Atkinson has won awards for his work as a pundit

Roger Lyon said efforts to keep racism out of football had been put back 10 years by Mr Atkinson's outburst.

Mr Atkinson made the comment about Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly after a Champions League match on Tuesday.

The former Manchester United manager has resigned from ITV Sport, who said he was "devastated and very sorry".

The insulting comment was heard on some Middle East channels which broadcast a live feed after ITV went off-air following Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Monaco in a Champions League semi-final first leg.

Mr Lyons told the TUC Black Workers Conference in Torquay Atkinson was "a racist of the worst kind".

Bigotry in football is invidious TUC president Roger Lyons

"One would be tempted to call him Alf Garnett Atkinson, except this isn't funny," the joint general secretary of Amicus said.

"Bigotry in football is invidious, and now senior figures and broadcasters have been exposed as paying lip service to anti-racism while at the same time putting up with racist slurs in the studio."

Mr Atkinson, 65, told BBC Radio Five Live he did not remember making the comment and that it was not intentional.

"To the people I offended, particularly Marcel Desailly, I would apologise for the comments I made," he said.

I was talking to myself really - just having a pop Ron Atkinson Profile: Ron Atkinson Ron Atkinson talking on BBC Radio Five Live

"I did not even know I had said it.

"I have worked with more black players, I would think, than any other manager in the country and I bet none of them has ever heard me say it to them."

An ITV spokesman said: "We do not in any way condone the comments.

"We have discussed the situation with Ron Atkinson, who is devastated and very sorry for any offence caused by his comments.

"He immediately offered his resignation which we have accepted."

Desailly (blue shirt) in action during the game against Monaco

Mr Atkinson has provided summaries at five World Cups and six European Championships for ITV.

During his coaching career, particularly at West Brom, he nurtured the talent of black players such as Cyrille Regis, Brendan Batson and Laurie Cunningham.

Mr Batson admitted he was "very disappointed" with the racist comments made by Mr Atkinson.

"He's fallen on his sword you might say and everybody just has to get on with it now," he added.

"I was very disappointed to hear that these comments had come from Ron because he is someone who has been a big supporter of black players in this country.

'Absolutely disgusted'

"I never heard him say anything like that when he was my manager."

Former Arsenal player Ian Wright, who now works as a TV and radio soccer pundit, said he was "absolutely disgusted" by Mr Atkinson's comments.

In an interview on BBC Radio Five Live's Drive programme, he said: "What really gets me is, I've heard him interviewed and he said he took his mic off and he took his headphones off, so does that make it all right?"

But Carlton Palmer, who was an integral member of Mr Atkinson's Sheffield Wednesday side, defended his former manager.