8 Jan 2013

They're not 'true fans' - Angry boss slates 'corporate' LFC supporters. Fair...?

Mansfield Chairman John Radford has laid into Liverpool supporters, insinuating that the club's followers are not 'true fans'.

Speaking to The Independent last night, Radford claimed Liverpool 'denied us a replay', which seems to suggest that the Reds turned down a request from the non-league club to consider the possibility of a replay.

He also blasted Liverpool as all 'business', which he described as a 'killer', and suggested that it is no surprise that a 'professional club' would so such a 'hurtful' thing to a non-league club.

Radford, however, reserved most of his ire for Liverpool fans. He barked:

“Compared to the Liverpool fans, our fans are true fans.

"They paid their £20 for a ticket and they were there and they queued up overnight. Liverpool fans were probably all corporate because we out-sang them"


Radford's anger is certainly understandable, and an adverse reaction to the underserved result is only to be expected. I argued yesterday that Liverpool should offer Mansfield a replay in the spirit of fair play (like Arsenal did with Sheffield United in 1997), but clearly, the club is just not interested.

Liverpool fans certainly aren't, and the majority response to the replay suggestion was pig-headed defensiveness and a total rejection of humility, sportsmanship and fair play. Forget 'corporate' fans; *that* stubborn, insular response is indicative of modern Liverpool fans, who IMO, have totally lost sight of one of club's most important principles.

If Brendan Rodgers - or indeed anyone in the Anfield hierarchy - truly had the best interests of the club at heart, the following would've happened after the game:

* A simple apology for the injustice and unfairness of the goal.
* A modicum of humility in post-match interviews (as opposed to defensiveness)
* Offer of a replay in the interests of fair play and sportsmanship.

If any of the above had taken place, the Mansfield Chairman might not be slating the club right now, and the media might not be gleefully picking up his comments and creating more negative publicity.

I'm so disappointed in LFC right now. I genuinely feel real sadness over the decline of the club's standards of humility, sportsmanship and fair-play over the last 2-3 years.

REMINDER: Please stick to the comment policy. Anyone who personally insults Radford or anyone else will be banned.

Jaimie Kanwar


181 comments:

  1. Did you smoke the whole bag of grass before you wrote this or are you saving a bit of it for the United game?

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  2. i know he's emotional about this, and i understand that. however, he sounds like an irrational, cry-baby ten year old all at the same time. didn't he realise they out-sang us because there were more of them? doesn't he realise mansfield fans queued up over-night, because they hardly ever play against famous clubs? whether he likes it or not, liverpool are renowned by some for having the best fans in the premier league. he needs to grow up and move on now...

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  3. I don't see the importance of his words to a Liverpool fan...

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  4. He sounds bitter to me ;) how can he slate are fans as corporate fans when I'm sure they have a full stadium every week ha

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  5. 1) No apology we did nothing wrong. Referee apologising though wouldn't go a miss or an explanation from them that they saw it but saw Luis move his arm away from the ball and decided there was no intent. But LFC has nothing to apologise for.

    2) Agreed but they were questioned aquisitorially, defensivness is understandable. They mustave wondered why Luis was being held to higher standards than everyone else, but yeah humility is the Liverpool Way.

    3) Not a replay as in for the Cup place, that was played by FA rules and we stick to them. But inviting them to play at Anfield with half the ticket money would be a nice touch.

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  6. Who cares what the Mansfield chairman thinks, I never saw these comments till now, which means no other paper even thought it newsworthy.

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  7. That's what you get with millionaires and their trophy wives, no class. I feel sorry for the Mansfield players, manager and supporters that their chairman mars their outstanding performance on the day like this.

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  8. This is professional sport. Not guys having a kickabout in the park. That is the bottom line. The ref made a mistake everybody needs to move on. Mansfield are enjoyin a bit of spotlight over this. the whole thing is a bit of a non event. Anybody who suggests that a replay should be offer has no real grasp of the fundamentals of professional sport as opposed to amateur sport.

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  9. Jaimie you really have lost the plot this time.
    Mansfield's chairman has double standards, had it been one of his players would he have expected him to put his hand up and say please Mr Referee It was hand ball? Would he **** .
    As to Mr Champion, he is supposedly a professional and should know better and should also be sacked.  He was biased towards Mansfield throughout the game, even more so after Suarez came on.
    And talking about cheating Mr Champion thought that it was perfectly ok for Mansfield to have trained on an already water damaged pitch on Saturday destroying areas of the pitch where Liverpool's wingers would be running, no doubt hoping a liverpool player would be injured because of it, he got his wish with Wisdom sustaining an injury.

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  10. Jaimie, I think the real point is that in footbal you get some decisions go against and some for.  Im sure if they had gone through with a dodgy decision they wouldnt offer a replay.  You keep Bringing up the Arsenal game, but that was 1 instance of this happening.  This clown Radford is after money.  If we played them again he would make a packet, and he knows it.  And as for their fans queing up over night, i bet most of them were Forest or Man UTD fans anyway, where are they during their league games???? You need to move on from this point and stop having a go at the club you are supposed to support.  And as for the dig at the modern liverpool fan, i travel the length of the country to see my team, spending lots of my hard earnt money doing so.  I havent lost sight of what our club is about and neither have the freinds i travel with.

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  11. Annie - you, like Rodgers and everyone else connected with LFC, are way too insular. You're obsessed with the rights and the wrongs, not with how the club is perceived.

    Apologies don't always have to be as a result of you personally doing something wrong. The apology should've been for the fact that LFC won a game unfairly, i.e. an acknowledgement that an injustice had been perpetrated. No need to admit guilt; no need to even mentioned Suarez.

    The context musty also be considered: A premier league club beats non-league opposition because of a blatant handball. It's objectively unfair, and someone needs to be the bigger person/organisation and apologise. The refs won't; the FA won't, so LFC should lead by example. What would it cost the club? Nothing. The positivity generated would, however, be invaluable.

    This is what an enlightened club would do, but LFC are no longer an enlightened club.

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  12. May aswell try and insult everything about LFC while the rapidly fading light is still on his club.
    I also believe LFC did the right thing in not offering a replay simply because a bad decision was the culprit. there are bad decisions every week and as much as i believe in sportmanship. Why is it now that we suddenly decide enough is enough. i know its been harped on and on over the last day or two but where was the sportsmanship againts everton? all the defenders knew it was a goal but a ref got it wrong and we were punished.
    unfortunately for mansfield thats football.

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  13. If you hadn't lost sight of what the club is about, you'd see past the irrelevant minor details and consider how the club is being perceived right now, and what could've been done differently to avoid this perception.

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  14. And look, the club is *still* being defensive even today. They just posted the following in the news section:

    "Fowler: I'd have done the same as Luis

    It's pathetic. The club is o obsessed with defending Suarez that it cannot see the wood for the trees.

    There is absolutely zero effective leadership at Anfield. It was like this during the Suarez-Evra situation, and nothing has changed at all.

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  15. im not trying to start an argument or anything but who is an enlightened club in this generation?
    im not saying because someone else doesnt do something we dont have to but what do you consider to be an enlightened club in the current day?

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  16. Oh my, this man really knows how to use the minutes attention his club gets. While I understand his actions from a business point of view (at what other time during his life will Mansfield get nationwide coverage?), he appears to be a silly man. Didn't the Liverpool supporters pay their 20 quid? Ever heard of allocation? Or that for most of their supporters this might have been the biggest match of their lives. I'd try my very best to outsing the opposition fans on such an occasion. Big deal, lets milk it, Mr Radford.

    As for you claim of offering a replay. Well, no. I'd offer them a friendly match at Anfield so their players could play on a decent surface for once (sorry for sounding a bit arrogant now).
    Why offer a replay when the ref has ruled that it was a handball, but not a deliberate one and that therefore the goal should stand. Who are we to overrule the referee now? If anything the governing body could overrule the ref and order a replay (it has happened a few years back in Germany when the ref had given a goal even though the shot went wide. Didn't help the "benefiting" club much as they lost the rearranged match by a much higher margin).

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  17. Jaimie, if it wasnt this then it would be something else.  The simple fact is, that the media always pick one of the big teams to slaughter in the press. At the moment that is us and in particular Suarez. 

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  18. Arsenal are an enlightened club, and that is mainly because of Arsene Wenger setting the example.

    * He offered Sheffield Utd an FA Cup replay.
    * He has measures in place to control player greed (i.e. a 'socialist wage structure' as he calls it.)

    I have no doubt that if this had happened to Arsenal, the reaction would be 100% different. Wenger would've offered a replay, and his reaction would've been more humble. He certainly would've apologised, of that I'm sure.

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  19. Think I'll apply for the position of public relations officer at the club. My first action would be to send a signed photograph to that kid, the second to write to Mansfield that they may feel hard done bye, did themselves proud, but that at the same time the ref had deemed the handball as not intentional. We as a club can hardly do anything about that. We didn't pick the ref, none of our players laid siege on him to give that goal, even the scorer seemed to be somewhat perplexed that it was given.

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  20. Yeah, so I guess The Guardian, Independent, Telegraph, Times, Scotsman, BBC etc didn't report the comments either.

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  21. No, this - like the Evra situation - is self inflicted. There are ways and means of dealing with situations, and the club repeatedly gets it wrong.

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  22. Is this Jamie K for real? I'm assuming you're a Man Utd fan as I have never read so much rubbish in my life. Why should Liverpool offer them a replay? Should Everton offer Liverpool the win when Suarez had a perfectly good goal diasallowed for offside?

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  23. i also agree that he would have apologised. but i have to disagree that they would have offered a replay. the arsenal of 1999 where winning trophies and being highly competitive. the arsenal of today cannot afford to risk spots in competitions.
    This is also a man who can clearly see a foul on one of his players from the sideline but never sees whether his player dove or not and says "i havent seen it yet".
    im starting to go on a OH BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENED rant so im gonna leave it at that.
    Should we say something and express some sympathy for mansfield? Yes, offer reply? No

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  24. Hardly anything the club can do about ex-players speaking their mind. If we could, we should shut up Lawrenson.

    I can't see anything wrong with ex-players and managers of more than one club/country now speaking out in defence of Luis. It's pretty obvious that a few folks out there have realised that the media witch hunt against Suarez should be stopped as early as possible. It is nice to see that not all football managers are up ferguson's arse.

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  25. Everything you say is right, Anteater, but what happened to being the bigger person! What happened to accepting that it's not your fault but still trying to assuage the situation, especially when the financial and footballing disparity between two clubs is so huge? What happened to trying to generate goodwill, and proving that even though it's not the club's fault, there is an acknowledgement that something seriously unfair took place?

    Instead, all we get is pigheaded, stubborn defensiveness. It's not our fault, so go f&%k yourself!*

    It's a disgrace.

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  26. Frankly, I don't care how the club is perceived by other supporters. I see no reason for needing the approval of bluenoses or salford united fans or those of any other club in the world for that matter.

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  27.  It's jsut Fowlers opinion, is he not entitled to it? It seeme that if people don't agree with you, they are labelled defensive.

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  28. When we get bad decisions yopu tell the complainers to get on with it and stop complaining and that deceisions even themselves out, why is this defferent?

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  29. I don't have a problem with Fowler's comments - he's entitled to his view. My point the club posting comments like that on its site is a defensive stance.

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  30. What people seem to forget is if the goal was not given what would have been the effects on the remainder of the game.  Would they have scored, would Liverpool have scored another goal.

    The final outcome by changing one decision could still not have been predicted so the whole discussion is a nonsense.

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  31. Jeez, you really can't see the obvious, can you?

    My point is that the *club* is posting defensive comments on its site, which is a defensive stance. It has nothing to do with Fowler's right to have an opinion, and that is blatantly obvious. Of course he's entitled to his view.

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  32. Ah so Suarez forced Evra to lie about him did he? What was the club supposed to do, say yes he is a racist when he is not? Again, I don't see why we would feel obliged to admit to anything untrue just for the approval of the rest of the world.

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  33. jaimie i suggest if you love arsenal that much go write a site for them,also yesterday i agreed about giving them a friendly at the end of the season,afterthe mansfield chairmans words of wisdom they can go get f"cked i for one would not go and give this man or his club a brass farthing,also on another subject this is a man who has scrapped youth development as soon as the football league stopped paying them,other none league clubs have carried on after going out of the league,maybe they have proper chairmen who care about there clubs not some greedy tw@t who just wants is 5 minutes of fame

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  34. That's such an ignorant comment that I don't even need to respond. If you can't see the difference between a dodgy offside and the Mansfield situation, then I'm not wasting my time debating the issue.

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  35. I think that possibly Wenger would have said that he didn't see the incident.

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  36. The way he's acting, I wouldn't give him a friendly handshake, let alone a match.

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  37. There must be something in the water. Instead of taking cheap shots, why don't you attempt to see the obvious point. Clearly, I'm referring to the club's *reaction* to the Suarez-Evra situation, i.e. the ultra-defensive statement; defensive aftermath; lack of humilit etc, which ultimately ended up with Dalglish having to apologise. It's nothing to do with the incident itself, it's the club's reaction to it.

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  38. I do agree with you about the club handling some situations ie the Evra one incorrectly. I think all true Liverpool fans do.  But this is a mountain out of a molehill situation. This is a referee's mistake at the end of the day We have had to deal with these on an alomost weekly basis. That is the point I am trying to make. Arsenal, the clb you keep bringing up, have not offered every team a replay for decision that have gone against them have they?

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  39. I hear'd of a guy once who tried to save a whale,he had to let it go after a few days, as it started to stink.

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  40. you sir, are truly pathetic. You are not a true Liverpool fan at all. i've been reading your "articles" for some time now and come to the conclusion that you are just full of it, and with such credibility it is laughable.

    the club maybe obsessed with defending suarez (quite rightly too!) where as you are obsessed with attacking him from all sides at all times. Why the fcuk should Suarez apologise when the fault lies squarely and 100% with the officials. They "saw" the handball and deemed it unintetnional, so go figure
    . Yet yo have to blame suarez, like he is supposed to go running to the ref and say "sorry that should be disallowed as it was handball" - what world do you live in?

    then bangin on about Liverpool shoudl offer a replay - why??? You're assuming that the game would have finishined all square - why?????? How do you know that we wouldn't have seen the game out 1-0? The simpel answer is you don't. you think you are the big i am and take the moral high ground. Fcuk off you pathetic muppet, C U Next Tuesday is what you are.

    go on ban me - so i can start crying - you opathetic indivudal

    TW@T

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  41. Jaimie, what's the difference between a similar incident happening in a premier league match. Would you expect Liverpool or any other club to offer a replay? I dont think so(beach ball anyone which was in direct conflict with the rules by the way). its just because the are minnows that there is an uproar.

    Its highly questionable that the handball was even deliberate. Personally i think it happen too fast for it to be deliberate.

    Plus there is nothing to suggest that the match would have finished 1-1 if the goal was disallowed.

    the mansfield owner is upset that they didnt get the replay because of the payout he would have got had the game been played at anfield.

    As for out singing our fans, it most probably becuase of the allocation, it would hardly be the case at Anfield.

    this article has so many holes in it.

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  42. Yes, it's a refereeing mistake, but why does that stop the club for apologising for the manner of the victory?! Liverpool won unfairly! Everyone knows that; the man on the street knows that, and the lack of an apology (not admitting guilt, just apologising for the fortuitous nature of the victory) breeds resentment. Someone at Anfield should've had the freakin' intelligence to see this and respond accordingly. The fact no one did is massively disturbing, and raises serious questions about the club's leadership.

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  43. Sorry, but you're another poster who just doesn't get the point. If you did, you wouldn't be referring to incidents happening in Premier League games. I don't have the energy to explain it again.

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  44. Well, I can speak for myself only, and you surely know that I don't tend to use that kind of language (at least on here).

    I'd back the decision to offer them a friendly match in July and half of the profits from that match day revenue. That would show plenty of goodwill, methinks.

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  45. Wouldn't apologizing for the win make LFC look like they are bringing the referee's judgement into question. That would probably piss off The FA, when their ref decided that the handball wasn't deliberate. Its like opening another can of worms with the FA. Its over. Let's just move on.

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  46. Did "fair-play" Barca (quoting general public consensus) offer Chelsea a semi-final replay for the sake of fair play in 2008-2009? No. Why should the standards be different for Liverpool? 

    Should RVP have passed the ball to Reina rather than score due to Valencia's dive against us earlier this season? No, just imagine what Fergie would have done! Why should LFC do otherwise?

    Should Everton allow us a free goal the next time we play them because we had a perfect last-minute goal ruled out against them? No. Why should LFC act benevolently? 

    If anything, our club has been to good with the opposition in recent times. We should have showed Mansfield less respect if anything because having been dominated by them in the last half hour was a half hour of humiliation for Liverpool. 

    This win at all costs mentality is what separates clubs like Man.UTD and Barca from the rest of the world. This is why I want our players to play with more intent and passion to win! You can't get sympathetic emotions for your rival, football is a capitalist game and whoever capitalizes most wins.

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  47. Oh lord...I still can't believe you are saying we should offer a replay. This is pure madness. Anyone who has played the game knows what Suarez did was a instintive reaction. He leaned his whole body towards the ball and yes it hit he hand. If you think he is so clever that he has the intelligence within that 1/10th of a second when the ball pops up to think "I will" or "I won't" cheat is beyond me. The ref and 4th offical also said they saw it but thought it was accidental. Do you not know the rules? Actually this is just ridclous. Before you say your ususal Red tinted glasses comment....I would like say Suraez is clearly a maggot and also likes to cheat/look for advantages or whatever you want to call it which is evident many times....but what should we do about it? I hope Rodgers has been telling him to stop all this.....which I think he has cos last few games the diving has been reduced....its a start....the other option is to sell him....

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  48. They lost in the worst possible way and I don't blame them. Plus all this is giving their club exposure which is a big plus. So I don't blame their chairman for busting out a few quotes.

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  49. The club obviously tries to create some counterbalance to the drivel some of the nationwide media is publishing right now.

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  50. So what should the club have done? They stood by their player who they knew was being falsely accused of something. I wouldn't expect anything less from our club and our manager.

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  51. I have to disagree. A lot of professionals and ex-professionals in the game are supporting Suarez for what he did, unlike last time round. Even Graham Poll is siding with him!

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  52. Had Suarez not scored THERE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN A MANSFIELD GOAL.

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  53. Going by comments from a large number of players,ex-players and other managers it appears by your standards that all these commentators are no longer enlightened ? The first thing that came to my mind was;that it would, indeed,be a nice gesture of LFC to suggest a replay,however most watchers are of a different opinion!
    One thing I would remind everyone of,is that Mansfield more than likely would never have scored at all if LFC's second goal 'had not stood'??? The game would have finished in a different manner!

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  54. Jamie I have been reading quite a few articles that you have posted recently about liverpool and her players and manager and I am truly wondering... deep down inside you really must be a Man U supporter to constantly deride and abuse and criticise any small and minor issue and even blow it out of proportion. True Journalism I think is beyond you and your intellect I feel. Have you read some of the qualitative articles floating on the net written by ex players or coaches and managers about what Suarez did? Many said would have done the same. Even the Mansfield manager and their striker! 

    Further, a number of them even analysed some important issues - such as Suarez's behaviour after the ball hit his hand - he KICKED the ball in frustration - this suggests that he did not mean to do it and that he didn't expect the goal to stand, and when it did - he kissed the same hand that he always does as acknowledgement of the name of his daughter on it. This is NOT Cheating - it is playing to the referee.

    I suppose he could have done a Klose and said it came off his hand - but he knew it wasn't intentional so why should he  - and the law states if it isn't then it is up to the referee. 

    For that matter, how about a replay for every time Suarez gets pulled down or kicked in the box and no penalty is given - maybe the defenders should go up to the ref and say sorry mate for cheating and pulling a player back - or STAMPING on the guys back as in the Stoke match - get real for a change. In the end it is swings and roundabouts.  Start to show some true support for the Redmen, like how about the tackles that Keane and Scholes have pulled off over the years where is the shouting and angst against Man U about those players (there isnn't) - or the "dive"for the penalty in the game last year at Anfield - why aren't people jumping up and down about that when it occured - or how about Neville's dive in the Everton match - that got laughed off becuase the guy was English. Or what about Neville's handball that was deliberate in another derby hmm? If you can't be more supportive go and write for Man U - since your are only helping them with crap like this. Becuase you sure aren't speaking for the Kop.

    Johnno

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  55. Very true. Suarez said he didnt racially abuse evra. The club stood by him.
    If you dont stand by your own players who will?

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  56. I dont think that is our responsibility.  We got given the goal and we are through. I do feel sorry for mansfield, as i think they played well and perhaps deserved a replay on their performance alone.  But I do think the officials are the ones who should be apologising.  Their mistake.  Although as a good will gesture, If i was PR exec at Liverpool would say something via the press.  Not sure i would apologise though.  On another note, fairplay to you for having to type replies to everyone!! think your fingers are gonna need a bit of pampering later ;)
     

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  57. You having a laugh? What about all the red card Wegner missed over the last 15 years that his team were involved in.....

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  58. Don't worry, we'll get ours at the weekend when Man U fan Webb is in charge of our visit to the toilet.

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  59. Have to disagree here. It's the refs job to decide whether or not that handball was deliberate or accidental. Hardly self-inflicted as we didn't hire that referee.

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  60. jaimie, you are a muppet, why should lfc apologise when they have done nothing wrong?

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  61. It's not a referee's mistake, it's a referees decision. Before saying it's a mistake we have to be sure it was deliberate.

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  62. Are the club not right to defend one of its players when most agree that it was not intentional? If he slapped the ball into the net, it would be a different matter altogether as that would have been intentional and Mansfield would have every right to feel as though they were cheated. The Chairman is saying that he would be embarassed if any of his players did the same thing but his players came out yesterday and said that they would have accepted a goal like that as it happens in football so he is obviously just getting his 15 mins of fame. I cannot believe this story is still rolling, it is an absolute joke. As I posted yesterday Jamie, do you think Dudek should have asked the Ref if the striker could re-take the pen in the CL final as he was 2 feet off his line when the ball was struck. To come off your line early is a much more deliberate act so this was a form of cheating. Or does that not count because it was AC Milan and not Mansfield?

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  63. As a season ticket holder at Mansfield Town, and as a supporter who was there at the match I thought that we came out with lots of credit after the game with our Manager Paul Cox reacting as he did about the Suarez incident but I now feel that our Chairman is scuppering all that with his daft rantings.
    He should have taken the defeat gracefully as our Manager did and move on.
    He is especially wide of the mark with his comments about 'corporate Liverpool fans' - for the record, to qualify for a ticket for the Mansfield game I believe I am right in saying that they had to have attended the following games?
    Season ticket holders who recorded all five of the following FA Cup away games: Manchester
    United (09.01.11), Reading (02.01.10), Everton replay (04.02.09),
    Preston North End (03.01.09) and Luton Town (06.01.08).
    Hardly corporate I would have thought?

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  64. What if the ball didn't hit Suarez's hand. Would he have been able to put it away anyway?

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  65. Regardless of the Mansfield chairman's comments, it is telling the depths to which LFC and many of our fans have fallen - it is not about the match officials making a mistake, whether Suarez deliberately handled the ball, whether the end result might have been different had the goal been disallowed in the first place, or if the whole world has it in for us. It is about doing the right thing - and that is showing humility, being the (real) bigger club and for once, showing that even in professional sports, it is not all about winning, but true sportsmanship. Some will call this idealistic and perhaps frankly idiotic, but to think that just because your neighbour cheats and kills, it is alright for yourself to do the same, is simply wrong. This is a great chance for LFC to become a true leader of change, rather than another follower of an increasingly decadent culture in the sport.

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  66. no offence, I cant be bothered reading all of the article, I would like to pick up on the corporate fans point. I happen to agree with the man. It annoys the life out of me that all of the out of towners turn up at anfield and are more bothered about taking photographs, eating their pies and shaking their club shop bags rather than sing and get behind the team. The kop is a grave yard now because too many out of towners turn up, do not know how to sing or know the words and are happy to sit their and allow other clubs supporters to taunt us about the famous atmosphere. If you want to go to watch the match then do one of three things...A) Go and sit in the Kemlyn Road/ Anfield Road/ Main Stand where we know it is frowned upon to sing B) Sit in the Kop and sing! C) Support your local club instead.
    Stop killing the atmosphere for the proper fans

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  67. Tje club stood by him by (amongst other things) insinuating *incorrectly* in its initial 'f^&k you' press release that Evra had made false accusations in the past. That was an outrageous lie, and if anyone at the club had done any research they would've know that.

    The point is, LFC's response was driven be stubborn, defensive attitude, the kind you'd generally find on football forums, not at the upper echelons of a premier league football club.

    That defensiveness irreparably harmed the club's reputation, and it may never recover, especially when it continues in situations like this.

    As I said, LFC has learned nothing from the Evra situation.

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  68. By self-inflicted I refer to the club's defensive reaction and the negative publicity that has indirectly created. I'm not referring to the actual incident on the field.

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  69. Apologies Eric.  I should have put decision.  I agree with what you just wrote.

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  70. Being the bigger person went out of the window when a race card hurling left back conned our main striker in being suspended for eight matches and to be branded a racist by the pitchfork and torches carrying hate mob only for the England captain who has actually been proven to have made racist comments twice (!) to be suspended for four matches. That's what happened.

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  71. Agreed. I wouldn't offer him a friendly match, but them. Their players did them proud, so did their manager. Their chairman isn't doing them any favours right now, apart from some publicity. I wouldn't mind if our club now issued a statement that they had considered offering them a friendly match, but now that he has voiced his contempt towards our supporters would not like to follow this idea.

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  72. You have to see it from the clubs point of view as Well though Jaimie. Especially seeings they dont feel, like many of the supporters and half the neutrals including Poll ( one of the best referees in Premiership history ) that they have doen wrong.  So naturally you would defend yourself in this circumstance. 

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  73. No need to apologise, it's not like you kicked me out of the FA cup :-)

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  74. excuse the typo's there!!

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  75. its not a disgrace why should we do anything there a rich confrence club ,i mean they will be 7thousand true fans for every home game won,t they lol

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  76. Your're entitled to your POV, but it's disturbing that you see things that way. No wonder the club is incapable of humility and fairness when fans have views like this. Someone in the PR Department at Anfield obviously had the same view as you when the Evra situation kicked off, and as a result, the club's reputation was massively damaged.

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  77. As I have said there are many commentaters including 'Dan Poll', who suggest that LFC's reaction is correct. The referee's and linesmen if anything are at fault!

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  78. why do i have the worst feeling about this man utd game? i can just envision the man utd fans getting the best of suarez, followed by a suarez brain snap, a red card, a highly publicised post-game aftermath, and an inevitable and embarrassing reaction from the club. 

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  79. Now this is a real, unbiased and well thought article on the issue. It is called "Double Standards Reign following Suarez Handball" and is written by David Bolt. You could learn a lot by reading this article Jamie....


    http://www.footandball.net/double-standards-reign-following-suarez-handball/4293/

    Johnno

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  80. You surely did come out with a lot of credit and I'd like to think that many of us thought that you were hard done by and, well, you've said it all yourself already. Spot on! Good luck for your team.

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  81. Hi Jaimie, I think I have one word of advice for you. Please apply for the vacant Director of Communications Post at LFC. Seeing that you know what is  right and wrong about our club's communications and PR. 

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  82. Paul Cox; "If it had gone in at the other end and one of our players had done it I think we'd have accepted it."

    A less emotional reaction, and more honest, than the chairman's.

    Graham Poll. Not Suarez's fault, it was accidental the ref should have spotted it.

    From the official's perspective, it's not cheating.

    Robbie Fowler. " Suarez did nothing wrong, I am amazed at the reaction... I think the Mansfield manager and his players summer it up .. they'd have done exactly the same thing. So would I.

    From a historical perspective, there has clearly been no catastrophic decline in the character of the club's players (despite the rose tinted glasses of memory).

    It's a storm in a teacup promoted by sensationalist media. Jon Champion being a perfect example of a opinionated clown leaping wholeheartedly onto the bandwagon.

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  83. Think that is a bit wide of the mark Mike. Unfortunately I have only managed to get to Anfield a handful of times (Irish living in Holland) but when I have been there, it seemed to be the Irish fans that were starting a lot of the singing with one guy in particular who would attempt to get the the atmosphere going every 5/10 mins. I think if a lot of out of towners as you refer to them (I prefer to call them fans) did not attend the games, Anfield would be a much quieter place.

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  84. What you are saying is basically that supporting Liverpool should be a privilege reserved for those who live within the city. That really would be interesting. My guess would be that most of those awful out-of-towners (like me, who is, according to you, not a proper fan) may have picked a different team had they known that LFC has such kind of policy (no OOTs please). It would also be interesting to see how many replica kits and merchandise the club could sell within the vicinity of Liverpool. Shirt sponsors would surely be limited to local companies, too, as no world-wide operating company would consider paying millions to a club that only has local supporters. Our bargaining position when discussing any sorts of TV rights would be great, too.

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  85. Hmm, my comment disappeared after it initially showed up, JK? Was there something wrong with it? Hope not.

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  86. Puff pass Puff pass, sounds better than Ticky Tacky, lol

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  87. im sorry but i actually take offense to this. As someone who has spent a large amount of my like living in australia. Why should my support be any less than some bloke who lives down the road?
    ive travelled around the world to watch this team play but because i took a plane instead of a bus i should somehow be considered less of a fan.
    i understand what your saying when you want fans to get behind the team on the field but for a club that constantly reminds everyone how big the club is and how huge the support base is, whats the point? if only a few thousands that live in the area are aloud in?

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  88. same thing happened to mine don't worry

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  89. Why stop there? no players from out of town.
    No Lucas! bring back Spearing!

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  90. Reputation with whom? Who are these people whose opinion is so important that we should care about it?

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  91. Exactly. And why stop there? No Liverpool F.C. (John McKenna was born in Ireland).

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  92. You put up one hell of a fight mate and you did yourselves proud. I hope your chairman wakes up tomorrow morning realising that he's got a bunch of players there that could be going places if they put up the same fighting spirit every week and takes the positives away from this match. Good luck to you all.

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  93. The negative publicity started with the final whistle (on ESPN even earlier). Hardly anything we could do about the media having a field day.

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  94. Hi Greg - your post hasn't been removed; it probably just slipped onto page 2/3, which happens when replies build up. I've double checked and your post has definitely not been removed. Click your avatar and you'll get a list of all your posts, and you'll find it there' I'm sure. Same applies to Nick.

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  95. Yeah, their average attendance is actually closer to seven than to seven-thousand.

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  96. I would do a much beter job than the club is currently doing, that's for sure. Just look at the recent Jen Chang situation too (!) - the club is a PR shambles.

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  97. Or Liverpool could play like they did when Suarez first played them. Although no Dirk Kuyt this time around

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  98. I could understand your point of LFC improving the public perception. Yet if LFC had offered a replay, would you or the Chairman of Mansfield pay the wages of a player injured during such a replay? Would you pay for lost of potential earning if by losing such player/s to injury LFC affect its chances of qualify for European placing or trophies?
    As a LFC fan since the 70's, all I can say is that the universe achieves its own equilibrium. You win some decisions, you lose some. Sometimes, in extreme cases you have what is termed as poetic justice.
    If you can see, all the Chief exec see's it as a revenue robbed rather then part and parcel of the game.
    Yes its a game, but no longer in totality because without the business aspect football clubs cease to exist or run the risk of going bust.
    Does it give one the right to be a moral policeman? I suppose one can, provided they are objective about the issue and have the ability to be impartial.
    I would not even bother writing this if you as the moral policeman had pointed out every wrong done by any player regardless of club since day one.
    Look within before we condemn others.

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  99. the replay offered isn't comparable to this situation. it is the norm to give the ball back when its knocked out for your injured player but no player is expected to own up to handballs, let alone unintentional ones.

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  100. That's it, no more holidays to classy resorts like Magaluf for you...

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  101. Whether Suarez deliberately cheated or not only he will know. I've seen enough footage the last few days. When I looked at it first, it looked like a blatant handball. Another look and I'm not so sure. I can see why many people are divided.


    Food for thought: If Liverpool apologized, wouldn't that be in defiance of the FA since they ruled the goal valid? Would that put them in the FA's bad books (they seem to fine anything and everything).

    In this case I think the club should have remained silent. Both managers have stated their case which actually favoured Suarez. So there was no need for the club to vindicate the goal (Robbie Fowler smh). It would've been the perfect opportunity to highlight the FA's incompetence but instead the club's defensive mentality botched it again.

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  102. This is an amazing over reaction - by Kanwar and the national media - and as our manager has correctly said it is only because it involved Suarez.  As a result the media smell blood and the chance to write headlines and page filling articles.  Did you read James Lawton in The i today and his assassination of Suarez? Embarrassing journalism. By posting a comment myself I am prolonging an unnecessary debate, so Lawton et al have succeeded there.  Damn you pesky journos!  

    Where is the line drawn on "awe, c'mon guys, it's not fair, give us another chance"?   What if the goal had come from a free kick that wasn't, a corner kick that should have been a goal kick, an offside perhaps?  What if the plucky underdogs had been in league 2, league 1 or The Championship?  What if it had been against Man U in the Final?  

    Kanwar is very quick to damn the management at the club for their handling of this "issue" but it is a non-issue.  The manager made his comments - it wasn't the big scripted defensive statement Kanwar makes out, just after match comments - but it doesn't need the club coming out with a formal statement or apology as Kanwar thinks just to satisfy the national media or the Mansfield chairman.  Its not about being arrogant, it just isn't necessary. Microcosmic issues such as this are over analysed in order to draw conclusions about the "decline of the club's standards". Horse sh*t!  It was unfortunate, but no more than that, really, and we should all move on. 

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  103. Sorry Jamie but your rants against the club, Suarez in particular and the madness of your drivel regarding how we as a club are seen are getting annoying now. I've read your posts or a while now and you seem to be falling into a void of bitterness and worry.

    Who cares how we are seen as a club?... I don't, neither should you!. As fans our priority should be to support the club through thick and thin regardless of performances, results, incidents on or off pitch. These "perceivers" (created a word there just for you) do not buy into the club with merchandise or any othe way to enhance or take the club forward so why the f**k should we care what they think?!!.

    When I was growing up my grandfather always said to me, "Listen boy don't ever worry about how people see you, you are you and no matter what others opinions are they can't change you. Stand up for what you believe and never back down if you believe you are right because the moment you back down you have been manipulated by the exact people who want to change the way you seem"

    Get over it, report some positives for a change.......

    Or support someone else. Simple as that.

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  104. I think the Kop should be reserved for singers/more vocal supporters etc but the rest of your opinions are just ignorant. Without 'out of towners' Liverpool would be the size of Mansfield, not to mention international/worldwide support. 

    You have the privilege of going to Anfield, but realise it is just a privilege and not a right - Because I am half way across the world and people dream of the privilege you have. So lighten up. 

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  105. Now that I'm not allowed to support LFC I'm only stuck with the woes of Sydney FC :) 

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  106. Jaimie, do you think Mansfield would have offered us a replay if one of their players got lucky on the pitch by ball going to hand and ending up in our net? I highly doubt it. 

    Your continuous finger pointing at Suarez is getting a bit boring now. Do you think most fans or Suarez gives a damn what you and other media outlets have to say about him? Just go look at 99% of all the posts in every single article you write about Suarez. You always end up defending your opinion re Suarez which makes you look a bit silly as I can hardly see any fans complaining about him in any of your articles about Suarez so what is the point when you know you are going to get a backlash everytime??? 

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  107. SYDNEY FC!! YOU MONSTER! go Victory!! lol

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  108. Argh I had a feeling you went for them :P 

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  109. one is a handball, one is an offside. the end result is the same if they both lead to goals. You are just overly emotional, shame boo hoo its a non league side. would you be demanding a replay if it was against manchester united?

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  110. I didn't realise that becuase a club is in the conference we should give them an easy game. Maybe next time we give them a 2 goal adavntage to make it fair?

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  111. I don't think you're insular Annie. Don't listen to him.

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  112. I don't give a toss whether Suarez gives a damn what I say about him. If you don't like articles about Suarez, don't read them.

    Why don't you try viewing the articles I've written about the Mansfield issue fairly. If you did, you'd see I wasn't pointing the finer at all; I even admitted there might not have been intent. This particular article is not even about Suarez, it's about the club's response.

    I don't write stuff to please people, or to curry favour or become everyone's best mate. I write what I believe, and if people don't like it then they don't have to read. It's that simple really.

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  113. I love the way you attack people that do not agree with you. The game is over, we won, we don't need to have a replay, that makes means i am pig headedly defensive and have a total rejection of humility, sportmanship and fair play. I wonder if your article adheres to your comment policy? Or does that not count?

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  114. I don't attack people who don't agree with me. That's nonsense.

    The line you quote is a general comment that refers to a group of people, not an individual. It is not an insult, it is a fact, and if you take offence, then clearly, the truth hurts.

    The comment policy outlaws personal insults/derogatory comments. Saying that fans responded with pigheaded defensiveness and rejected sportsmanship is not a personal insult.

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  115. you sir, have lost your bearings. You want us to believe that LFC as a club cannot go forward without offering them a replay whereas the reality is that asking for a replay with such a thread bare squad would be a huge mistake and would probably cause more troubles in this already tough season. These things happen in football and also in other spheres of life, you have to move on. Do you even realize that no one remembers what arsenal did in 1999 against sheffield but you are the only one going on and on about it and you think that you have some sort of a moral high ground on us(the realists) and LFC management , but the truth is that the most logical thing to do is to forget about it and move on and that is exactly what everyone has done , you can choose to have a different opinion but you should remember, that doesnt make you some sort of a superfan or flag bearer of fair play and justice, it just shows that you are a stubborn childish man who won't think twice before throwing logic out of the window again and again just because the logic is against your own set of moral codes and ethics made up in your mind.

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  116. Whatever happened to these reclaim the kop guys who were going to get their own section in the stadium?

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  117. so what makes me different to the "fans" you are having a go at? I believe that the majority of fans that want a replay are idiots. Don't find behind general terms, say what you mean. You think I have a total rejection of humility, sportsmanship and fair play because i do not agree with your point on this?

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  118. I think it's a disgrace that no one in the clubs hierarchy is willing to admit that the decision was unfair. Everyone knows it was a handball but some humility does not hurt. 

    But to be honest, I was not expecting anything from it. In the modern era these sort of things are becoming so prevalent that people become immune to it if they gain some sort of benefit.

    As much as I would like for the club to do the right think and at least admit what happen was wrong/unfortunate, I know they won't.

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  119. Oh for god sake give it a rest Mansfield. Stop crying about it. Bad decisions happen all the time in football.

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  120. find = hide, oops sorry

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  121. but we wouldn't have any players left as they are all not good enough ;)

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  122. It's not 'my point' - it's the self-evident failure to display any kind of humility and sportsmanship, and if you reject everything to do with fair play, then yes, that label applies to you. If you take it as a personal insult, that's your problem.

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  123. With the greatest respect Dough,you'r grampa could have been referring to JK

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  124. No, I said that one particular aspect of the situation is, imo, a fact. Don't twist my words.

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  125. You get over it. Why don't you accept that people have different opinions to you. Clearly, you don't like the fact my views don't jive with yours, hence your diatribe.

    I don't post stuff calling peoples' posts drivel, and telling them to change their minds. I may vehemently disagree with people, but I don't tell them what to think.

    That's the difference. People like you just can't handle the fact that other fans have different opinions to you.

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  126. I agree with you that the leadership of the club is poor J-Bone. But I think it's still better than last season's farce, although FSG have been far less vocal about things.
    I just think that, in your haste to invoke a rather idealised version of what LFC used to be and to suggest that the club should place more emphasis on public image, you've overlooked what the club actually IS based upon - winning. 

    When you infer that Brendan Rodgers or "anyone in the Anfield hierarchy" doesn't have the "best interests of the club" in mind, I presume you're talking about your own version of what you think the club's "best interests" are. 

    Because by qualifying for the next round of the FA Cup - in spite of whatever nefarious methods the ne'er sayers might think we've indulged in - it's fair to say that things have worked out in the "best interests of the club".

    I think you worry far too much about criticism. And in this situation, the criticism isn't something we should lose sleep about. Most of it is very tenuous and open to conjecture because the decision lies squarely with the officials - why should the club apologise for something that the officials felt was within the laws of the game?

    Outside of that, you're talking about grace as a club, and class. Well it's a lot easier to show grace and class when your team is the 1999 Arsenal side with quality in depth. Let's just say that Wenger showed charity from a position of power. We'll have plenty of time to show our 'class' when we're nailed on for the CL places and we've just won the double.

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  127. Just found them. Some of your posts ended up in the spam folder for some reason. Absolutely no idea why. Sorry about that - they're live now.

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  128. No problem, Jaimie - thanks! I think if I post too fast that can happen lol

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  129. Good points. You're right about the winning aspect, and yes, I may have an idealised view of what LFC should be.

    I am aware of that though; it's not naivite. It doesn't bother me though because it's not like I ouitline some unachievable, fantasy goal for the club; the things I suggest are easily achievable, and I live in hope that one day, the Reds will get owners and a manager who actually give a toss about fair play, sportsmanship, humility, and presenting the club in the best possible light.

    In the meantime, I will keep fighting for something I passionately believe in (i.e. sportsmanship, a humble approach by the club etc), even if no one else cares.

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  130. I'm not trying to twist your words. The way i read your article is that if i don't agree with one of the proposed action items, they i have no sense of sportsmanship or fair play. If this isn't the case then how am i supposed to read it?

    I honestly believe the way you phrase things incenses people, maybe you do this on purpose to get the debate going maybe this is just your writing style, but i think people get defensive about things as you are always attacking. I also believe the truth normally lies between your opinions and the opinions of must other people on this site.

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  131. I agree with you but I lack your energy Jaimie. I find it easier to have an idealistic notion of what the playing staff should be and how they should play. In this day and age, peripheral nonsense follows the most virtuous of clubs around, sadly.

    I don't know if you've read 'Barça' by Graham Hunter - I recommend it if you haven't already looked at it. There's a wonderful chapter on Pep Guardiola's methods and the philosophy of that club. I actually do think that what you're espousing for LFC IS achievable, but it would take a massive mindset change to English society, let alone to Liverpool.

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  132. i hope we score 2 handball goals, an offside goal and dive for a peno on sunday. that, my good friend, would make me happy. and you better believe i would be going to celebrate every single one of the goals.

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  133. You still did not answer the question whether Mansfield would have offered a replay to LFC should things have gone pear shaped for us...

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  134. Well, their average attendance of roughly 2,400 is actually closer to both, 7 and 700, than to 7,000. :-)

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  135. I just tell it like I see it. I'm the same in real life; I'm polite and respectful to everyone, but I don't moderate my views just to fit in, or keep people happy.

    I think you need to make a small distinction when you read the article:

    * My comment about pigheaded defensiveness/sportsmanship is aimed at those who completely dismissed the idea of a replay/apology, and made countless defensive excuses, and point blank refused to even consider the possibility. Those people, IMO, have no concept of sportsmanship.

    So, in my view, if someone disparages the notion of offering a replay/apology for something blatantly unfair, without even looking at the situation objectively, then they lack humility and any sense of fair play.

    I don't profess to be a purveyor of 'truth', and I don't hold myself out as being right all the time. That is what people project onto the situation, it doesn't come from me. I just give my opinion, just like you give yours. People are entitled to disagree, and I am entitled to defend it.

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  136. At least that would make it very interesting right from the off.

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  137. Liverpool are one of the richest clubs in Europe, and play in the Premier League; Mansfield are a non-league club whose gate receipts would struggle to pay Luis Suarez's salary for single day. If the roles were reversed then of course it would be great for them to offer a replay, but the fact is, the damage to Mansfield's reputation for not doing so is miniscule compared to negativity directed at LFC.

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  138. Good for you. I'm glad that being a lover of cheating makes you so happy. Except, of course, when Liverpool are the victims of cheating, at which point you (no doubt) turn into a hypocrite and start foaming at the mouth over the injustice of it all.

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  139. JK I commend your views on this, what do the other clubs sing to LFC . . . . . . . . Always the victims ? I think they may be right !

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  140. The fact that you're so obsessed about what other people, clubs, etc think about us, without even considering what is 'right' or 'wrong', is nothing other than an inferiority complex 

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  141. I wasn't suggesting that's what you said/meant (!) - I meant that encapsulates (for me) the general collective response from the club and some fans.

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  142. As many will probably attest, I lost the plot a long time ago.

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  143. I must give you props JK. 

    99.9% of us keep coming back although 99.9% of us disagree with everything you have to say!

    I'm not entirely sure why you follow football as it's in such disarray these days, would you not prefer a game which has a solid basis of integrity and gamesmanship i.e. Cricket??

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  144. Johnno, if you want your posts to stay live in future then drop the personal insults (edited out of the above post). If you can't get your point across in a civil manner then don't bother at all.

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  145. Excellent post, Greg. Perfectly encapsulates what I've been trying to get across.

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  146. Please google Hanse Cronje & match fixing =)

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  147. Don't ask me mate I'm 16983 kilometres away. I think it's a good idea though, it might enhance the atmosphere who knows. 

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  148. Problem here Jamie is that replays don't conclusively show ball-to-hand or a hand-ball. Reading your breakdown you make a good case for a hand-ball, but read  Rob Parrish's analysis on Sky and you can also see the case for ball-to-hand which is what the ref saw. Having said that, BR definately could have shown more apathy for mansfeild instead of quickly trying to defense LS yet again, and on that front I agree with you. But an apology/replay will only suggest that we believe 100% that we cheated which, and there is evidence to suggest, LS didnt. It's just interesting cause ball-to-hand in that situation by the letter of the law is ok, but you never see that today in football as the rule has basically been re-written to say any use of the arm to gain an advantage is handball regardless. If it really was ball-to-hand (and youd have to ask LS about that for the truth) then the ref made the right call as per the letter of the law and its liverpool who are being slated for it. It's like a ref giving a penalty for a shirt pull in the box that wins the game; right call by the letter of the law but never happens anymore and ppl would certainly complain it's a "soft" pen

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  149. Yikes... surely must have been in cahoots with a footballer ;)

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  150. you sure its that high,personally doubt it

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  151. whys it a excellent post because he agrees with you lol,well theres always one ;-)

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  152. According to following source it is (you'll have to scroll down for a while though):

    http://www.emfootball.co.uk/attend.html

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  153. this is why these posts are not needed always one

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  154. And this is the same Robbie Fowler who was used in a previous post as an example of goodwill to back up the suggestion of a replay!!

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  155. Didn't a player in the champions league this season score a goal like the overmars goal .I think he got a ban after. You see the difference that was blatant unsporting behaviour. The suarez incident is different

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  156. Hmmm, arsenal an enlightrned club, yeah right, i must have missed wenger & the club offering a replay after santi cazorlas blatant dive to win a pen recently

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  157. This is the same Fowler used yesterday as a unique example of fair play so clearly he is right up there in terms of morals?
    Could it not be that if so many respected figures in the game see it differently to you that perhaps you have got this one wrong Jamie?

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  158. Spot on Rob.

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  159. sponsers for one.

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  160. Jaimie, I think you are probably too concerned what others think about LFC reading the end of your post. Its amazing to me how a company director can have such a poor view and judgement to say what he has. HE should be ashamed, BR acted perfectly in his responses following the game and only narrow minded types would condemn LS for his actions. To have a pop at the fans is embarrassing really.

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  161. Why should the club apologize for a refereeing mistake? It makes no sense whatsoever. We have been at the wrong end of refereeing decisions for awhile now. 
    It will take a lifetime for manure to apologize for all the good fortune they have received from dubious refereeing decisions.
    Sportmanship is a virtue Jamie. 

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  162. He is bitter because he missed out lining his pocket if he got a replay at Anfield. His outburst is all about money. Blame the Ref not Suarez and not LFC.

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  163. How can you be sure? You are merely speculating, given the circumstances.

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  164. Absolute hysterical nonsense this debate. Where do you draw the line? Should we expect a replay because a 5th minute throw in was judged wrong? Please outline what type of incident you decree should result in a replay....

    Had Suarez goal been disallowed (nobody can definitively say the handball was deliberate; which it would have to be) then the course of the game would have changed and there is no goal scored by Mansfield. Maybe they then go on to win 4-1. Maybe we profit from a couple of lucky deflected strikes and end up winning 5-0: nobody knows.

    Can you also please stop using Arsenal (we charge our fans £100+ for a ticket and reinvest next to nothing in the team) and Arsene "I didn't see it"/"I refuse to shake hands in defeat" Wenger as an example of all that is god with the game. Where was Wenger when Pires shameful dive won that game against Portsmouth? Didn't see him remonstrating with the referee to change his mind about the penalty award. The circumstances against Sheffield United were so much different from this incident it's not even comparible- that was something that has maybe happened a handful of times in the history of the game not a handball decision that you might see in every game at either end of the pitch- and one that isn't even conclusive at that...

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  165. No? I find that a touch "pig headed", "lacking in humility", "stubborn" and "insular"! ;-)

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  166. Greetings from the USA.  I have been following Liverpool Football Club for a few years now and I wanted to talk with some other football fans.  Looking forward to discussing all topics LFC.

    A) Regarding the handball controversy, I give Suarez the benefit of the doubt that he didn't do it intentionally, mainly by his reactions immediately following the play. 

    But I certainly understand why people wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt due to his history.  Unfortunately, I feel as though the people that are vilifying him in this scenario are only doing it because it involved Suarez.  If say, the same exact situation occurred with Jonjo Shelvey, I think people would be attributing it to a simple stroke of bad luck for Mansfield, as opposed to this act of "cheating" which has been thrown about in random places.  Simply put, many people do not like Luis Suarez for various reasons, and they relish the chance to vilify him when they can.

    B) Now on to this particular article. I find it a bit "childish" (for lack of a better term) for the Mansfield Chairman to attack the LFC fans attending the game because they were "outsang".  It's petty and a bit classless. Nothing good comes out of it except he's using it as an attempt to tout himself.  Do I feel bad that they lost in the way they did; sure.  Am I sorry they lost? Absolutely not.

    In terms of Jaimie's argument that Liverpool should offer a replay, I simply disagree.  In essence, that is admitting that if the Suarez goal was disallowed, then the rest of the game would have continued on exactly as it had finished for the final 30 minutes, and resulted in a 1-1 draw.  But I'm not sure how anyone could legitimately make that claim one way or the other.  Yes, Mansfield was certainly more aggressive in the second half, but there's no guarantee that they still score (or don't score for that matter) and the same can be said for Liverpool.  There's too many "what if" scenarios that come into play.  Now, if the Suarez goal happened at the very end of the game and it was all but certain to have been the ultimate deciding goal, then I'd at least be able to grant that argument as more agreeable.  In fact, we were on the harsh end of the Everton game earlier this season when Suarez scored a goal in the last minute of 2nd half stoppage and was ruled offside incorrectly. We would have almost assuredly won that game as there were just seconds left, and it ultimately cost us two points.  Sometimes you get the call, sometimes you don't.

    Now in terms of the the humility/defensiveness angle, I disagree with this to the extent that I did not feel as though the post-game comments were in any way derogatory.  In fact, if I recall, Brendan Rodgers explained exactly what happened (he went to the 4th official for clarification), commended Mansfield for their efforts, to some degree sympathized with them, and tried to put a positive spin for Luis' efforts (mainly because he didn't see it as though Luis was intentionally trying to handle the ball).  Do I think BR has been too defensive at times this year as it relates to Suarez? Yes. However, I did not see this as one of those times.

    Finally, as it relates to the apology, I've never heard of any player, manager, coach, or team apologizing for winning.  I've heard people sympathize with their opponent (i.e. They played well but got a few unlucky bounces). 

    The referee made a mistake.  It happens.  Sometimes it works for you and sometime it works against you.  But no one will ever apologize for winning a game.

    Thanks for reading. Looking forward to a friendly discussion.
     

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  167. that bloke is truly twisted, would it be because his misses is soley with him for his money, and is probably getting rodgered by the lads.
    he needs to get his head out his arse. big fish in a little pond.
    he has great fans, shame hes  a first class pr#ck. sorry jk.

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  168. weve had plenty of them this season!! think its because people wanted an upset so badly, and Liverpool nowa days are in the gutter thanks to the press and scum like champion

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  169. I think he might be having a bit of a joke, scousers are known to have a sense of humour ye know!!
    one of the friendliest and funniest places in this country!
    but I would of taken a draw against Mansfield, and a last minute winner against united which involved a suarez handball lol,the bloke cant win, and he will get abused rotten and coins thrown at him this sunday, but hey that's okay its only luis suarez he deserves it.

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  170. but it wasn't written in a paper !!!!!!

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  171. 'your obsessed with right's and wrong's'

    Sorry mate but I have to call you out on this.. If ever there was someone obsessed with right's and wrongs it's your good self.

    Especially on this issue of fair play, sportsmanship , cheating etc.. You are the one that has adopted this insular and singular mentality. Right and wrong / Black and white.

    In fact so obsessed about the issue are you, I feel that LFC has just become a veichle for this crusade your on. Clearly the perception of the club and the need to validate it's once good standing whilst adressing any precieved imbalence is taken to the extreme.

    I find your view that because it was a non league team as one of the reason's for offering a replay quite contrdictory to you ethos of fair play. Isn't cheating cheating..Isn't fair play fair play for every one, in every same given situation ?? Isn't that the essence of fair play that everyone be treated equally ??

    Wonder if you would feel as strongly about the issue if it happened at old trafford ? Being mansfield has nothing to do with this issue .. The issue is the right thing to do and fair play.. and isn't the right thing to do the right thing to do regardless of the standing of a club or player ? You certainly adopt this attitude when adressing the issue of fair play.

    But you speak about ' context ' when it suits you, and dismiss it out of hand when presented to you in a counter argument with the ' right is right wrong is wrong ' party line. And may I add, it's not good enough to dismiss peoples 'reasons' for having a different view from your's as 'excuses' and labelling them pig-headed .. kettle pot black ??

    You clearly have a very strong opinion on and definition of fair play in sport. While I share this to a certain extent,can I just say that what you are seeking will not be found in football !

    It's like going to a strip club expecting a quite game of bridge .. it ain't going to happen. And for the record it never happened .. football was never the place where the best of sportsmanship thrived. For every one example of sportsmanship you can hold up, i'll give you a hundred(a weekend at this stage) to rebuff it.

    I have principles and ideals similar to yours but I learned a long time ago that football is not the place to apply them.. You will ,as you evidently are, drive yourself to distraction in doing so. 

    If it is enlightenment you seek, eventually you will come to realsie this danielson and it is only then that you will truely enjoy the circus !! :-)

    You canot save the 'beautiful game' Jaimie, may I suggest you save yourself.. and let it go ..

    YNWA

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  172. you and greg both sum it up well. liverpool right now simply lacks some moral integrity. 

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  173. no wonder man utd fans always chant "it's never your fault"

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  174. What posts are not needed ?

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  175. what a load of tosh jk.
    that's the only remark you deserve  for such drivel.

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