Hats off to Barry Glendenning at The Guardian, who writes their tea-time newsletter, The Fiver.
If the Fiver was forced to apologise and resign every time we sent an ill-advised email to recipients who found them objectionable, production of the world’s most tea-timely newsletter would have ceased moments after its maiden excursion more years ago than we care to remember. Luckily, our audience is more tolerant than Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly, who showcased the fabled Scouse sense of humour by swooning like Victorian ladies overcome by the vapours when a board member from “their” club responded to a series of emails from a disgruntled fan by inviting him to “Blow me, fuckface”.
The carefully worded email sent by Tom Hicks Jr, Dallas-based businessman and adult son of Liverpool owner Tom Sr, prompted howls of faux outrage and wounded indignation from Spirit of Shankly, who despite all their protestations to the contrary, were almost certainly beside themselves with delight that a fan had managed to prompt such a juvenile response from the Liverpool boardroom.
Having called for, and subsequently secured the resignation of Hicks Jr, who has since apologised for sending the email, SoS posted a statement on their website this afternoon. “Spirit of Shankly welcomes the resignation of Tom Hicks Junior from the board of Liverpool FC and its parent company,” it chirruped. “This club has standards – on the field, off the field, on the terraces and in the boardroom.” As luck would have it, the group made no mention of its own standards, which are so low that last year’s end-of-season party climaxed with this rousing ditty making fun of the Munich air disaster.
While it could be argued that the raucous, mob-handed celebration of a plane crash in which 21 people died is considerably more offensive than some dumb Yank losing his rag and sending a chippy email, it’s interesting that SoS chose not to disband or call for mass resignations from among their own rank-and-file in the wake of the notorious sing-along.
The Fiver is as wholeheartedly in favour of football fans sticking it to The Man as the next beret-wearing promoter of people-power, but we find it bewildering that the high standards expected from all connected with Liverpool FC “on the field, off the field, on the terraces and in the boardroom” evidently don’t apply to those most anxious to see them rigidly enforced.
Next to nothing was said in the press at the time about the disgraceful goings on at the Spirit of Shankly end of the season do. I know I wasn’t alone in getting in touch with the journos with the footage, but the editors just weren’t interested in running the stories.
Glad to see that their hypocrisy has been exposed in the broadsheets today though.
Man Utd News 24/7
is this a freeking windup
ONLY FUCKIN NOW
I myself emailed every newspaper with the first post on this months ago
at least they did it thou finally
A message to the Spirit of Shankly group:
Blow me, fuckfaces. Go to hell. I’m sick of you.
I love Barry Glendenning.
I found it really difficult to work out what that clampet was singing….and in a way I’m glad. However if someone out there can enlighten me? (Just to make me more angry!!)
Liverpool look back on history
Manchester United make history
United can loose to Liverpool and win the league
Liverpool beat United and make t-shirts of there epic win(s)
Manchester United look forward engaging there fans from OT to worldwide
Liverpool make a film called 15 minutes that shook the world – take the piss out of our gaffer and Gary Neville and have a world premiere with the Facht man Stevie me Lady Torres crying there eyes out at the Anfield Oscars.
Liverpool want to be like us
We just want to be better than us
Liverpool make fun of Munich
United fans pay respect to Hillsborough
Different football team – different class
I wonder what Shankly would make of them laying waste to the dead – I bet you being a scotsman he’d be ready to denounce them. So much then for the spirit of Shankly
Nothing like pissing all over the spirit of Shankly, who happened to be an upstanding man that revered United.
I’d pity any fans who desecrated the memory of Busby in the name of cheap point scoring. To then go and cover it up through sheer ignorance would be shameful.
Good job for those members of SOS that they’re classless cunts.
Instead of throwing a load of abuse at these morons, I think I will just pity them instead, not that they don’t wollow in self pity all ready.
How pathetic for grown mento mock such a tragedy in a day and age when footballers where just regular folk like us and really played for the love of the game unlike 90 per cent of todays primadonnas. I bet they had a right laugh didn’t they…how truly sad! I’m embarassed for them. I will enjoy even more now seeing Liverpool go into meltdown when they fail to secure 4th place this season.
They claim themselfs to be the best fans in the world, how modest of them! Is it by any coincidence that 2 major football ground disasters had one thing in common????????? Liverpool fc!
This epitomizes the whole Looserpool (or Liverfool) FC .
I wonder if they sing like this about Heysel as well.
Murderers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fair play to this man for exposing the filthy vermin cunts. Cannot believe it has taken till now though. Hope the story makes its way to more of the papers.
Bill Shankley would turn in his grave.
Gary – No coincidence at all pal. Murderers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kidd
Disgusting.
How truly and pathetically cringeworthy. It’s about time someone has picked up on this. Classless idiotic cunts.
this is fucking disgusting. i’d like to see this posted on loonypool blogsites to see how they justify it. evil, murdering scumbags.
I do like Barry Glendenning, always listen to the Football Weekly podcast amd he’s very clear with his views – hates John Terry with a passion!
Well done to The Guardian for having the balls to finally comment on these sick idiots instead of the usual superlatives for ‘The Kop’.
Got to agree with everyone on Barry Glenndenning hes a really good football journalist.
This is just typical behaviour from this supporters union, we’ve seen it before. Its disgusting that I have come to expect this from Liverpool’s fans.
shows them up for the scum so many of them are.
I still await the justice for the 39 campaign
Barry Glendenning is brilliant. Shame this was on the Fiver (tea-time newsletter) and didn’t make it to the actual main pages.
fucking sick glad someone has finally showed them for what they really are cunts!!
Nice to see SoS called out on their bullshit. They think they’re entitled to run their club, even though they’ve done fuck all to earn it. Twats.
there aren’t worse fans in the world. biggest pieces of shit on the planet.
SoS,you’re a bunch of hypocrites and a disgrace.If Shankly was still alive to see this,he would have most definitely shat on you wankers and would have regretted managing Liverpool FC.
This video turns me into a bad person. I feel like dropping a bomb on all those wankers.
Dipper cunts!!
Assholes. Hope they rot in hell. Shows the club they are. No respect, no class.Just a bunch of disrespectful and deluded bastards.Shankly would have been ashamed of such idiots.
Look right, before i say what I am about to say I would like to stress that yes I am a liverpool fan, in liverpool, but no I am not a member os SOS and do not condone anything in that video. Im taking point on one of the posters in these comments that says:
Liverpool make fun of Munich
United fans pay respect to Hillsborough
Different football team – different class
Let me tell you – there are as many idiots in your fanbase as there are in ours. I get fed up of all this classy united fan lark as much as you do about our so called best fans on the planet and so on. Each set of fans has its complete idiots.
In 2006 (i think it was) I attended the Liverpool v Chelsea game at Old Trafford. You will remember that as the day that the Liverpool fans smashed Old Trafford up and sprayed Munich 56 on the walls – and things like that, no doubt. Classless Liverpool fans once again – united being a cut above, and so on. Well what you wont remember is the banners that your classy fans were hanging over the motorway bridges on the way into Manchester saying “Hillsboro – 96 dead was not enough”, and other things which were just as spineless and sickening. I know for a fact that some of the people that saw the writing on those banners were people who had lost family members at the disaster in sheffield – as it was talked about when we got to the ground. Different class.
Now – I am not for one second saying that we have better fans than you – I dont think anyone has better fans than anyone, and id be a fool to suggest our fans are amazing after the well documented history of what some of them have done – but if you think that all united fans are classy and that you are a cut above then you are very much mistaken.
I am sure most of the people on here, no matter how much you hate scousers and all that (having of course, probably never met one) would not condone these banners being hung over the bridges by the gangs of Salford scallies – but they were, and it was United fans that did it.
Just like earlier in the year when you smashed up that away ground in the FA cup all I read was “wed expect that from scousers” – as though your own team dont have fans that do it. What about when you played Everton a couple of years back and smashed up every pub virtually on the way back to the station? Loads of kicking off….I remember being in newton – le – willows and listening to a United fan crowing about how hed put a table through a window and kicked off on loads of scousers. But United fans are a cut above and dont do that, right? Wrong.
Sadly, and it shames me, people think that football is more than the beautiful game, and that its about fighting and being generally evil to the opposition fans and so on. Im clearly going to get taken apart for these comments if anyone chooses to read them because I dont belong here, im going to get called a murderer and so on, even though ive never raised my fists in anger over football in my entire life, and never will.
Just as a final point that day at old trafford in 2006 – when i was walking back to my car there were gangs of scally lads walking round asking people to talk – so they could batter them if they were scousers. They had bats that were visible, and were keeping off the main streets because of the police presence – but they were looking to kick the fuck out of scousers. I was on my own and got stopped but thankfully I am from Warrington originally a long time ago, and can put a manc accent on if needed and managed to get away with it (I didnt have colours on that day). If I hadnt, a load of united fans would have kicked the fuck out of me – i know this, cos two fellas behind me got chased by them before the police intervened. Thats real classy isnt it?
on a final note for what its worth i offer apologies for what the liverpool fans on that video were singing, even though i cannot do anything about it, and had nothing to do with it. It is sickening.
Well said, Stu – a dickhead’s a dickhead no matter who he supports.
Think the point of the article is more about the hypocrisy of SOS but you’re right, there’re enough mancs that are far from sainthood.
Stu
I can’t help but to feel that your main point is about taking united fans down a peg or two rather than a focus on the main issue that this large batch of Liverpool fans which might be as many as 250-500 participating in this appauling sing along. How many people are members of SOS? How many left in protest after this sing along? Is the organisation condemned by Liverpool fans at Anfield? Where is the apology from the players who attended this event?
So often in these incidents it is not the small batch of idiots that are the problem but how the collective group- Liverpool fans react. Surely you would agree? I mean look back at Hillsborough where Pool fans were minimally responsible but in an attempt to absolve themselves of all blame they took no responibility. Ticketless fans again rushed turnstyles at Athens in similar fashion.
It may be an unfortunate association for you personally as you condemn SOS but Liverpool fans collectively have to take responsibility. Just accept that after Heysel you aren’t on the same moral footing as others in these discussions. As individuals we are equal in condemning these fools but by association you are bereft of credibility.
Ok brett – so i should stop supporting Liverpool because 250 – 500 people I dont know, in an association I am not a member of, in a place I have never been (although I do know were it is) sang some nasty songs about something they should 100% know better? Would that get me more credibility then in what I am saying about other teams fans?
I am a Liverpool fan, born and raised in the area – i cannot change that nor would I want to. You might find this astonishing but I am very proud of the club i support, what kind of supporter would I be if I wasn’t – all I can do is apologise for the bad things that happen and not make those mistakes myself which I have not – as I mentioned – I have never raised a fist in anger. You cannot call me a murderer because I support liverpool, although you (not you, but united fans) have and always will and I have no choice to accept it, and i understand why. But to say I have no credibility in what i am saying because I support Liverpool is plain ignorant, in my opinion of course. I am agreeing that our fans have total and utter wankers in the ranks – but so do everyones. Imagine if there was a youtube video of those banners over the bridges – would that make me more credible?
I already apologised for whatever I can about this incident – my point was being made not for any reason to do with me condoning this action – it just riles me that one set of fans…whoever they may be, thinks another doesnt have both lunatics or idiots in its ranks because they choose not to see it.
Just in answer to your question – i read on the fan sites that quite alot of people were boong at this and alot of people left, and its universally condemned by liverpool fans, just not the pissed ones jumping up and down dancing on youtube – which is – i state again, horrific. I suppose it would fit better with our vermin like image that we all had a good old laugh about this on our robbed laptops then started singing the same song again in the dole cue. Typical fucking scousers eh. Of course not, no sane person I know who is a liverpool fan would be anything more than ashamed of this.
Anyway – i made my point and you have made yours and to be honest, even if it was valid I wouldn’t win it on a united site as you probably wouldn’t on a liverpool one if the shoe was on the other foot (which I expect you will be quick to point out it never has been and never will be).
well stu.. u can BLOW ME YOU FUCKFACE…
Stu
It’s pretty simple Stu. I don’t expect you not to support Liverpool but I do expect you to refrain from trying to deny different football team, different class. I do not think that by every living hour the moral fibre of liverpool football club should be held around your neck but in turn you should stop delluding yourself that Liverpool FC can sit with others on the moral high ground and spend your time trying to justify this raising tit-for-tat incidents of deviant behavior.
You seem to want to believe everyone is as bad as eachother but that is not the real world.
Stu isn’t disputing the article, he’s just disputing a point made by a commenter. And it seems fair enough. Both our teams have huge fanbases, which are likely to include many wankers. As a United fan, I of course believe that there are more of these in Liverpool than Manchester, but this may well not be the case.
Spirit of Shankly are a disgrace. And what’s unique about them is that unlike most small minority groups at most clubs, this is a venomous organisation that also appears able to hide behind an official and very respectable veneer. Pricks.
@ phaka sa red
dont be a dick.
@ stu
i can see where you come from, kudos to you for coming on here to make yur point. yea there are dicks at both clubs and as a united fan i obviously think more of you are than us! i live in australia these days which means your mates with anyone who loves football not just your team and i have got scouse mates who are horrified by the twats who sing about munich and fair play to em they stand up and say it.
in the end tho i can see where people will get irritated, iv been to unite liverpool at old trafford and watched the knobhead scousers giving it the airplane arms yet not once did i hear songs about heysel or hillsborough. the point i am making is that yea knobs on both sides but rarelt do the salford scallies get in to the ground showing that united is more proactive and keeping out the twat supporters where at liverpool it all too often looks as though they are embraced.
again this is my opinion and my view being from manchester and a united fan!
When it comes to bragging rights Manchester United fans can brag about winning more major trophies than everybody, bar Liverpool, and that’s really what it’s all about.
Some members of SOS are a fraction of Liverpool fans as are the hatred/envy filled MUF’s with their gutter language so eloquently spewed out on here.
Don’t judge everybody by the few.
I am a Liverpool fan of 50 Yrs and to read some of the holier than thou comments i have read here from Utd supporters makes me laugh.
There are good and bad supporters at every club so dont profess to be the best supporters in the world.
I could tell you some of my disgusting dealings with your so called fans over the last 50 years but that would prove nothing only that you have a vicious minority just like we have.
A Very Proud Liverpool Supporter
krenfrey99 – The difference is your “minority” is your official supporters union. If MUST were singing Hillsborough songs at their end of season bash, I would understand the comparison. As it is, SoS, who are quoted in the press time and again and are the VOICE of Liverpool fans in the media, allowed Munich songs to be sung and made no move to stop them.