Luis Suárez

[Snigger]

Yes, it was rhetorical question - but the point is Terry got 4, Suarez 8 for racism and biting carries 10 so the assumption is, without any clear boundaries around FA punishment, that this biting incident is seen as worse than racism - unless of course the FA are punishing Suarez again for the previous incidents where he's already served his penance.

If there is an escalator for persistent infringement or behaviour then the useless shower of tossers need to make that clear.

[Shaggy]

Let's just remember what a prick Gordon Taylor is.

The PFA, privacy and the public case of Paul Gascoigne's mental health

The sorry plight of former England midfielder who has checked into an American rehab centre

Marina Hyde


When a personal email from the Professional Footballers' Association boss Gordon Taylor drops into your inbox, the sender's name appears as "GORDON TAYLOR OBE". I know this because the footballers' union chief once emailed me after something I'd written and, while I suspect what follows is unlikely to draw a further missive – unless it's an invitation to the high court – the self-regard sticks in the mind. Of course, it's not unique in public life: the late Wendy Richard, who enjoyed a "difficult" reputation in showbiz lore, was given to signing her credit card receipts "Wendy Richard MBE". But it is certainly a useful character note as Mr Taylor makes another of his pastoral forays on to the airwaves.

The occasion that has precipitated Gordon's latest silence-breaking is the endlessly sorry plight of Gazza, whose most recent manifestation has since seen him check in to an American rehab centre. Or perhaps the occasion that accelerated Gordon's silence-breaking was some tweets from Peter Schmeichel, in which the former Manchester United goalkeeper declined to acknowledge the man reputed to be the highest paid union official in the world as the spiritual heir to the Tolpuddle Martyrs. "Gazza needs help," wrote Schmeichel. "Come on PFA & (PFA chief executive) Gordon Taylor, time to step up … I think the footballing community, as the family we sometimes claim to be, must do more to help Gazza and others like him. Instead of getting great deals on cars & other luxury goods for members, PFA should commit more time and funds to help the like of Gazza."

Well. It is true that the PFA's own website announces that helping commercial organisations "fully exploit the potential of the players" is "a key aspect of the work of the union". But any slight to his personage is like the Bat-Signal to Mr Taylor, who swung into some of the most questionable defensive action since Mr Schmeichel's own attempts to deflect Ian Wright from troubling his goal.

"Peter doesn't know what we've done for Paul," he bristled to the Press Association, "a lot of which has to be confidential." You'd certainly hope so. But you'd be amazed how much doesn't have to be confidential, at least according to Gordon's ruling. As the days wore on, in fact, you could scarcely move for the union boss granting interviews concerning Gazza's mental state and past treatment in what appeared to be the noble cause of self-defence.

"I've spoken to Paul at the weekend, and he's said it's just a blip," he told Five Live listeners, thoughtfully telegraphing the details of his telephone conversation with a man demonstrably in desperate mental health. "We just don't want this to be another George Best tragedy." To underscore this point similar thoughts were published on the union's website, where, among other displays of professional care, Gordon warns: "If we are not careful, it is going to be akin to George Best."

Elsewhere Taylor had his clinical hat on. "He sounds as if he needs almost a 24-hour watching brief at the moment," ran what was beginning to sound like a 24-hour broadcasting brief, and you have to admire the confidence of a man willing to preface a psychiatric diagnosis with the words "sounds as if".

"The last time we had him in for detox," came another detail on Gazza, "he checked himself out earlier than he should have."

So much detail. Perhaps I am out of touch with current schools of thought on the treatment of mental illness but, unless one of the better medical institutions has just published some groundbreaking research on the benefits of a snippy takedown of tweeters and blabbing to the media, is this what might be regarded as too much detail? You could understand the media's interests may deem Gazza's anguish public property; as his union chief, Taylor should take an altogether more seemly path.

It was Gordon, I can't help recalling, who might have blown the whistle on the phone-hacking scandal he might reasonably have expected to have extended beyond his case and into the lives of his membership, had he not opted to take hundreds of thousands of pounds from News International and agree to keep schtum. Odd how a pastoral crusader so fastidious about his own confidentiality can appear so cavalier with that of some of his most high-profile members.

Only recently Taylor responded to some baiting by Joey Barton by bringing up the player's own troubles: "We spent money on [Joey] because we tried to help him at the Sporting Chance Clinic with anger management, and people spent hours and hours with him to try to get him back on track."

Ouch. Sharing even broad details of members' treatment once is unfortunate. Twice begins to look like a certain carelessness. Alas, our hero remains in what the armchair pros call denial.

"Joey can say what he likes," ran one of his salvos to Barton. "I've got a thick skin." In truth, his epidermis appears so gossamer-sensitive that he is football's equivalent of the Bubble Boy. In fact, I think all of us who love Gordon and want to help him would like to see him safely cocooned against the prickling barbs, even if that meant that he was unable to venture forth into the public arena ever again. And he can have that long-range, pseudo-medical diagnosis for free.

[Sarb]

Good old Didi Hamann

If you think Suarez is victimised by the FA, dont forget he wasn't told to bite Ivanovic

Suarez should have been treated harsher by the club in house and publicly

Pointless arguing about the length of the ban. Suarez got 8 games last year. He was always gonna get more for that. Accept it and get on with it

[fidget]

Good old Didi Hamann

Hamman is a skint tit trying to make a few bob and not arsed how he does it.

[BrooklynRed]

you can forget the PFA being on the players side. he is sticking his boot in!

Luis Suarez bite: 10-match ban does not indicate biting is more serious than racism insists PFA chief Gordon Taylor
The Liverpool striker was banned for eight games after abusing Patrice Evra
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor insists the 10-match ban handed out to Luis Suarez yesterday does not indicate biting is more serious than racial abuse.

Suarez was suspended for eight games last season when an independent disciplinary panel found the Liverpool striker guilty of abusing Patrice Evra at Anfield in October 2011.

The fact Suarez received a greater sanction for sinking his teeth into Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday has raised an eyebrow in some quarters.

However, Taylor does not feel the two cases are linked.

"I think if there was any more racist abuse the tariff would increase," said Taylor.

"It is not easy to get justice right. (Suarez) got seven (for biting in Holland), eight (for Evra) and now 10.

"There has been a divided opinion. For some people it is not enough, others think it is too much.

"I take the view if there are points being made on both sides the balance is probably right.

"I actually feel there was needed to be more encouragement for the player to improve his behaviour and maybe the ban could have been longer, say 12 matches, with some of it suspended.

"I don't think there is a suggestion the FA think biting is more serious than racial abuse."

Liverpool will consider the written reasons behind the verdict before deciding whether to appeal against a punishment that, as it stands, rules Suarez out of action until the back end of September.

Taylor is unconvinced by the Reds' present annoyance at the severity of the punishment. However, he is in a tricky position as well given Suarez is one of six contenders to win the PFA Footballer of the Year prize on Sunday and is strongly fancied to be included in the Team of the Year.

"The vote was made by the players and the first criteria is footballing ability," said Taylor.

"This was not normal behaviour.

"Luis Suarez is a great footballer. The job for everybody, not just Liverpool but the PFA, Premier League and FA is to make sure, along the way, we see the right pattern of behaviour.

"Sometimes bad behaviour is excused by intensity. But as so many top players have shown, that doesn't have to be the case.

"If you have bad discipline and you get disciplined for it, that just leads to more frustration. It doesn't help anyone."

Taylor has already offered a course of anger management for Suarez. He certainly does not think a move away from the Premier League would be an answer to the problem.

"There has been all this talk about whether the boy will stay or go but it is something he has to deal with because the ban could be applied in other countries as well," he said.

"I can't see anywhere that would regard this as acceptable."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...r-8587845.html

That is absolutely shocking representation... English football feels like an old white man Star Chamber of privilege and excess. System needs a true overhaul; players have no voice in the game with representation like that.

[Sarb]

Hamman is a skint tit trying to make a few bob and not arsed how he does it.

I asked him if his current viewpoints on Hillsborough, Thatcher and Suarez had got him any more tv slots. He didn't respond.

[spud_gun]

Hamman is a skint tit trying to make a few bob and not arsed how he does it.

Wat? Simply because he disagrees with your opinion on this issue you feel the need to call him a tit and question his finances?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just because his opinion on this issue happens to differ from yours it doesn't give you carte blanche to launch a personal attack on the fella.

Show some respect FFS. Didi is a Liverpool legend and without him Istanbul wouldn't be quite so memorable.

[spud_gun]

I asked him if his current viewpoints on Hillsborough, Thatcher and Suarez had got him any more tv slots. He didn't respond.

Probably because you're an arsehole and really not worth his time?

[Sarb]

Wat? Simply because he disagrees with your opinion on this issue you feel the need to call him a tit and question his finances?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just because his opinion on this issue happens to differ from yours it doesn't give you carte blanche to launch a personal attack on the fella.

Show some respect FFS. Didi is a Liverpool legend and without him Istanbul wouldn't be quite so memorable.

A Liverpool legend showing sympathy to Thatcher too. Yeah some legend

[Sarb]

Probably because you're an arsehole and really not worth his time?

That hurt, it really did

[Neil Young]

"There has been all this talk about whether the boy will stay or go but it is something he has to deal with because the ban could be applied in other countries as well," he said.

"I can't see anywhere that would regard this as acceptable."

What a pathetic attempt to redraw criticism of the length of the ban as being about a desire to commit the offence.

[dom9]

Hamman is a skint tit trying to make a few bob and not arsed how he does it.

Or maybe that's just his opinion which he is perfectly entitled to.

Deal with it. It's not like you're a font of knowledge.

[Norbs]

Suarez should sue the PFA for not representing him correctly (and for being cunts) - might make them think about who they are supposed to be representing.

Not being funny but they are also representing a player who has been bitten

[Norbs]

Or maybe that's just his opinion which he is perfectly entitled to.

Deal with it. It's not like you're a font of knowledge.

[dom9]

A Liverpool legend showing sympathy to Thatcher too. Yeah some legend

Last time I checked, we lived in a democracy.