Thousands petition to keep Greene King pub’s ‘offensive’ name

Thousands of people have signed a counter-petition to keep an Oxfordshire pub’s name the same after complaints it was offensive.

The Midget, a Greene King pub in Abingdon, was named after the MG Midget EX 127 car once manufactured in the town.

A petition started by Dr Erin Pritchard, a disability lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, who has dwarfism, received 1,300 signatures. But a counter-petition to restore the original name has now received support from 3,000 people.

Last week, Greene King said the pub, which opened in 1974, said it would close for a ‘six-figure’ refurbishment and reopen in December as the Roaring Raindrop, another historic MG car.

Counter-petition creator Joe Lawlor called the move ridiculous and said the pub’s name is a piece of history.

‘I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with this decision, and in my opinion I think it is ridiculous,’ he wrote online.

‘The naming is part of Abingdon’s history.’

In the original petition, Dr Pritchard said Greene King ‘should recognise the offence of the term and its implications’.

Dr Pritchard, who spoke with Greene King about the matter, said: ‘The term midget is a form of disablist hate speech, which I and most other people with dwarfism, have experienced as a form of bullying, including having it shouted at us by strangers.

‘It is a term that should be consigned to the history books.’

Speaking about the refurb and name change, Zoe Bowley, managing director of Greene King pubs, said: ‘Pubs are at the heart of communities and are all about bringing people together. I would like to thank the MG Car Club for welcoming us into their headquarters in Abingdon to explain the history of both cars and their importance to the area.

‘This really helped us to see that the new name needed to pay tribute to another icon of Abingdon and continue to tell the important story that the MG factory played in the town.’

She said the Greene King was grateful to Dr Pritchard ‘who has engaged with (the chain) on the offence and hurt the name ‘Midget’ can cause.

‘We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.’

Andy Knott, MG Car Club manager, said: ‘For the MG Car Club, it was essential to preserve the pub’s connection to the marque.

‘With MG moving to Abingdon in 1929 and building iconic cars for 50 years, it’s become a significant part of the town’s history. The name MG still draws thousands of enthusiasts to Abingdon every year.’

Nicknamed the Magic Midget and built at the town’s former MG factory, the car broke the world land speed record of 120mph in 1932. 

The MG EX 181 Roaring Raindrop, meanwhile, broke a land speed record in 1957, while driven by Sir Stirling Moss.

It then beat its own record, when another attempt was made by American Phil Hill in 1959.

This story was originally reported on 8 November 2024.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.