Liverpool FC Forum

[A.B.]

I've read a very interesting article online from the Liverpool Echo, that suggest that Bellamy's name was leaked out by someone in the club to the press to divert attention from other players in the squad who broke certain club rules.

Bellamy is an easy target due to his reputation and it make sense. After all the main talking point of the whole fiasco in Portugal has been Bellamy and Riise. Not Jermaine Pennant,Robbie Fowler and Jerzy Dudek and others [6 players were fined in all for breach of club rules] for their behavior even though it was reported.

What really happened, we don't know as Rafa's statement didn't clear up anything. However it did let us know that things despite the reports are good in the locker-room chemistry wise.

It's fair to say that things have been exaggerated by the press and it isn't the first or the last time. We all know that far too well and recently when Keegan was England's manager, a story broke out that some members of the national team were getting drunk late at night and causing problems. Eventually that story was retracted by the paper that published it, but it's far too easy to make a storm in a tea cup these days.

And isn't it a bit suspicious considering that this happened days before our match with Barca? Is it not interesting how Barca were also supposedly having a bust up that was too blown out of proportion.

Is it not interesting that the following day both clubs released pictures of players hugging one another?

The fact remains that Bellamy was only fined 80,000 pounds which is two weeks worth of wages. Surely if it was more serious he would had gotten a heavier punishment? And how is that someone who gets attacked by a golf club suffers no bruising and no injuries and is fit for the match on Wed.?

Here's the article:

Reds fracas: Bellamy a 'scapegoat'

Feb 19 2007

Exclusive by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo


Craig Bellamy(158)

LIVERPOOL'S under-fire striker Craig Bellamy may have been made a scapegoat for the Reds stars' Algarve rumpus.

Sources within the club suggest the 27-year-old Welsh international was exploited as an easy target to deflect blame from a large number of players involved in breaches of discipline.

Other players said to have been involved include Robbie Fowler, Jermaine Pennant and Jerzy Dudek.

Today the club was continuing an investigation into how details of the incident were leaked to the media amid concern Bellamy may be the victim of deliberate attempts to further damage his name.

Reds manager Rafa Benitez is understood to regard Bellamy as no more or less guilty than any of the players involved. Up to six players have now been fined by the manager, most for breaking curfew.

While Bellamy WAS involved in a dust-up with John Arne Riise, the ECHO has learned that it was far less serious than presented by Sunday newspapers.

Claims have been made that Bellamy repeatedly swung a golf club at the 26-year-old Norwegian’s legs, yet Riise is fit and likely to start Wednesday night’s game with Barcelona.

Bellamy is also likely to start, while all other fined players will at least be in the squad for the Champions League tie.

The pair clashed after Riise apparently refused to join in with a karaoke sing-song during the party last Thursday.

When they returned to the team’s hotel a brawl started with Bellamy attacking Riise with a golf club.

The squad, including Riise and Bellamy, were back in training yesterday at Melwood after the five-day break.

Manager Rafa Benitez said today: “I met with the entire first team squad yesterday morning and made it absolutely clear to all of them the responsibilities that come with playing for this club and the way they’re expected to conduct themselves both on and off the pitch.

“The players worked extremely hard at last week's training camp, but we’ll take disciplinary action and fine any of them who are found to have breached club rules.

“Despite reports to the contrary, the spirit among the lads is very good with everyone looking forward to the game against Barcelona on Wednesday.”

Punishment can take the form of a fine of up to two weeks’ wages.

[heimdall]

what utter , poor Bellamy he's like an angel isn't he!!
I'm not saying he is the only one who misbehaved but he definitely did attack Riise and that is inexcusable. Of course there are pictures of players hugging that is easy to arrange and of course pure spin.

Wake up mate and smell the coffee, whichever way you read this the players have shamed Liverpool football club, it's a disgrace that professionals should behave this way.

[welsh wizzard]

what utter , poor Bellamy he's like an angel isn't he!!
I'm not saying he is the only one who misbehaved but he definitely did attack Riise and that is inexcusable. Of course there are pictures of players hugging that is easy to arrange and of course pure spin.

Wake up mate and smell the coffee, whichever way you read this the players have shamed Liverpool football club, it's a disgrace that professionals should behave this way.

Who the feck are you??

Are you a real supporter of this football club !!

You aint got a clue arseholeeee, jumping on peoples backs when you don't know the whole truth.

The players were loud , they had booze, something has been blown alot bigger than it actually was. Thats what it sounds like to me, but hey i wasn't there so don't know the facts, and to be honest i don't really care now all i care about is wed night and getting a good result.


You know nothing arseholeeeee.
You don't like Bellamy i gather that !!

Crawl back from the rock you just crawled from under.  

[account deleted by request]

I think if this had happened on a pre-season tour it would be a storm in a teacup. To have happened whilst preparing for a vital game against Barca is unbelievable. I don't think anyone can argue that the players have not been distracted. That Rafa has had to waste time, effort (not much on the statement to be honest) and maybe even have had to change his team/squad/plans because of this.

If things were going great and we were having an exceptional season, maybe ,just maybe it would be excusable, considering this is our last hope of any silverware and the season we are having the players have let both themselves and the supporters down.

No its not the end of the world and in all probability the media have made a mountain out of a molehill, but before a game of such importance it was bloody stupid.

[matrix]

I think if this had happened on a pre-season tour it would be a storm in a teacup. To have happened whilst preparing for a vital game against Barca is unbelievable. I don't think anyone can argue that the players have not been distracted. That Rafa has had to waste time, effort (not much on the statement to be honest) and maybe even have had to change his team/squad/plans because of this.

If things were going great and we were having an exceptional season, maybe ,just maybe it would be excusable, considering this is our last hope of any silverware and the season we are having the players have let both themselves and the supporters down.

No its not the end of the world and in all probability the media have made a mountain out of a molehill, but before a game of such importance it was bloody stupid.

spot on saint...

  lets all just take it easy and wait for the true facts to come out here...  also the guilty partie's should be dealt with accordingly...

[Lando_Griffin]

what utter , poor Bellamy he's like an angel isn't he!!
I'm not saying he is the only one who misbehaved but he definitely did attack Riise and that is inexcusable. Of course there are pictures of players hugging that is easy to arrange and of course pure spin.

Wake up mate and smell the coffee, whichever way you read this the players have shamed Liverpool football club, it's a disgrace that professionals should behave this way.

You really are a tw*t, aren't you? 

[A.B.]

Guess what's being reported by ITV now? Get this, Bellamy now supposedly THREATENED Riise to hit him with the golf-club which is totally different from ACTUALLY doing it.

Hence the small punishment. It was a small bust-up and it was leaked to the press, and made bigger than what it really is.

So heimdall he didn't DEFINITELY attack Riise. For f#cks sake, if you whack someone with a golf club you aren't going to do it like a damn p#ssy so how the f#ck does Riise not have any bruises on his f#cking legs?

You make such big claims with very little evidence.

[ConnO'var]

I think if this had happened on a pre-season tour it would be a storm in a teacup. To have happened whilst preparing for a vital game against Barca is unbelievable. I don't think anyone can argue that the players have not been distracted. That Rafa has had to waste time, effort (not much on the statement to be honest) and maybe even have had to change his team/squad/plans because of this.

If things were going great and we were having an exceptional season, maybe ,just maybe it would be excusable, considering this is our last hope of any silverware and the season we are having the players have let both themselves and the supporters down.

No its not the end of the world and in all probability the media have made a mountain out of a molehill, but before a game of such importance it was bloody stupid.

Agreed mate..... a distraction that we don't need right now....

I doubt we'll ever get the whole truth of this affair..... Lets wait to see what Rafa is going to do... we'll be able to priece together or at least infer, what happenned that night from Rafa's disciplinary actions...

I can't believe some of the spin on tv that we're getting in my part of the world.... some c*nts are actually saying that the reason Rafa has signed the Leverkusen fella as he's gonna get rid of bellamy at the end of this season because of this.....

I'm not exactly Bellamy's biggest fan but this kind of reporting is just b0llocks.... Do they honestly think that LFC is so stupid that we'd make such a knee jerk reaction and not thoroughly scout out a player before buying him?....

How gullible do they think we are?..     

[Scottbot]

Of course there are pictures of players hugging that is easy to arrange and of course pure spin.

How ironic that your assumptions and interpretation of the incident is based almost entirely on "the spin" you (and every other bug.ger) have been reading in the press.

[Lando_Griffin]

Come on then - where are all the w*nkers now?

See? You shoot your f*cking uneducated gobs off, and then look like total tw*ts when the truth emerges.

Go and hang your heads in shame, you fickle sons of bitches.

[Ciggy]

TBF the Norweigen press have gone in overdrive because of this and statements from Riises mother, and the national coach, and advisor have not helped paint Bellamy in a good light and by that, Heimdall is only getting their side of the stroy.
I couldnt give a feck if they all tw@ted each other everywhere just not before a CL agansit Barca and bringing bad press to the club.
If I played for LFC Id be in the papaers everyweek Ciggy p.issed again 

[Lando_Griffin]

Heimdall is a c*nt though - he only ever surfaces when something bad "happens".

[Ciggy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4V5WCRLNQ

Bellamy might want to kill this fella for not singing Angels 

[kazza]

The players let the fans and the club down by doing this cr@p before the biggest games of the season. The only way to make it up is to do the business against Barca.

Something must have happenend for the fines to be levied and they should not have given the press anything to write about other than the team are training well. Gives energy to a Barcalona that was having problems of their own. They were there to be taken but I get a sense they have been let off the hook. The talk of a rift between Barcalona players has been drowned out by talk of Liverpool players attacking each other with golf clubs. 

Fecking Karaoke has been nothing but a source tension ever since those Japanese invented it. 

[Ciggy]

Bellamy can join me on the Karaoke on saturday when I fly to Benidorm totally tone deaf me