Liverpool face West Brom in the Premier League this Monday, and ahed of the game, Anfield legend Mark Lawrenson has called on the FA to give West Brom defender Goran Popov a 'hefty ban' for spitting at Spurs' Kyle Walker.
The Macedonia international was sent off three minutes into the second half for spitting towards Walker, but he claims it was not his intention to spit on the player. He told West Brom's website:
"I just want to say a big sorry to everyone. I didn't have the intention to spit on him – but it looked like that.
"The referee was close to me and saw that. This is not good for me because over the last two or three nights I have not slept too good. Something like this has never happened in my life."
Lawro isn't buying it though, and in his column for the Liverpool Daily Post today, he called Popov's behaviour 'horrible', and insisted that the defender 'should be ashamed of himself. He scathed:
"Popov should be ashamed of himself. Spitting is the worst and lowest form of foul play in football...and he should get a hefty ban for [the] shameful spitting incident. The most a club can fine a player is two weeks’ wages. But Popov should be hit for at least six weeks’ worth.
"Diving, and players making the most of receiving the slightest of touches, are blights on the modern game. Shirt-pulling has always happened but not to the extent it does now. But there is simply no room and no need for spitting"
Spitting is, indeed, the lowest of the low, and Liverpool fans know that all too well after the El Hadji Diouf incident against Celtic (!)
It will be interesting to see if Steve Clarke slaps Popov with an additional ban on top of the automatic red card ban.
It would be even more interesting to see how Liverpool fans would react if a Reds favourite (like Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard) spat at another player. I'm sure the revulsion LFC fans feel over Popov would quickly be replaced by the usual hypocritical rationalising/justifying/excuses. Let's hope we never have to find out.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
The Macedonia international was sent off three minutes into the second half for spitting towards Walker, but he claims it was not his intention to spit on the player. He told West Brom's website:
"I just want to say a big sorry to everyone. I didn't have the intention to spit on him – but it looked like that.
"The referee was close to me and saw that. This is not good for me because over the last two or three nights I have not slept too good. Something like this has never happened in my life."
Lawro isn't buying it though, and in his column for the Liverpool Daily Post today, he called Popov's behaviour 'horrible', and insisted that the defender 'should be ashamed of himself. He scathed:
"Popov should be ashamed of himself. Spitting is the worst and lowest form of foul play in football...and he should get a hefty ban for [the] shameful spitting incident. The most a club can fine a player is two weeks’ wages. But Popov should be hit for at least six weeks’ worth.
"Diving, and players making the most of receiving the slightest of touches, are blights on the modern game. Shirt-pulling has always happened but not to the extent it does now. But there is simply no room and no need for spitting"
Spitting is, indeed, the lowest of the low, and Liverpool fans know that all too well after the El Hadji Diouf incident against Celtic (!)
It will be interesting to see if Steve Clarke slaps Popov with an additional ban on top of the automatic red card ban.
It would be even more interesting to see how Liverpool fans would react if a Reds favourite (like Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard) spat at another player. I'm sure the revulsion LFC fans feel over Popov would quickly be replaced by the usual hypocritical rationalising/justifying/excuses. Let's hope we never have to find out.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
sorry Lawro, gotta disagree - as a Spurs fan I wasn't unhappy to see West Brom reduced to 10 men but too much was made of the spitting - no way did he mean to spit ON or AT Walker, more in his general direction
ReplyDeletehmmm spitting , very nasty , but not as bad as betting on your own team to lose when you're playing , maybe lawro should do a artical on match fixing too
ReplyDeleteYes, another Spurs supporter, I agree with Alan ....... he didn't spit AT Kyle, he simply spat ...... in every televised games we see spitting all the time, and when I played many years ago, I did it too. If he deserved punishment then each week you'd need to send of most of both sides. This is turning into a knee-jerk over-reaction.
ReplyDeleteEvery second post you make has to do with something Lawro says. And it's always negative with that guy..
ReplyDeletewhat do you mean it will be interesting to know if steve clarke picks him for monday night, he got a red card and will be banned anyway doooohhhhhh
ReplyDeleteLawro, how on earth do you keep getting paid to write and talk absolute tripe is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteJaimie you seem to bring Suarez into everything negative in some roundabout way. Noone was happy when Diouf did it. Its horrible. Although i think Popov just meant it in his general direction too, and not 'on' him.
ReplyDeletei dont know why footballers spit so much anyway have they got a constant stream of flem building up ...i train a lot and used to play football at a very low level even lower than anteater ( if possible ) and i cant remember spitting .....disgusting habit who ever perpetrates it .....what i find funny though is Jaimie bringing up two Liverpool icons ...and asking what excuse would we find.....well its obvious Mr kanwar any excuse we can think of that we think will wash
ReplyDeleteClearly he did try to spit on him, and it looked like he then spat again to make it look like he didn`t.
ReplyDeleteNot going to bite with the attempt to make it look like Liverpool fans would find a excuse, as this I think is suggesting the Liverpool fans arent clever enough to form there own view on every situation fairly, when I think most are. Showing contempt like this is a low blow IMO.
Long ban? nope, but a ban yes. make it 4 games, would be about right. The F.A set the bench mark by giving Terry only 4 games ban for racist abuse so giving any longer for spitting would undermine the fight to kick out Racists from football.
Its just one of them things that happens, we are all people, and just cause they play football don`t make them a saint, they will at times lose there temper, and some will go over the top, via spitting, hitting, kicking or verbal abuse. Hand out a ban, and move on.
I agree with you, another totally unnecessary comment in respect of Suarez.
ReplyDeleteJust in connection with what you said about spitting though. I did sometimes find it necessary to spit when I was playing football (must be an individual thing) but, it was always possible to simply aim at the floor and then clear it away with your boot, certainly never needed to actually spit out like Popov did.
You nearly finished your article about a negative (disgusting) incident; without mentioning Luis Suarez, although you did temper it with mentioning Stevie Gerrards name. Nearly but not quite!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCan I know what a west brom player and situation is doing on this site, I thought this site is about lfc?!
ReplyDeleteIt was disgusting alright, but don't think he spat on opponent......
ReplyDeleteIt was more like a disrespectful gesture in opponent's direction, perhaps a little more acceptable in his own culture.
Hopefully he learns quickly now, and there is no repeat. An extended ban isn't necessary.
Rudi Voeller and Rijkaard showed how to it properly in Italia 90
Who are you, the forum police? Do you have a flashing light on ur head and a ticket book?
ReplyDelete