The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[muppet]

excellent my old mate !

If i called you a Mayo t**t, would that not be racist, and would you go to the Central council or the Gardai to grass me up ?

I can't hear you from the sticks! Stand on your roof and shout 'Mayo twat" at the top of your voice and I'll listen carefully.

[EC Unique]

If Liverpool are thinking of an appeal I think they are going about it the wrong way. They had a chance yesterday to send out a message and chose to say a big ''Fcuk you'' to the FA. I would guess this will not be forgotton in any appeal process.

Liverpool's manager Kenny Dalglish and his players have been criticised for reacting to Luis Suárez's eight-game ban by wearing T-shirts showing their support for the striker.

Suárez received the ban plus a £40,000 fine from the Football Association having been found guilty by an independent regulatory commission of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra at Anfield on 15 October. His lawyer, Alejandro Balbi, said he would appeal against the punishment, stating: "The counts of racism that were made against him are not true. He will protest his innocence right to the end."

The Uruguay international played in Liverpool's goalless draw at Wigan on Wednesday night, before which his team-mates and manager wore the Suárez T-shirts. Dalglish said: "We stand right beside him. Always have done and always will do, and that was reflected in the support he got from the stands tonight and the players beforehand."

The T-shirts provoked criticism that the gesture conflicted with football's anti-racism campaign Kick It Out, confusing its zero tolerance message.

The former Manchester United defender Paul McGrath tweeted: "As ex footballer having experienced racist comments throughout my career I was saddened to see Liverpool players wear those tshirts ... I would have been much happier if they had worn anti racist tshirts."

The Blackburn striker Jason Roberts tweeted: "The stance on the Suárez issue from LFC has bemused me... are United going to print Evra shirts now?? Some issues are bigger than football."

And the former Newcastle defender and anti-racism campaigner Olivier Bernard told Sky: "I really didn't think it was fine to wear the T-shirts. I can understand the club's side of it, but in society we can't accept racism and give support to a player who has used racist words.

"It's not OK to use racist language and the message they sent out yesterday was a bit wrong. I don't mind them giving support to Mr Suárez, but I just think it's a bit wrong to wear the T-shirt because that means they have allowed racist language. I just don't understand it."

But Dalglish defended the decision, saying: "I think the boys showed their respect and admiration for Luis. It is a great reflection of the man as a character, a person and a footballer that the boys have been so supportive and so have the supporters. He has earned that, has deserved it and we will always stand beside him. They will not divide the football club, no matter how hard they try."

Liverpool's goalkeeper, Jose Reina, added: "We are all right behind him. He has our full support. We were together from the very first minute of the allegations and [the T-shirts] were the minimum we can do for him.

"He is not racist. I am 100% he is not racist and he has been accused of racism. We showed our support to Luis. We want him and everyone to know we are right behind our team-mate because he is a lovely guy and he has been crucified by some people and it is not fair. Eight games is not even close to being fair."

[brokencrossbar1]

Paul McGrath on Suarez pre-match shirts "I would have been much happier if Liverpool had worn anti-racism t-shirts."

I would tend to agree with McGrath and that would have sent a stronger message. Anyway fuss and bother about nothing. He will get it reduced on appeal and will get a whack of money in a libel suit from the Mirror which he will donate to an anti-rascism charity and the world will be right again. 

[ross4life]

excellent my old mate !

If i called you a Mayo t**t, would that not be racist, and would you go to the Central council or the Gardai to grass me up ?

I can't hear you from the sticks! Stand on your roof and shout 'Mayo t**t" at the top of your voice and I'll listen carefully.

Thankfully the term rhubarb isn't racist.

[muppet]

excellent my old mate !

If i called you a Mayo t**t, would that not be racist, and would you go to the Central council or the Gardai to grass me up ?

I can't hear you from the sticks! Stand on your roof and shout 'Mayo t**t" at the top of your voice and I'll listen carefully.

Thankfully the term rhubarb isn't racist.

A word only used by one person isn't a 'term'.

[Minder]

The most settling and frankly upsetting aspect of this whole affair has been the use of the term "rascist" on this board.

[Bingo]

EC unique, the FA aren't helping as it is still isn't known what was said or the context it was said. Everyone is saying he is a racist but the FA and Evra haven't. LFC are clearing just standing their ground and making it clear that in no way, shape or form do they think he is racist or even made a racist remark. Plus it is likely that it'll be mid - January before the details are released!

I'm sure that if they worn anti-racist t-shirts, everyone would be having a go as them trying to act all innocent and plead for mercy before an appeal. The way people reacted to their statement about Suarez's background.

Can do no right in this case.

As a side to this, Paul McGrath defended big Ron after his remarks and said he wasn't racist and the like. I think the difference in this case is that Suarez is new to the country and is target for everyone while Big Ron was a loveable character known to McGrath.

[EC Unique]

I doubt if many right thinking people actually think Saurez is a racist. He was just a complete idiot to use words like that to a black man on a pitch. 

Maybe no T-shirts and no spur of the moment statements from Liverpool would have been the way forward.

McGrath commented on the T-shirts being in bad taste, he did not refer to Saurez himself.

[mountainboii]

The most settling and frankly upsetting aspect of this whole affair has been the use of the term "rascist" on this board.

Saurez the rascist.

[gallsman]

Does anyone actually believe that a significant number of people who are so indignant over this are fuelled by genuine interest in eliminating racism from both football and society rather than just simple tribal rivalry?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

You can draw your own conclusions from the majority of the posters in this thread the last few days

[muppet]

I decided to look for the FA's Guidelines on Racism to see what their procedures and policies were and what rules clubs and their players were bound by. I can't find any, either on the FA's own website, or on Google. If anyone can find them please post them.

Until someone does post these guidelines I will have to assume they don't actually exist. If they really haven't been written by the FA it is would appear to be an extraordinary omission. Can they have high profile campaigns such as 'Give Racism the Red Card' but no particular rules or guidelines explaining what is actually is? A 'Fair Play' crusade would be utterly pointless without the rulebook to define it and sanctions to enforce it. Think of the list of banned substances for doping checks.

Of course here may be a good reason why these guidelines haven't been written. It is possible it would become a PC minefield. For example, while evidently some people seem to define racism as a white man calling a black man one of two or three words, creating a comprehensive policy would have to include many of the insults routinely thrown by players and fans at every ground every weekend. Such a policy would be unenforceable. Maybe that is what the FA are afraid of.

Here is a blog tackling the subject: http://jackmccaughtrie.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/does-the-fa-have-guidelines-on-the-punishment-of-racism/

If there are actually no official guidelines, while I don't agree with them, LFC might have a valid case. Severe, but ultimately arbitrary punishments would be very hard to accept.

[Bingo]

It keeps running and running. McGrath on talksport in uk this evening had a pop at Glenn Johnson saying that he should have thrown the Suarez t/shirt on the floor. Glenn responded on twitter basically saying he'll do what he wants,when he wants and he has many reasons for standing by Suarez.

Once again it boils down to the facts not been known and people making their opinions ie it seems be McGraths that Suarez is racist and Johnson should have acted accordingly.

[Tony Baloney]

It keeps running and running. McGrath on talksport in uk this evening had a pop at Glenn Johnson saying that he should have thrown the Suarez t/shirt on the floor. Glenn responded on twitter basically saying he'll do what he wants,when he wants and he has many reasons for standing by Suarez.

Once again it boils down to the facts not been known and people making their opinions ie it seems be McGraths that Suarez is racist and Johnson should have acted accordingly.

The tabloids and fools like McGrath are trying to make it a simple case of black and white in that support for Suarez makes you a racist. Johnson knows more about Suarez than any rentagob like Luffer Blissett (you young chaps can look him up), McGrath or the tabloid hacks.

[Bingo]

That's it in a nutshell and why the FA need to release full facts. Blisset wanted Suarez jailed yesterday!