Remember in the 1970s and 1980s when Liverpool were a team that swept all before them? Remember when the red side of Merseyside saw nothing but silverware for nigh-on two decades of glorious football? Remember Dalglish, Hansen, Keegan, Toshack, Rush and Barnes? Well, I don’t. I was only born in 1984 but I am all too familiar with the successful Liverpool sides of yore having grown up with a Liverpool fan (my father) who often mentioned how great a side they once were. He wasn’t wrong. Great teams, great players, well respected.
It’s now February 2012 and the current Liverpool squad finds itself way off the pace in the Premier League title race (16 points to be precise) and facing another year without that elusive title – which would mean 22 years without a league trophy. However, it isn’t all bad – after a splendid week at the end of January the club progressed in the FA Cup, beating deadly rivals Manchester United and booked a League Cup final place at Wembley after defeating Manchester City over two legs in the semi final. Trophies, whether they be league titles or not, always seem to be on the horizon. And with King Kenny back in charge the club is looking forward.
However, there is a current black cloud that circles above the club which is proving hard to shake. The problem eminated from a clash between striker Luis Suarez and Man United defender Patrice Evra during the two sides’ league encounter in October with the latter accusing the former of racial abuse. The investigation concluded when the Liverpool striker was banned for eight matches. A sentence which wasn’t taken lightly by the Liverpool players; they later displayed T-shirts with Suarez’ face emblazoned across the middle before a league game with Wigan Athletic. Anyway, I digress. The incident came and passed, it was discussed heatedly and why wouldn’t it be? It’s a very serious issue in football and one which can’t be overlooked, contrary to what Sepp Blatter may say.
It certainly hasn’t been helped at the club when you consider that, during an FA Cup third round game with Oldham Athletic, Latics’player Tom Adeyemi was racially abused by a ‘fan’ on the Kop. Adeyemi was left in tears and this plunged the club further into crisis – having to deal with another incident of racism not much longer after the last one.
The final incident came only last weekend when Liverpool met Man United in the FA Cup – a game eagerly anticipated due to Evra’s return to the Anfield ‘cauldron’. He was met with the expected response – boos every time he so much as caressed the ball. And what boos they were! The left-back also had to endure some brutal chants, one of which was “There’s only one lying b*stard”. Is this the same Liverpool from the 70s and 80s? That club which all others looked up to and admired? Once a shining beacon, a fine example to all. Now this? Supporting a man convicted of racial abuse. I’ve no doubt in my mind that Luis Suarez is regretful of his actions, his words, but what he said and consequently was convicted of must never be repeated on the field of play again. And Liverpool fans must be more clued up as to the gravity of the situation.
The club’s on-field antics continue to impress – they’ll be near the top four this season, no doubt. There or thereabouts. And they can be happy with a cup final appearance. But off the field? The club’s image is getting severely tested, severely dragged through the mud and their reputation is in danger of being permanently damaged if any incidents akin to the ones mentioned are to arise again. For the sake of the beautiful game, Liverpool’s affiliation with this very testing issue must be put to bed now.
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“convicted of racial abuse” apparently there are 2 lying b*stard. plus out of 90,000 people 2 of them were arrested for racial abuse.
i find this article misleading and insulting and shows the level of intelligence of it’s author
Every person in the world except united fans know suarez is innocent, We supported our player who we knew was innocent, Fergie planned the racist rubbish a week before when he all of a sudden started talking about racism, Suarez has helped many black young players in his time and has even travelled to africa and the poorest countries of south america to help them out is that something a racist would do…Hell No
Faced with a false accusation, what did you expect them to do – plead guilty anyway? Hang Suarez out to dry because no player is bigger than the club?
Honestly, they did what any team with good morals and good team ethic would do. They stood behind what they knew was right, and they supported their player through it. You want to condemn them because of that?
Perhaps Liverpool’s only mistake was not caring what the uninformed public think and not pandering to the media. They follow their internal moral compass and stand up for integrity and the values the club has always held to, regardless of public opinion. But that’s what they’ve always done.
He was convicted with absolutely no evidence, no eyewitnesses and nothing incriminating.
It was a deeply flawed investigation which has had zero amount of dissection by our press.
We support him because we think he’s innocent.
Which seems to be a pretty easy thing to understand, but nobody seems to.
So yes, our image has been tarnished, but undeservedly so in my opinion.
Yeah I bet the Manchester clubs have lost a bit of respect for us after we knocked them both out the cup.
You’re falling into the trap in two ways: Firstly it’s not a black and white issue – that’s reductionist thinking and one could argue racist in its own right. Not seeing the complexity of the issue is to align yourself with the media soundbite sense of self righteousness.
Firstly Fans boo’d the player for many reasons:
1. He is a vile person with many examples of awful behaviour
2. He is a hypocrite and uses racist language himself
3. He is a liar – claiming Suarez called him a N***r 20 times
4. He is an opportunist – he’s done this before and been found false
5. The decision to go after Liverpool was a stitch-up started in Fergie’s office.
The boo’d the FA, the whole debacle, and the media complicity by booing Evra – again for many reasons:
1. Unprecedented action – they made an example of Suarez to feed their own bigoted sense of self righteousness
2. Lack of parity in treating players – Evra should have been banned for his epithets and slurrs.
3. Discrimination and defamation – the FA publicly declared the Suarez had a lesser character – why? Simply because his English isn’t as good.
4. The Hypocrisy of the FA. They go after easy targets in foreign players while protecting their English sons (note Terry’s case has now been conveniently put back until after the Euros)
5. The sham morality of the English media. They gloss over the crass actions of English players and condemn the actions of minority players.
6. Cultural ignorance. The targeting of an new immigrant player with poor English with no respect for his cultural background.
7. Poor leadership. The FA did nothing to protect Suarez or the club from retaliation after the apologies were issued. We are now under surveillance like never before and scrutinised more than any other club.
This is just for starters!
A big NO!, so give it a F rest!!!
The biggest issue to come from this is countries tawdred obsession with anything racist. Accuse someone of racism and they are guilty almost by default. Suarez was banned for 8 matches and the report suggested a lifetime ban if it was repeated despite the clear issues over the validity and weight of the evidence. during the last month two players were banned for 4 matches each for what the FA believes were dangerous plays. in one case a 2 foot challenge that is known to have the potential to shatter legs, the second for apparently deliberately stamping on a man’s head. Nobody suggests that Suarez is a racists and that at worst he was naive about the use of the words that Evra claimed he said. The FA believe Balotelli’s stamp was violent and deliberate, a stamp that could have caused serious and possibly permanent injury but it is worth half the punishment of words,from a man who dared to say he was innocent.
Racism is wrong and has no place in football or any sport but the FA’s stance that Racism is a worst offence than violence is simply wrong and sends a disgraceful message to the public. LFC were completely right to support their man, I know many from ethnic groups who are deeply uncomfortable about what happened. The FA are a complete embarrassment to this country and I am proud to support a club that stands up for what it believes in regardless of sheep that dare not question the uneducated masses.
You forgott to ask Suarez, Dalglish and LFC for an apology. That’s what your fellow churnalists are doing, aren’t they? But they seem to be completely ignorant of the fact that there is a black cloud around the FA which clearly indicates the FA’s disability to govern its competitions in a fair, transparent and unbiased manner. First organizes an iquisition trial which might have a problem even in Cuba and Northern Korea, then cancels the usual handshaking ritual before a footbal match and now seems to allow its national team to be captained by a player that can be seen on a video footage shouting racist slogans on a fellow player. The churnalists seems to be unimpressed by all these signs since they all are busy having a go at LFC. Where on earth does all this hatress come from?