What exactly are you sorry for: Hillsborough Apologists

For many of us the truth about Hillsborough has never needed to be spelt out, written about, eulogized by those with flowered phrases disguised with presentation and delivered with acute sadness, for me I have never needed confirmation of what my head already knew, I did not need clarity.

I am not sure exactly how I have felt in these last few days when what I felt I had always known would be so brutally confirmed in the Hillsborough document – Untruths, despicable lies a corruption would begin that afternoon which would be perpetuated for years to come, others including politicians, media moguls, and the man & woman in the street, football supporters would add to such lies, joining in with Chinese whispers – All would authenticate the truth with their lies.

I have indeed felt slightly isolated with all the apologies that have been forced from the differing areas associated with those lies, when your lies are found out there are only two ways you can react – apologise or come out fighting in an attempt to exasperate such lies. There are many that have no right to apologise because the lies and indeed contempt in which they have held the people of Liverpool and the city itself have been such an appalling example of human nature, they don’t deserve such forgiveness, many have been given an easy way out, where words are seen as an excuse for their previous misdemeanours, disgusting behaviour through words and deeds – I refuse to exonerate them from their shame.

It has to be remembered that Lord Justice Taylor in 1989 had already stated what is seen as the truth 23 years later, but even he was discredited and his report ridiculed from the Police and the media – Yes there has been criminality, fraud of the highest order, it must be stated that an apology alone is not enough, nor can it be accepted in the present climate that it is being delivered, in a veiled attempt to hide from guilt, the very guilt that has been put upon Liverpool supporters and the club for over 23 years, many of us have had to listen to chants of “Murderers” over those many years.

Hillsborough has once again become the biggest bandwagon in town, whilst every man and his dog decide to jump up and down on this carnival parade, while, as has become the norm the innocent lives that were lost that day become pawns for politicians who years earlier when presented with a similar truth decided against such opinion, I remind you what David Cameron said in response to the families looking for justice a few months ago:

“A blind man, in a dark room, looking for a black cat that isn’t there”.

Well Mr Cameron the blind have found the cat, regardless of how difficult and dark yours alongside other governments tried to make it, we will not forget your opinion when you amongst others have been party to exactly what happened that day, your apology is empty and hollow and comes from a place that is without shame.

Interestingly the FA have seemed to worm their way from any real blame as usual, I remember how they sided with the Thatcher government in its disgusting blame game against the supporters of football whilst shovelling those very supporters through broken gates and turnstiles in the pursuit of pretty greens, animal like we would be hoarded into pens with a contempt while you would fill your pockets with silver, so what exactly have the Football Association apologised for.

Many have this week found a supposed courage that they have lack for over twenty years, where they have remained indignant whilst provocatively pointing fingers suddenly the tune has changed and an alleged new dawn has brought about a social conscience in these deluded folk.

I think the most disgusting thing I read was Piers Morgan commenting on the document, I think at that point I realised that the bandwagon was on its last legs, or wheel.

For many you can take your disingenuous apologies and pop them where the sun has failed to shine, what you fail to understand is an apology has to be accepted before it has any true meaning – I for one will not exonerate you from your crimes.

Now the fight goes on for justice, justice for the 96 people whose deaths have for too long been used like a ping-pong ball scoring points, once those who are truly responsible for the deaths of children and the innocent have been brought to justice, only then can we consider resting in peace the 96.

 

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Liverpool FC “A Letter From America”

MY MOTHER always used to say “Never spoil a good apology with a poor excuse” a stolen quote from somewhere in the long distant past no doubt, but of relevance all the same.

John W Henry has once again decided to send an “Open” letter to Liverpool supporters in what is seen as a way to attempt to placate the rumblings and dissatisfaction that is raising its head amongst the KOP faithful, after what was seen by most as an embarrassing episode around the transfer window – Liverpool’s lacking in signing a striker whilst allowing their own number 9 Andy Carroll to leave the club on loan.

I certainly don’t believe that Liverpool Football Club are anywhere near the situation it found itself under the previous ownership of Hicks & Gillett, but I also refuse to go silently along until we once again find ourselves in that position – We as fans/supporters now find that blind faith that had always been an ingredient of any true reds fan has been replaced with a more realistic approach – Eyes wide open, wary of all whilst total consumption remains.

 

Are You Sure You Are Listening John?

 

With all that in mind I have a few issues of my own –

Dear Mr Henry

“After almost two years at Anfield, we are close to having the system we need in place. The transfer window may not have been perfect but we are not just looking at the next 16 weeks until we can buy again: we are looking at the next 16 years and beyond. These are the first steps in restoring one of the world’s great clubs to its proper status”.

 What exactly is this “System” you talk about? One where we have no CEO in place, where promises of a new stadium still remain dormant with very little information being released – I suggest a letter maybe? A change of policy from that initial plan we were informed about 2 years ago, is this part of such a system?

“We will build and grow from within, buy prudently and cleverly and never again waste resources on inflated transfer fees and unrealistic wages. We have no fear of spending and competing with the very best but we will not overpay for players.

How exactly do you balance such a statement having a competitive nature as regard our competitors whilst at the same time restricting the manager as to whom he can recruit at the top end of the transfer market, surely this statement is at best misleading and at worst an unqualified and impossibility.

Quite clearly FSG do exactly have a fear of competing with the very best – A much more honest approach would have been to state “The big spending days are over, get used to it” at least then we as supporters can have a much more appreciative response, the truth is the truth or surely it is a lie.

“The transfer policy was not about cutting costs,” said Henry. “It was – and will be in the future – about getting maximum value for what is spent so that we can build quality and depth. We are avowed proponents of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play agenda. We must comply with FFP guidelines that ensure spending is tied to income.

“Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years. Our emphasis will be on developing our own players. Much thought and investment already has gone into developing a self-sustaining pool of youngsters imbued in the club’s traditions.

If it is part of the said policy about getting maximum value, then I am at a loss to see such value at letting a player that the club paid £35 million (Yes overpriced but still a fact) for and who it seemed was just getting into the swing of things both at the club & international level – Leave on loan for a reported fee of £1 million. Add to this our own manager stating this is a financial decision, to me it stinks of desperation – similar to the desperation so frequently on show when the transfer window is about to slam shut – Are we not learning anything fast John?

Buying talent is not merely the only criteria, which I totally agree we must build for a future, too many times in the past we have failed to hold on to the very foundations we amass, purely at times because those players are just not good enough, if however you are going to manage our expectations I suggest a less disingenuous approach where you blame previous regimes or managers which in itself just alienates the supporters, we want to deal with the now – we can support you, we will support you – One thing that rankled with us is when we assume we are being lied to, purely because we are not in receipt of a truth.

“I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window, but that was not through any lack of desire or effort on the part of all of those involved. They pushed hard in the final days of the transfer window on a number of forward targets and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in.

“But a summer window which brought in three young, but significantly talented starters in Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio Borini as well as two exciting young potential stars of the future – Samed Yesil and Oussama Assaidi – could hardly be deemed a failure as we build for the future.”

I am sure there was no lack of desire or effort as you stated in regard the recruitment of new players, however the fact that once again 24 hours away from the transfer window we would find ourselves in a similar position as previous transfer windows – how was this allowed to happen, are we really lacking that professional approach where deals cannot be conducted at an earlier stage? It was muted that Damien Comolli would be replaced, but months later this has still not happened – What exactly is happening behind the scenes at Anfield? On the field we are making strides, yes we have acquired some potentially great players – Our gripe is not about our team and nor will it ever be, if indeed you were to field a side full of 17 year olds those players would get as much encouragement & support as any of our multi million pound purchases – if not more.

Finally John we do not mind if we have to rip up any previous plan and start again – we have done this many times before – I am sure you don’t need a history lesson on our club, I intent to give you one anyway, that’s just the sort of guy I am – When Bill Shankly came to Liverpool he would move on (polite for showing the door) 24 players in his first year at the club, it would be described as a “Bloodbath” these players would be seen as either lacking the style in which Shanks wished to play or being too old – William Shankly had what could be described as long-term vision.

We all know how that vision would end.

One last thing your thought John on an American journalist whom I am informed you have a close relationship with in terms of baseball – Jon Heyman the sports writer for CBS recently described Liverpool Football Club – The club you own as an abomination??? Good to see there are some quality American journalists still at play.

Another note from America

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Liverpool FC You’re Not Famous Anymore

So once again we find our club along with ourselves the supporters held up to ridicule – as others look toward us with an undeserving contempt, what is it with Liverpool and the transfer of players, how we portray the club seems very unprofessional and where we were once revered in the way we conducted our affairs in-house “The Liverpool Way” now replaced with finger-pointing and laughter from our foes.

 

I have read that the way forward for Liverpool football club is to support the Club, Manager and FSG the owners, which is all well and good, but these owners seem to be stumbling their way through their own initiation into the world of football, it must not be forgotten that they came to the club with no knowledge or experience of the game in England.

 

My concerns are that we are a club in decline off the field – whilst on it we have a style of play which bodes well for our future, the way we played and competed against Manchester City proved that we will be capable of holding our own, young players who seem more fearless and generally seem less weighted down by the clubs huge expectations.

 

The loss of Andy Carroll which we are told by Brendan Rodgers was a non-footballing decision but made purely to balance the books does seem like a crazy resolution when in effect the £1 million fee West Ham are paying for such a loan could surely have been raised in other areas – then we have a scenario where Jordan Henderson is offered to other Premier League clubs in a week where we find that Lucas is out for some months, it does seem nonsensical , the fees we paid for these players under the reign of Dalglish with the help of Damien Comolli is constantly being used as an excuse as to where we find ourselves.

Loan Signing Of Our Number 9

 

We have to worry when we are seen as a selling club – even if to balance books. When England internationals are assuming the position of make weights in deals, these are young players with careers ahead of them, not the type you sell for short-term gains – My own thoughts are that Carroll will be a huge success at West Ham and this in turn will heap more ridicule upon the club and Rodgers can sugar coat it any way he wishes to, but if our manager did not wish to sell/loan Andy Carroll then he would not have, this one decision has left many Liverpool fans with a nasty taste – this is not how we do our business, not how we treat our heroes!!!

 

We don’t all of a sudden find the club in this predicament – we have not won the league for over twenty years, the blame game and culture is never a healthy thing, it just allows excuses, which people who are in a position to make progress taking the club forward find a necessity to throw into the pot – are we suddenly being run by politicians, which leads nicely on to Ian Ayre –

 

The owners have employed Ayre and we have to ask what exactly his role is? Headhunted by the cowboys Hicks and Gillett in 2007 as Commercial Director, a role where we are told he excelled, what is more likely is the fact that previous under-performance had seen Liverpool fall way behind our competitors in commercial areas and improvement was always going to be on the cards, however Ayre had done a fantastic job in the overhaul of the commercial department, and deserves great credit for that – my fear is that currently in his position he is out of his depth.

 

Yes as always we must support our club and our players – but we must not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked, questions need to be asked, the
communication from our owners needs to be improved, as was under the management of Dalglish they seem to leave all types of communication to the Football Manager, but the questions are of the owners – The new stadium and the type of funding we have for personnel are key topics, our owners seem to be getting a much easier ride than they get in their own country.

 

Answers on a postcard Mr Henry…….

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