SKY SPORTS pundit Jon Wilkin has come under fire for his derogatory comments about groundsmen in what can be described as bizarre rant.
Sat alongside fellow Sky Sports pundit Sam Tomkins and St Helens star Jack Welsby on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast, Wilkin was describing groundsmen as ‘weirdos’ and ‘psychopaths’ following an experience a number of weeks ago.
Wilkin said: “Groundsmen are so precious with their pitch. I walked across a corner of the pitch at Wigan last week, I’m in trainers and 95kg. The groundsman was scowling at me,” Wilkin said on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“You’ve got essentially 30 cows about to run on the pitch, what damage am I going to do? Why are they so protective of the pitches? You’ve got to be a weirdo to do it, they are all weird aren’t they? It’s psychopathic, you’ve got to be a psycho.
“Is it hard to be a groundsman?”
It’s fair to say that Wilkin’s comments went down like a lead balloon.
One of those to comment to hit back was Leeds Rhinos’ groundsman Ryan Golding, who posted on X: “Pretty disrespectful and dismissive of one of the hardest working & skilled professions in sport, especially throughout all the levels in RL.
“More than welcome to work with us and come see what we actually do anytime 👍”
Pretty disrespectful and dismissive of one of the hardest working & skilled professions in sport, especially throughout all the levels in RL.
More than welcome to work with us and come see what we actually do anytime 👍 pic.twitter.com/sw1j3gCgrL
— Ryan Golding (@ryangolding_) August 21, 2024
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