Comments on: Michael Shields Pardoned – Why This Has Nothing to do with Football http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/ Football News Sat, 26 May 2012 07:19:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ChelseaFancastChris http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/#comment-119554 ChelseaFancastChris Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:32:37 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=34702#comment-119554 I agree, Kristian. Sure, the reason the guys involved were out there was football but it was so far removed (both in terms of time and geography) that it can't be seen as a football-related crime. This was about English people having a jolly abroad. Drinking too much and behaving like louts. As an Englishman myself I can say that we all know that Englishmen abroad don't need the excuse of football to behave like that. I agree, Kristian. Sure, the reason the guys involved were out there was football but it was so far removed (both in terms of time and geography) that it can’t be seen as a football-related crime.

This was about English people having a jolly abroad. Drinking too much and behaving like louts. As an Englishman myself I can say that we all know that Englishmen abroad don’t need the excuse of football to behave like that.

]]> By: BD Condell http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/#comment-119533 BD Condell Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:53:08 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=34702#comment-119533 Fair enough Kristian I didn't realise that....thought it was the same night. That makes it different. Fair enough Kristian I didn’t realise that….thought it was the same night. That makes it different.

]]> By: Kristian http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/#comment-119521 Kristian Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:09:24 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=34702#comment-119521 remember the attack occurred 5 days after the game on 30th, the final was on the 25th of May. remember the attack occurred 5 days after the game on 30th, the final was on the 25th of May.

]]> By: Kristian http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/#comment-119520 Kristian Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:08:34 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=34702#comment-119520 BD that is my point, thugs are thugs I think the club were wrong to weigh in, people drink up and down the country on a friday night and fight and sometimes football banter is the catalyst but i wouldnt call that football related violence. This happened hundreds of miles from the game 5 days later, this is case of thugs being thugs (i am not including M Shields as I do not want to comment on his guilt/innocence) which if not about football will be about something else. BD that is my point, thugs are thugs I think the club were wrong to weigh in, people drink up and down the country on a friday night and fight and sometimes football banter is the catalyst but i wouldnt call that football related violence.

This happened hundreds of miles from the game 5 days later, this is case of thugs being thugs (i am not including M Shields as I do not want to comment on his guilt/innocence) which if not about football will be about something else.

]]> By: BD Condell http://soccerlens.com/michael-shields-pardoned-why-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-football/34702/#comment-119519 BD Condell Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:58 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=34702#comment-119519 Don't agree that it's as black and white as you say Kristian. The guy was at the game with some friends and obviously plenty of alcahol was consumed. The fact the fight took place well away from where the game was played is not, it itself, enough to detach the football aspect. Football related violence regugarly occurs away from the grounds themselves, often not in the same city where the match took place. Here's a quote from the Guardian: "for attempting to murder Martin Georgiev, a waiter in the Bulgarian resort of Golden Sands whose reward for attempting to quell fighting among English fans was to be attacked by a thug who fractured his skull." Note the word fans. Whether the drinking session was related to the match I don't know but, as I say, it's not black and white. Add to that the fact that Liverpool weighed in with their support (Gerrard even wore the t-shirt) and were rebuked by the FA for doing so. He never would have had the looby to get out early were it not for the 'football' aspect, so even if you argue that at the time of the incident it had nothing to do with football, it certainly did have thereafter. Don’t agree that it’s as black and white as you say Kristian. The guy was at the game with some friends and obviously plenty of alcahol was consumed. The fact the fight took place well away from where the game was played is not, it itself, enough to detach the football aspect.

Football related violence regugarly occurs away from the grounds themselves, often not in the same city where the match took place.

Here’s a quote from the Guardian:

“for attempting to murder Martin Georgiev, a waiter in the Bulgarian resort of Golden Sands whose reward for attempting to quell fighting among English fans was to be attacked by a thug who fractured his skull.”

Note the word fans. Whether the drinking session was related to the match I don’t know but, as I say, it’s not black and white.

Add to that the fact that Liverpool weighed in with their support (Gerrard even wore the t-shirt) and were rebuked by the FA for doing so. He never would have had the looby to get out early were it not for the ‘football’ aspect, so even if you argue that at the time of the incident it had nothing to do with football, it certainly did have thereafter.

]]>