There will never be equality in football

There is not much I couldn't say about this latest Suarez incident. While it does appear to have overshadowed virtually everything this World Cup, I would kindly like to point out some moments in football history that have been conveniently swept under the carpet.

Firstly, let's establish Luis' wrongdoings on the field:

7 match ban for violent conduct at Ajax.
8 match ban for being accused of racial abuse towards Patrice Evra.
10 match ban for violent conduct at Liverpool.
9 match international ban and a four month worldwide ban for violent conduct with Uruguay.

No off the field incidents have occurred.


Alan Shearer stamp on Neil Lennon. Did anyone happen to remember it in 1998, when Alan Shearer violently stamped on Neil Lennon's face? So how did the England captain get away with it? By conveniently saying that it was a "genuine attempt to free himself." How convenient. Mr Alan Shearer, England captain, escapes from one of the most horrific incidents in Premier league history. Nothing to do with being English, is it? And this is the same moron who said just two days ago that Luis Suarez should be hammered. But this is the same guy who threatened to retire from international football had he been banned. Nice one Alan.

Paul Scholes who clearly attempted to throw a punch at Xabi Alonso in 2007 was rightfully sent off. A punch aimed towards Xabis face but luckily enough, he missed. His punishment was minimal. Like Shearer, he has the audacity to condemn Suarez. Punishment for Ivanovich bite not enough, so he says. Wonder why he was let off so lightly? English maybe? Played for Manchester United, maybe?

Then we have incidents which have made waves, but not enough.

Joey Barton has a neat collection of controversial incidents. Showing his backside to Everton supporters on national television. Violently attacking three manchester City players again on national television. Violently attacking Morten Gamst Pedersen. How about the dabo incident? Look it up. Only six match ban by the fa. This man has a criminal record. He is a true thug on and off the pitch. I would happily be corrected but I do not believe he has ever had a ban from all football activity. I'm not saying that Joey has ever been let off lightly - he hasn't, but he makes Luis look like a saint, and he hasn't had half the grief Luis has had.

Pepe (Real Madrid). Intentionally stamped on Lionel Messi's hand. Had that infamous incident against Getafe (an incident which made Bartons look minor). Rightfully sent off and banned for 10 matches. We are talking about another thug on the pitch here. Punched opponent in a face, stamped on opponents hand, kicked opponent in the back, head butted a player on a couple of occasions, and has forced an opponents head into the turf. Has 10 red cards to his name. Worldwide ban? No, not at all. Received a one match ban for head butting Muller.

Zidane head butt in World Cup final. Red card and three match ban. The incident doesn't come clearer. Legend of the sport so let's keep this punishment lenient.

I could go on all day. Ramirez dirty off and on the ball challenges for Chelsea. Fernando Torres on Carragher and Vertonghen. Diego Costa spitting and butting players. Callum McManamam horrific challenge. Roy Keane on Alfie Haaland. All these Vieira incidents including spitting at Neil ruddock. John Terry lenient racism charge. Jermaine Defoe bite on Javier Mascherano (just a yellow card).

Luis Suarez hasn't conducted himself well as a footballer, but past incidents involving other footballers have put some of the things he has done into perspective. This witch hunt against Luis Suarez will force him out of England. He has been made an example of and I for one would not blame him leaving the club. He has been an idol in his time here and has always given 100% through thick and thin. Not sure about any of you guys but I want him to remain here. We Liverpool fans must get behind him and show him the support he needs. The entire world is against him right now, but we are Liverpool. We are the exception. He is our Luis. He always has my backing whilst he is wearing that famous liverbird upon his chest.

YNWA Luis.

Sorry mate I admire your support for Luis but I think this is one step to far by him.
What a footballer what a talent but he keeps letting The club and fans down.
Here we all are after a roller coaster of last season looking forward to more of the same this coming season with better players coming in(hopefully )champs league football again,genuine excitement mounting.......and boom.
With one chomp of Luis,s nashers we are thrown into chaos.

Alan Shearer stamp on Neil Lennon. Did anyone happen to remember it in 1998, when Alan Shearer violently stamped on Neil Lennon's face? So how did the England captain get away with it? By conveniently saying that it was a "genuine attempt to free himself." How convenient. Mr Alan Shearer, England captain, escapes from one of the most horrific incidents in Premier league history. Nothing to do with being English, is it? And this is the same moron who said just two days ago that Luis Suarez should be hammered. But this is the same guy who threatened to retire from international football had he been banned. Nice one Alan.

Agree with pretty much all of your post and have highlighted Shearer in particular as he gets on now as if butter wouldn't melt yet he was a nasty piece of work at times on a football pitch.

Carries on like he was Gary Lineker when he was far from it.

Maybe the fact that he resorts to something so primeval as biting is something most people can not comprehend and makes him seem like some sort of monster outside of the norms of human behaviour.

And anything you don't comprehend why make any attempt to understand instead it needs stamping out of society. Typically normal human behaviour in a way.

Now my own view he's a complete nutter but no worse than some of the worse excess's seen on a football pitch - Cantona, Keane the list goes on.

There is no real equality in life.

That's why they say life's a bi*ch then you die.

Been like that for 5000 years and will be that way until there are humans no more.

Sucks to be Luis but life's a bi*ch.

Zidane head butt in World Cup final. Red card and three match ban. The incident doesn't come clearer. Legend of the sport so let's keep this punishment lenient.

What more do you think they could have possibly of done to Zidane? It's nothing to do with the fact he was a legend of the game, it was due to the fact he was retiring after that match anyway so what good would it have been to slap him with a huge ban that he wouldn't serve anyway?

I agree about all the others though.

No there won't be equality in football but then again there isn't equality in life. I can't say anything racist, homophobic or sexist without being slaughtered for it because I'm a white straight male but non-white, non-straight and non-male people can say what the F**k they want. Does it make it right? No it doesn't but that's life unfortunately. Until people realise that equality involves everybody being able to say/not say the same things then the world will never be equal. And anybody who says anything against that, is slaughtered as well.

The same applies here. Does it make it wrong that Suarez was punished for his constant antics just because Shearer, Barton and whoever else weren't - no it doesn't. Suarez was justifiably punished - maybe even not as harshly as he could of been. Barton was banned for 12 games (longer than any of Suarez' bans) for the way he carried on against Man City when at QPR. This is a fella who is English and playing for a southern team. He still got banned. Roy Keane, Man United's captain at the time, was given an eight game ban for admitting to trying to break the leg of Alf Inge Haaland. Arsenal got a hefty fine as well as four of their players being banned to varying degrees for their carryings on against Van Nistlerooy in 2003. Duncan Ferguson, for punching Chimbonda, got himself a seven game ban as well as twelve games for assaulting John McStay. Di Canio got 11 game ban for pushing Paul Allcock over. Some of these bans are longer in one-off incidents than what Suarez got.

And if it was a one-off incident then maybe Suarez' "punishment" would seem harsh but with somebody with a list as long as his for problematic issues then it's only to be expected that the "punishments" get worse and more severe each time.

If it was a player for any other club, then people on this site would be complaining how it weren't punishment enough. Because it's Suarez, it's totally wrong and it's a witch hunt against our number 7. Nah sorry, but not for me. The fella deserves everything he gets for this. Three biting incidents, racist comments (apparently, I'll be honest I don't think that was ever proven to be fact), admitting to cheating when he said he dived, putting his middle finger up to the Fulham fans and possibly other incidents that have happened either in Uruguay or Holland. He deserves to be banned.

Whether or not other people deserve to or not isn't the question right now. Oh diddums there's no equality. That doesn't mean that Suarez shouldn't of been punished.

No there won't be equality in football but then again there isn't equality in life. I can't say anything racist, homophobic or sexist without being slaughtered for it because I'm a white straight male but non-white, non-straight and non-male people can say what the f**k they want. Does it make it right? No it doesn't but that's life unfortunately. Until people realise that equality involves everybody being able to say/not say the same things then the world will never be equal. And anybody who says anything against that, is slaughtered as well.

The same applies here. Does it make it wrong that Suarez was punished for his constant antics just because Shearer, Barton and whoever else weren't - no it doesn't. Suarez was justifiably punished - maybe even not as harshly as he could of been. Barton was banned for 12 games (longer than any of Suarez' bans) for the way he carried on against Man City when at QPR. This is a fella who is English and playing for a southern team. He still got banned. Roy Keane, Man United's captain at the time, was given an eight game ban for admitting to trying to break the leg of Alf Inge Haaland. Arsenal got a hefty fine as well as four of their players being banned to varying degrees for their carryings on against Van Nistlerooy in 2003. Duncan Ferguson, for punching Chimbonda, got himself a seven game ban as well as twelve games for assaulting John McStay. Di Canio got 11 game ban for pushing Paul Allcock over. Some of these bans are longer in one-off incidents than what Suarez got.

And if it was a one-off incident then maybe Suarez' "punishment" would seem harsh but with somebody with a list as long as his for problematic issues then it's only to be expected that the "punishments" get worse and more severe each time.

If it was a player for any other club, then people on this site would be complaining how it weren't punishment enough. Because it's Suarez, it's totally wrong and it's a witch hunt against our number 7. Nah sorry, but not for me. The fella deserves everything he gets for this. Three biting incidents, racist comments (apparently, I'll be honest I don't think that was ever proven to be fact), admitting to cheating when he said he dived, putting his middle finger up to the Fulham fans and possibly other incidents that have happened either in Uruguay or Holland. He deserves to be banned.

Whether or not other people deserve to or not isn't the question right now. Oh diddums there's no equality. That doesn't mean that Suarez shouldn't of been punished.

Out here if I walked down the street and bit someone I would end up 30-90 days in the county jail and 2 years probation, which would then in turn cost me my job and livelihood.  Luis is going to pay 66K and lose 2 weeks salary; the only ones getting screwed over here is LFC and its supporters.

Out here if I walked down the street and bit someone I would end up 30-90 days in the county jail and 2 years probation, which would then in turn cost me my job and livelihood.  Luis is going to pay 66K and lose 2 weeks salary; the only ones getting screwed over here is LFC and its supporters.

C'est la vie

Thats life.   

please lets not drag perceived equality in this... there will never be a definitive right.

what I, we, us, everyone know is that at this day and age.. in modern football... our dear suarez has bitten 3.. yes THREE players.  This is 3 way too much already... who knows how many non televised players has he munched on before.

either way, I applaud fifa's decision on this. while it really hurts us, I will always put club before player and what suarez did this time... is shockin.

I am sorry but suarez needs to re-evaluate himself... get help and a muzzle.  hopefully he really learns this time

Out here if I walked down the street and bit someone I would end up 30-90 days in the county jail and 2 years probation, which would then in turn cost me my job and livelihood.  Luis is going to pay 66K and lose 2 weeks salary; the only ones getting screwed over here is LFC and its supporters.

Not if you were Dick Cheney you wouldn't. You could shoot your lawyer, Invade Iraq ....... do whatever you like and nothing would happen. That's why it's called the land of the free. Unless your non-white and not influential. Then you get the chair.

Out here if I walked down the street and bit someone I would end up 30-90 days in the county jail and 2 years probation, which would then in turn cost me my job and livelihood.  Luis is going to pay 66K and lose 2 weeks salary; the only ones getting screwed over here is LFC and its supporters.

Yet if you shot him dead with a gun and claimed self defence you'd get a medal.

Out here if I walked down the street and bit someone I would end up 30-90 days in the county jail and 2 years probation, which would then in turn cost me my job and livelihood.  Luis is going to pay 66K and lose 2 weeks salary; the only ones getting screwed over here is LFC and its supporters.

Do an experiment. One of your mates bite someone on the shoulder in the main street. Then you slide your studs into another persons knee. Tell us what the outcome of the trial is. I'll get Dick Cheney and G W B to do the same as a control experiment.

Yet if you shot him dead with a gun and claimed self defence you'd get a medal.

That would only be in the South FMS, especially Texas

Not if you were Dick Cheney you wouldn't. You could shoot your lawyer, Invade Iraq ....... do whatever you like and nothing would happen. That's why it's called the land of the free. Unless your non-white and not influential. Then you get the chair.

Rage much?

Gordon Strachan was spot on, there are no morals in football.

Rage much?

I don't what that means. I guess it means am I angry, not at all my pulse is like a serial killers.

I  agree with the thread title, There will never be equality in football, there will never be any other football club that can be the equal of LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.

Suarez should be given a hero's welcome when he returns, just like Cantona was by the media!

YNWA Luis. I will never turn my back on a Liverpool player unlike so many out there right now.

The thing I find funniest is Shearer on TV condemning Suarez in one breath then saying it's perfectly acceptable to use elbows to "free yourself" from the defender.
Now I don't know if anyone else has seen the result of using an elbow, but I can say 100% it does more damage than a fist or a butt.

I also remember Shearer saying plenty of times during his playing days, and after, that strikers have to "give a bit back" because they get kicked black and blue by defenders, and it's a fair point, but now he's on TV he doesn't seem quite so keen to re-visit that point, except as a way to justify his own violent play.

Just so I'm clear here, I really rated Shearer. I thought he was the best all round striker England had in years, and was certainly better than the current crop (sorry Sturridge).
I liked his aggression, and the way he fought. He was like Mark Hughes, but with actual talent, but he has pulled on this cloak of respectability for his TV work, and now comes across as just a F***ing hypocrite.

sorry but why is everyone bringing up past offenders and having a go at them? there is no big conspiracy against suarez, he did wrong and you will always have likes of shearer jumping on the bandwagon when tha happens. it's their job, they need a story.

we know the fa are scum and british media too...but are all the news channels showing those pictures of the bite from usa to qatar to australia in on the act? do they all hate suarez? elbowing and stamping are an ugly part of the game and should be punished with a red card (and a ban if it's violent conduct). but biting? 3 times? 4 month ban is justified. he is our player and i want to keep him and stand by him, but i won't be blind to his flaws.

sorry but why is everyone bringing up past offenders and having a go at them? there is no big conspiracy against suarez, he did wrong and you will always have likes of shearer jumping on the bandwagon when tha happens. it's their job, they need a story.

we know the fa are scum and british media too...but are all the news channels showing those pictures of the bite from usa to qatar to australia in on the act? do they all hate suarez? elbowing and stamping are an ugly part of the game and should be punished with a red card (and a ban if it's violent conduct). but biting? 3 times? 4 month ban is justified. he is our player and i want to keep him and stand by him, but i won't be blind to his flaws.

Schumacher collision with Battiston 82

Fully agree but since it has been done so i'd like to add one of the most timeless,infamous moments in the football history the older remember. Patrick Battiston fell unconcious breathless and pulseless,had also been hospitalised for a fair amount of time can't remember exactly.It went down to history not only because of its severity but but for the fact that it went unpunished as well by the ref. speaking of equality and (in)justice. Looks to anyone as if the keeper is going for the ball? Nowhere near it.

Much to Schumacher's credit and justice to be restored for him he convincingly stated he regreted it and paid several visits to Battiston in hospital.