Irish Independent - Shocking Article Yesterday

An article from yesterdays Irish Independent. I've already e-mailed them to express my anger.

Filthy Scouse scum

Is there anything more tedious than a Scouser? The most obnoxious city in Europe is also the most smug, self-congratulatory and paranoid - actually, it's a bit like Cork with even more annoying accents.

But after the recent debacle in Greece, it seems like their famous fans are finally getting their comeuppance.

After complaining that the Greek police were heavy handed and that UEFA were picking on them, the sport's governing body have issued a dossier detailing the misbehaviour of the Liverpool fans.

As UEFA's spokesman, William Gaillard puts it: "What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children?"

And how have Liverpool's politicians reacted to the fact that UEFA now brands their fans as the worst in Europe?

"UEFA is dragging Liverpool's name through the mud to deflect attention from themselves," says Scouse council leader Warren Bradley. "Big governing bodies like UEFA always look for scapegoats and never accept any blame."

Scapegoats? Refusal to accept blame? Something Scousers know all about

LINK - Scroll halfway down

I don't know how they can get away with printing this in a national newspaper. If it had been a race or country that was the subject of that sort of writing there would be public outrage. He hasn't just singled out the fans but the whole city, and that is completely unnacceptable.

You can e-mail your comments to independent.letters@independent.ie

This is why I am proud to be Northern Irish and British!! There are plenty of decent irishman I know, but when you have the likes of this garbage, Eamon Dunphy and Cork City FC talking sh*te about Liverpool it just pisses me off. To bring the whole city of Liverpool and scousers in general into this is a complete and utter disgrace. Considering the amount of fans there are in Ireland, I am shocked at the hatred shown towards Liverpool FC(and in this case the city) from some Irish bas**rds. F***ing disgrace!!!

This is the e-mail I sent to them, hopefully they get back to me with a response.

I would like to express my anger at an article
published yesterday by Ian O'Doherty. The article in
question was entitled 'Filthy Scouse Scum'

Your reporter, as with anyone in life, is entitled to
his opinions about the actions of Liverpool fans in
Athens, but to pass judgement on the whole city as he
has done is completely unacceptable. If these comments
had been made about a race, religion or nation there
would have been major public outrage and your reporter
could even quite possibly have been facing criminal
charges of racism. The fact that these comments are
made about the inhabitants of a city doesn't make them
any less prejudicial though, and I would expect action
to be taken by your publication, namely dismissal of
the reporter in question, and an apology printed in
your next issue.

I would be grateful if you could reply to me to inform
me of any action you will be taking.

i like it eddie, lets just hope they have the intelligence to understand what you are saying as they sound extremely backward to me and are not showing the irish to be the brightest people !

Well this is the letter I have sent to them, EVERYONE WHO READS THIS NEEDS TO EMAIL A LETTER SHOWING YOUR ANGER AND DEMANDING HIS DISMISSAL. (independent.letters@independent.ie)

I am extremely upset annoyed . . . . .  with regards to the article published yesterday by Ian O'Doherty. The article in question was entitled 'Filthy Scouse Scum'
 
It was always believed that the Irish and Liverpool had a long lasting bond after reading what that neanderthal Ian O'Doherty has written with regards to "Filthy Scouse Scum" he has now put a huge dent in that supposed friendship. Believe me when I say that this has not gone unnoticed in Liverpool and has caused your paper untold damage not only here in Liverpool and England but also to the many Liverpool FC supporters in Ireland.
 
To use the language that he did is not only slanderous but also legally I'm sure skating very close to the line. I would expect immediate action to be taken on this joker resulting in his dismissal.
 
Please understand there is no place for this type of journalism who ever the football team !
 
I would appreciate a response ASAP !

Liverpool is a side supported worldwide.

To blame the 'Scouse' contingent when no doubt many thousands of ourfans in Greece may well have been Irish etc is just plain wrong.

Lazy journalism from a lazy journalist (if you can even call him that) who obviously has some hidden agenda against the European Capital of Culture 2008 and home to British football's most successful Football Club.

Disgusted but not surprised.  Let's see all these so called Irish Liverpool fans (the ones who flooded Liverpool City Centre for the Champions League final night) stand up and say their piece.

Shitbags

As far as I am concerned that article is unadulterated racism. I hope Liverpool sever all ties with the newspaper (if they have any).

Very poor editorial judgement to allow this through.

The Irish Independent newspaper is owned by the media group Independent News & Media plc

Other newspapers etc in this group include:

- The Independent (UK)
- The Belfast Telegraph (UK)
- The New Zealand Herald (NZ)

It may be worth also sending an email to the Editor of these newspapers venting your anger at one of it's 'sister' companies.

Can't believe that, I thought there was a lot of Irish Liverpool fans.

This disgusts me, even though I'm a Wirralian I feel as if I have to stick up for my fellow friends from over the water!

This scumbag doesn't have a clue about the situation in Athens nor does he know anything about Liverpool. There are a lot of decent people in Liverpool!!

This scum bag will have action taken upon him....

Contact the Editor of the Newspaper via http://www.independent.ie/service/contact-us-24070.html

The link to the article is http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/now-heres-an-offer-you-really-cant-refuse-691296.html

I said I was deeply offended by the article, and that I demand an apology from the newspaper due to the racist nature of the article.  I have threatened to report the matter to the police as I consider it 'racism'.  I also reminded them that many thousands of the fans at Athens were from many areas of the world, including the Irish.

I hope fans based in the Republic of Ireland take some responsibility on this issue too.

what we need is for everyone to email the above email address and let these cu*ts know the score !

As I said above absolute outrage, I can not believe this got through - the editor is clearly a tit as well.

what we need is for everyone to email the above email address and let these cu*ts know the score !

As I said above absolute outrage, I can not believe this got through - the editor is clearly a tit as well.

In my email I actually commented that they obviously do not have an Editor.

Me a life long Liverpool fan coming from Cork as well as im proud to be, this is a F***ing disgrace what was said about the fans is disgraceful.

There is massive support for Liverpool in Ireland,but this is very clear that this is written by a idiot who hasnt a clue of what he is talking about he is very single minded in all of his views towards Liverpool fans and Scousers.

More then likely he is a Manure fan as they have alot of Irish Supporters that are sun shine supporters who like care more about Liverpool then there own team that they are suppose to support. IDOTS

The Independent is not a tabloid papper and usually seems to be very factual about its news,but after reading this  i wont be buying the Independent again because of this slander.

jealousy is a terrible thing

I haven't even heard back from my complaint. Shitbags.

I am very offended by the comments written by somebody who clearly knows nothing about Liverpool and the fans. I agree if comments like that were made against a race then there would be an uproar. I would like to know what this idiot means about finally getting what we deserve, what is he implying we are previosly to blame for!

Hmm.... I have just read his reply...does not seem remourseful at all...


http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/ispy-and-they-say-they-dont-take-offence-693205.html

Hopes somebody living in Ireland or city of liverpool sues his pants off for slender!!!!

that man is a F***ing c**t, i have e-mailed the paper demanding that he is kicked out of the job, but having read the above post, it sounds like he doesn't care about what he said, this is just another case of a man who has probably never been to the city stereotyping scousers yet again. If this article was written about foriegners living in our country there would be international outrage, or if it was written about the people of any other city there would be an outcry from the goverment. All of our republic of Ireland fans should boycott the paper and do everything they can to gain an apology.

I am sure you will have confirmation from somewhere soon that Mr O'Doherty is a Man Utd fan of many years. This article was his sad way of getting at Liverpool fans in the only way he new would cause  outrage. If his job is secure after this, His employer needs sectioning. With the thousands of Reds fans across Ireland, there will be as much outrage there. Rise above it, He has access to a national press and has used it as he is aware we do not have the same apparatus to use in our defense of his comments. That can only confirm what a sorry, cowardly, low form of life he has become. Do you think his family will be proud of him, No, just ashamed, very saddened and probably disgusted as every decent person would be, Liverpudlian or not !!
NOTE; If Liverpool were such a bad place, how is it there are probably more Irish here than in Dublin

My response:

For the attention of Ian O' Doherty

I wonder if you would be man enough to come to Liverpool, look straight into the eyes of a born and bred Scouser and say these things direct to them. Then move along the que to the next person and the next and the many hundreds of thousands that follow.
You will find that we are very passionate people, loyal people. Anyone who has the cheek or audacity to slur the name of the this great city and it's people based on the acts of the few mindless idiots (which every single place in the UK has) obviously has a problem within their own character. It is neither big or clever to make such offensive comments at the expense of exposing yourself as a narrow-minded individual. Your thoughts are those of  someone who cannot see further than the end of your shoelaces and I pity your mentality.
Everyone is not alike, fortunately, the world is much better off with only one of you around.

Me a life long Liverpool fan coming from Cork as well as im proud to be, this is a f***ing disgrace what was said about the fans is disgraceful.

There is massive support for Liverpool in Ireland,but this is very clear that this is written by a idiot who hasnt a clue of what he is talking about he is very single minded in all of his views towards Liverpool fans and Scousers.

More then likely he is a Manure fan as they have alot of Irish Supporters that are S*n shine supporters who like care more about Liverpool then there own team that they are suppose to support. IDOTS

The Independent is not a tabloid papper and usually seems to be very factual about its news,but after reading this  I wont be buying the Independent again because of this slander.

Was thinking that. I was actually very surprised by this article. I can't understand why a broadsheet would allow this. My best guess a Man Utd/Chelsea "fan" who'll only ever watch them on the box, wrote this. She/He's worse than me

Seriously though, I wouldn't expect a broadsheet to call a Liverpoodlian a scouser/scouse. That's more like a fanzine.

I sent them the following:

This is regarding your article:
"Now here's an offer you really can't refuse" by " Ian O'Doherty
Tuesday June 05 2007 link:

http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/now-heres-an-offer-you-really-cant-refuse-691296.html

The article mentioned with title "filthy scouse scum" is making me wonder do you actually have an Editor? I mean, someone should be responsible for this unbelievable offense on a whole English city.

The article shows utter hate and I expect the writer and his editor who accepted the posting of such stereotypical article to be sacked as soon as immediately. I take the matter as a personal offense and will not stop until justice has been served. My wife is a "Scouser" and I will persue your site until the firing of the mentioned personnel has happened and a public appology is issued.

I have been Editor of sports News online for 15 years but never have I seen such stupid comments by a real writer who has "an Editor" posted in a Newspaper. Unbelievable!

Be sure that this will not go unmentioned in hostile manner. You Newspaper will suffer great hatred from the English Nothern inhabitants and your own Irish-Liverpool fans! A true sorry piece of work. Very Stupid!

As An Irish-Liverpool fan with alot of Family/Friends on Merseyside and taking into acount the close connection Ireland and Liverpool have/and will always have, I was sickend to the core reading that utter rubbish!!!

This guy is a Wan*er/sh*te hawk in the true meaning!! He's opinions aren't worth sh*t. I am highly ashamed he's Irish and im sure I aint alone in that. This guy has NEVER steped foot in Liverpool cos if he had he couldn't have made such Scumy/Disgusting remarks on this Great City. Iv always feel very welcome in Liverpool by all (Reds/Blues and whoever) and being irish you don't get that everywhere in UK.

As a City I love Liverpool, I love the people I love the accent and I Love Liverpool Football Club as do alot of Irish. Please don't take this scumbags paper artical in any way more than one guys diluded opinion. He wants ATTENTION he wants to Get his name out there and thats exacly what he's done by writing this Garbage about a City alot of us love so much.

As I sayed im deeply Ashamed he's Irish. and Take what he's say very Personally. Its Such a Pity cos this guy is Ruining Irish fans Credit, which im sure He'll be happy about.

Compleate Dic*head, unforunatly we do have scum in Ireland, but its the same everywhere world wide. So PLEASE don't let this Shi*head take away from OUR Connections/Credit