test matches to get one, and (scored) 8,000 (runs). I didn't play five Test matches and get one. I feel so bad about mine I'm going to tie it round my cat. It doesn't mean anything any more. It's a joke."

March 2011

Sparked complaints after being critical of Michael Yardy following his return home from the World Cup suffering from depression. The outspoken commentator told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Sussex all-rounder was "not good enough", and suggested he never had to worry about a mental battle because he was a "better player". He said: " I've been, with respect, a better player, I've been able to hold my place in the team for Yorkshire and England, so I've always got picked, played pretty good, so I've not been in that position where my quality of play has been poor and it's got to me mind-wise."

October 2011

Appearing in a civil trial, Boycott gave evidence which a High Court judge described as "not always as impressive" as it could have been. Mr Justice Vos said the Yorkshireman had been "keen to give evidence to help his case" and had given "three completely different" answers to one question. The judge made his comments as he blocked an attempt by Boycott to sue solicitors who had given advice on a property purchase in Poole, Dorset.

July 2015

Prompted complaints after suggesting England bowler Stuart Broad was not smacked enough as a child while broadcasting for BBC Test Match Special. Discussing what he perceived as Broad's over-eagerness to appeal decisions, Boycott said: "His mum didn't smack him enough when he was little, I reckon." He continued: "See I grew up in that (era). No political correctness then. You got a little clip from your mum. That sorted you out."

Source: PA