Wednesday, April 11, 2012

We're sick of your club Kenny!


Eighteen months ago John W.Henry and Tom Werner relieved Liverpool FC of their walking nightmare, ousting the previous owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillet, who throughout their tenure, were as popular in Mereyside as ‘The Sun’.


I remember when it became apparent that New England Sports Ventures were going to purchase the club, telling many Liverpool supporting friends of the incoming owners. Praising their attention to detail, commitment to winning, and the metaphorical  ‘tight ship’ they run.


Since NESV have split their time between their two teams,  the other being the Boston Red Sox, my second favourite sports team on the planet (after Oxford United), the two have been lathered in controversy.


For the Red Sox, an unfathomable, borderline ridiculous end of season collapse, saw ownership change management, saw an onslaught of abuse from media outlets, about how they drank beer in the clubhouse, how their was no leadership.


Any Red Sox problem pales in comparison to the detriment and scandal that surround Liverpool FC. For Liverpool, who in the last twenty years has undergone a transformation from perennial winner, to successful, but a level below teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea.


This season, with former player and manager Kenny Dalglish back at the helm, Liverpool have undergone a quest to solidify themselves as the most vile, disgusting despicable team in British football.


Spreading from racism rows, to callous, rude interviews, the man Liverpool fans call ‘King Kenny’ has managed to display himself as the most hated man in the Premier League, more so than Arsene Wenger, more than John Terry, more than anyone at Manchester United.


Liverpool has become synonymous with everything that’s wrong with football, from the Luis Suarez racism row, where Dalglish refused to blame Suarez, despite him being found guilty of racially abusing Man Utd defender Patrice Evra. The way Dalglish conducts himself in press conferences and interviews, often brash and dour, yet mixed in with an unpleasant, abrupt demeanour.


Worse than all of the managers’ wrongdoings, and the players failings, (the team sits 8th in the Premier League, below city rivals Everton)  it’s the fans’ who have become the definition of what is most wrong with this once idolised club.


Not only are they fans’ who have condoned racism, condoned their managers’ behaviour, and tried to paint themselves as victims, undergoing a witchhunt from the powers that be.


The past few days has seem the unrelented hypocrisy which seems to go along with supporting Liverpool, when Alan Davies, comedian, known for shows like Jonathan Creek and QI, pondered on his podcast, ‘The TuesdayClub’ why Liverpool wouldn’t play on April 15th, the anniversary of Hillsbrough.


With this refusal, it’s led Chelsea into having less time for recovery before their Champions League semi final against Barcelona.


The backlash to Davies, whose comments struck me as perfectly reasonable, has been severe. He’s received death threats, he’s had his donation to the Hillsbrough fund rejected, and has been the victim of a torrent of abuse from angry, naïve Liverpool supporters.


The hypocrisy  from Liverpool fans is matched by nobody. As aforementioned, they condoned Suarez behaviour, citing freedom of speech. Does Davies’ not have the same rights?


They play on the anniversary of Heysel. Are we allowed to mention that?


Their obscene behaviour in Europe, overcrowding grounds was responsible for deaths of innocent fans, and a ban on European football for English team which affected clubs (like Oxford). We don’t bring that up?


They chant mercilessly at Man United fans about the Munich air disaster. It’s different though, remember that…


Liverpool fans have a complex about them, making them the most despised football team in the country. Their fans’ are inept to seeing through their red tinted glasses, and act with no thought when following what their told. A key Liverpool figurehead says they don’t like Davies. So they don’t like Davies.


The term ‘nodding dogs’ springs to mind.


This leads me to my plea. Please NESV, sort out the calamity that is Kenny Dalglish, change the principles of this club.


Send a message that the racism and idiotic behaviour of these so called football supporters wont be accepted.


The Red Sox are linked with these people. Yet they couldn’t be more different.

No comments:

Post a Comment