Liverpool FC Forum

[NANNY RED]

Best thing at Anfield tonight that Mosiac

[Koptite]

it was a great way to show our support....have not managed to see it on the tv yet. Did they give it a good mention??

[Bad Bob]

it was a great way to show our support....have not managed to see it on the tv yet. Did they give it a good mention??

Setanta paused their pre-match build-up to air the on-pitch plea for support and then they made a point of mentioning the mosaic early on. 

[NANNY RED]

Dont these people know by now we always stand by our own.

FA asks Liverpool to explain show of support for convicted criminal•

• Club held rally for fan before match against West Ham

Daniel Taylor The Guardian, Wednesday December 3 2008 Article history


The Football Association is to write to Liverpool for an explanation into the orchestrated support shown for the jailed fan Michael Shields during Monday's 0-0 draw with West Ham United at Anfield.

Officials at Soho Square are considering whether to bring disciplinary charges after taking exception at the manner in which Liverpool have publicly backed a man who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter, Martin Georgiev, in May 2005.

Another Liverpool fan admitted being responsible for the crime before later retracting his confession and Shields' case will go before a high court review tomorrow. The FA, however, is alarmed that Liverpool should openly use a live televised game to try to influence the matter.

Rafael Benítez's players wore T-shirts bearing the slogan Free Michael Now during their pre-match warm-up and the actress Sue Johnston was invited on to the pitch with Shields' parents to make a speech calling for the justice secretary, Jack Straw, to "do the right thing".

A mosaic was held up in the Kop spelling out Free Michael Now and the match-day programme contained an article declaring the 22-year-old's innocence. "Liverpool fan Michael Shields should be here at Anfield for tonight's game," it began. "Instead, he will be sitting in a prison cell."

The FA's concern is linked to the recent disciplinary case against the Ipswich midfielder David Norris for supporting the former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick. Norris had been charged with improper conduct after making a handcuffs gesture in dedication to McCormick, who had been sentenced to seven years in prison for causing the death by dangerous driving of two young brothers.

The FA's disciplinary department fined Norris £5,000 and is alarmed that Liverpool should also publicly back someone convicted of a serious crime and, in the process, open themselves to allegations of playing judge and jury.

The matter became a subject of controversy on radio phone-ins yesterday and the FA will, at the very least, remind Liverpool that it does not believe it is the club's role to take on such issues. "We are not comfortable about this," one source told the Guardian.

There is also an element of concern as Liverpool, according to the FA, had not informed the authorities of their plans. In 1997, their then striker Robbie Fowler was fined 2,000 Swiss francs by Uefa for revealing a T-shirt expressing his support for the city's sacked dock workers.

[Igor Zidane]

Just been on radio city that the judicial review have agreed that Jack straw does have the power to free Michael . GET IN THERE SON!!!!!!

[Redman in wales]

Jailed fan 'can get free pardon' 

Jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields has won an important battle at the High Court in London in his bid for a free pardon.

The 22-year-old is serving a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria in 2005, but has always maintained his innocence.

High Court judges have ruled Justice Secretary Jack Straw has the power to issue a pardon to Shields.

Mr Straw previously insisted he does not have the power to free him.

The two senior judges also ruled that it was for Mr Straw alone - and not the courts -to decide how to exercise that power.

The judges said the pardon relied upon fresh evidence which had not been considered by the Bulgarian courts.

A confession by another Liverpool fan, Graham Sankey, who was in Istanbul at the time of the attack, but who later retracted it, would not form part of the new evidence, the judges said.

In court the judges said: "It is, in our judgment, open to the Secretary of State to entertain a request to exercise the royal prerogative. It is not for this court to say whether or how it might be exercised."

Mr Straw said he would appoint senior counsel to advise him on whether to pardon Shields or not, in light of the High Court decision

The Justice Secretary said the case had to be looked at very closely, along with the implication it could have on cases of other British prisoners abroad.

He added: "I will ensure this process is undertaken as quickly as possible, and can assure Michael Shields and his family that I will reach a decision on whether to recommend granting a pardon as swiftly as is possible.

"While recognising the frustration of Michael Shields' family and his campaign team, I am also duty bound to work within the law."


Shields is currently serving the remainder of his sentence at Thorn Cross Young Offenders' Institute in Appleton Thorn in Warrington, Cheshire.

Liverpool Labour Euro MP Arlene McCarthy, commenting on today's High Court ruling, said: "The High Court ruling frees the way for Michael's release. It's a brilliant result for Michael and his family and we are now finally seeing the end to a three-year battle to get justice for Michael."

Following the decision, his father, Michael Shields senior, said: "It's just heart-breaking for us.

"We just want to get him home and put put everything behind us and get on with our lives. It's been so hard for us.

"I hope and pray Mr Straw can do the right thing."

Jago Russell, chief executive of Fair Trials International, which defends the rights of those facing charges in a country other than their own, welcomed the ruling.

He said: "After a grossly unfair trial in Bulgaria, Michael Shields has already spent over three years in prison.

"It is now up to the British Government to pardon Michael and to bring his ordeal to an end."


Link

[lakes10]

wow, our Gov have bent over backwards to get this done. Steps like this never happen. i hope he is home for xmas, shame it has taken so long but a big move like this takes time, they must have been working on a move like this all year.

[we all dream...]

Great news. This even made the London Lite (tube paper) so its big news. Really good to hear and good that the government have acted efficiently after these new finding. Hope he can be out for christmas.

Just on quesiton though, what ever happened to Sankey?

[Number 9]

Great news. This even made the London Lite (tube paper) so its big news. Really good to hear and good that the government have acted efficiently after these new finding. Hope he can be out for christmas.

Just on quesiton though, what ever happened to Sankey?

I dont thing anything happened to him.He admitted it then retracted his statement so the police could not do anymore.

The vibes Im getting anyway from what I've heard of what Jack Straw said sound good!
I reckon the lad will be out for Xmas.I hope so,then the whole family can have the best Xmas ever!

[Raffmaker]

Yeah where is this Sankey is what I was gonna ask!

He must be racked with guilt wherever he is. I dont know the facts of the case but if you get a solicitor to come out with a statement saying you were involved to some extent then you are surely have something to hide.

I'm not sure if this pardon will actually happen though. Just because you have got a lot of public support (which he indeed deserves) that  does not automatically mean you will get a pardon.

Someone was saying on a radio debate about this. If Michael was pardoned, there are hundreds of britons in Jails abroad. Does this mean they should get pardoned also!??. or foreign nationals currently in British jails, should they be pardoned too!? having all been convicted.

The debate was about the precedent it would set for other convicted criminals here and overseas etc. and that is the reason (despite us all wanting him set free right now!) that I dont think Jack straw will just wave his magic wand.

Hopefully justice will be done asap.

[Dalglish]

Yeah where is this Sankey is what I was gonna ask!

LIVERPOOL ECHO

"Graham Sankey jailed for five months"

Apr 10 2008
Graham Sankey confessed he attacked Martin Georgiev - Michael Shields, was convicted by a Bulgarian court and is serving 15 years for attempted murder

GRAHAM Sankey was today jailed for a foul-mouthed racist outburst.

Sankey, 22, who once confessed to the attack for which Michael Shields was jailed, was sentenced to five months at Liverpool crown court.

The Anfield electrician was jailed after the court heard he subjected a Liverpool doorman to a tirade of racist swearing, then told police it was a "white man’s country."

Sankey, of Charnley Drive, Wavertree, retracted his confession to the Michael Shields incident in Bulgaria and now denies he was involved.

The court today heard how the 22-year-old was drinking at the city centre Walkabout Bar, in Concert Square, on August 23 last year.

He launched his tirade when doorman Solomon Fadipe asked him to leave because the bar was closing.

Ben Morris, defending, conceded his client told police England was a "white man’s country and he shouldn’t be arrested for abusing a black man."

He said Sankey was genuinely ashamed and remorseful.

The 22-year-old admitted causing racially aggravated harassment, fear or violence when he changed his plea at the last minute at a hearing in March.

Jailing Sankey, who was wearing a grey tracksuit top and jeans, Judge Henry Globe, QC, said his remarks left the victim feeling "useless and as if he was a second class citizen."

He said: "Such behaviour in today's society is completely unacceptable and is a serious offence.

"The remarks you made were grossly offensive and I am satisfied they were intended at that time to have racial views of an extreme kind."

He warned Sankey, who has four previous convictions for public order and failing to surrender to bail, that if he commited another violent offence he risked being jailed for "a very long time."

[Raffmaker]

April 08?? so Im presuming he is a free man right now?

he needs gutting like a fish by a vigilante group to be fair.

An innocent man is in Jail!

[Raffmaker]

April 2008?

So he is free
.
xx

[Ciggy]

Blue kipper that way >>>>>yer bitter b@stards.

[Igor Zidane]

Bye then yer bitter county road bells.