Gerrard has just elbowed Brown

[TonyM]

I think the fact that there hasn't been a peep from Brown or Portsmouth tells it's own story. Portsmouth are yet to hear whether they will get a 9 point deduction or any other punishment for going into administration. My theory and I don't think it's far fetched is that they have been told (or know better given that they know how it all works) that making any statements about the incident will not be in their long term interest.

Seriously why do we bother supporting this game. It's very likely pointless to support anyone other than the top few teams. It may seem like eventually you can see some success but very likely that's just deception in order to continue to have you spend money on time on the illusion. I wish I had the backbone to leave - cancell Sky sports, never watch a game on any channel, never attend a game again at any level, never buy a shirt or any product related to the game and ensure that my kids play some honest sport so that one day the sport is choked and dies. I support City as I always have but I really struggle with why these days.... not because of City but because of everything else, Blatter, Platini, crap refs, corruption, soft players, arrogance, hypocritical comments (Moyes for example), "new revenue streams" aka "get you to pay twice for something you paid once for before", the EU and their ridiculous anti competition laws and at the same time Sky fuckin sports bias. Practically everything os fucked up right now. Was it ever as bad? If it was I was blind to it 0 I wish I was still cos it's driving me nuts. Fuck Stevie G!

[mcfc1632]

I think the fact that there hasn't been a peep from Brown or Portsmouth tells it's own story. Portsmouth are yet to hear whether they will get a 9 point deduction or any other punishment for going into administration. My theory and I don't think it's far fetched is that they have been told (or know better given that they know how it all works) that making any statements about the incident will not be in their long term interest.

Seriously why do we bother supporting this game. It's very likely pointless to support anyone other than the top few teams. It may seem like eventually you can see some success but very likely that's just deception in order to continue to have you spend money on time on the illusion. I wish I had the backbone to leave - cancell Sky sports, never watch a game on any channel, never attend a game again at any level, never buy a shirt or any product related to the game and ensure that my kids play some honest sport so that one day the sport is choked and dies. I support City as I always have but I really struggle with why these days.... not because of City but because of everything else, Blatter, Platini, crap refs, corruption, soft players, arrogance, hypocritical comments (Moyes for example), "new revenue streams" aka "get you to pay twice for something you paid once for before", the EU and their ridiculous anti competition laws and at the same time Sky fuckin sports bias. Practically everything os fucked up right now. Was it ever as bad? If it was I was blind to it 0 I wish I was still cos it's driving me nuts. Fuck Stevie G!

You speak for a lot of us

[dick dastardley]

the FA simply do NOT want any other team muscling in on the fab 4, its plain and simple ade got sent off for a far lesser incident than that cheating bin dipper. If we are going to break into the top four were gonna have to do it the hard way and blood a few FA noses in the process!!!

[ant london]

the FA simply do NOT want any other team muscling in on the fab 4, its plain and simple ade got sent off for a far lesser incident than that cheating bin dipper. If we are going to break into the top four were gonna have to do it the hard way and blood a few FA noses in the process!!!

It is a farce the shit that some of the "establishment" players have got away with this season whilst we have had two bans slapped on us after the event in Ade and Vieira's bans.

I don't really have an issue with the FA clamping down on violent play but there has to be bloody consistency

Fuck them though, we are gonna spoil their cunty boys club party this season

[Im_Spartacus]

The only logic that I can see is that because it was the forearm and not the elbow, when watching the incident after the match, Atwell could easily get out of this by saying I would have given a foul and a yellow card AS IT WAS NOT AN ELBOW. That therefore is the end of that.

But there is no logic. Whether it be an elbow or a forearm smash that was more akin to WWE, with a follow up to boot, then the answer can only be a card. From the angle that Atwell was at he could've perceived it as Gerrard trying to climb over him (hands on shoulders and all that), however the FA must've asked him to review the decision after mounting publicity, which he obviously did and came to the same decision. Logic, more like golic/oglic/colig/igloc - that's the way they must see it as they sure as hell don't know what Logic is all about.

I'm just saying that if the ref perceived that it was just a tussle on watching the video, he could have said it was worth a card. If it is only worth a yellow in his view then there would be no further action. Fact is, any sane person would say there was intent in the challenge, which has to seriously brings the referee's integrity into question.

IN WHICH CASE.......

On top of the most damning evidence of a player intentionally trying to injure another I have seen this year, you have to consider the reason we did not appeal Adebayor's red vs Stoke is because there is VERY little defence in a case where a player has raised his hands or flailed a trailing arm into a player's face whether intentional or not. Ade's appeared unintentional, but we didnt appeal because clearly we had legal advice that the FA would not budge, and the red card was set in stone.

This again brings not only Mr Atwell's credibility to apply the rules which the FA have already said were applied correctly in the Adebayor case, into question, but also begs the question about what influence he was under when deciding - away from the Anfield crowd, that there is no case to answer - because it is frankly astounding he could come to the conclusion that he would on the second time of seeing the incident, decide that this was not an intentional assault.

This is one of the most vile incidents I have seen blight the game I love in many years - not the actual incident itself, shit happens, but the aftermath frankly stinks of a referee being leaned upon by someone somewhere - there can be no other explanation for the outcome.

I am not going to be hysterical and say it is because the FA want the establishment in the top 4, but something somewhere is not right with this decision, and it proves to me that football in this country potentially does have as much corruption as we level at other countries.

The truth is, if it's by official means then it is not corruption, it is part of the establishment. Whereas if it isn't sanctioned by the establishment, it is corruption. I've held the belief for a very long time that the referee's are there on behalf of the FA and all they represent, whether it be the Prem League or Sky Sports. They get their orders on a monthly basis when they all gather together for the Top 4 brief, where they are told exactly how to referee a game.

And the truth is, the newer, younger super refs that are coming through are the corruptest of them all as they know nothing other than what they are told and have a serious integrity and morality issue. At least some of the older refs got things wrong because they saw it wrong, the new breed just get it wrong because they are told it's right!

Spot on pal,

I'd like to add though that if the Premier League are operating different criteria to refereeing certain games, and referees are being leaned upon because of a lobby from the bigger clubs who the FA feel add to the FAPL global commercial interests more than for example us, spurs, villa, then it becomes corruption because their decision making becomes anti-competetive on the basis that they are unduly influenced by a small number of their members from whom the FA believe they can make the most money when it comes to negotiating TV and sponsorship rights.

If their decision making is based on a feeling that they may somehow disenfranchise some of Liverpool's global support due to them not being in the top 4, then it absolutely is corruption, as their decisions are based on their own commercial gain - not that of the member clubs.

[Beefymcfc]

Spot on pal,

I'd like to add though that if the Premier League are operating different criteria to refereeing certain games, and referees are being leaned upon because of a lobby from the bigger clubs who the FA feel add to the FAPL global commercial interests more than for example us, spurs, villa, then it becomes corruption because their decision making becomes anti-competetive on the basis that they are unduly influenced by a small number of their members from whom the FA believe they can make the most money when it comes to negotiating TV and sponsorship rights.

If their decision making is based on a feeling that they may somehow disenfranchise some of Liverpool's global support due to them not being in the top 4, then it absolutely is corruption, as their decisions are based on their own commercial gain - not that of the member clubs.

Mmmmmmm, anti-competitiveness.......now that rings a bell, why don't we ask the old G14 or Platini about that one.

And, didn't a certain ex-referee come out with the 'We don't give penalty's against United because we get grief of Fergie, you won't be remembered for not giving a penalty but sure will be if you give one'.

If that ain't flagrant cheating/bias, then I don't know what is!

[Swales4ever]

Can anybody help me with advice, seekung to get positive from negative?

I mean it would be worth a try appealling for an Ade's ban reduction, based on a very cool, moaning free, comparison with the gerard movie to the FA panel...

I don't know, how this stuff (appeals) works in England.
In Italy, specially if fm a non top 4 team, if You appeal straight to the panel judgement, You get hammered for sure! But if You accept statement of guilty, then there is more easy room for a reduction... Does it could work the same in front of FA, or I am just a silly deluded?

[pears12]

If you not in big 4 and you appeal a ban then FA just says it frivolous and doesn't listen to it, but if you in Big 4 they don't bother fast-tracking it they take as long as possible to make a decision so you don't lose a big player from your side

[dikdik]

Tony M - I was thinking along the same lines. Portsmouth's parlous situation and the possible points deduction for going into administration is SURELY the reason we haven't heard a squeak from Brown or his team.
This is just proof of the top four's power.
We can't beat them apparently
ERGO
WE MUST JOIN THEM.

[ian494]

Well the points have been deducted, so come on pompey and Brown get that complaint in and lets see the bastards squirm!!

[Mase]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6035809,00.html

Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown has admitted his surprise that Steven Gerrard escaped Football Association punishment after their clash on Monday.

Liverpool captain Gerrard appeared to use an elbow on his opposite number during his side's 4-1 victory over Pompey at Anfield.

The England star escaped punishment from referee Stuart Attwell and the match official mentioned the incident in his report to mean that the FA could not take action.

Brown, though, is still shocked that the governing body did not decide to act against Gerrard, who was under examination last week for an alleged V-sign at referee Andre Marriner in Liverpool's defeat at Wigan.

No problem
Brown told Sky Sports News with an element of irony: "It is fantastic if you can get away with it, isn't it? Amazing.

"It is obvious he caught me. Let's move on. It wasn't a huge deal. Yes he could have got punished, but he didn't.

"Good luck to him. If the FA feel like they don't need to punish him, then fair play.

"It was pretty obvious that he could have got a three-match ban, but that's football.

"He didn't get that, the referee has seen it and it is no problem to me."