Weekend Football 11/12th

[Hoop Blah]

Totally agree, they've been bullish enough over the whole thing that I don't believe Suarez feels he's in the wrong.

I'll give Dalglish the benefit of doubt though. His comments after the game, which he's apologised about, were in reponse to questions over Suarez shaking Evra's hand or not. I can quite believe that Dalglish had better things to worry about at the time than watching what went on when the handshake occured. From his point of view it was sorted and Suarez had agreed to shake hands and so there was nothing to get excited about. He's since learnt the full facts and so is probably a bit embarassed about his comments.

[philM]

I don't for one minute think the official apology from KKKenny and Suarez is genuine though. I believe (for the good of the club) they were told to make statements (by the owners) because all this has blackened the name of Liverpool FC and will affect future sponsorship and income into the club.

Well duh. So you've read the papers today, including the statement from Standard Chartered Bank? The owners and sponsors demanded an apology from KKKenny and Suarez.

[No Fixed Abode]

I don't for one minute think the official apology from KKKenny and Suarez is genuine though. I believe (for the good of the club) they were told to make statements (by the owners) because all this has blackened the name of Liverpool FC and will affect future sponsorship and income into the club.

Well duh. So you've read the papers today, including the statement from Standard Chartered Bank? The owners and sponsors demanded an apology from KKKenny and Suarez.

No, I have not read any papers today. I will do later though.

[Terminal Boardom]

Who gives a oxf*rd? A fairly mundane, average game of football.

[Royal Rother]

The only thing that rattles is the Spurs net each time they play United.

Wahey! TMD 1-0 Frimmers.


LOL @ everyone involved in Handshakeg8, from Suarez - the Uruguayan Esther Rantzen - to Evra and his embarassing spaz out at the end to the slow-mos of Rio's gormless face during the Handshake. Laughable. Get rid of the pre-match handshake anyway, contrived and pointless nonsense given the contempt most of these spoileed millionaires have for each other.

This pretty much sums up my whole feelings on the staged handshake malarky. It's just a set piece bit of presentation for the TV cameras that brings nothing to the game. I'd never have wanted to shake the hands of everyone I was about to play against, it's just daft.

This SPECTACULARLY misses the whole point of the pre-match handshake which has nothing to do with TV at all.

It's actually a major part of the respect campaign that goes right the way through all levels of football, most importantly to kids' football. It was designed to, in some small way, arrest the decline in sportsmanship and respect for officials and the opposition.

[Silver Fox]

This pretty much sums up my whole feelings on the staged handshake malarky. It's just a set piece bit of presentation for the TV cameras that brings nothing to the game.

is that why they only do it at televised games?

[Hoop Blah]

This SPECTACULARLY misses the whole point of the pre-match handshake which has nothing to do with TV at all.

It's actually a major part of the respect campaign that goes right the way through all levels of football, most importantly to kids' football. It was designed to, in some small way, arrest the decline in sportsmanship and respect for officials and the opposition.

I disagree. I know it's part of the totally flawed Respect campaign (one of the things I'm happy for anyone to slate the FA for) but if it wasn't for it being a big TV set piece to cover in the build up (nicked from the Cup Final) I'm certain it wouldn't have been introduced. It has absolutely no impact on a players respect for his opposition or the referee and so it's totally pointless.

[Terminal Boardom]

This pretty much sums up my whole feelings on the staged handshake malarky. It's just a set piece bit of presentation for the TV cameras that brings nothing to the game.

is that why they only do it at televised games?

[Hoop Blah]

This pretty much sums up my whole feelings on the staged handshake malarky. It's just a set piece bit of presentation for the TV cameras that brings nothing to the game.

is that why they only do it at televised games?

Pretty much all games are televised and, as I said above, I firmly believe that part of it's introduction was that it creates the set piece for coverage that the TV companies love and so it helps with the 'branding' of football for the spectacle which is founded in the TV coverage.

Just because they do it at games that aren't on the telly doesn't mean it wasn't part of the motive for bringing it in.

[cmonurz]

Completely agree with HB’s posts on page 10, fwiw.

[Royal Rother]

This SPECTACULARLY misses the whole point of the pre-match handshake which has nothing to do with TV at all.

It's actually a major part of the respect campaign that goes right the way through all levels of football, most importantly to kids' football. It was designed to, in some small way, arrest the decline in sportsmanship and respect for officials and the opposition.

I disagree. I know it's part of the totally flawed Respect campaign (one of the things I'm happy for anyone to slate the FA for) but if it wasn't for it being a big TV set piece to cover in the build up (nicked from the Cup Final) I'm certain it wouldn't have been introduced. It has absolutely no impact on a players respect for his opposition or the referee and so it's totally pointless.

Ok, you're wrong, but that's ok.

[Hoop Blah]

You don't think there's any influence from the TV companies on the 'packaging' of the game RR?

I know some of the kids leagues do the shaking of hands business, but I can assure you it's not all levels that do and I can assure you it has no influence over the respect of the opposition or the officials.

[TBM]

You don't think there's any influence from the TV companies on the 'packaging' of the game RR?

I know some of the kids leagues do the shaking of hands business, but I can assure you it's not all levels that do and I can assure you it has no influence over the respect of the opposition or the officials.

We do it on a Sunday morning and i have seen it done in the semi pro level on a Saturday

[FiNeRaIn]

Completely agree with HB’s posts on page 10, fwiw.

Well we knew you would tbh, I find the idea that Evra was looking to escalate this absolutely repulsive. His hand is there to be shook...he doesn't withdraw it and suarez walks on past. As for him being a " oxf*rd of the highest order" why on earth was this stated as some sort of fact? I and many others quite like him, what on earth has he done to be given this tag? Again, massively offensive comments from the bias liverpool fans on here.

[Hoop Blah]

You don't think there's any influence from the TV companies on the 'packaging' of the game RR?

I know some of the kids leagues do the shaking of hands business, but I can assure you it's not all levels that do and I can assure you it has no influence over the respect of the opposition or the officials.

We do it on a Sunday morning and i have seen it done in the semi pro level on a Saturday

You are one of very very few teams that do then.

I've not seen one team do it, bar cup finals, on a Sunday.

I've seen one team do it on a Saturday (in the Senior Division, and by one of the more officious local refs and every player laughed at it because they don't do it week-in week-out) since it was bought in however many years ago and I go and watch a fair amount of park football. Admittedly, now I think about it I don't think I've seen a kick off this season so it might've changed recently, but not that I've heard.

[cmonurz]

Perhaps I should have clarified a bit further, but at the time I couldn’t be bothered.

I agree with HB’s general sentiment that there is more to this case than has been delivered by the FA as the official ‘verdict’. I agree with HB that were Suarez guilty of calling Evra a negro ten times, and in the context claimed, this would not have rumbled on as long as it has. It is evident that Liverpool and Suarez feel aggrieved at the extent of his punishment given the verdict was essentially delivered on Evra’s word.

Dalglish was right to apologise for his rant after the game on Saturday – he didn’t have all the information, and was reacting to a question as to Suarez’s role in the days events, which to Kenny at the time were the troubles in the tunnel and after the game, not being awake of the missed handshake.

Suarez was utterly wrong not to shake Evra’s hand. I don’t blame Evra at all, but there is without doubt some uncertainty in Evra’s mind as to whether Suarez would take his hand. I think that is behind Evra not quite offering his hand out so much, entirely involuntary, but I don’t think Evra knew what was going to happen. Suarez was right to apologise, but what with the missed handshake and punting the ball into the crowd at half-time, he hasn’t covered himself in glory.

But, being me, to balance all the Liverpool-h8, I’ll criticise Ferguson for his ridiculous comments post-game about Suarez ‘never playing for that club again’, and his hypocrisy in claiming he wants this dead and buried after raising the race issue himself in the build up to the game last week.

The incredibly poor taste of the United fanzine has also got buried in the rest of this.

[Hoop Blah]

Completely agree with HB’s posts on page 10, fwiw.

Well we knew you would tbh, I find the idea that Evra was looking to escalate this absolutely repulsive. His hand is there to be shook...he doesn't withdraw it and suarez walks on past. As for him being a " oxf*rd of the highest order" why on earth was this stated as some sort of fact? I and many others quite like him, what on earth has he done to be given this tag? Again, massively offensive comments from the bias liverpool fans on here.

I'm not a Liverpool supporter.

Evra is one of the more volatile players in the league (why Fergie likes him I guess) and has a history of being involved in on the field and off the field incidents (I think VM has listed a few recently). He's a very good player but he's no stranger to causing friction.

Have you ever come back to me on the Celtic mentality by the way?

[Royal Rother]

I can assure you it has no influence over the respect of the opposition or the officials.

That's just incorrect.

It won't necessarily have an impact on every child, and it may never be a substantial impact but it does have an impact that is positive - denying it is pointless but seems typical of the English football supporter's inability to embrace anything other than short-termist measures.

Nobody claims it is a magic fix-all solution. Just because kids still get violent and mouthy on the pitch does not mean that the handshake does not work on some levels.

[Hoop Blah]

Ok, point taken, some little kid somewhere might think twice about uttering a dissenting critcism of a ref once in a while, but not enough for it to even register on the scale.

So, to rephrase a little, I just don't believe that the handshake has any meaningful impact at any level on the respect shown between players and officials. I've certainly not seen it at the highest level where the handshake has been rigidly enforced and I can't see any logical or emotional reason as to why it would have an impact.

The only way players and officials earn respect is through their actions and behaviour. The shaking of a hand beforehand just doesn't carry any influence.

I'd love for you to explain how and why it's going to make any difference to a set of people that know each other inside out and who talk before and after a game quite often.

[Royal Rother]

With respect, I think you still miss the point.... (see what I did there...)

The handshake may have minimal impact on the professional footballer but it is done to promote the notion of respect at all levels of the game.

Kids see their heroes do it, and then they themselves do it week after week, year after year, and it is bound to have a positive impact on them somewhere along the line. It's just one small element of making grass roots football better.

There are many more (and bigger) things they could do but choose not to - that's a different issue.