Topic: Lawrenson's latest column

[Dubit10]

Disgusting stuff. He should be banned from the stadium. No matter what anyone thinks of Rafa using Hillsborough to further your agenda againest him is the lowest blow yet. What an utter prick.

[Captain Wolf Biscuit]

Absolute disgrace. Nobody was thinking anything like this and he's clearly using Hillsborough to attack Rafa, which is insanely hypocritical (given the column's content) before even considering how disgusting it is anyway.

[SpesRan]

What a sick, twisted person he is.

[lamonti]

Lawro's a tit everyone knows that. A fairly dumb article to have some Mirror hack write in your name.
I am hoping however that one of Lawro's old Football Focus predictions come true, albeit 2 years too late: that the Yanks will be go before Rafa.

[♠Dirty Harry♠]

Pubic hair bonced c*nt

[xerxes1]

A very odd article that smacks of a telephone interview hashed together. The Hillsborough/Rafa Juve link is pure bollocks.

[Alan_X]

A very odd article that smacks of a telephone interview hashed together. The Hillsborough/Rafa Juve link is pure bollocks.

It's from his double page centre spread in the Mirror's Football Mania section under his by-line.

[Em5y]

Email sent...


Hello,

I'm emailing with regard to the article on the Daily Mirror website
entitled 'Timing of Rafa's Juve link is appalling in Hillsborough
anniversary week'.

I find the headline and the content of the article absolutely
sickening.  I have always read the Daily Mirror - even before the
boycott of The Sun newspaper - but I refuse to buy your newspaper
until I see a full explanation of how this came about.

Your article states that 'Hillsborough is still an open wound on
Merseyside' - well, you got that right, particularly in this week of
all weeks.  Rafael Benitez has ALWAYS shown dignity and compassion on
the subject of Hillsborough - illustrated perfectly by his attendance
at the memorial service this year and every year he has been at the
club.  He has also show amazing restraint working under almost
impossible conditions.

Don't get me wrong - if you or Lawrenson want to criticize Benitez -
there are many sticks you could use to beat him with, as you regularly
do - and I will gladly ignore all of these diatribes - but using
Hillsborough as a weapon to beat him with is disgusting - and for some
reason I expected much more from your newspaper.

I do not know what Lawrenson's agenda is with Benitez - but I know he
used up all of his credit with the majority of Liverpool fans a long
time ago.

John Cross and Mark Lawrenson need to make an effort to justify this
article/interview as soon as possible - the Daily Mirror has carried
out some great work with regards to the Hillsborough disaster in the
past - and that is what makes this article so shocking.


I'll leave you with this.  This is what Rafael Benitez had to say this
week about the Hillsborough memorial service this week "'Since I've
been here it's always been very, very emotional.
'All the players and all the staff are always there trying to support
the families because it is a very important day for the club.  'The
first time I went to the memorial service I was so impressed by what
happens at this club. You can see the people and all the feelings.
'It's a poignant occasion to keep everyone remembering.'

Compare and contrast that to this paragraph which appeared on the
Daily Mirror website in the same week as the 21st anniversary of the
Hillsborough Disaster accredited to Mark Lawrenson.

"Arsenal need a trophy, they haven’t had one since 2005. But swap the
FA Cup for a Champions League spot? No chance.  That’s why the
pressure is on Rafa Benitez to such a degree. Liverpool would see
missing out on fourth and City making it as a disaster".

A disaster?  In the week that saw football supporters from all over
the world come together to remember 96 people who died at a game of
football - Mark Lawrenson referred to Liverpool missing out on fourth
place as a disaster?

I would suggest to you that it is comments like this that will see
'Liverpool fans turn'.  Indeed,if I may borrow another quote from the
offending article -  some may say Lawrenson's comment was 'shocking,
ill judged and insensitive'.

Any chance you could arrange for Mark to apologise for this?

Thanks for taking the time to read my email.  I look forward to your reply.

[youll never walk alone it]

great letter emsy well in.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

"He has bought so many players and yet his revolving door transfer policy has hardly taken the club forward or improved the squad."

That is Mark Lawrenson in a nut shell.

Clueless.

[Em5y]

"He has bought so many players and yet his revolving door transfer policy has hardly taken the club forward or improved the squad."

That is Mark Lawrenson in a nut shell.

Clueless.

I don't mind people criticizing Rafa on football matters - I don't agree with it, but I think as a football manager he is fair game.  Using Hillsborough as a stick to beat him with is too far and an attempt to discredit Rafa as a person and that is disgusting.

Anybody who tweets may wish to contact @johncrossmirror

[youll never walk alone it]

hess ure improved the value of the squad.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

And this is the crux of the matter. That the bell ends in the press have it in for Rafa doesn't bother me really. It's annoying, but i'm sure Rafa pays no attention to it and I know 90% of the reds I know don't pay any attention to it either and the ones that do get laughed at.

It's using the Anniversary of Hillsborough to further his own agenda that cannot be allowed to pass. He's the only one. The ONLY one who's dared use this and he's an ex player of ours. Honestly it makes me sick to my stomach with rage that he can publish this and I think we, as a fan base, need to let his employers know just how much this comment hurts.

Well in.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

I don't mind people criticizing Rafa on football matters - I don't agree with it, but I think as a football manager he is fair game.  Using Hillsborough as a stick to beat him with is too far and an attempt to discredit Rafa as a person and that is disgusting.

Anybody who tweets may wish to contact @johncrossmirror

Yes I agree that it´s utterly tasteless and shameful.

[Mr Premier League]

Unbelievable that ANYONE would use Hillsborough to push their previous 'agenda', but for a former Red to do so is absolutely shocking. SHOCKING. I am totally disgusted by him once again...the hole he has dug himself now is so big that he will never get out of it.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Lawrenson is a fucking disgrace. He should publically state that he's no longer got anything to do with Liverpool Football Club.

I've been to away games where people walking back have seen him at the bar, alone, and no one has gone near him.

To use Hillsbrough as some fucking petty point scoring excercise is fucking shite.

Hope your proud you twat.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Lawro we know the truth. There's no going back. You've changed things... forever.

Now fuck off.

[Madagascherano]

Distasteful prick.

[liverbnz]

Why has this c*nt got his own thread?

[astowell1]

Overrated player, piece of crap as a person.  Have no respect for the man at all.

[hassinator]

this is on a par with souness selling his story to the sun for me.   lawrenson has sought to smear the manager despite our (the fans) full knowledge of how he feels about the club and hillsborough.  it has backfired and i am glad to see this fair weather poodle finally being shown up for the complete and utter tosser that he is.  i'm not sure what kind of sanction can be imposed other than unrelenting ridicule at every opportunity and unrelenting booing of him whenever he is at the stadium.  that or an old fashioned stoning.  booooooo!

[L6 Red]

Mate, is there any chance you could do a counterpoint article, pointing out the depths that the likes of Lawrenson, Whelan and other 'expert pundits' will stoop to vent their spleen at Rafa?

Working where you do, you do have an opportunity that most of us don't.

I don't have that sort of power sadly fella, as much as I'd love to. I'm also elsewhere at the moment (Sheffield) so it wouldn't be feasible anyway.

I definitely think e-mails are the way forward as long as they are constructive and polite - they won't get looked at otherwise.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Someone should start a Liverpool fans unite against Mark Lawrenson facebook page.

[Morientes-19]

Someone should start a Liverpool fans unite against Mark Lawrenson facebook page.

There's one of them already mate.

[Neil D]

What a disgraceful thing to say.

[carling]

I honestly don't know what to say, I could try but I don't think I could get across just how out of order he is.

A cock of the highest order.
Here's a post that I did ages about him, the two faced quim.

I'd LOVE for this to be put in front of him alongside a few of his articles on Rafa and hear what possible explanation he could come up with.

[Jason McG]

Complete shithouse.

[Neil D]

I'll tell you what was appalling, your (non) reaction on commentary to our six minute protest for justice at that Arsenal FA Cup game at Anfield. Said nothing about it at all then when it finished something along the lines of "now we can get on with the football"

[damian]

Is it just me, or has this article been taken down now? Getting a 404 error.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Yep. Getting a 404. Looks like they have been getting a fair few complaints.

[damian]

Yep. Getting a 404. Looks like they have been getting a fair few complaints.

Hopefully means he's aware of the anger against him. Hopefully will be replaced with apology ASAP.

[Una cerveza, por favor]

Is it just me, or has this article been taken down now? Getting a 404 error.

Mark Lawrenson piece on "appalling" timing of Benitez's Juve link in week of Hillsborough has been pulled after backlash from LFC fans

[Em5y]

Still there when I click the link.

[damian]

Mark Lawrenson piece on "appalling" timing of Benitez's Juve link in week of Hillsborough has been pulled after backlash from LFC fans

Can they now go that little bit further and fire him?

[Em5y]

Still there when I click the link.

Scrap that - gone now - interesting part now will be Lawrenson's next move.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Still there when I click the link.

Sure it's just not in your browsers history?

Defintely gone when I go on there.

[damian]

Still there when I click the link.

Try holding Ctrl and click F5 whilst on the article - maybe cached your end? I'm certainly getting a 404 from here.

EDIT: Just seen your update

[Neil D]

I suggest people email the Echo to run a story on it. Sent them this:

Good morning,

I don't know if you have seen the article in question, but Liverpool fans are disgusted by Mark Lawrenson's astonishingly low attack on Rafa Benitez, using Hillsborough as a stick to beat him with, which is nothing short of disgraceful.

I'm sure Benitez, a man who has done all he can to support the survivors of that terrible day and always treated the memorial service with the respect it deserves, would have something to say about such a vile attack on his character. If anybody will earn the hatred of the fans for this, it is Lawrenson. Hillsborough should never be used to score cheap points or to try and turn supporters against a manager because somebody feels they are not the right man for the job.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=256608.0

Thank you

[damian]

I suggest people email the Echo to run a story on it. Sent them this:

Good morning,

I don't know if you have seen the article in question, but Liverpool fans are disgusted by Mark Lawrenson's astonishingly low attack on Rafa Benitez, using Hillsborough as a stick to beat him with, which is nothing short of disgraceful.

I'm sure Benitez, a man who has done all he can to support the survivors of that terrible day and always treated the memorial service with the respect it deserves, would have something to say about such a vile attack on his character. If anybody will earn the hatred of the fans for this, it is Lawrenson. Hillsborough should never be used to score cheap points or to try and turn supporters against a manager because somebody feels they are not the right man for the job.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=256608.0

Thank you

Maybe your email to the Echo is why the article got pulled - them being a part of the Mirror group

[Ron]

Appalling lack of judgement, I'm sure Lawrenson's intention is not to be offensive, but Hillsborough should never be used in debates about who should or shouldn't be Liverpool manager from any side of the debate.

I agree with that.