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Go fuck yourselves FSG


Neil G
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Liverpool Football Club is being urged by senior politicians to drop Standard Chartered as a front-of-shirt sponsor as the bank faces a backlash for endorsing China’s “brutal human rights abuses” in Hong Kong.

In a letter to executives at Anfield, the three vice-chairmen of Parliament’s all-party group for Hong Kong say the club’s continued association with Standard Chartered amounts to a “stain” on its reputation because of the bank's support for a controversial security law.

Standard Chartered has been Liverpool’s main sponsor since 2010, with its logo plastered across the shirts of top-flight players such as Jordan Henderson, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

The bank agreed earlier this month to extend the deal by another four years to 2027, generating a reported £50m per year for Liverpool - up from a previous figure of £40m.

But in their letter, crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool, Tory peer Lord Shinkwin and Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh call for the club to “send a clear message” and cut ties in protest.

They accuse Standard Chartered of being “complicit” in Beijing’s ruthless crackdown in Hong Kong, where more than 10,000 citizens have been arrested for participation in pro-democracy demonstrations since the introduction of a new law that effectively outlaws protest.

The bank has publicly endorsed the law, claiming that it can “help maintain the long term economic and social stability of Hong Kong”, despite widespread condemnation from the West.

In their letter, the APPG vice-chairmen said: “Standard Chartered has made no apparent effort to stand up for human rights and principles of freedom and democracy, from which they benefit as a UK headquartered company.

“Even as daily reports of fresh arrests, intimidation and incarceration demonstrate the national security law’s systematic attack on democracy, the bank has continued to expand its operations in Hong Kong and China.  

“Liverpool Football Club encapsulates some of the very best values of integrity and respect. To receive financial support from a company that profits from human rights abuses is a stain on that exemplary reputation.”

Standard Chartered has a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Liverpool until 2026-27
Standard Chartered has a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Liverpool until 2026-27 Credit: Shaun Brooks

The letter called on Liverpool's board to urgently “reconsider this business relationship and look elsewhere for sponsorship”.

It said: “We must show Hongkongers that they are not alone, that those who support their oppression will not benefit from doing so, and that Liverpool Football Club supports human rights and freedom.”

Standard Chartered declined to comment.

The national security law was passed by China's national legislature and imposed in Hong Kong in 2020.

It was rushed through following a wave of protests in the former British territory over plans to allow extradition of people in Hong Kong to the mainland, which had been widely seen as an effort by Beijing to silence dissent. 

The law criminalises separatism, subversion, terrorism, foreign interference and any “acts” which - according to the state - threaten national security.

It has been condemned by western diplomats, with the US claiming the change had destroyed the autonomy promised to Hong Kong under the “One Country, Two Systems” that was agreed during the handover of the territory from the UK to China.

Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership contender, has said the Chinese authorities have “stifled opposition, criminalised dissent and driven out anyone who can speak truth to power” in the city since the law was passed.

Despite this, some British-based companies with heavy presences in China, including Standard Chartered and HSBC, have controversially backed the laws. 

Liverpool and John Henry, the club’s billionaire American owner, have also faced controversy before over their links to China.

In 2018 the club was hit by protests over its partnership agreement with Tibet Water Resources, which critics said benefitted from “the Chinese government's brutal occupation of Tibet”.

Mr Henry, who has an estimated fortune of $3.5bn (£2.9bn), is also the owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball team and the Boston Globe newspaper.

His company, Fenway Sports Group, did not respond to a request for comment.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/07/29/liverpool-fc-stained-sponsorship-deal-china-cheerleader-standard/

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Don’t see this is particularly Liverpools issue as such. Maybe these politicians should go after china directly.

Governments should be doing more against china regards potential Taiwan invasion. I’m sure Truss will get tough on Hong Kong if she actually knows where it is.

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7 minutes ago, A_S said:

Nike too? Where does it end?

 

It's another reason why I'm not so arsed about the LIV golf stuff either. Everyone carrying on like the PGA Tour is a white knight is absurd. 

Bet you're a huge PSG, Man City and Newcastle fan then. 

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5 minutes ago, A_S said:

Nike too? Where does it end?

 

It's another reason why I'm not so arsed about the LIV golf stuff either. Everyone carrying on like the PGA Tour is a white knight is absurd. 


Off topic, but LIV golf is just absolute shite though. They’re virtual exhibitions with no incentive for players to practice and play well. They can’t even give tickets away. 

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It’s a silly argument IMO. Don’t know who has written it, but there is a difference between global business practice of a sponsor and state ownership.

 

Of course it’s very easy to use as a counter argument if the narrative suits and let’s be honest, we all hate elements of modern football due to the global aspect.

 

But it’s like saying Barclays shouldn’t have any dealings in football if they funded Iraq war as it means we all supported it.

 

Just does not hold up.

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2 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

Bet you're a huge PSG, Man City and Newcastle fan then. 

It's not really the same in a team sport where accumulating top players to represent a single team creates a huge gulf in overall skill, ability, etc, hence the need for salary caps or some form of financial restraints. 

 

Regardless of how much money any single player makes, it's still just him against another individual. 

 

And to follow professional sports now, it's pretty difficult to not be at least a bit hypocritical. That is fine, if people can recognize it for what it is. It's all the moralistic stuff (ie PGA = good, LIV = bad) that is just silly, in my opinion. 

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53 minutes ago, A_S said:

It's not really the same in a team sport where accumulating top players to represent a single team creates a huge gulf in overall skill, ability, etc, hence the need for salary caps or some form of financial restraints. 

 

Regardless of how much money any single player makes, it's still just him against another individual. 

 

And to follow professional sports now, it's pretty difficult to not be at least a bit hypocritical. That is fine, if people can recognize it for what it is. It's all the moralistic stuff (ie PGA = good, LIV = bad) that is just silly, in my opinion. 

Not to get in a golf debate but the PGA Tour is literally a non-profit. You're comparing that versus a nation starting a golf league with unlimited money with its only goal to sportswash. It's a horrendous example. 

 

Secondly, your argument is about as tired as it gets. It's just whataboutism. Saying the world is grey rather than black or white is not a smart point. Intelligent people can still figure out who the actual bad guys are. 

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1 hour ago, 3 Stacks said:

Not to get in a golf debate but the PGA Tour is literally a non-profit. You're comparing that versus a nation starting a golf league with unlimited money with its only goal to sportswash. It's a horrendous example. 

 

Secondly, your argument is about as tired as it gets. It's just whataboutism. Saying the world is grey rather than black or white is not a smart point. Intelligent people can still figure out who the actual bad guys are. 

Insult me all you like, dude. Intelligent people can clearly work out good v bad, according to you, so where is this line drawn? Enlighten me. Please. 

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9 hours ago, A_S said:

Nike too? Where does it end?

 

It's another reason why I'm not so arsed about the LIV golf stuff either. Everyone carrying on like the PGA Tour is a white knight is absurd. 

Arent LIV backed by the government who murdered and dismembered a dissenting journalists body? Anybody who signs up for that is an absolute cunt(players I mean.) While I am sure the PGA are cunts too,I'm not sure they've come close to going that far.

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In 2021, China was our biggest importer ( £ 63.6 billion ) and 6th highest for exports ( £ 18.8 billion ). Unless the government is planning to bring in sanctions to stop this trade, I am not sure why Standard Chartered are being singled out )

 

It is why I always feel a bit sorry for Eddie Howe being attacked by journalists who would never dream of querying our government selling £500 billion worth of arms to his employers.

 

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3 minutes ago, sir roger said:

In 2021, China was our biggest importer ( £ 63.6 billion ) and 6th highest for exports ( £ 18.8 billion ). Unless the government is planning to bring in sanctions to stop this trade, I am not sure why Standard Chartered are being singled out )

 

It is why I always feel a bit sorry for Eddie Howe being attacked by journalists who would never dream of querying our government selling £500 billion worth of arms to his employers.

 

Eddie Howe can choose who he works for.

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Newcastle are owned by a nation state, one known to of had a journalist murdered and dismembered just because they didn't like his opinions. That's just one known murderous act. If the head of standard chartered comitted that crime he'd be in prison. The Premier league are a disgrace for allowing the Newcastle ownership to go through and even more disgusting that their only problem was with illegal streaming in their country.

 

Eddie howe as the spokesman for the team should be asked the question every single time he's on TV, the sportwashing should be highlighted always. No cleaning of blood here we will highlight those stains 

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31 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

 

Eddie howe as the spokesman for the team should be asked the question every single time he's on TV, the sportwashing should be highlighted always. No cleaning of blood here we will highlight those stains 


IMO, it’s nothing to do with Howe. He’s a football coach, not an ambassador for international relations / business.


Amanda Staveley is the one who should be asked all the difficult questions, I’m sure she has far more history and knows far more about the Saudi’s than Howe ever will.

 

 

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10 minutes ago, Scott_M said:


IMO, it’s nothing to do with Howe. He’s a football coach, not an ambassador for international relations / business.


Amanda Staveley is the one who should be asked all the difficult questions, I’m sure she has far more history and knows far more about the Saudi’s than Howe ever will.

 

 

Yeah she should but she’s cowardly and lion…

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Eddie Howe surely knows what the owners have done though, doesn't he? He surely knows that they had a journalist killed and dismembered. Or is he ignorant to that. Frankly that says a hell of a lot about Eddie Howe. The type of man that can take the Newcastle job on knowing full well who he is employed by. He's a disgrace. 

 

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Was Ericksen ever pressed over Sinawatra?

 

Has any City manager ever been pressed over UAE’s human rights record?

 

Has any PSG coach ever been pressed on Qatar’s human rights record?

 

What would we have been like had the China or Dubai deals gone through? 

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