Loan Sharks Issue 5
It has been a while since I've done a Loan Sharks Issue, yet we still have players on loan and I think it's a decent column to write up all the performances of the loanees.
Roma 2-3 Milan
Alberto Aquilani played the full 90 minutes for AC Milan. In this thrilling game he assisted all three Milan goals as every goal was headed in by each of his crosses. Aquilani continues to shine in Italy and it would no surprise if, come January, Milan look to buy a quality midfielder. On the back of the win, Milan topped Serie A for a few hours, however Juventus won the Derby D'Italia by beating Inter Milan 2-1 at the San Siro. Juventus now top the table with a 2 point lead.
Valenciennes v Lille
Joe Cole came on in the 77th minute to replace Moussa Sow. He played out a draw which sees Lille stay 3rd on 23 points. Cole has seen some fine form recently and remains something of a success at Lille.
Villareal 2-0 Rayo Vallecano
Dani Pacheco came off the bench in the 67th minute to see out a 2-0 loss to Villareal.
The loss leaves Rayo Vallecano in 9th position on 12 points.
Burnley 3-1 Blackpool
Jonjo Shelvey played the full 90 minutes for Blackpool in their loss to Burnley. The midfielder scored a decent goal deep into stoppage time at the end of the second half. He was also booked for a foul on Ben Mee.
The loss sees Blackpool on 19 points and in 13th place.
Bury 1-2 Stevenage
David Amoo didn't feature for Bury as they sank to a defeat. They are 18th on 16 points.
Rochdale 0-2 Leyton Orient
Stephen Darby and Nathan Ecclestone both played 68 minutes for Rochdale in their 2-0 loss to the O's.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Hull
Peter Gulacsi sat out the 1-0 win on the bench. Hull continue to dominate their away fixtures, losing only 2 of their last 25 away matches. Hull are now 6th on 24 points and occupy a play off position.
Fortuna Dussledorf
Villyan Bijev hasn't featured for the Bundesliga 2 outfit yet.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Sunday, 30 October 2011
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool 29/10/11
The media had been hyping this league encounter all week. It was the visit of the club that had forced Roy Hodgson out. Delicious stuff for the papers, including the last time we came to the Hawthornes we lost, a statistic often thrown around when discussing Roy and West Brom.
Finding decent form is a struggle for Liverpool at the moment, however a 2-1 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium in the Carling Cup fourth round, should provide the platform for a good run.
The Liverpool team set out as a 4-2-3-1. At the back there was a new centre back pairing of Skrtel and Agger as Johnson and Enrique took up their flank positions. The midfield boasted Lucas and Adam, behind the three of Downing, Henderson and Suarez. Carroll played up front on his own.
Dalglish was forced to leave the talismanic Gerrard and Carragher out of the side due to injury. Fans went into overdrive on twitter, on one hand salivating at the possibility of a Skrtel and Agger defence and on the other hand fearing the worst for the midfield. No one need have had a concern though.
Yesterdays game was dominated by Liverpool. They had 56% possession and 17 shots, 4on target, with 2 in the back of the net.
There weren't many controversies to speak about in the first half, Olsson clearly had an agenda to stop Suarez and Carroll, as he repeatedly fouled both and brought Carroll down in the box, without a penalty being awarded. Suarez was fouled running the ball out of the 18 yard area, Jay Emmanuel Thomas running a leg across Suarez.
Adam and Carroll argued over who would take the penalty, Adam brushed aside Carroll and placed the ball. He had to wait nearly a minute as two West Brom defenders tried to sandwich Carroll and prevent him running onto any rebound. Eventually Adam took it and slotted home easily enough.
West Brom didn't really mount a serious response to going behind and on the stroke of half time, into one minute of injury time, Lucas played out a killer pass on the outside of his right foot to Suarez. Suarez volleyed a first time pass to Carroll who was unmarked and who ran towards the goal, Foster rushed out to meet Carroll whose first touch was heavy, yet as Foster went to ground, Carroll poked a left footed shot through his legs and into the goal.
After the break it was relentless pressure from Liverpool, but the game was over. West Brom tried to mount attacks yet they had no real steam. Liverpool made one change, that of Suarez and Bellamy in the 81st minute.
All in all, it was a good days work from Liverpool, a clean sheet for Reina as captain and the partnership of Skrtel and Agger. It was always going to be a match of intense scrutiny from the fans as Carragher and Gerrard were both injured. However the class of Lucas and Adam shone through in the midfield with Henderson coming on in leaps and bounds. Skrtel and Agger seemed relaxed and their performance was full of bold moves to break up the play.
Liverpool back up to fifth and hoping for Tottenham and Newcastle to lose or draw. The race for fourth place is starting to take shape as Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool seem the likely candidates.
Finding decent form is a struggle for Liverpool at the moment, however a 2-1 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium in the Carling Cup fourth round, should provide the platform for a good run.
The Liverpool team set out as a 4-2-3-1. At the back there was a new centre back pairing of Skrtel and Agger as Johnson and Enrique took up their flank positions. The midfield boasted Lucas and Adam, behind the three of Downing, Henderson and Suarez. Carroll played up front on his own.
Dalglish was forced to leave the talismanic Gerrard and Carragher out of the side due to injury. Fans went into overdrive on twitter, on one hand salivating at the possibility of a Skrtel and Agger defence and on the other hand fearing the worst for the midfield. No one need have had a concern though.
Yesterdays game was dominated by Liverpool. They had 56% possession and 17 shots, 4on target, with 2 in the back of the net.
There weren't many controversies to speak about in the first half, Olsson clearly had an agenda to stop Suarez and Carroll, as he repeatedly fouled both and brought Carroll down in the box, without a penalty being awarded. Suarez was fouled running the ball out of the 18 yard area, Jay Emmanuel Thomas running a leg across Suarez.
Adam and Carroll argued over who would take the penalty, Adam brushed aside Carroll and placed the ball. He had to wait nearly a minute as two West Brom defenders tried to sandwich Carroll and prevent him running onto any rebound. Eventually Adam took it and slotted home easily enough.
West Brom didn't really mount a serious response to going behind and on the stroke of half time, into one minute of injury time, Lucas played out a killer pass on the outside of his right foot to Suarez. Suarez volleyed a first time pass to Carroll who was unmarked and who ran towards the goal, Foster rushed out to meet Carroll whose first touch was heavy, yet as Foster went to ground, Carroll poked a left footed shot through his legs and into the goal.
After the break it was relentless pressure from Liverpool, but the game was over. West Brom tried to mount attacks yet they had no real steam. Liverpool made one change, that of Suarez and Bellamy in the 81st minute.
All in all, it was a good days work from Liverpool, a clean sheet for Reina as captain and the partnership of Skrtel and Agger. It was always going to be a match of intense scrutiny from the fans as Carragher and Gerrard were both injured. However the class of Lucas and Adam shone through in the midfield with Henderson coming on in leaps and bounds. Skrtel and Agger seemed relaxed and their performance was full of bold moves to break up the play.
Liverpool back up to fifth and hoping for Tottenham and Newcastle to lose or draw. The race for fourth place is starting to take shape as Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool seem the likely candidates.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Stoke 1-2 Liverpool Carling Cup 4th Round 26/10/2011
Always a tough fixture, Stoke at the Britannia Stadium have almost become the byword for difficult and frustrating football. The long balls, the long thrown ins and the siege mentality that the team has, always makes for a match of intense pressure and attack, usually from the visitors.
Liverpool's last visit to the Britannia in the League Cup resulted in an 8-0 thrashing of Stoke, Jamie Carragher the only player left of that victory eleven years ago. With a record seven competition wins and having featured in the final eleven times, there is always an air of expectation with Liverpool. Last night they needed to deliver.
Liverpool set up with seven changes to the team that drew with Norwich at Anfield. Coates, Maxi, Kelly, Agger, Carroll, Lucas, Henderson and Spearing all came into the side. The formation looked like a loose 4-3-3 moving to a Liverpool usual 4-2-3-1 at times. Stoke also made changes, eight, yet still had a side out who could frustrate and possibly win.
The best of the chances in the first half came to Liverpool, Suarez hit the post, dragged wide and had two shots superbly saved. Carroll had a header wide, shot wide and also had a shot saved. It seemed it was to be one of those games that Liverpool are having recently, all shots and no glory.
However, Stoke had another idea, when gifted long ball fell to Walters, Coates attempted a clearance and got it horrendously wrong, allowing the ball to bounce. Walters wrestled the ball of the Uruguayan and lofted it in only for it to be headed low into the corner by Kenwyne Jones. The Stoke goal was from the only attempt on goal by the home team, yet Liverpool had had the bulk of the chances. Coates had been having a very decent game up until that point, however he needs to learn the English game just a little better.
There was a contentious decision about twenty minuNtes into the match when it seemed that Jamie Carragher handled the ball as he tackled, replays showed he not only handled the ball but also fouled Etherington. Carragher was awarded a yellow card.
After the break both teams started up much like they had left. Yet Dalglish had clearly taken Suarez to one side. After only right minutes of the second half Suarez collected a pass on the edge of the eighteen yard box, a superb run by Henderson so him take Huth away from Suarez who played the ball through the legs of Shotton and curl a ball into the far corner past Sorenson. It was a sublime goal and immediately lifted fans and players.
After the first goal it seemed only a matter of time until the winner. A headed clearance fell to Henderson who side volleyed the ball high into the air and Suarez, unmarked at the far post, headed a strong header into the goal.
The match then seemed to filter out until Stoke started to press for the equaliser. Several lofted passes, throws and corners resulted in chaos in the Liverpool box. Coates seemed to be at odds with the Stoke attack and hauled down several Stoke players, fortunately the referee didn't see, yet they were clearly fouls.
Suarez came off in the 86th minute, limping off he was congratulated by fans and players. He had stayed on his feet for most of the match and even had a penalty appeal turned down because he stayed on his feet. However, the brace he scored helped him to overcome the frustration of the matches against Manchester United and Norwich.
The game closed out uneventfully and there was much relief from the Liverpool fans as, at last, we converted some of our chances into goals. Seven shots and two goals. A good days work.
Suarez was easily the best Liverpool player on the night, yet the whole midfield put in avert convincing performance, Henderson and Spearing looked more decisive and creative. Coates needs to learn from his mistake yet I wouldn't judge him too harshly, he had a good game overall.
Liverpool go into the pot for the auarter final draw along with, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Blackburn.
Liverpool's last visit to the Britannia in the League Cup resulted in an 8-0 thrashing of Stoke, Jamie Carragher the only player left of that victory eleven years ago. With a record seven competition wins and having featured in the final eleven times, there is always an air of expectation with Liverpool. Last night they needed to deliver.
Liverpool set up with seven changes to the team that drew with Norwich at Anfield. Coates, Maxi, Kelly, Agger, Carroll, Lucas, Henderson and Spearing all came into the side. The formation looked like a loose 4-3-3 moving to a Liverpool usual 4-2-3-1 at times. Stoke also made changes, eight, yet still had a side out who could frustrate and possibly win.
The best of the chances in the first half came to Liverpool, Suarez hit the post, dragged wide and had two shots superbly saved. Carroll had a header wide, shot wide and also had a shot saved. It seemed it was to be one of those games that Liverpool are having recently, all shots and no glory.
However, Stoke had another idea, when gifted long ball fell to Walters, Coates attempted a clearance and got it horrendously wrong, allowing the ball to bounce. Walters wrestled the ball of the Uruguayan and lofted it in only for it to be headed low into the corner by Kenwyne Jones. The Stoke goal was from the only attempt on goal by the home team, yet Liverpool had had the bulk of the chances. Coates had been having a very decent game up until that point, however he needs to learn the English game just a little better.
There was a contentious decision about twenty minuNtes into the match when it seemed that Jamie Carragher handled the ball as he tackled, replays showed he not only handled the ball but also fouled Etherington. Carragher was awarded a yellow card.
After the break both teams started up much like they had left. Yet Dalglish had clearly taken Suarez to one side. After only right minutes of the second half Suarez collected a pass on the edge of the eighteen yard box, a superb run by Henderson so him take Huth away from Suarez who played the ball through the legs of Shotton and curl a ball into the far corner past Sorenson. It was a sublime goal and immediately lifted fans and players.
After the first goal it seemed only a matter of time until the winner. A headed clearance fell to Henderson who side volleyed the ball high into the air and Suarez, unmarked at the far post, headed a strong header into the goal.
The match then seemed to filter out until Stoke started to press for the equaliser. Several lofted passes, throws and corners resulted in chaos in the Liverpool box. Coates seemed to be at odds with the Stoke attack and hauled down several Stoke players, fortunately the referee didn't see, yet they were clearly fouls.
Suarez came off in the 86th minute, limping off he was congratulated by fans and players. He had stayed on his feet for most of the match and even had a penalty appeal turned down because he stayed on his feet. However, the brace he scored helped him to overcome the frustration of the matches against Manchester United and Norwich.
The game closed out uneventfully and there was much relief from the Liverpool fans as, at last, we converted some of our chances into goals. Seven shots and two goals. A good days work.
Suarez was easily the best Liverpool player on the night, yet the whole midfield put in avert convincing performance, Henderson and Spearing looked more decisive and creative. Coates needs to learn from his mistake yet I wouldn't judge him too harshly, he had a good game overall.
Liverpool go into the pot for the auarter final draw along with, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Blackburn.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Chris Mavinga: Left Behind But Going Forward
On Tuesday it was announced by Liverpool FC, via their website, that Chris Mavinga will be playing for Rennes next season. Mavinga confirmed it on his own Twitter account shortly after.
So what are Rennes getting? An injury prone leftback with hardly any first team experience? Or a pacey tackler with bags of enthusiasm and a winning mentality?
Mavinga started his career in English football in 2009, when he joined Liverpool straight from Paris-Saint Germain. He spent three years at PSG's Camp Des Loges before departing for Merseyside.
The main reason for Mavinga leaving PSG, he said, was down to a lack of a support structure for the teams youth. This is slightly baffling as the U18 team were only beaten to the Championnat National title by Marseille's U18 team. Another reason cited, for his move to Liverpool, was the unapproachable attitude of some of PSG's senior players. After the sacking of Paul Le Guen, PSG's manager at the time, Mavinga grew irrevocably disillusioned with the club. Despite interest from Arsenal and a tabled contract from PSG, he chose to sign for Liverpool.
What was PSG's loss was Liverpool's gain right?
Er, not quite. Mavinga didn't actually feature in a competitive match for Liverpool in the two years he was signed at the club.
He trained with the reserves for most of his 2009 season, before moving to train with the first team at the end of the season.
Following the sacking of Rafael Benitez, Mavinga publically stated his frustration at the lack of first team opportunities and his subsequent return to reserve team training under regressive coach Roy Hodgson.
Whilst his public strop angered innumerable fans of the Merseyside outfit, he always seemed a fringe player, often forgotten and never considered.
On 10th December Liverpool announced a loan agreement was being sought with Belgian high fliers Racing Genk. There had been initial interest from Turkish club Antalyaspor, even a reportedly accepted bid yet Genk was the preferred choice. It was a mutually beneficial move as Mavinga realised first team action and Liverpool had a chunk of wages off the bill, for a short while at least.
A deal was finally agreed on 11th January 2010. Mavinga played his first professional match of his career on 19th February coming on as a 90th minute substitute against Mechelen, the team won 1-0. Mavinga failed to appear in the next six matches, yet when he again started, against Club Brugge, it sparked a run in the side for the remaining seven matches. Losing only once, drawing once and winning five.
This run in to the end of the season saw Mavinga pick up three of his four yellow cards, something of a firebrand as he received a yellow card every two games.
Mavinga started to really come into some fine form in those seven matches, yet an incident that occurred in the draw against Standard Liege, would affect his confidence.
Chasing a long ball back to his goal on the left side of the pitch, Mavinga tussled with Mehdi Carcela. The ball bounced and Mavinga tried a high kick to put it out to play, unfortunately, Carcela tried to head the same ball. Mavinga broke Carcela's nose and jaw. The accident shocked Belgian football and shattered Mavinga's confidence. Chris seemed to recover and Carcela has made a full return to football.
The events of that match threatened to overwhelm, what was, a brilliant achievement by Genk and Mavinga. Winning the league was a rather large feather in Mavinga's cap and seemed to endear him to the Liverpool fans just a little more. It was a well fought campaign and a close one too.
Mavinga returned to Liverpool to start training in late June. He tweeted a few times that he was still a Liverpool player, yet the writing was on the wall, the search for a new left back at the club would place him fourth or fifth choice. Several clubs were quoted as being interested, Rennes, Villareal and Genk. It was always going to be a move back to his native country that had the biggest pull.
His international career is certainly set to have an extra boost from his inclusion in the Rennes squad. He has played for France since U18 and was instrumental in the U19 team who won the European Championship in France.
What Rennes have in Mavinga is a left back who can switch to centre back, he has pace, good tackling ability, a winning mentality, a desire to play and the experience of a title push.
Mavinga is no longer a Liverpool player yet I'll follow his career closely, he was always destined to be a fringe player at Anfield and was left behind when Benitez left. Yet he showed industry by going to a foreign league and winning it's highest honour. That's the kind of mentality that any team needs.
So what are Rennes getting? An injury prone leftback with hardly any first team experience? Or a pacey tackler with bags of enthusiasm and a winning mentality?
Mavinga started his career in English football in 2009, when he joined Liverpool straight from Paris-Saint Germain. He spent three years at PSG's Camp Des Loges before departing for Merseyside.
The main reason for Mavinga leaving PSG, he said, was down to a lack of a support structure for the teams youth. This is slightly baffling as the U18 team were only beaten to the Championnat National title by Marseille's U18 team. Another reason cited, for his move to Liverpool, was the unapproachable attitude of some of PSG's senior players. After the sacking of Paul Le Guen, PSG's manager at the time, Mavinga grew irrevocably disillusioned with the club. Despite interest from Arsenal and a tabled contract from PSG, he chose to sign for Liverpool.
What was PSG's loss was Liverpool's gain right?
Er, not quite. Mavinga didn't actually feature in a competitive match for Liverpool in the two years he was signed at the club.
He trained with the reserves for most of his 2009 season, before moving to train with the first team at the end of the season.
Following the sacking of Rafael Benitez, Mavinga publically stated his frustration at the lack of first team opportunities and his subsequent return to reserve team training under regressive coach Roy Hodgson.
Whilst his public strop angered innumerable fans of the Merseyside outfit, he always seemed a fringe player, often forgotten and never considered.
On 10th December Liverpool announced a loan agreement was being sought with Belgian high fliers Racing Genk. There had been initial interest from Turkish club Antalyaspor, even a reportedly accepted bid yet Genk was the preferred choice. It was a mutually beneficial move as Mavinga realised first team action and Liverpool had a chunk of wages off the bill, for a short while at least.
A deal was finally agreed on 11th January 2010. Mavinga played his first professional match of his career on 19th February coming on as a 90th minute substitute against Mechelen, the team won 1-0. Mavinga failed to appear in the next six matches, yet when he again started, against Club Brugge, it sparked a run in the side for the remaining seven matches. Losing only once, drawing once and winning five.
This run in to the end of the season saw Mavinga pick up three of his four yellow cards, something of a firebrand as he received a yellow card every two games.
Mavinga started to really come into some fine form in those seven matches, yet an incident that occurred in the draw against Standard Liege, would affect his confidence.
Chasing a long ball back to his goal on the left side of the pitch, Mavinga tussled with Mehdi Carcela. The ball bounced and Mavinga tried a high kick to put it out to play, unfortunately, Carcela tried to head the same ball. Mavinga broke Carcela's nose and jaw. The accident shocked Belgian football and shattered Mavinga's confidence. Chris seemed to recover and Carcela has made a full return to football.
The events of that match threatened to overwhelm, what was, a brilliant achievement by Genk and Mavinga. Winning the league was a rather large feather in Mavinga's cap and seemed to endear him to the Liverpool fans just a little more. It was a well fought campaign and a close one too.
Mavinga returned to Liverpool to start training in late June. He tweeted a few times that he was still a Liverpool player, yet the writing was on the wall, the search for a new left back at the club would place him fourth or fifth choice. Several clubs were quoted as being interested, Rennes, Villareal and Genk. It was always going to be a move back to his native country that had the biggest pull.
His international career is certainly set to have an extra boost from his inclusion in the Rennes squad. He has played for France since U18 and was instrumental in the U19 team who won the European Championship in France.
What Rennes have in Mavinga is a left back who can switch to centre back, he has pace, good tackling ability, a winning mentality, a desire to play and the experience of a title push.
Mavinga is no longer a Liverpool player yet I'll follow his career closely, he was always destined to be a fringe player at Anfield and was left behind when Benitez left. Yet he showed industry by going to a foreign league and winning it's highest honour. That's the kind of mentality that any team needs.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Chants
CHANT
I was standing in the Kop, smelling the scents of a crowd enjoying themselves, looking up at a beautiful blue sky embracing a muscle warming sun, watching superb displays of sublime skills, youth football mixed with cup competition thrills, tension and chants of “We won it three times”.
The perfect afternoon of watching my clubs young boys run rampant across the deliciously manicured pitch was sullied, dirtied and smeared by THAT chant. Liverpool were playing extremely polished football.
The small away gathering boasted children, CHILDREN! Of all the sections of society to blood a social routine on, the groans were audible across the Kop. We knew what they were singing, we knew we could retaliate, yet we did not. Why? Is it due to our severe attitude to social convention? Were we more eloquent and chose to express ourselves in a less fervent fashion? Or was it because we didn’t want our children witnessing us, as parents, teachers of social niceties, how to behave like a torturous victim when faced with a wrong.
Those of you on Twitter who follow me know how wound up I get when I see abusive tweets about The Tragedies. A blatant ignorance pervades a place I frequent, a place I like to come to when I feel a little uninspired. Stories and statistics, friendships and national debate stimulate me but I fail to see why I would want to ingratiate myself to a section of society who feels the need to rush headlong into scar tissue that runs a mile wide.
Heysel, 26 years ago last month. I follow many Juventino, I know how hurt they still are, I follow hundreds of Liverpool fans, I know how ashamed they are. Yet, somehow the two clubs have come together, not perfectly, not entirely, but together. The chant that Manchester United fans sing, so loud and proud, is an insult to their lost ones. A birch on the hands held out for comfort. The chant affects the Liverpool fans too, nowhere near as much as Juventus fans, but a quick, sharp thwack on the back of fans who, even though they weren’t there, flagellate themselves yearly when the anniversary comes around.
I wonder if Manchester United fans are predisposed to hack away at the bandages of that horrific European Cup final? Obviously I’m generalising and I’ll be called out for that like a cheap hack with a clutch of gossip whispers. But am I onto something? Do we teach our future generation of fans how to hate, or at least emotionally injure? Are we directly responsible for the interpretation of banter becoming so leftfield from the original that we are looking at a phenomenon that is built from lust for humiliation?
These questions have been haunting me as I strive to make sense of that beautiful match day, the football and the restraint shown by players and fans of Liverpool was admirable and heart warming. Yet was I at an event that was unique? If I’ve seen the tweets from Manchester United fans then I have seen an equal number from the Liverpool fans. Appalling though it is to me, anathema almost, I feel there is a need to level the same desire for explanations at my own set of fans, more so. I say it is anathema, as to revel or exude delight in the hurt of others is utterly alien to me.
I have contacted the community spokesperson for Liverpool’s official website, I received inadequate responses from Matt. However, I’m more tenacious than a few emails, I wont be held to a response that places the responsibility of abusive chants and their after affects in the hands of the supporters. We, as bastions of representation, do have the ultimate accountability for our actions, our behaviour towards our fellow football fans, but the clubs have an immense amount of power in the responsibility they can show. Flexing a muscle would give the world a sharp reminder of how utterly devastating an institution can be when it wants to encase its reputation in a shell of respectability.
With the clutch of emails sent, I started to spread about the idea, on Twitter, of a supporter force or group, who can police or gather information from the terraces on suspected abusers. I also floated the idea of interclub match days based upon better relations for fans, education programs in schools, programs aimed at supporters leaving and entering the grounds. Victims groups having discussions with known offenders to re-educate them. There are a myriad of possibilities and each carries its own pitfall or an ability to offend.
The only way that a program of events and actions would succeed would be down to the supporters pressuring the club to help end the chants. Fans can help sway the boards decision in sacking a manager, they can turn on a player and see him sold soon after, they can become internet terrorists and shut off the supply of credit to two cowboys. Can they stop scenes like those on Match of The Day, were Liverpool fans, at Old Trafford, made aeroplane gestures with open arms and screamed with blood red faces, “Munich!”? Can we do that? Can we march around the club, can we boycott the merchandise and sing protest from the terraces? Somehow, something in me thinks it’s a no, but wouldn’t it be great if instead of one person emailing or writing to the stadium manager, it was two or three? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be unique and be the first club to eject and ban supporters who have chanted abuse, only letting them in when they complete a set amount of re-education programs?
I’ll march for that. Under a big banner that says, “No more shall I abuse, no more shall I chant, instead respect the opposition, for he is my fellow man.”
You can contact me on twitter @malbennett29
I was standing in the Kop, smelling the scents of a crowd enjoying themselves, looking up at a beautiful blue sky embracing a muscle warming sun, watching superb displays of sublime skills, youth football mixed with cup competition thrills, tension and chants of “We won it three times”.
The perfect afternoon of watching my clubs young boys run rampant across the deliciously manicured pitch was sullied, dirtied and smeared by THAT chant. Liverpool were playing extremely polished football.
The small away gathering boasted children, CHILDREN! Of all the sections of society to blood a social routine on, the groans were audible across the Kop. We knew what they were singing, we knew we could retaliate, yet we did not. Why? Is it due to our severe attitude to social convention? Were we more eloquent and chose to express ourselves in a less fervent fashion? Or was it because we didn’t want our children witnessing us, as parents, teachers of social niceties, how to behave like a torturous victim when faced with a wrong.
Those of you on Twitter who follow me know how wound up I get when I see abusive tweets about The Tragedies. A blatant ignorance pervades a place I frequent, a place I like to come to when I feel a little uninspired. Stories and statistics, friendships and national debate stimulate me but I fail to see why I would want to ingratiate myself to a section of society who feels the need to rush headlong into scar tissue that runs a mile wide.
Heysel, 26 years ago last month. I follow many Juventino, I know how hurt they still are, I follow hundreds of Liverpool fans, I know how ashamed they are. Yet, somehow the two clubs have come together, not perfectly, not entirely, but together. The chant that Manchester United fans sing, so loud and proud, is an insult to their lost ones. A birch on the hands held out for comfort. The chant affects the Liverpool fans too, nowhere near as much as Juventus fans, but a quick, sharp thwack on the back of fans who, even though they weren’t there, flagellate themselves yearly when the anniversary comes around.
I wonder if Manchester United fans are predisposed to hack away at the bandages of that horrific European Cup final? Obviously I’m generalising and I’ll be called out for that like a cheap hack with a clutch of gossip whispers. But am I onto something? Do we teach our future generation of fans how to hate, or at least emotionally injure? Are we directly responsible for the interpretation of banter becoming so leftfield from the original that we are looking at a phenomenon that is built from lust for humiliation?
These questions have been haunting me as I strive to make sense of that beautiful match day, the football and the restraint shown by players and fans of Liverpool was admirable and heart warming. Yet was I at an event that was unique? If I’ve seen the tweets from Manchester United fans then I have seen an equal number from the Liverpool fans. Appalling though it is to me, anathema almost, I feel there is a need to level the same desire for explanations at my own set of fans, more so. I say it is anathema, as to revel or exude delight in the hurt of others is utterly alien to me.
I have contacted the community spokesperson for Liverpool’s official website, I received inadequate responses from Matt. However, I’m more tenacious than a few emails, I wont be held to a response that places the responsibility of abusive chants and their after affects in the hands of the supporters. We, as bastions of representation, do have the ultimate accountability for our actions, our behaviour towards our fellow football fans, but the clubs have an immense amount of power in the responsibility they can show. Flexing a muscle would give the world a sharp reminder of how utterly devastating an institution can be when it wants to encase its reputation in a shell of respectability.
With the clutch of emails sent, I started to spread about the idea, on Twitter, of a supporter force or group, who can police or gather information from the terraces on suspected abusers. I also floated the idea of interclub match days based upon better relations for fans, education programs in schools, programs aimed at supporters leaving and entering the grounds. Victims groups having discussions with known offenders to re-educate them. There are a myriad of possibilities and each carries its own pitfall or an ability to offend.
The only way that a program of events and actions would succeed would be down to the supporters pressuring the club to help end the chants. Fans can help sway the boards decision in sacking a manager, they can turn on a player and see him sold soon after, they can become internet terrorists and shut off the supply of credit to two cowboys. Can they stop scenes like those on Match of The Day, were Liverpool fans, at Old Trafford, made aeroplane gestures with open arms and screamed with blood red faces, “Munich!”? Can we do that? Can we march around the club, can we boycott the merchandise and sing protest from the terraces? Somehow, something in me thinks it’s a no, but wouldn’t it be great if instead of one person emailing or writing to the stadium manager, it was two or three? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be unique and be the first club to eject and ban supporters who have chanted abuse, only letting them in when they complete a set amount of re-education programs?
I’ll march for that. Under a big banner that says, “No more shall I abuse, no more shall I chant, instead respect the opposition, for he is my fellow man.”
You can contact me on twitter @malbennett29
Friday, 3 June 2011
2nd Reply From LFC Concerning Abusive Chants
Hi Mal,
I think this may be something you’d need to write to the Club about as my remit only covers online communities and social media. From what you’ve told me I would direct my enquiries to:
Stadium Manager
Anfield
Anfield Road
L4 OTH
Hope this of help.
Kind regards,
Matt
I think this may be something you’d need to write to the Club about as my remit only covers online communities and social media. From what you’ve told me I would direct my enquiries to:
Stadium Manager
Anfield
Anfield Road
L4 OTH
Hope this of help.
Kind regards,
Matt
BBC reply to complaint about Kelvin MacKenzie's appearance on BBC 2
Dear Mr Bennett
Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘The Apprentice: You’re Fired’ broadcast on the 1 June.
We understand you felt that Kelvin MacKenzie was an inappropriate choice of guest.
The programme is an entertainment show and our sole aim when making each episode is to provide enjoyment. Kelvin McKenzie is a public figure who regularly appears on entertainment and political shows and is a well-known radio broadcaster and columnist. We felt for these reasons, his inclusion was legitimate.
We take great care to try and make a good natured show, and it is certainly never our intention when making the programme to offend or upset our viewers.
We appreciate your views and we would like to assure you that we’ve registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.
Thanks again for getting in touch.
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services
Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘The Apprentice: You’re Fired’ broadcast on the 1 June.
We understand you felt that Kelvin MacKenzie was an inappropriate choice of guest.
The programme is an entertainment show and our sole aim when making each episode is to provide enjoyment. Kelvin McKenzie is a public figure who regularly appears on entertainment and political shows and is a well-known radio broadcaster and columnist. We felt for these reasons, his inclusion was legitimate.
We take great care to try and make a good natured show, and it is certainly never our intention when making the programme to offend or upset our viewers.
We appreciate your views and we would like to assure you that we’ve registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.
Thanks again for getting in touch.
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services
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