“Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association Commission to find Luis Suárez guilty of the charges against him….

…We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no-one else on the field of play - including Evra’s own Manchester United teammates and all the match officials - heard the alleged conversation between the two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner kick was about to be taken…

…LFC considers racism in any form to be unacceptable - without compromise.  It is our strong held belief, having gone over the facts of the case, that Luis Suarez did not commit any racist act.  It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible - certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations.

It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said ‘I don’t think that Luis Suarez is racist’.  The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suarez was not racist.

Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black.  He has been personally involved since the 2010 World Cup in a charitable project which uses sport to encourage solidarity amongst people of different backgrounds with the central theme that the colour of a person’s skin does not matter; they can all play together as a team…

…It seems incredible to us that a player of mixed heritage should be accused and found guilty in the way he has based on the evidence presented. We do not recognise the way in which Luis Suarez has been characterised.

It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suarez, even before interviewing him at the beginning of November. Nothing we have heard in the course of the hearing has changed our view that Luis Suarez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name.

We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms.  Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.”

The FA really are pathetic.

misguided-concepts-of-buggery:

“Luis Suarez banned for EIGHT games and fined £40,000 for ‘racial abuse’ towards Patrice Evra.”

Clearly the F.A have handled this situation poorly; almost two months after the complaint from Evra we’ve only just found out that Suarez is guilty, I’m not condoning racism because it’s disgusting and I’m not just angry because I’m a Liverpool fan. Clearly Suarez has made racist remarks so he deserves the ban but it’s just frustrating to see the F.A drag this saga on for as long as it has, the fact that they were looking into his alleged gesture to the Fulham fans after losing this month. To me, it seems like the F.A are trying to make an example of Liverpool after Dalglish criticised the manner in which they appealed to UEFA over Rooney’s ban.

So, if Suarez has been banned and fined…what about John Terry?

^ I agree with most of that apart from Suárez being racist. What he’s said (“el negrito”) isn’t racist and is what Evra’s United team-mates call him so where are they eight game bans for them? Somehow I doubt we’ll ever see that happen.

Absolutely fucking pathetic. The FA really should be ashamed for the way they have handled this and done (once again) what his majesty Fergie has asked. Why did Evra not report it during the game? Why was there no footage like he said? Why did none of his team-mates back him up? Why did he play the race card himself to the referee (saying he was only booking him for a foul on Kuyt because he was black)? Why was Evra allowed to imply racism towards him while saying what he wants about Suárez in front of the referee. Why after no evidence have they somehow found our man guilty - just before the busy Christmas fixtures. Absolute joke.

FA - doesn’t stand for Football Association just what they know about football.

Good result for us earlier tonight. Yes West Brom were abysmal, yes we really need to start putting away more of our chances and yes after a promising start Stuart Downing looks a shadow but there were far more positives. Andy Carroll played well and scored again, the partnership between him and Luis Suárez is starting to (slowly) bloom, Charlie Adam was outstanding, Danny Agger and Martin Škrte’s partnership was solid, Lucas was majestic once again in the middle of the field (vital in setting up Carroll’s goal) and Jordan Henderson looks to have put his shaky start behind him, playing very well indeed. Up to fifth in the table and now just a point behind Chelsea who we play in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Chelsea it was another strange week in other games, Arsenal beating them 5-3 at Stamford Bridge. Although it was nice to see John Terry balls up for the Gunners’ fourth and André Villas-Boas losing again (I really despise him and his “I’m God” attitude) I couldn’t help but laugh at Arsène Wenger and Arsenal fans saying ‘We’re back!’. No, you’re not. You won because Chelsea under AVB are hapless and didn’t bother shutting you down, giving you the time and space to play your game. Just like they did at Old Trafford and just like they’ll (fingers crossed!) do against us. No other big team in this league or any other would do that, neither would most of the ‘littler’ teams. As much as I like them, I can’t see Arsenal qualifying for the Europa League, never mind the European Cup I’m afraid.

First we had the red card for Jack Rodwell. Yes, it wasn’t a red card. To be perfectly honest it wasn’t even a free-kick. Luis Suárez may have overexagerated his fall but the sending off was nothing to do with him, it was the incompetence of referee Martin Atkinson. A few minutes later Marouane Fellaini fouled Lucas a hundred times worse than Rodwell’s “foul” yet it wasn’t even a free-kick. Mad.

Then we had the penalty. Again, I don’t think it was one, seeing as Suárez was heading away from goal. As for the penalty itself it’s been described as a great save by Tim Howard and also a poor one by Dirk Kuyt. I’m more sided to the latter.

With twenty minutes to go we finally got the goal our play had deserved and I was delighted that Andy Carroll was the one to score it. The criticism he’s received from the media (and sections of Kopites) is a disgrace so it was great to see him shut them up, especially as it wasn’t his best performance before then.

Finally we had the new king of Anfield Luis Suárez getting his customary goal after some abysmal defending. It’s worth pointing out that neither goal had anything to do with the sending off, both were down to pathetically poor defending.

Last thing - I’m amazed that twice the stewards did nothing about bottles, coins and lighters being thrown at Craig Bellamy and Suárez. Stupid. Everton deserve any FA fines they have coming for that. Although maybe Everton could pick up all those coins and put it towards their transfer budget for the January Transfer Window? But sod it, we beat the Blue Noses. Again. And it’s only an hour until Doctor Who. Good day.

On Thursday (September 29th) it was thirty years since the most important man in Liverpool FC history passed away. So it was fitting that our first game since was the Merseyside Derby and that our front two - both the sort of players he would have signed - scored.

So only a few weeks into the season comes our second biggest away game, Everton at Goodison Park. And it’s even more poignant today as it’s the first time King Kenny Dalglish will lead us out there since 1991, his last game as our manager before stepping down just a few days later, the strain of Hillsborough finally taking it’s toll on him. The match itself was an epic, with us losing our lead several times in a 4-4 draw.

Today will hopefully be our eighty-sixth win over our neighbours (they’ve won sixty-six, if you’re interested) and I have to say I am a lot more optimistic after seeing our team. Three up front - Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez - and quality on the bench - Steven Gerrard, Craig Bellamy, Maxi and Jordan Henderson - should see us win, as long as our defence (meaning you, Jamie Carragher) concentrates seeing as sodding Tim Cahill is back.

The days of us both competing at the top of English football may be gone but this match is still the greatest derby in the country (in the whole UK, in my opinion) and will be played at 100mph from the start. I can see at least one red card (more than likely for the Blue Noses), drama, controversy, a Dirk Kuyt brace and a goal for Andy Carroll in a 3-1 win. Fingers crossed.

But I’ve just had a text read out on BBC Radio 5 Live. Pat Nevin said that Leighton Baines is the most improved player in the Premier League over the last few seasons, and the other people on the show (including host Colin Murray) all agreed. Although he has improved a hell of a lot I text in saying one player has done better.

Lucas Leiva, I put forward, has improved substantially - going from being blamed for absolutely everything (his fault or not) to not only being our player of the year last season but also being just as important as Pepe Reina and Luis Suárez. Colin Murray then read it out, not even finishing it before Pat Nevin and the others all agreed. They then talked about it for a good three-four minutes, including Bolton defender Sam Ricketts on the phone, praising the way Lucas won every ball against Kevin Davies, saying he’d never seen him handled with such ease. They then concluded it but saying it was a great point by “Paul from Formby”. W00t!

One player for us who will handle Stoke City better than anyone else is Andy Carroll. Who’s had a quiet week.The stick he’s getting is indeserved and unbelievable. Do people really think if he turned up at Melwood stinking off alcohol then King Kenny would ignore it? He’d rip him a new one. If he’s such a huge alkie then how come the paparazzi have no pictures to prove it? All they have are a handful from the summer when all players enjoy a drink. And then there’s Fabio Cappelo. What sort of idiot has a word in private and then tells the world. Dickhead. Especially with John Terry sat next to him smugly agreeing with everything, forgetting his own pisshead past which is much worse than what people are making out Carroll is. It’s all bollocks.

As for his game contributions, well he is everywhere on the pitch (running less than a metre less than Luis Suárez and Dirk Kuyt do, who people say sweat blood for our club). You’ll see him in the box, wings, midfield helping out his team mates. The long balls to him aren’t his fault - blame Jamie Carragher who seems to have forgotten how to pass a ball since Woy Hodgson arrived last season and now just hoofs it. The big Geordie creates havoc at set pieces, he drags defenders out of position creating space, he has worn out defenders with his running leading to us getting late goals, and he has had a couple of top quality goals wrongly disallowed. The goals will come. It’s time for everyone to get behind this lad. He will be massive for us. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day it clicks for him.

Last point: the only think he has done wrong is going to see sodding Boyzone.

The first half was excellent and we looked really good. Free-flowing, fluid and consistent attacking play. Then the second half showed an alarming collapse when Sunderland realised the idea of the game is to try and score, not just stand around looking gormless. Although John Flanagan’s startling collapse at right back didn’t help. Martin Kelly was warming up all second half, why make him do that then not bring him on? (not that I’m questioning King Kenny, of course)

Phil Dowd, naturally, had to make the game all about him as he failed to give Kieran Richardson the red card he deserved after bringing Luis Suárez down or allow a blatantly onside Andy Carrol goal to stand. If Dowd had done his job properly (how often have football fans said that) the game would have been completely different, even if Suárez’s spot-kick had still gone blazing over the bar. That’s irrelevant though as, to be honest, we didn’t deserve to win with our second half display.

A good Suárez header was put in right in front of us, as was Sebastian Larsson superb volley and at least ten baffling Dowd decisions. Andy Carroll being pulled constantly? No free-kick. Lucas pulling out of a high Lee Cattermole challenge? Sunderland free-kick. Charlie Adam shoves over Cattermole? No Sunderland free-kick. Pathetically inconsistent refereeing from the worst official in the English game.

Still, with Arsenal dropping points, Fabregas and Nasri off, Gervinho red carded (correctly, actually Mr. Wenger) and them having a vital Champions League qualifier against Usinese beforehand, we can be optimistic of a good result at the Emirates, especially if we play as we did in the first half.

Oh sweet mother of all that is good and pure. Premier League football, how I’ve missed you so. Is it me or has this felt like the Longest. Summer. Ever? No World Cup football, no European Championship football, no… football of any real note at all. Like entering a dark post-apocolyptic world where all hope and reason has been lost. A barren wasteland of Premier League football-less devastation. Purgatory. Well step into the light my friends, for top flight action returns this very day. Rejoice. Shout for joy. Embrace one another. And then settle in for nine long months of grown men getting paid absolute shedloads to kick a leather bag of air around a field. Don’t you just love it?

But… hang on… what’s this?

An envelope has just arrived with my name on it, from Ted (my Mum’s neighbour). Let us have a peek inside…

Two black pouches. But what could they be?

And they have the LFC crest on them…?

BOOM! His son-in-law’s season ticket to Anfield. And his friends too. Neither or them can go to todays game against Sunderland, nor can Ted, so he’s given them to me. A quick phone call to Lee - telling him that there’s no need to meet me at The Grapes to watch the game, we’re going to Anfield - and it’s official: I’m going to see the first game of the season. Exciting times.

Amusingly, encase anybody asks, for today I am Mr. Andrew Hetherington while Lee is Mr. Laurence Jones.

Let us just hope it’s a good game and we see a few goals (at least one more for us than them) and we get to see Suárez for a wee bit.

Excited doesn’t begin to describe it.