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From the official Liverpool Football Club website:
Liverpool Football Club totally condemns the comments regarding the Hillsborough disaster made by the radio and TV broadcaster Steve Cohen.
“Mr Cohen has obviously never taken the time to read the Taylor Report which stated clearly that ticketless fans were not a contributory factor or responsible for the events of that day.
“To use the 20th anniversary of the disaster to repeat false claims about Liverpool fans (which Mr Cohen first broadcast and then apologised [sic] for in 2006) is even more unacceptable.
The statement is really quite remarkable. Not because of the amount of time it took the team to issue a response, but because of the fact that the Liverpool FC organization chose not to address the death threats and other assorted comments made against Steven Cohen by Liverpool FC supporters.
That’s really quite unfortunate. The organization, in my opinion, missed a golden opportunity to help ratchet down the over-the-top, visceral behavior coming from some of their supporters. If anything, this statement from the team 38 days after the fact will only help fan the flames.
They should have denounced the death threats.
TR1
/ May 21, 2009The trouble with a mob is that no one can control it probably on all sides. Mobs attack and justify it with mob reinforcement. You can see examples throughout the last century.
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009So Rick, your logic appears to be that Liverpool F.C’s condemnation of Cohens ‘opinion’ is worthless because it took 38 days to respond?
I suppose the same time frame and the same lack of validity, can then be added to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign statement?
No mention of the 5 weeks it took for Cohen’s ‘apology’ statement to be written and read out. All that work by Steven only for him to screw the script up at it’s climax. Such a waste of resources.
Regarding the death threats that we keep hearing about but have never seen. I would have thought, and no doubt, you have seen this comment elsewhere, that if I had received serious threats to myself and my family, I would have reported the offending e-mail and ISP details to the F.B.I appropriate authorities. The logical aim being to have that threat removed and to dissuade anyone else from following the same course of action.
Maybe Cohen has, as he did say some weeks ago that he had contacted The F.B.I and the Canadian Mounted police.
Maybe they didn’t have the same cause for concern over some internet assasins as Cohen obviously does.
Surely with all the anti-semitic, anti-American, anti-WSD and anti-free speech e-mails Cohen is receiveing, they are just far too busy trawling through them to get to the less important stuff?
We’ll wait patiently for the first arrest to be made then.
It’s strange isn’t it that the general concensus amongst Liverpool supporters groups directly involved in this is to condemn the actions of the few who have nothing between their ears. This of course is ignored.
Strange too that the boycott has been widely condemned by Cohen and his supporters as an act of ‘terrorism’ or whatever sound bite he has found to get the troops to rally round this week.
Even stranger is the online poll, which is publicised on the WSD website.
Sponsors of WSD
We the undersigned wish to show our support for World Soccer Daily on Sirius and XM Radio
as a forum for healthy debate about the game of football(soccer) and to exercise one’s right to
free speech. Please demonstrate that these basic human rights are also important to you by
continuing your support of World Soccer Daily. Such continued support would demonstrate
that you, the sponsors, are truly American in spirit. A lack of continued support for World
Soccer Daily on your behalf would demonstrate to the listeners and the American public that in
fact it is not the comments made about Hillsborough that you reject, instead it’s the pressure
from other groups, since the remarks, that have caused you to alter your thinking. Such action
would cause us, the listeners of World Soccer Daily to have to re-evaluate our position of
support for you, the show’s sponsors. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
So just to explain. His supporters are telling the shows sponsors that if they withdraw their support it’s because they have buckled under pressure and not because they disagree with Cohen”…Amazing.
Even more amazing is the fact that his supporters are also telling the sponsors that if they do withdraw their support for WSD then they will boycott their goods and services!
What!! Surely that can’t be right?
Rick
/ May 23, 2009@shanklyboy:
Really? Where is that happening?
My point was that LFC waited 38 days to respond to what a radio talk show host said, but they didn’t bother to comment on all of the threats and hate speech coming from their supporters. Even though that has been the focus in the news media. Not that a radio talk show host said something some people find to be controversial, but that people are actually threatening him because of it.
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009@Rick:
I’m sure that you wouldn’t bother looking at what’s being said on Liverpool fan sites to confirm or deny these claims, but if you did, you would see.Maybe there’s a method to your madness then.
In fact the majority of fans in your own blog have condemned any threats of violence when the subject has been raised.
I’m glad you took the time to resond to all of my points regarding these threats, amongst others that we have supposedly aimed in Cohens direction. Have you seen any of them personally?
The only one we can come up with is a Newcaste fan who used the ‘Yid’ remark and later apologised.
I did see one entry on a pro Cohen site, quoting and providing a link to a Liverpool fan site, where someone was supposed to have said ” I hope he gets a bullet”, as a death threat. When what was actually said was ” I hope he gets THE bullet”.meaning ‘The sack’……”Fired’.
As for Liverpool F.C not commenting on the threats, I would think they might if there was any evidence. He has been asked to provide it so we can deal with it but has declined.
I’m not saying he hasn’t received any of course. There are brainless idiots everywhere. So I would guess that Liverpool F.C have asked the same questions regarding this.
However I find the lack of ANY evidence very suspect, as I have a feeling they might too.
Cohen , as we keep telling him, should make these threats known to the authorities. It’s 5 weeks or more since he started receiving them so he must surely be panicking at the passing of every second. I know I wouldn’t wait….would you?
Rick
/ May 23, 2009@shanklyboy:
I bothered to look and I was disappointed with what I saw. Maybe 38 days from now, LFC will issue an official condemnation against such talk. Until then, their silence speaks volumes.
TR1
/ May 23, 2009Some ‘polite’ comments from some LFC supporters to add to this discussion:
RonaldhoIsAWanker (1 week ago) Show Hide
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I’m in no way defending Cohen. I can’t stand the guy. But you are proving his point with the death threats.
scouselad1991 (1 week ago) Show Hide
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ang on a sec, like i give a fuck that im proving his point on death threats. im not denying his life is in danger, im actually supporting the idea of him being put to death ;-) xxxxxx nice speaking to you
RonaldhoIsAWanker (1 week ago) Show Hide
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It’s despicable that you would wish death upon some one for expressing an opinion (albeit a stupid one). That’s what Muslim clerics do when someone insults Islam. Are you on the same level as them? That’s what it seems like.
scouselad1991 (1 week ago) Show Hide
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well im not trying to win a popularity contest and to be honest, if i read in the newspaper tomorrow morning and read he was dead i would probly laugh my tits off. That said i dont think i would have it in me to actually off the cunt meself, but wouldnt hesitate in smashing his teeth in and the way your going i wouldnt hesitate smashing your in. HUGS AND KISSES XXX
RonaldhoIsAWanker (1 week ago) Show Hide
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If you’re a reflection of the Liverpool fan base then it doesn’t surprise me what Cohen said and I suppose he was right. If your fan base is as barbaric and disgusting as you are then it was your fan that caused Hillborough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n907YNcRxbY
TR1
/ May 23, 2009The first part of the conversation I pasted:
scouselad1991 (3 weeks ago) Show Hide
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50 Quid on Steve Cohen to be shot, stabbed or burned alive! any takers?
Badassmoafo (3 weeks ago) Show Hide
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i do the bastard for free with pleasure the fucking cock sucking homo fuck.
MrNiceHk (2 weeks ago) Show Hide
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Soon to be visited by some heavies me thinks .. better mind how he goes
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009I did see you comments and the posts that you quoted.
I noticed that you quoted me but forgot to mention that I was referring to death threats being condemned.Instead you referred to my post as ‘Someone today left a comment in the comment section of that post claiming, among other things, that Liverpool FC supporter groups have been denouncing this type of speech, but that fact is getting ignored by everyone.
I found this to be quite remarkable because it’s simply not true.
As you well know..that isn’t what I said is it?
Did you only look on TIA? Why not the others….or did you look and couldn’t find anything to fit your viewpoint?
Have you taken a look elsewhere.what about the biggest Liverpool fan site where this all started?
These are the ‘death threats’ and ‘anti semitic’ comments Cohen is talking about?
I notice also that you have quoted the ‘bullet ‘ post I mentioned previously.
There were 14 pages of posts on that site and you could only come up with things like…
# “I just wish that people who made “death threats” actually had the balls to follow through with them.“ – Tom R
# “When he dies (of natural causes), I hope it happens slowly.” — Newport
# “Someone should shove a pineapple up his rectum.” — Strontium Dog
# “If anyone can think of a way to upload a virus to their satellites I think that would be doing the planet a favour.” – Scouse Missionary
# “I was about to say, sounds like a jew.“– Phily Hamann
# “I’d be quite happy if he dies in screaming agony quite soon. Some kind of painful, terminal illness, maybe.” — Silverlining
# “Waiting for him to do a sports talk in Orlando so i can personally break his fuckin legs.” — scouselad1991
# “A real shithouse of a cunt and no mistake. Hope the thick fucker gets the bullet.“ — Mozzaretti
Hardly the views of the majority then are they?
You also omitted the full post with the ’sounds like a jew’ comment.
Though I fail to see how ’sounds like a jew’ is cause for concern.
Anyhow it was in response to this….
I put Colin’s post on “Red All Over The Land” and someone linked to this thread.
It is staggering how ignorant and stupid this Steven Cohen is. As someone pointed out on RAOTL, you’d think he more than anyone with his Jewish background would be all too aware of what lies can make people do.
After all the Nazi’s waged a war against the Jews based on a set of outrageous lies.
I was about to say, sounds like a jew.
Wonder how he’d think of some Hitler killed himself cause of his gas bill jokes? Probably have a candid minute at the end of the show and condemn Liverpool fans for their anti-semitic campaign against him.
The rest of the comments are hardly serious death threats. I agree…not very nice but hardly earth shattering.
Have you seen some of the things Liverpool supporters have had said to them?
As for the moderators not stopping these posts, many do so in private messages. Not by posting on the forum.
Though if they didn’t it may be that they want to foster a culture of free speech.
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009TR1.
I’m not sure what point you are attempting to make by posting comments you found on You Tube.
The worlds low life congregate there.
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009I hope people on here will click on the You Tube link and see the level of intelligence on it.
By the way…it appears you missed these comments.
I wonder why?
Doesn’t matter kid thats what they do they take one thing that a scouser does and its all scousers that what they do. So stop it rise above it your better than that.
YNWA
I’m also a Liverpool fan if you threaten him in this way your giving Mr Cohen more ammunition To call scousers the horrible things he does.
Please fellow reds lets stick to the facts an don’t do a Steve
Please though no threats – it plays into his hands. Keep the pressure on the sponsors who are already dropping him like a stone. YNWA
Rick
/ May 23, 2009@shanklyboy:
Really? Not a serious death threat? How about the Liverpool FC supporter that spoke about wanting someone to shove a pineapple up his rectum? I’m not sure if you are familiar with that specific Hawaiian fruit, but there is no walking away from something like that.
I went to the first pubic Liverpool FC supporter site that I could find that did not require someone to register to view the forum. That forum was the first one that I could find. I then did a search for “steven cohan” and those were the messages I found.
If the Liverpool FC would officially denounce these types of comments, maybe they would stop.
TR1
/ May 23, 2009Shanklyboy,
You-tube is one of the most popular mediums used today, and many of Steven’s comments I have seen posted by LFC supporters have been Youtube clips.
I only found the world soccer daily clip after clicking on one of these posted clips.
I posted the links that were the threats. I hope and I am confident that most Liverpool supporters would be against such comments, but I include the link to read all 80 comments.
The point is there are these level of threats being thrown around.
You said: “Regarding the death threats that we keep hearing about but have never seen. I would have thought, and no doubt, you have seen this comment elsewhere, that if I had received serious threats to myself and my family..”
There are probably too many to keep track of, what can you do?
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009@Rick:
A pineapple as a serious death threat?
Are you serious?
So you chose the first site you could find and even then you only came up with what you posted?
Here try R.A.W.K the largest Liverpool fan site.
There are 62 pages dedicated to Cohen.
See what you can come up with from there.
http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=241156.0
No doubt you will find some fruit related threat to his life and nobody condemning it….not even a greengrocer.
shanklyboy
/ May 23, 2009@TR1:
You just didn’t think it appropriate to show those Liverpool fans who were condemning the comments…….just the comments themselves.
Most of which are from brainless, prepubescent idiots.
Maybe the comments about the colour of Kenny’s hair would have been more intellectually stimulating.
Rick
/ May 23, 2009@shanklyboy: Why would you send me to that site to show me how responsible LFC supporters are acting? The very first page there is talk of killing him and his children.
TR1
/ May 23, 2009I am not sure why you think “brainless, pre-pubescent idiots” can’t do you harm?
Perhaps an official condemnation would give them a clue as to threatening lives; I am sure Columbine killers should have stayed “brainless, pre-pubescent idiots”. The condemning comments are not having an impact apparently.
“You just didn’t think it appropriate to show those Liverpool fans who were condemning the comments…….just the comments themselves.”
I was not making the point that LFC supporters were not condemning these comments. There are LFC supporters that support Steve, his comments, and his line of questioning.
As I said I was responding to your point as follows:
“Regarding the death threats that we keep hearing about but have never seen. I would have thought, and no doubt, you have seen this comment elsewhere, that if I had received serious threats to myself and my family..”
David
/ May 24, 2009this is the only reference to Cohen’s children. Please stop spreading lies Rick
“I would just prefer he never brings the subject up as his opinion is not likely to change. Unless he has one of his own children who gets crushed, then and only then he’d want full enquiries and full answers himself.”
which is referring to Hillsborough not to wanting to kills Cohen’s kids, it’s saying quite blatantly that he seems to be the type of person whose opinion would only change if the situation happened to him.
Try again mate, and we’re talking about death threats made directly to Cohen anyway, any little runt with a bit of misplaced bravado can run his mouth off on a forum. It’s the actual threats of death aimed at Cohen I’d like to see, that were sent to him directly that he’s failed to produce, there’s over a million Liverpool supporters world wide so I’d expect us to have some dickheads, everyone does, so why doesn’t he reveal us for the nasty evil scum we are? cos he can’t!
Rick
/ May 24, 2009@David:
Really? The idea is brought forth that he wont see things the way you want him to see things until his children are killed. You don’t see how spreading ideas like that could be dangerous? Maybe you Liverpool supporters have fun saying that you want to put a bullet in him or that you want to break his legs.
It is this type of irresponsible talk that gets spread in the Liverpool FC forums publicly that leads to Cohen receiving death threats privately.
David
/ May 24, 2009It depends how thick people are I suppose, obviously if they’re like you then being given the bullet means they want the man shot, the fact that someone says that Cohen might have a different view of things had one of his children been involved in a disaster of this nature where no-one was made accountable and no justice served is obviously a coded message/call to arms for all Liverpool fans to kill his kids. Maybe I just don’t read into things like this, most normal, intelligent, right-thinking people don’t. That’s likely the school of thinking that prompted Mark Chapman put a bullet in Lennon after reading ‘Catcher in the Rye’ or Charles Manson kill Sharon Tate after listening to ‘Helter Skelter’. Most normal people don’t do that or read them kind of messages into things, perhaps you do I don’t know but it’s kind of worrying that you think that these types of phrases are in themselves a danger.
Rick
/ May 25, 2009@David:
And I would argue that normal, intelligent, right-thinking people are in somewhat short supply over at the Liverpool FC supporter forums. Unless of course you think it’s somehow normal to say that you are going to break someone’s legs because they believe something differently than you.
What shocks me is not that someone would say something like that, but that nobody tried to correct him or that the admins didn’t delete his comment and suspend his posting privileges. No, the only response was from someone offering to help.
David
/ May 25, 2009I feel sorry for you mate if you think believing that Liverpool Fans killed their own is ‘believing something different than you’. People get emotional when things are said, especially in the vitriolic way Cohen said them. Have you heard the actual broadcast? It’s vile and borders on race hatred. Tell me if Liverpool Fans were the cause of this disaster why was their a crush at the same end of the same ground nine years earlier, this time not involving Liverpool at all but Cohen’s former allegiance before he jumped on the Chelsea bandwagon; Spurs. http://liberalengland.blogspot.com/2009/04/there-was-nearly-hillsborough-disaster.html
Rick
/ May 25, 2009@David: Have I heard the broadcast? Yes, I heard the broadcast. Unlike most of the people that claim to be offended by what Steven Cohen said, I actually listen to the show.
Race hatred? You’ve got to be kidding.
All Steven Cohen has said is that some Liverpool FC supporters there that day deserve at least some of the blame for what happened. Anyone reading paragraphs 57 – 70 of the interim Taylor Report can see that at least some – not all – but some in that crowd, the people that would not accept the fact that they were going to miss the kick-off, deserve at least some of the blame for what happened that day.
In my opinion, they deserve quite a bit of the blame.
If they hadn’t had acted the way they acted, it wouldn’t have matter how incompetent the police had been.
Lee B.
/ May 25, 2009Holy shit- I think I’m starting to understand soccer:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521721,00.html
-Yikes.
Rick
/ May 25, 2009@Lee B.: Wow…. that is just awful. I didn’t see that on any of the soccer blogs today. Maybe I’ll have to start reading the Fox News website.