The FA publish written reasons for Suarez's ban

[Anubis]

It's a story run by the Times in which Luis offers an non-spologetic apology without apologising to Evra, nor accepting guilt. Sadly, I suspect, at the behest of our owners.

[russellgsy]

Thursday's Times back page #tomorrowspaperstoday on Twitpic Edited January 4, 2012 by russellgsy
WRONG LINK

[Tyler Durden]

Wonder what the blurb about 'Liverpool defence new plan of attack' means. That's if it's not talking about the team

[xerxes]

It's a story run by the Times in which Luis offers an non-spologetic apology without apologising to Evra, nor accepting guilt. Sadly, I suspect, at the behest of our owners.

 

I agree that this has the fingerprints of JW all over it. I have criticised some at the Club before for being asleep at the wheel on this. It looks like JW has climbed into the cab,turned off the engine, and walked away with the keys.

 

An apology for any UNINTENDED offence should have been offered right at the start, nothing to lose, everything to gain. Win/win.Shut things down quickly.

 

Now detractors will say it insincere and offered under duress,hey,ho.It should never have come to this.

[Anubis]

I agree that this has the fingerprints of JW all over it. I have criticised some at the Club before for being asleep at the wheel on this. It looks like JW has climbed into the cab,turned off the engine, and walked away with the keys.

 

An apology for any UNINTENDED offence should have been offered right at the start, nothing to lose, everything to gain. Win/win.Shut things down quickly.

 

Now detractors will say it insincere and offered under duress,hey,ho.It should never have come to this.

 

We don't agree at all. I'm very unhappy about it. I don't want him forced into any apology. It just gives further ammunition to the parasitical press. And I'm very disappointed at Tony because his assertion that Luis apologises to Evra couldn't be more wrong. I'm seriously pissed off at our owners intervention over the last few days. Especially the bullshit references to American sports. They are businessmen protecting their asset. In doing so they have made a mockery of the club's anthem. I found Kenny's comments regarding the statement yesterday illuminating.

[Guest alantkayll]

Its not an apology to Evra at all. He is sorry if it offended anybody. Tony Barrett's article is a fucking disgrace to say it was an apology to Evra.

[Dicko]

 

 

 

"Whether you are Luis Suarez or Dobson and Norris, racism won't be tolerated"

 

I hope Patrice Evra shrivels up and dies of shame. And that goes for every tabloid hack who's distortions have ruined a mans reputation forever.

 

As for LFC.

Hire a competent legal team next time.

[Anubis]

Where is that quote from, Dicko?

[xerxes]

There is a thread on the official forums that states' date=' If lfc had have appealed it would have been an admission of guilt.

 

I think this is a very good point because as we all know we were actually unable to appeal the decision of the commission only the terms of punishment.

[/quote']

 

It is not true that we could not have appealed agianst the verdict.We were free to appeal against either the verdict, or the ban.

 

It is true that to appeal against the ban we would have been accepting the verdict.

 

We appealed against neither the verdict, not ban, accepting both.

 

The following are the grounds for Appeal as listed on the FA's website:

 

 

a) Failed to give the appellant a fair hearing

b) Failed to comply with the Disciplinary Procedures relevant to the hearing of the charge

c) Came to a decision on the facts of the case which no reasonable body could have reached

d) Imposed a punishment without reasons, not conforming with the Schedule Guide to

Recommended Punishments

e) Imposed an award, order or any other sanction that is excessive.

[mike23]

Well they didn't give him a fair hearing, they did reach a decision based on the facts of the case which no reasonable body could have reached, and the sanction was certainly excessive.

 

Unfortunately the FA won't agree with me on this view.

[xerxes]

We don't agree at all. I'm very unhappy about it. I don't want him forced into any apology. It just gives further ammunition to the parasitical press. And I'm very disappointed at Tony because his assertion that Luis apologises to Evra couldn't be more wrong. I'm seriously pissed off at our owners intervention over the last few days. Especially the bullshit references to American sports. They are businessmen protecting their asset. In doing so they have made a mockery of the club's anthem. I found Kenny's comments regarding the statement yesterday illuminating.

 

 

 

The point of agreement is our hunch that this is JW driven.

 

Evan’s point, which I agree with, is that an early apology for UNINTENDED offence may well have shut this down in days- game over. As it is, that same apology has very different ramifications now which are uncomfortable, and now cause more problems than it solves.

 

The reason why FSG appear to have become involved is because this case had been allowed to career out of control – we were asleep at the wheel.

 

Liverpool are a Club known across the world. Our fine reputation has been built up over decades, that was being damaged. It is the Directors job to deal with that. Racism is toxic above virtually everything else. Our failure to successfully make our case left FSG with little option.

 

Kenny’s comments were the reverse of illuminating. If there is something to say – say it. If we should appeal -appeal.

 

The FA has not branded Luis a racist. Evra has not branded Luis a racist. The evidence is of an unremarkable on field spat, with both parties culpable, in an on field battle played out many Saturday afternoons, which has been allowed to spiral out of control. I predicted that JW would be unimpressed – I think I have been vindicated.

 

Luis has every right to be feeling pretty sore about this- he has every right to have expected better from those who should have known better.

 

The fans? We get behind the players- not the suits.

[Coro]

 

Kenny’s comments were the reverse of illuminating. If there is something to say – say it.

 

'It's unfortunate we cannae say anymore.' - Dalglish.

[Kevin D]

"I have been vindicated".

 

Class.

[Guest alantkayll]

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez says sorry... but not to Manchester United's Patrice Evra

Luis Suárez has issued an apology for using the word "negro". But he won't be apologising to Patrice Evra.

 

Liverpool's Luis Suarez says he sorry - but not to Manchester United's Patrice Evra Phot

 

By Chris Bascombe

 

Under mounting pressure to show contrition for the language which led to his eight-game suspension, the South American on Wednesday night said sorry for any offence he may have caused.

However, he has not apologised to Evra - and has no intention of doing so - and maintained his position that he had not expected his choice of language to be deemed punishable.

“I admitted to the commission that I said a word in Spanish once, and only once, and I told the panel members that I will not use it again on a football pitch in England,” Suárez said. “I never, ever used this word in a derogatory way and if it offends anyone then I want to apologise for that.”

Liverpool and Suárez felt a public apology was necessary in order to further draw a line under the saga having abandoned plans to appeal the judgment of the Independent Regulatory Commission.

Liverpool maintain their star striker was let down by the flaws in the Football Association’s disciplinary system, by his own club’s naive response when the allegations were made and by a zeal within English football to make a statement on their zero tolerance to racial abuse.

 

It was Suárez’s admission he used the word “negro” once that ultimately led to the charge being brought against him, and his guilt being established.

Anfield sources believe it was actually the Uruguayan’s misguided honesty that set the train in motion leading to his eight-game ban, but they are still livid and bemused by a verdict which claims he used the word seven times.

They believe there is a failure on the commission’s part to justify how the figure of seven was reached, and why Evra’s initial complaint it was “10 times” and Sir Alex Ferguson’s argument it was “five” was not considered a fundamental inconsistency in the evidence.

The commission stated Evra’s claim of 10 was “a figure of speech” within the French language. The commission also did not consider it relevant to the accuser’s credibility that in his first statement Evra said Suárez used the word “nigger”, a much more severe term of racial abuse. It was Suárez who first brought the word “negro” to the FA’s attention .

Liverpool believe that in the aftermath of its power struggle with Fifa president Sepp Blatter, the FA was determined to take a hardline approach and Suárez was simply in the wrong political environment at the wrong time.

When Liverpool completed their own post-mortem into what went wrong in their own handling of the situation, they concluded Suárez was ill-advised to make any admission that he said anything to Evra. The greatest irony, according to the Anfield hierarchy, is that Suárez’s testimony was considered reliable when he admitted using the word “negro” but dismissed on virtually everything else. Evra, in contrast, was shown to be seriously wrong in his translation of what Suárez said on the pitch, but was said to be a “reliable” witness.

An admission by Evra he used insulting language to Suárez, which provoked the confrontation, has not led to a disciplinary charge against the United defender in breach of rule E3 - another point of lingering discontent at Anfield.

Manager Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli, who reported to referee Andre Marriner and fourth official Philip Dowd immediately after the fixture with Manchester United on Oct 15, believe their co-operation actually damaged Suárez’s case.

In future, should a complaint similar to Evra’s be made against a Liverpool player in the immediate aftermath of a match, the management team believe a policy of initial silence is the safest course of action. That, they believe, sets a poor precedent for English football.

They have noted how Ferguson displayed his in-depth knowledge of procedure by asking the referee and fourth official to make an immediate written record. Privately, there is some acknowledgement at Anfield that Liverpool themselves did not exactly cover themselves in glory in their responses to the charges.

In hindsight, there is acceptance Liverpool would have been best advised to have explained the misunderstanding and present Suárez’s version of events more openly immediately after the game.

Instead, rumour, ill-will and innuendo was allowed to flourish, and the insistence on clearing Suárez’s name after the original, more insidious allegations - which Evra later retreated from - appeared to provoke blind fury at Anfield.

Amid all the argument and acrimony, there is a sad conclusion to be reached by all parties as they read the latest, more contrite statement from Suárez. Had it been issued on Oct 16, just 24 hours after the altercation with Evra, the sentence would not have been so severe and Liverpool’s sense of injustice would not be so enduring.

[Redshadow]

Xerxes? We didn't accept the ban's premise of being correct (i.e. OK due to verdict's Reasoning) That much was made clear by the Statement we released & the fact it made Very clear that the Only reason we didn't appeal is the unfairly weighted appeals process. And yet again you? Are Another one who fails entirely (rather silly if you ask me due to the current furore over this subject elsewhere in the news?) to notice that FA/Kangaroo Courts can say What they like but? For Suarez to Really be branded a Racist? He would have to be convicted in a proper English (Not Sporting) Court. He wasn't - So he's Not a Racist (also alluded to by the idiot who Began all this & the Panel themselves amongst others) That joke of a verdict? Would last all of Five minutes in a normal Court if that & what you have Failed to see as many others have in all this?

 

We might Yet See it tried in Open Court - Suarez is Perfectly entitled in his Own right as are the club? To take the FA/Daily Mirror Certainly & maybe even Evra, Not to mention Various other parties who've done this (particularly Certain Journalists *) to court for Slander/Libel/Defamation of Character/Character Assassination etc. Then? The reasons For the Verdict And the Ban? Would almost Certainly be Utterly destroyed in public leaving the FA's ruling? And their authority? Completely untenable & them? Totally humiliated. I will say again? Suarez as a citizen Or the Club as an entity are perfectly entitled to do this if they feel so slighted And Nothing or No-one can stop them whatever you or others might think..................

 

* I say Certain Journalists? I mean actually One in particular - That utter T*at Danny Fullbrook of the Star whose Openly called Suarez a racist & the same to the club Numerous times, absolutely Rained insults down on Kenny on Twitter & mysteriously went quiet after getting an absolute barrage from Reds fans in response between 21 December & our decision not to appeal the other day - Then? He was back, full of himself & gobbing off to all & sundry about us once more - I & various others? Have given him a Real battering on Twitter but Still he carries on. In short? If you want to see what nearly All the papers Really think of us? Read some of what That Prat's written - Biased, Prejudiced, Untrue & Virulently Anti-City of Liverpool never mind the Club? Doesn't Begin to describe it. I've read at least Five different tweets by him last week (last year now LOL) Alone that he could be up in Court for & Still he carries on labelling Suarez & Us racists, Kenny an idiot & our fans as well, militants to say the least. That is what we're up against though. The crap we get in nearly all the papers now? Makes a lot more sense seeing some of the vileness behind it all & Thinking about it? That idiot is no doubt the Tip of the Iceberg quite clearly & then some .........

 

NB Xerxes? Look at the System & How it is weighted re Appeals - Not Worth Bloody appealing as we all Know we'd end up just effectively handing them a gun on our season & telling them to Fire it once more. As to something to say? What? We could attack the reasoning for the verdict but have already done that, suggest a conspiracy? Done to - But we Have to be careful right now what with the Lawrence Case & the firestorm surrounding it right now along with various bleeding hearts idiots (probably not a few of whom are Scum fans) looking to make capital out of this mess by getting a shot in at us or our name. Far better to allude to dark forces, totally rip to shreds the FA's actions & statements in public - All of which we've done & then? Go quiet & work to ensure the verdict? Is dissected in open court - Something which can be done at Any time on the word of either Luis or the Club - Nothing can stop us taking people or various bodies to Court for Slander/Libel/Defamation etc When We choose & I suspect JH has reminded the Club's management of this & decided to play the long game.

 

Rest assured though? This almost certainly Will reach the Civil Courts somehow eventually (Far to many false allegations of 'Racist' flying around for it Not to & that's not mentioning the original Joke.....ahem decision) & When it does? Evra's pathetic little story will be torn to shreds by any half-decent QC within all of Five minutes as it so richly deserves. Wonder what the FA will say & do then? Probably what the initials of their name suggest if recent historys anything to go by. Still, such humiliation as what I suggest us doing Will visit upon them? Is the Least those arrogant tossers deserve & they'll get it - Mark my Words..........

 

NBB I'm absolutely sick of this 'mounting pressure' crap - Especially from idiots like Clarke Carlisle & that prat Jason Roberts along with various bleeding hearts piece of crap pressure groups who no doubt want to publicise Their little corner at our expense. Also notice Much of it? Comes via Twitter & deliberately ignores the fact we didn't appeal Because of the appeals system rather than any belief in Luis' guilt which they're now determined to get us to admit; Anyway, I think our fans should give them an absolute barrage via Twitter & stand our corner a Lot more robustly rather than let this 'drip-drip' of demanding ever more of us to continue - They'll be trying to get Luis to kiss the Carpet at the entrance to Old Trafford next at this rate. Not only must that Stop? We should reverse it & turn it Back on them - They're not exactly Immune to being racist themselves no? After all - Assuming Luis & other Uruguayans? Don't Know or understand Our ways? Is racist in itself - I suggest a few of us remind Them of it & see what the arrogant idiots say. Else this mess will continue & to our detriment. I suggest we take the fight To them now............

Edited January 5, 2012 by Redshadow

[Dicko]

Where is that quote from, Dicko?

 

Outside court today.

[torahboy]

Would it be defamatory to refer to Evra as a cowardly, snivelling, lying cunt? Or would it just be accurate?

 

Bascombe is right that anger can make one lose one's logic. Yet when logic and honesty are applied and an illogical and dishonest outcome transpires then anger is only to be expected.

 

Jason Roberts thinks Evra has been 'forgotten' in the furore over Suarez's punishment. Believe me, Mr Roberts, Evra will never be forgotten - nor forgiven. The lying cunt.

[xerxes]

Would it be defamatory to refer to Evra as a cowardly, snivelling, lying cunt? Or would it just be accurate?

No.Probably.;)

[goatboy59]

Evan’s point, which I agree with, is that an early apology for UNINTENDED offence may well have shut this down in days- game over.

 

Not at the time when it's going all around the world that "Suarez called me a nigger over ten times?

 

How on earth do you say "sorry for any offence I may have caused" after that?

 

The initial United accusation sets the tone and it is nigh-on uncontrollable from there.

[TheDrowningMan]

Hey hey! Everyone on the bandwagon!

 

 

I wonder if that City fan waved his little placards when Stuart Pearce was manager?

 

I'll leave it to the ever-consistent Gordon Taylor to explain...

 

Said & Done: Gordon Taylor, Rio and the Mail on Sepp | Football | The Observer

 

Man of the week: PFA head Gordon Taylor – says Sepp's view on "heat of the moment" racism is "embarrassing... he doesn't understand how divisive racism is. Saying that anyone on the receiving end should just treat it as part of the game and shake hands, it's outrageous. He's just not with it." (1994: Taylor says Stuart Pearce's alleged racist abuse of Paul Ince was "in the heat of the moment … Stuart regrets what he said, and he'll be ringing Paul to apologise. Hopefully that will be the end of it.")

[TheHowieLama]

Xerxes?

 

Coulda just left it here fella.

[Iceman]

Hey hey! Everyone on the bandwagon!

 

 

 

Look at me, look at me!

[TheHowieLama]

Look at me, look at me!

 

The fella over his left shoulder might be thinking something, and the old boy to his right hand is.

[Iceman]

.

[Iceman]

Hey hey! Everyone on the bandwagon!

 

 

 

The placard should read "this is what it looks like when you swallow a load from Patrice Evra."