FOOTBALL fans are being urged to be on their best behaviour ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash.
Fans attending Anfield for the fourth round match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United are being asked to “act as ambassadors for their clubs and their cities”.
Merseyside Police’s Chief Superintendent Jon Ward said: “We are expecting a lively atmosphere at Saturday’s match, but our intention is that at the end of the day we will be talking about the game and what happened on the pitch as opposed to off the pitch.
“As always, my officers will be dealing with the fans as they would expect to be treated themselves.
“Our policing style will be firm, fair and friendly, but we will take action where necessary against those individuals who may seek to cause problems or misbehave.”
Mr Ward also said that fans should arrive at the ground as early as possible and supporters without tickets should not attend at all as they would not be allowed entry into the stadium.
He said: “At the last Liverpool v Manchester United game the behaviour of the majority of the fans was very good. We know that this match will be a busy operation and we hope that the fans will continue to act as ambassadors for their clubs and their cities and enjoy what I am sure will be a good game.”
Mr Ward also said that offensive behaviour would not be tolerated.
He said: “If it’s brought to our attention any inappropriate remarks and behaviour will be acted upon.
“We take all forms offensive behaviour seriously and we will always thoroughly investigate such claims.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson who appealed for calm in a letter to supporters.
He pleaded for “positive, witty and loud” support as his side attempts to reach the last 16.
He wrote: “FA Cup ties are tense affairs at the best of times. Add in the fact that Manchester United against Liverpool is the biggest game around and it becomes even more so.”
Read More
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2012/01/25/football-fans-are-urged-to-behave-ahead-of-fa-cup-fourth-round-clash-between-liverpool-fc-and-manchester-united-at-anfield-100252-30193680/#ixzz1kTDdnjFLTHE eyes of the football world will be on Anfield from 12.45pm this Saturday, when Liverpool FC host Manchester United in the FA Cup – a fixture which is never for the faint-hearted.
But this match is different. There will be something at stake which is much bigger and more important than a place in the fifth-round draw – the good names of Liverpool Football Club and the city of Liverpool, itself.
Make no mistake, there are many people in this country – those who rejoice in putting the boot into our city at any and every perceived opportunity – who will currently be rubbing their hands with glee.
They will be relishing the prospect of Saturday’s game – not because two world-famous clubs may serve up a hugely-entertaining encounter, but because they hope it will lead to days and days of damaging headlines.
They will be expecting a festival of hate and a field day for racists – and be dreadfully disappointed if the match isn’t swamped by controversy and ill will.
But the true Liverpool supporters have a brilliant chance to shine on Saturday – a chance to show they are winners off the pitch while roaring their heroes to victory on it.
And in taking this opportunity, they will be able to silence all those Liverpool haters who will be longing for the club and the city to be given another good kicking.
Some fans may believe they can see bait wherever they look – on the pitch and in the Anfield Road End.
But it must be ignored.
When the draw was made, commentators immediately recalled the headline-making events that took place at Anfield on Saturday October 15 – when Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra clashed – and Friday January 6, which led to Liverpool FC apologising after Oldham Athletic defender Tom Adeyemi was allegedly racially abused by a fan on the Kop.
When Saturday comes, Patrice Evra will be back on the Anfield pitch. But so what? He won’t be playing for Liverpool, so who cares?
What all Reds fans inside Anfield should care about is that no hot-headed individual, whose mouth is bigger than his brain, feels the need to serve up the kind of abuse that could drag his or her club through the mire.
Inquiries into the Tom Adeyemi incident are ongoing following the arrest and bailing of a 20-year-old man from Aintree – and a proud and decent football club and a proud and decent city has no stomach for a similar round of disturbing and distressing post-match headlines.
The Merseyside police officers who will be on duty this Saturday, together with the Liverpool stewards, could have been forgiven for putting their heads in their hands when this game was pulled out of the hat.
But Liverpool supporters can help themselves, help their club and help their city by doing their bit to ensure they have a quiet, incident-free afternoon.
Let’s make it an easy day for the police, stewards and Liverpool Football Club – and a difficult one for any isolated idiots who thrive on social disharmony, hate and bigotry, as well as those who would happily see our city wiped off the map.
Let’s make it a day of passion – not poison. Let’s make it a day when Liverpool FC is helped, not hampered, by its 12th man.
Too often in life the actions of a single, sad and pathetic person can ruin things for the majority – but there can be no place at Anfield for such a warped individual on Saturday.
There will, of course, be an incredible intensity on and off the pitch, but there is no reason why the energy can’t be positive rather than negative.
Football is enormously powerful. It can make irrational fools out of the most sane and sensible of supporters – and, at its worst, has the capacity to even transform right-minded liberals into blind bigots.
How many of us can say we don’t feel truly ashamed about some of the things we have shouted, or felt, during a match?
Football, whether we like it or not, is a tribal sport. But tribalism can be a force for good – as long as a club’s fanatical followers channel all their energies into supporting their team, rather than concentrating on opposition players or fans.
The only players who should be of any concern to Liverpool’s fans on Saturday will be the ones wearing red.
Down the years – from the days of Bill Shankly and Ron Yeats through to Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard – Liverpool managers and players have heaped praise on the Anfield army for playing its part in securing hard-fought victories.
Meanwhile, countless rival managers and players have found it impossible not to succumb and be suffocated by the often-overwhelming Anfield experience.
There is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case again this weekend.
Positivity must overcome negativity. There must be no distractions or diversions – no unpleasant and unnecessary sideshows capable of demeaning and degrading a great club and a great city.
Let’s not give our detractors the result they are craving. Liverpool Football Club can be winners on the pitch – and, more importantly, its fans can be winners off it.
Read More
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2012/01/25/liverpool-fc-v-manchester-utd-let-s-make-it-a-day-of-passion-not-poison-100252-30193434/#ixzz1kTE6DH2W----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few years ago, I started a topic on this site about banter.
(the search daemon is currently down, so I cannot access it, to quote)
The general gist of which was that when is banter, banter, and when is it obscene chanting.
At that time, it was a reaction to the constant baiting of Liverpool fans by the followers of that club down the M62. Moreso, it was a poke in the direction of the press core of this nation, and their contsant lack of reporting on the issues.
For decades now, we've all been on the recieving end of the vile and vitriolic bullshit thrown at us by that lot. From the songs about Hillsborough and Heysel, to the fence jestures, and worse. Yet, the silence has been deafening in the extreme when it comes to the press of this country reporting on it. You see, it had no mileage. It wasn't on their agenda to report it, or even comment on it.
This week. Thats all change.
Make no mistake, this week all of the songs, chanting that behaviour, that would be considered vile, outside of a football stadium, will be reported on, and critisized.
But don't expect it to be critical of Man U. It's us that will be on the receiving end.
We're the current flavour of the month, to be given a good kicking. In fact, not just flavour of the month, but of the year. Certain sections of the press (well most of them if truth be known) have taken great glee in recent months, to 'stick it to us'. It 's born out of a deeper seated hatred thats burned under the surface for years.
Yet this week, of all weeks, they are going to be on high alert. Microphones turned up to maximum, at the Kop end, 'just for atmosphere', you understand!
Make no mistake, two wrongs, don't make a right. In the past, some of us ourselves, have not covered ourselves in any kind of glory, both with our own songs and actions.
We have within our own fan base, a minority of scum. ( And I use that word in it's correct form). Unfortunately, every fan base has them, and we're no exception.
This week unfortunately, will see them crawl out from under their stones, and give some sort of credence to the twats who want to give us that kicking whilst on the floor.
Lets not give them, the opportunity.
Let the other lot sing what they want. Who gives a shit. On the other hand, we have to be on our best behaviour. Lets give Evra shit. Give bacon face shit. Give his entire team shit. But above all, lets not let the odd fool amongst our midst get any kind of vile or inflamatory chanting going, towards Evra. Or worse, the Munich song et al.
Because you and I know full well, they will sing about Hillborough and Heysel for a full two hours. The press will turn a deaf ear to it, and ignore it. As they always do. Yet the very second that we retaliate with the Munich song, or something even aproaching close to the bone about Evra, the headline writers at the red tops will be setting their type even before the final whistle.
This time out, we need to be cute. Lets give them shite. Lets give them a dogs life for every second they are inside our stadium, but be mindfull that the world is watching, and nothing, NOTHING, will be lost in translation.
