FA Cup - Fan arrested over alleged monkey gesture
Merseyside Police announced on Saturday night that a 59-year-old man had been detained in connection with an alleged racist gesture made at Anfield during the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Manchester United.
Following Liverpool's 2-1 win it emerged that police were investigating the alleged gesture which was captured on TV footage. The image was distributed on social networking websites and a number of complaints were made to police.
A police spokeswoman said: "Merseyside Police can confirm that a 59-year-old man from North Wales has been arrested this evening following an alleged incident at the LFC vs MUFC match. The man has been taken to a police station and will be questioned by officers."
She added: "Merseyside Police would like to thank North Wales Police and Liverpool Football Club for their assistance with this matter."
It was the first game between the rivals since the eight-match ban imposed on Liverpool striker Luis Suarez after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing United captain Patrice Evra. Before the match the stadium announcer warned supporters racist and homophobic behaviour would not be tolerated.
It is understood home supporters found guilty of such offences inside the ground would be subject to life bans from the club. Speaking after the game, match commander Chief Superintendent Jon Ward said: "I would like to thank the majority of fans for their behaviour and co-operation.
"We knew this would be a busy operation and most fans can be proud that they acted as ambassadors for their cities and their clubs.
"Despite the large numbers of supporters from both clubs and lively atmosphere, only 17 people were ejected from the ground and, at this time, two people arrested during the policing operation, all for low-level incidents.
"As a matter of course, Merseyside Police monitors Twitter, other social networks and match footage during high-profile events such as today's match.
"We can confirm that specialist officers are reviewing match footage, as a result of a picture posted on Twitter. This matter is now under investigation by specialist hate crime detectives and we are working with Liverpool Football Club to identify the man in question."
Comment 1372 - 1391 of 1391
I am pleased to see that something is being done by that kind of behavior. In this day and age people who do disguise those actions under 'freedom of speech' and people who believe that will be left behind, as Britain is moving forward from racism and small mindedness. Come on people use your brains! If your going to think and behave like a caveman then i suggest dragging your knuckles to a cave to live the rest of your life in. I am proud to be English and the way we have moved on from racism to a culture of open mindedness and innovation. Evolution is cultural as well and we are at the fore front. Join in or be left behind!
If Liverpool ban this fan from Anfield for his racist gesture, will they also ban Suarez for his racism and the rest of the team/manager for their t shirt support of the racist Suarez? It is one rule for the supporters and one for the rest of them.
1st Commandment. "Thou shalt have no other 'gods' BEFORE me, for I am SATAN and I am BEHIND you!"
It means that the people of this planet will not be tolerated for much longer.
You are all being tricked. It is Satan who is racist and pro-homosexual. It is his way of destroying everything.
Revelation 2:9 (Google)
It is practically over anyway.
lot of immature racists on here,awful lot of racism towards liverpool people,some idiots are actually accusing them of being racist,while their posts are littered with racism towards liverpool people.DISGUSTING
your hero's a scouse
your hero's a scouse
you 2 faced b*****ds
your hero's a scouse
Welsh Avril calling scousers thick, well, now that is 2 faced!!!!
1391 Tom It's called drawing an inference. Intelligent people do it all the time.
Why are Liverpool fans so paranoid? Is it because they are racist but too thick to know it?
1400 posts about somebody scratching their armpits :):):):) And this just covers one football match . What a bunch of retards.
Football . The Pinnincle of Sports
F1 .. The Pinnicle of Motor Sports
Both FFFKED .. Both BRITISH
100% agree with John M u Fan (1380), just lets move on, the press and TV pundits just love keeping going, Evra got the boos and insults at Anfield, Suarez, will get just the same at O/T, end of story, at least for these two.
God help us all when the Terry/Ferdinand saga starts. and as a Liverpool fan, i dont condone what Louis said, but i do think its been blown out of all sensible proportion, but compared with Terry if he did say what is alleged, then for me and i would suggest many other genuine fair minded people, that is 100 times more vile and racist, and should lead to a very long ban, and absolutley the end of Terrys england place, and most definitley as a Captain.
glad you got him it is bad ban him from the club . so its ok to call steven gerrard a scouser b----d then by 5000 mutd fans and we are call racists
this makes me piss my sides laughing with all this hype about the liverpool supporter been shown throwing monkey shapes
If the jernalists done there job proper they would have reported the dirty manc @#$% for spitting all over the hillsbourgh memorial
istead its liverpool all over the back pages again for all the wrong reasons
you all know the rules, pay way over the top to watch overated prima donnas, sit in your seat with arms crossed and keep quiet!!
I fail to see how Merseyside Police have arrested the idiot in question and yet they have taken no action against Suarez or LFC for defending racism because that is what the wearing of the T shirts, the condemnation of a victim amounts to = Chief Constable a LFC season ticket holder perhaps, brown envelopes perhaps or just not enough Political and Career clout in dealing with it - but then up pops a moron a making stupid and childish gesture which was probably racist but I will reserve judgement until he has been processed to see if it was just a lapse in judgement in the heat of the game or there is further evidence to indicate that he is a bigot all the time....If he or any other person is found guilty of racism then a criminal record is not the solution for a first offence it would be better to require them to attend some form of educational programme and to work with people in deprived areas etc further offences should result in them being required to work in overseas aid groups and then further offences dealtwith by the courts............they could be forced to have a P.I.P Silicone implant between their ears to fill the void after that............
I am not condoning what he did but this racism thing needs to work both ways. What about the Islamists that say hang/behead all non Muslims? And the ones that set fire to Poppy Wreaths in November? They only got a £30 fine!
The Politician that made remarks about us whites? I don't follow football but whoever the gesture was at should be able to do his job without idiots like this calling him / implying he is a monkey just because he is black.
I hear Liverpoo fans are planning to do a tribute to Joey Barton's half-brother next home match. If we're lucky the players might get some special t-shirts done up.
It is quite simple, this man is a racist and should be punished for what he did. What a great example to show the young of today...NOT. At 59 this cretin should of know better. His family must be so proud of him..NOT. It is 2012 and there is not place for racism in todays society. He should be banned from attending football matches for life.
How do the Politically Correct/Thought Police know who the "monkey gesture" was directed at and that it was racial, given that it was reportedly unaccompanied by any words identifying its subject?
If the Politically Correct/Thought Police are assuming that a "monkey gesture" without any words made in a crowd of thousands can only be racist and can only be directed at a black person, aren't they the racists?
The issue of racism will simply not go away, no matter what the punishment or legislation. What is troubling, is the culprit appears to be old enough to know better. Peer-based action/punishment tends to be the only effective deterrent.
tzh82hope
I do not like football but i have nothing against those that do.I am not gay but i have nothing against those whom are. Neither am I a coloured person I have nothing against those who are.
"At 59 years old you'd think he'd now better, some people never grow up, thick scouser!!" from AD. is racist yet i see no comment at all! let alone a police investigation.(no i am not from the pool)
I agree with Paul W though its a one way street,
In this age of police cuts and their constant defense of poor housekeeping crime wise its easy to see where they are wasting public funds, for years we had religion (I nearly wrote churches) telling us how to behave .Now the police appear to have taken on that job and instead of pricking our social and moral conscience they arrest and fine us or jail us.
I use google chrome as a browser and as i write it continually tries to auto correct my English spellings into American! The police may have arrest the google team as well.(note i wrote google with small g as google like it to have capital g or am i being googlist)
Enough said we all know that people are people and beating a person down with arrest's and court is a travesty of public funds,In the mean time several people were robbed but the police had no time to deal with it!! I recently had a push bike stolen i was a little late the guy was riding down the road with it,the police had no one available to catch him, if i had caught him i could of been in trouble,but they very helpfully gave me a crime number.
I could rage against this for ever we used to have a sense of humour in this country Rigsby still gets away with it as it is dated racism.
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