The Sun newspaper has been slammed for its front page mocking the newly appointed England manager about his speech impediment. Lucy Richardson tells why, like Roy Hodgson, having a speech difficulty has never held her back

WHEN Roy Hodgson woke up the day after he was named England manager, fulfilling his boyhood dream, his heart must have sunk when he saw the front page of The Sun.

Instead of getting behind the West Bromich Albion manager, who has been handpicked to carry the poisoned chalice instead of a snubbed Harry Rednapp, the front page was dedicated to mocking his speech.

Its headline “Woy gets England job – Bwing on the Euwos (We’ll see you in Ukwaine against Fwance)” was followed by a story calling him “Woy” five times. Instead of focusing on his weath of experience in international football having managed Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland, it continued to poke fun at him by informing its readership that’s the nickname he is “affectionately” known by.

Trying to undermine Hodgson’s ability to do the job provoked a backlash yesterday with sports presenters, footballers and The Sun’s own editor turning to Twitter to vent their frustration, and the Football Association chairman David Bernstein issuing a statement saying it considered the headline to be in poor taste and disrespectful.

Everton captain Phil Neville tweeted: “Have you seen front page of The Sun this morning?

Disgraceful journalism – what chance have we got!”

The Northern Echo’s editor, Peter Barron, waded in with: “Sorry, but today’s Sun front page isn’t funny, isn’t clever and isn’t right.”

David Yelland, who edited The Sun for five years, agreed, saying: “So little compassion for Roy Hodgson today, bullying language, pointlessly cruel, pointlessly hurtful.” His thoughts were echoed by BBC football commentator, Jacqui Oatley, who said: “Charming front page of The Sun. Hodgson has won 11 major titles/ trophies, speaks five languages, but let’s mock his speech.”

For some reason, it is considered fair game to make cheap shots at people with speech impediments.

I should know – I’ve had a stammer since I was a toddler. But, like Hodgson I can honestly say that it has never held me back and, if anything, has made me even more determined to succeed.

I took three languages at GCSE and got straight As, made a speech at my wedding and, as a reporter, spend my working week gaining the trust of complete strangers.

Again like Hodgson, I have never let my speech impediment define me and, as I get older, I have come to accept that there’s no such thing as “normal” and we all have our crosses to bear – mine’s just a bit more obvious than most.

Going on intensive speech therapy courses run by the McGuire Programme has also helped – there’s nothing like making a public speech on a soapbox in a city centre to lay those demons to rest.

BUT life hasn’t always been so rosy. I’ve blocked out most of my teenage years, which were blighted by feelings of inadequacy and fear during a time when I so desperately wanted to fit in.

The humiliation of being asked to stand up and read aloud in class before freezing on the third word and told to sit back down again, as well as the excruciating embarrassment of having to point at what I wanted to order on a menu instead of being able to say it, ate me up inside every day. I hated myself so much that the only way I could cope was to develop a thick skin and put on a big smile – maybe if people couldn’t see how much I was hurting, I could trick myself into thinking things weren’t really that bad.

The way I vented my anger and learnt to express myself was through writing. As a youngster with a colourful imagination, I penned numous stories which led to regular work experience at the Evening Chronicle, in Newcastle.

After university, I moved to London, where I got regular freelance work on a fashion trade magazine, Drapers, and secured work experience at several national newspapers, including The Sun, before returning to the North-East to gain a professional newspaper qualification.

But it was while I was trying to make a name for myself in London that the self-loathing over my debilitating stammer escalated and I slipped into depression.

Thankfully, I agreed to going on my first McGuire course and be filmed throughout for ITV’s Tonight with Trevor McDonald. The exact moment I met my husband-to-be (a fellow stammerer) is even captured on film – the one thing that had made us both so miserable brought us together and 12 happy years later I’m about to give birth to our second child.

I’ve learnt to laugh at myself and all my flaws, and it appears Hodgson too has broad shoulders and is ready for whatever the prestigious job throws at him. “We all know the England managers job is the pinnacle of success for every England manager, but it brings scrutiny and criticism, so I have to be prepared for that. It’s always a big job to win people over,” he said at the unveiling press conference.

“I’m prepared for criticism.”