Hollywood are making a huge splash in the headlines this week, and it isn’t for something nice according to Chelsea football fans. American television series Ted Lasso decided to disgracefully remove mention of the late British football coach and football player, Ray Wilkins, who died at age 61 from cardiac arrest. 

For those Brits who maybe fans of American sitcom [Ted Lasso] you may know that the series was developed by screen writers along with input from actor Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly. The history of the show points towards a plot based loosely upon a character that actor Sudeikis first played in a series of promos for NBC Sports’ coverage of England’s Premier League. The series explores the life of Ted Lasso, who is an American college football coach hired by an English football team whose secret intent is that Lasso’s inexperience will lead the team to utter failure. So, these things actually happen?

The fact Lasso is American should have been evidence enough that he would fail because, and let’s face it – football or “soccer” as Americans call it, does not come to them as second nature unlike the Brits. But wait. There’s a twist to this madcap story plot. The American, Lasso’s folksy, and optimistic leadership skills eventually leads to him proving everyone wrong when he turns the team he coaches into a success.

Although the plot of the Lasso series may appeal to the elect few, others are not finding the American writer’s attempt at writing football, its humor and inaccurate, albeit dismissal of the real Wilkins’ story in the least bit flattering. 

Ray Wilkins was born into football. His dad and brothers were all players. Ray played the majority of his career as a midfielder. His career began in earnest at  Chelsea where he was made captain by the age of 18. Ray also played for Man-U, A.C. Milan, Rangers, and Queens Park Rangers.

After Ray’s career ended, he worked as a television pundit, and then as coach and manager of Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and Chelsea. His last coaching job was as assistant manager of Aston Villa.

It has become increasingly surprising to many that considering we live in an age where you can research most subjects online with relative ease that Hollywood agents, producers, studios, and writers aren’t more precise with theirs during the creation process. You would think that given the oodles of cash these money bags have lying around inside their deep pockets that someone might think to do the job right. 

UK football fans – and those of the late Wilkins, are absolutely appalled by the American series’ denial of his existence. This comes after episode 2 of season 3 which utilized footage from Stamford Bridge showing an edited version of a banner that had been originally created in honor of the late Ray Wilkins changed to Roy Kent. 

The Lasso episode hones in on fictional footballer Roy Kent –  a former Chelsea legend who is emotional about returning to his old stadium with AFC Richmond. In the Lasso episode, Chelsea fans show love for Kent by displaying a banner that reads: “They don’t make them like Roy anymore”.

As the banner appears on screen, a commentator is heard saying: “That’s a lovely moment. Chelsea fans letting their former captain Roy Kent know how they still feel about him.”