Liverpool responds to anti racist's concerns.

 The recent and on going furor surrounding Liverpool Football Club’s handling of the Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra incident continues to illustrate the depth and breadth of racism in the UK.

 

The recent public letter sent by 18 prominent black and anti racist organisations to LFC has been the catalyst for further denial of the racist nature of this miserable affair. 

 

In seeking to bring clarity to the debate I want to make a few things clear.  There is no accusation that Suarez himself is a racist. He made racially derogatory and offensive remarks that are unacceptable in the modern British game.

 

Secondly nobody accused LFC of being a racist club. What was said is that their handling of this particular affair was extremely poor and incited further racism and that they should do something about it. Liverpool has a moral responsibility to football and the country as a whole to ensure that they set the highest standards when dealing with issues of race.

 

And what is being asked of them? That Suarez should apologise to Evra. He and the club are both, I believe morally compelled to do so.

 

In addition, that LFC make a public statement alongside others committing themselves to opposing racism and finally organise a conference on racism in football. All simple things, that would go a long way to repairing some of the damage done by LFC’s lack of leadership on this issue. Hardly a life sentence is it?

 

In response and reported on by the BBC, LFC have said they are committed to tackling racism.

 

"Liverpool FC made clear its disappointment with what happened recently at Old Trafford and both Luis Suarez and Kenny Dalglish issued apologies.”

Whilst true, LFC have consistently denied the existence of any racist element in this matter

"The player did not previously appeal the FA sanction, served his suspension and apologised to anyone he had offended”.

One assumes that the reason no appeal was made was because both Suarez and LFC accepted he was guilty. The apology issued was in reference to the failed “ hand shake” and not for using racially offensive language.

"In light of recent events, the club has met with a number of key national and local stakeholders on these issues. We are also working with Sporting Equals, an independent UK-wide charity and one of the leading experts in equality and diversity in sport to develop a strategic action plan encompassing both our staff and external stakeholders."

This sounds promising and we looked at Sporting Equals website and to our surprise we found that Dr Zafar Iqbal, 1st Team Doctor at Liverpool FC is also Sporting Equals Physical Activity Ambassador. We have written to Sporting Equals for further clarification.

We will also be requesting the names of those “national and local key stakeholders” who LFC say they are working with. Preliminary enquiries by us have not been able to establish LFC is in contact with any local black organisations in Liverpool. 

LFC continued…

"We are committed to playing our part, alongside the game's authorities and other agencies, in the fight against racism and discrimination of any sort."

Whilst we welcome this preliminary statement by Liverpool in response to our letter, their initial failure to appeal the Suarez suspension speaks volumes.

 

We hope in the spirit of reconciliation, and in line with LFC stated commitment to play it’s part in the fight against racism, that a full apology is issued.

 

Black people are reporting to me that bad credit loans Suarez name is now being used as a form of racial abuse. There can be no more compelling reason for LFC to reconsider their position.

 

It is vital that LFC are seen to be absolutely unequivocal in their opposition to racism. In this instance that requires they provide an immediate apology to Evra and unsecured loans acknowledge and repair the damage done by their mishandling of the whole affair. 

Suarez shake

Liverpool's Luis Suarez competes with Manchester United's Patrice Evra during the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield on October 15, 2011 in Liverpool, England. (FILE)

England’s Football Association (FA) on Wednesday started a disciplinary hearing into claims Liverpool striker Luis Suarez racially abused Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in a match in October. unsecured loans
Uruguay’s Suarez, following a month-long investigation, has been charged with abusing Evra, and referring to his “ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race” by the FA.
The hearing is set to last for two days, with a verdict expected by the end of this week.
Both players are due to give evidence at the hearing.
Suarez has repeatedly denied accusations of racism and Liverpool bad credit loans have insisted they remain “fully supportive” of their player.
The charge confronting Suarez relates to the 1-1 Premier League draw between Liverpool and United at Anfield on October 15.
Evra, speaking to French television station Canal Plus immediately after the match, said Suarez had racially abused him “more than 10 times” during the game.
“I was very upset,” Evra told Canal Plus. “In 2011 you can’t say things like this. He knows what he said, the ref knows it, it will come out.
“I won’t repeat what he said, but it was a racist word, and he said it more than ten times.
“He tried to wind me up. I won’t make a huge deal out of it, but it’s very upsetting and disappointing.”
But Suarez, quoted by Uruguayan media earlier this month, said: “There is no evidence I said anything racist to him. I said nothing of the sort.”
Evra voiced his complaint to referee Andre Marriner, in charge at Anfield, who included it in his match report and the FA announced the charge against Suarez last month.
Liverpool said after the charge: “Luis remains determined to clear his name of the allegation made against him by Patrice Evra.
“The club remain fully supportive of Luis in this matter.”
And only last week Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insisted: “The staff, players and supporters will stand by him because they know what the truth is.
“We’ll stand by him. It’s only in other people’s interests that if they cannot stop him on the pitch, they have to try some other ways and means to stop him,” the Anfield great added.
Suarez, who joined Liverpool from Dutch club Ajax for £22 million in January, is no stranger to controversy, having often been accused of diving.
He earned global condemnation at last year’s World Cup by handling a goalbound effort by Ghana in the final moments of the quarter-final, then celebrating when the resulting penalty was missed and Uruguay went through in a penalty shoot-out.

Houston was underwater in tub

How did Whitney Houston die? A combination of prescription drug Xanax and other medication mixed with alcohol are being reported as the cause of death, according to a report.
TMZ reported that Los Angeles unsecured loans County Coroner officials told Whitney Houston's family that the singer didn't die from drowning. Instead, it appears that Whitney Houston died from what seems to be a combination of prescription drugs mixed with alcohol, family sources told the celebrity news Web site.

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Whitney Houston's cause of death is said to be prescription drug and alcohol combination, family sources tell TMZ.

Houston's body was found in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday afternoon. Beverly Hills Police Department Lt. Mark Rosen said the singer was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. in her room. Houston was 48 years old.
"No obvious signs of foul play and no obvious signs of a cause of death," Rosen said.
Whitney Houston was found face down in the bathtub in her hotel room and prescription drugs were said to be present because the singer allegedly took them for depression and anxiety. Reports were that the singer either drowned or died of a drug overdose, but authorities said they wouldn't comment on the cause of death on Saturday, because it was still being investigated

"We're told Coroner's officials informed the family there was not enough water in Whitney's lungs to lead to the conclusion that she drowned," TMZ's report read.
The family sources also told TMZ that bad credit loans Whitney Houston may have died before her head was submerged.
When news of the six-time Grammy winner's death hit the media, reports were that singer and rumored ex-boyfriend Ray J found her body in her hotel room. However, TMZ reported that Whitney Houston's body was found in the bathtub by her aunt, Mary Jones. Ray J reportedly got the call informing him about Whitney Houston's death while he was at home and rushed to the hotel but was turned away by authorities.
Bobbi Kristina, Houston's only daughter with ex-husband Bobby Brown, was also prevented from identifying Whitney Houston's dead body. The 18 year old was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Sunday morning and treated for stress and anxiety following her mother's death, The Associated Press reported. She has since been released.
Getting ready for the evening
Houston was supposed to appear at her friend and mentor Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday.
Jones had laid out the singer's dress for the evening on the bed and left for about a half hour, TMZ reported. But when the singer didn't leave the bathroom Jones pulled Whitney Houston from the bathtub and began performing CPR, according to TMZ.
TMZ said that Whitney's mother Cissy has made arrangements for the singer's body to be flown to Atlanta, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
"The family was told the Coroner has no problem releasing the body because there is no evidence of foul play -- and unless cops put a hold on the body, it can be flown back East," TMZ reported.
Investigating Houston's behavior before death
Detectives investigating the cause of Whitney Houston's death will be looking into the singer's behavior hours and days before her death. Her family, friends and staff have already been questioned, according to Good Morning America.
The Los Angeles Coroner on Sunday, said that toxicology reports on Houston will not be available until about six to eight weeks.
Houston struggled with drugs and alcohol for years and entered rehab last year. Reports are that she was at a bar Friday night at the Beverly Hilton hotel with a group of friends.
TMZ reported that the singer was at the bar drinking and being very loud.