Archived News from January 2013
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MORE REACTION: SUAREZ / ESPN / CAROLYN
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twitter.com/henrywinter At Melwood #lfc. Rodgers on Mansfield chairman's criticism of Suarez: "He'd obviously had a few drinks in him by that stage" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/9796288/Manchester-United-v-Liverpool-I-wouldnt-swap-Luis-Suarez-for-Robin-van-Persie-insists-Brendan-Rodgers.html Henry Winter, Fri 11 Jan 2013 Controversy seems to follow the Uruguayan around and last week he found himself at the centre of a handball storm after his goal helped Liverpool beat Blue Square Premier side Mansfield in the FA Cup. Mansfield chairman John Radford criticised the player afterwards but Rodgers laughed it off. "I thought the criticism was ludicrous of him really but I can understand people's reactions because we have seen it many times," he said. "I spoke with the chairman afterwards and he'd obviously had a few drinks in him by that stage! "With a few drinks in them at the end of the game they probably said things they wouldn't normally but the hospitality was great on the day. "We've sent a message to Mansfield wishing them good luck for the rest of the season." ------------------- Tuesday night, 8 Jan 2013: Linesman Mike Mullarkey, linesman who didn't give the Suarez handball, is running the line for Bradford v Aston Villa live on Sky Sports, and Sky have quizzed him about the Suarez handball, and he told them "I couldn't see whether it had hit his chest or hand, so I couldn't give it". ------------------ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2258561/EXCLUSIVE-Sportsmail-goes-scenes-ESPNs-roadshow-FA-Cup-joy.html?ito=feeds-newsxml EXCLUSIVE: Sportsmail goes behind the scenes with ESPN's roadshow of FA Cup joy By Adam Shergold PUBLISHED: 7 January 2013 The trouble with bringing the FA Cup back to the people can be the people themselves. Half past three, and on a boggy corner of a pitch in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Ray Stubbs and his pundits of the day, Kevin Keegan and John Barnes, have precisely 31 minutes to reflect on a match 160 miles away in Swansea, react to the fourth round draw taking place 120 miles away at Wembley and look forward to the tie of the third round unfolding all the while around them. They must cram in a potted reminder of the Swansea-Arsenal tie, an apposite look back at non-league Sutton United's conquest of top flight Coventry City 24 years ago and a pre-recorded segment in which the players of Mansfield Town, dressed as pirates, introduce themselves to the public. Nerve centre: The ESPN match production trailer allows the directors access to the 20 camera feeds covering every angle of Field Mill as they piece together the match coverage They then must steer viewers in the direction of balls being picked out of a velvet bag in north London, absorb it and then analyse the important outcomes. Next, they must work in a light piece about an apparently 'grumpy and rude' artist from west London who has typed out the silhouette of the FA Cup on a typewriter using the names of the remaining participants and after that throw over to someone else to give the Liverpool team news. Somehow, before the players emerge onto the Field Mill pitch, Stubbs and his right-hand men must interview the Mansfield owner and chief executive - and husband and wife - John and Carolyn Radford and cheerily mention the wedding of manager Paul Cox two days earlier. There also needs to be two ad breaks in there too. So imagine the horror in Stubbs's eye when this delicately-balanced, timed-to-the-split second schedule is threatened by a great big, blundering, blind, blue cube. It is a mascot for betting company Blue Square and it is (very slowly) coming his way. It emerges from a garage behind the stand and lumbers up the slope in front of the famous ESPN pitchside table - a miracle of wood and polystyrene which actually looks quite like marble. The production team scramble to stop this “thing” as its oversized shoes threaten to unplug and spark the vital plastic cable links between presenter and the production trucks outside and its ungainly girth threatens to send lighting columns and cameras flying. It is, after a few clumsy manoeuvres, guided safely through and the mass panic subsides. Cup legend: 1974 winner with Liverpool, Kevin Keegan, was on hand to provide his insight to millions of viewers around the world as the Reds played Mansfield Meanwhile, just as the Radfords saunter in front of the Quarry Lane End for their pre-match interviews - John beaming with pride on his club's big day and sporting a blue and yellow bar scarf, Carolyn looking glamorous and slightly more diplomatic in a half-Mansfield, half-Liverpool scarf but with her heels sinking into the mud - the Mansfield players suddenly change the direction of their shooting warm-up. A flurry of yellow balls begin to fly in our direction, the cameramen and production staff putting themselves on the line to protect their precious, multi-thousand pound equipment and to prevent Stubbs and his guests from suffering an ignominious repeat of the time Martin Keown was smacked plum on the head by a Leeds United player at Arsenal (see YouTube). As I say, you can take the Cup coverage back to the people, but you can never predict what they will do. But for all concerned, it's just another great FA Cup tie and another chance to re-connect what has become to many a jaded and outdated competition to the public consciousness. The pitchside table is one of a number of ideas borrowed from ESPN's long-established coverage of American sports, where the “Game Day” build-up, like Cup Finals of yore, begins at the crack of dawn. This particular one is certainly drawing plenty of attention from the people of Mansfield, who are swarming around to catch a glimpse, documenting on camera phones that unforgettable day when the giants of Liverpool, and the TV cameras, came to their town. It's also the one piece of kit Stubbs, now entering his fourth year with the satellite broadcaster following his transfer from the BBC, is attached to. 'When I retire, that table is coming with me. I think it would make a nice feature in my front room, perhaps as a mini-bar, or I could open Stubbs's Bar in the Algarve and put it in there,' he says. Outdoor studio: Ray Stubbs fronts ESPN's live broadcast alongside Kevin Keegan and John Barnes from a corner of the Field Mill pitch Outdoor studio: Ray Stubbs fronts ESPN's live broadcast alongside Kevin Keegan and John Barnes from a corner of the Field Mill pitch What is endearing about the whole of ESPN's team is that, despite standing ankle-deep in mud in rain, sleet, snow and howling gales at football backwaters the length and breadth of the country just to bring those in their warm front rooms at home a couple of hours of insight and coverage, their love affair with the FA Cup is undying. 'I think every football fan is still a little bit in love with the FA Cup,' says Stubbs, sipping a bijou cup of tea in the depths of the enormous travelling show, tech city ESPN have assembled in the Mansfield car park. 'It's important to remember the journey starts well before we get to this stage and occasions like this. I get interested at the Extra Preliminary round stage and follow it through to the end. 'The FA Cup has never changed for me, it is still about non-league players have their day and matches such as this conjure up so many memories.' Indeed, this is your classic FA Cup tie, with 93 places separating Premier League and seven-time winners Liverpool and Conference Premier Mansfield, whose best was a quarter-final defeat to Leicester in 1969. But when you walk pitchside, dodging the miles and miles of cables rigged up by ESPN overnight, you realise why people call the Cup such a leveller. This tie is on Mansfield territory and on Mansfield's terms. Match commentator Jon Champion already knows the above stats, and about a billion others, as he prepares to encapsulate in flowing prose not only a simple game of football, but a glorious moment in the sun for a town and community. Big operation: A crew of 90 staff work together to produce the coverage, laying 14km of cable around the pitch and setting up the 30 audio links to capture the big match atmosphere, plus the thoughts of the pundits Big operation: A crew of 90 staff work together to produce the coverage, laying 14km of cable around the pitch and setting up the 30 audio links to capture the big match atmosphere, plus the thoughts of the pundits He's clutching a sheath of crib notes on the personalities, the players and the history of the Cup, all immaculately penned in tiny black script - 'My parents were both teachers, so neat handwriting was drilled into me from an early age,' he says of his research, weeks in the making. Champion speaks in that same unmistakeable, comforting and silky soft voice whether grasping his trusty Coles microphone high on the gantry, suggesting ideas in the production meeting or asking for a cup of coffee. 'For the home fans here today, they might only see three or four occasions like this in their lifetime,' he says as though reeling off a scripted soundbite. 'The beauty of the FA Cup is that it gives people like me cause to go to places you would never normally have to go to and it's still capable of the highest drama - it has no equivalent. 'It's a stage for the Mansfield players and the town of Mansfield as well. Just as it was when my home town club York City beat Arsenal in 1985 or when Chesterfield came within a disallowed goal of reaching the final in 1997. It's still got it.' He then walks off to inspect his lofty perch for the afternoon. And it is lofty too, a wooden plank laid on top of a mesh of scaffolding, balanced precariously on the derelict Bishop Street Stand and accessible only by a rickety ladder. Champion and his co-commentator Chris Waddle must stand up there - stand, no seats - and sum the whole day up. They do, however, have enough sausage rolls to feed a small army and a very welcome kettle for a half-time cuppa. Best view in the house: Jon Champion (left) and Chris Waddle commentate from their gantry on top of the disused Bishop Road Stand Best view in the house: Jon Champion (left) and Chris Waddle commentate from their gantry on top of the disused Bishop Road Stand Befitting the spartan surroundings of the place, the production meeting is held in a claustrophobic port-a-cabin which also happens to be the canteen. So, as members of the crew polish off their lunches of roast lamb, chicken korma or swordfish (I wonder if this is the first time swordfish has been on the menu in Mansfield), a packed running order is sliced and diced into position. Stubbs is particularly vocal as the agenda is worked through. Understandably so, he's the one fronting the whole thing and he doesn't want any awkward silences. Handed victory: Luis Suarez palmed the ball into his path before smashing it home as the tie ended 2-1 to Liverpool Handed victory: Luis Suarez palmed the ball into his path before smashing it home as the tie ended 2-1 to Liverpool In the end, cumbersome mascots, flying balls and autograph-hunting punters aside, the operation is a great success. Kick-off only has to be delayed by a single minute (ESPN have the power to do this, to squeeze in their final ad break) and those watching on are treated to a rip-roaring Cup tie in the best tradition enthused about by Stubbs, Champion and the whole team. There are plenty of colourful crowd scenes deliberately worked into the patchwork of the afternoon's coverage to reinforce ESPN's clear ethos of bringing the competition back to the fans and the public. There are also plenty of shots of Brendan Rodgers looking nervous as Mansfield pile on the pressure in the second half as they seek an equaliser to Daniel Sturridge's early, debut goal. In the end, the enduring image was of Luis Suarez “handing” victory to Liverpool in the second-half. And as the floodlights and the cameras fade, and the Stubbs table is packed up into storage once again, it's off down the road to Cheltenham versus Everton for the ESPN roadshow of Cup joy. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2258561/EXCLUSIVE-Sportsmail-goes-scenes-ESPNs-roadshow-FA-Cup-joy.html#ixzz2HOFZUZh3 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook ----------------- CAROLYN RADFORD: Suarez a cheat? I'd like to think one of my players would own up but football's not like that... And the secret to a swinging Mansfield party: Elvis and Bob Marley (of course) The Footballers' Column PUBLISHED: 7 January 2013 The Footballers' Football Columns, MailOnline's new exclusive series, are about the beautiful game, written by people who play it, coach it and run it. Today's fourth installment comes from Mansfield Town chief executive Carolyn Radford, who became football's youngest CEO in September 2011 at the age of 29. Fresh from her club's narrow 2-1 defeat by Liverpool yesterday - and that Suarez 'goal' - Radford has a unique insight into the game. Here's her first column. We came so close yesterday against Liverpool, and I think we did really well and we're really proud of all the boys. I was thinking it could have been a 7-0 defeat but because it was so close we all had that 'what if?' feeling. With Liverpool playing Oldham in the fourth round we could even have had a chance of getting through to the next round. At least the boys can focus now back on the League and getting promotion. Up for the Cup: Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford hugs the FA Cup mascot ahead of yesterday's third round tie at home to Liverpool Up for the Cup: Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford hugs the FA Cup mascot ahead of yesterday's third round tie at home to Liverpool Getting a replay would have given the club such a buzz and sense of excitement. To have held the game the way we did, hopefully it will retain some more of the fans who will come back again. But getting a replay would have been so prestigious, going to Anfield and keeping the FA Cup dream alive. The goal was really frustrating for us. Whether it's deliberate or not should not be a point in question really. He got such an advantage and then he kissed his hand. I think even the reaction from Liverpool showed that they don't think it should have been allowed. But it's one of those things and football can be heart-breaking sometimes. Handball! Luis Suarez clearly handles the ball before scoring Liverpool's second Handball! Luis Suarez clearly handles the ball before scoring Liverpool's second Moment of controversy: Mansfield's players appeal to the officials after Suarez scores the decisive goal Moment of controversy: Mansfield's players appeal to the officials after Suarez scores the decisive goal It's difficult to say if Suarez is a cheat. It wasn't great but if he knew I would have hoped he would have been honest enough to say but football's not like that. If it was deliberate he should have owned up to it. If it happened with one of our players I'd hope they would say so and show some sportsmanship. Apart from the result, it was fantastic, it really was. It was a great experience for the footballers and great exposure for them and for the club as well. We just really enjoyed it and we're very proud of how well they held their own against the mighty Liverpool. Desk job: Radford in her Mansfield office, complete with Stags' antlers above her workstation Desk job: Radford in her Mansfield office, complete with Stags' antlers above her workstation MEET MANSFIELD'S IRON LADY Carolyn Radford Read Ian Ladyman's exclusive interview with Mansfield's Iron Lady from last week. And see the exclusive photoshoot by Sportsmail's Graham Chadwick by clicking here... Also, read about last week's mad Mansfield wedding at their Field Mill ground with exclusive video from Chadwick by clicking here... . It has been difficult for me breaking into the world of football as a woman. I'm not a 50-year-old bald man so that's why there's been interest in me, but it still came as a shock. Coming into football, it's a strange world. People have their perceptions of me and what I'm going to be like based on what I look like or how old I am. But for me on a day to day basis we're a very close knit team at Mansfield so everybody knows me and we're honest and straight and know what needs to be done for the club. At the club there aren't people trying to trip me up - I'm quick enough to cope with it. It's a very male dominated world, still. I hear stories and read articles about shocking situations that people have found themselves in in the past and I have come across a few cases that are quite shocking. We had a female referee at Mansfield last season and even some of our supporters were not too kind to her and obviously it's still prevalent. You have to be thick skinned, get on with the job and let results and actions speak for themselves. Mansfield Town chief executive Carolyn Radford before the game Carolyn Radford, CEO of Mansfield Town is seem prior to the FA Cup with Budweiser Third Round match between Mansfield Town and Liverpool at One Call Stadium Glamour tie: Radford plays up to the camera ahead of her non-League side's 2-1 defeat by mighty Liverpool Wedding belle: Radford (far right) was bridesmaid at the marriage of Mansfield manager Paul Cox and his bride Natasha at West Bridgford Registry Office in Nottingham last week Wedding belle: Radford (far right) was bridesmaid at the marriage of Mansfield manager Paul Cox and his bride Natasha at West Bridgford Registry Office in Nottingham last week. The wedding breakfast and reception were held at the club's Field Mill ground My role at the club varies from running 12 kiosks, three bars, a restaurant, the ticket office, shop sales, health and safety, HR, employment tribunals, making sure staff are happy. It's pretty hectic. It's a very unusual product that you're creating twice a week on a Saturday and a Tuesday, but it's about making sure the club has stability. There are so many facets to the role that you have to be young and enthusiastic and strong and hard enough to succeed. But I've worked at a motorway services selling coffee as a student so I know what it's like to work behind a kiosk. Last year when we came in I was down scrubbing the toilets and my mum was cooking in the kitchen so I have learnt about every part of the business here and that's what I want to encourage people to do. Football wasn't ever an ambition of mine growing up. I studied politics at Durham and then moved into law and worked in fashion but, when we bought Mansfield, my husband John threw me in at the deep end to see what was going on. Taking the mic: Radford and her husband John interview each other for ESPN ahead of yesterday's cup tie Taking the mic: Radford and her husband John - the club's owner and chairman - interview each other for ESPN ahead of yesterday's cup tie He's always been interested in football and grew up in Mansfield, and he's been heavily involved with Doncaster and watched them grow over the years and he felt that we'd be able to replicate that at the club here. We had quite a few hurdles to jump over because the ground was separated from the football club, so we owned the football club and didn't own the ground and were renting it. But we bought it after a contentious court case. When we came in the club wasn't being run properly, it wasn't being run as a business and we rescued it really. It was a case of stripping it all down and trying to make it as sustainable as possible and to simplify it. I've worked in fashion before, working under the top executives at Gucci, so that definitely improved my business skills. But it also helped with my fashion sense. I have had a bit of input into our kit designs, though I'd like to have a bit more of a say. I want to shift the orangey yellow we have at the minute and make it a bit more Brazilian. It's definitely my all-time favourite kit, the yellow Brazil one, and with the likes of Pele who have played in it, it's pretty special. I don't see why we can't get our boys to play some samba football, though. We've already got a drummer in the stand so we do try and create that carnival atmosphere here! Mansfield Town's Welsh defender Lee Beevers Zico of Brazil in action The wrong shade of yellow: Manfield's Lee Beevers in the orangey yellow yesterday (left) and iconic Brazil stroller Zico (right) at the 1982 World Cup wears the traditional Samba Boys' yellow Sean O'Driscoll getting sacked by Nottingham Forest was harsh. For us, stability and consistency at our club is so important. All too often you read about sackings these days and, at our level, we have to be more realistic. In the big leagues it's almost like giant corporations doing battle against each other, and results have a huge impact so the pressure is on. For us it's different. The bigger you get as a club, the more you almost lose sight of what's happening. You must have consistency because you wouldn't ordinarily go round sacking people left, right and centre. I think Alex McLeish will do a very good job but the way it was done was very harsh on Sean, especially after a good win. And then they lost the next game! I think a lot of people would have had a smile at that. It's a very tough industry, but you have to have some humanity about it. It can't be that vicious. Sean O'Driscoll Alex McLeish He's out, he's in: Sean O'Driscoll (left) was harshly fired but Radford thinks Alex McLeish (right) will do well Sorry... We are currently experiencing some technical difficulties with this section of our site. We are doing everything we can to resolve this as soon as possible. Other sections of the site are not affected by this. You can continue to navigate through other pages. Back to Mail Online home Back to the page you came from Other things to try: Search http://www.dailymail.co.uk: . Sometimes clubs do lose sight of things - you can't run a club from the other side of the world. I suppose if you've got billions and you're buying players for ridiculous sums of money you can, but it becomes a case of who've got the biggest wallet. What we have here is more a sense of consistency and reality. Over the festive break, Premier League stars might like to go off drinking in posh London night clubs, but it's a bit different down here. We had some Elvis impersonators come in at the start of December and we've had some psychic nights too. For our Christmas Do we had a marquee in our back garden and had all the players there, most of them doing karaoke. We had Exodus (Geohaghon) actually singing 'Exodus' by Bob Marley and it was really good fun. We try and look after them here, though it wasn't quite as glamorous as going out into Boujis in London. But we obviously tell them to behave and keep an eye on them. Diving is a big issue in the Premier League at the minute, but we are a fairly rugged team. We've got a bit of form in the fouls department and we're fairly prone to a yellow card, but there is still diving in the Conference. I think all players ham it up, but it's not quite as bad at this level. But maybe that's because we don't have cameras on us every week. It definitely doesn't show great sportsmanship if you're rolling around crying on the floor over nothing. It's not something that we encourage but I guess it does depend on if you're winning or losing. Star turn: Mansfield defender Exodus Geohaghon sticks the boot into to Liverpool's Luis Suarez (above), but the Town star sang a rendition of Bob Marley's Exodus (below) at the club's party Star turn: Mansfield defender Exodus Geohaghon sticks the boot into to Liverpool's Luis Suarez (above), but the Town star sang a rendition of Bob Marley's Exodus (below) at the club's party Bob Marley More... Graham Poll: Caught Red-handed? You may think Suarez is a cheat but don't blame him for handball (even if he could have owned up) Cheated! Suarez in the dock again as Liverpool need helping hand to down minnows Mansfield Mansfield 1 Liverpool 2: Knockout blow by the hand of Luis - Stags fight to the end but Cup dream is shattered by Suarez She idolises Thatcher, was arrested after a clash with police and caught up in stories about escort girls. Now Carolyn Radford is planning a warm welcome for Liverpool I'm not a big tweeter but I did set up an account the other day so I should probably learn how to use it. We do use Facebook quite a lot at the club, but we have had a few issues of players putting inappropriate messages on there. It's difficult because they're representing the club and there are legal issues, but social media is such a great way to get your messages across. It's the quickest and most effective way, but as long as it's used correctly. We've had to give our players some guidance on it because they can get themselves in trouble and the club too. I saw the story about Liam Ridgewell wiping his bum with a load of money and that was disgusting, really disgusting. That's the problem with it if you're not careful. But they are young boys all together, often away from home earning far too much money and without a circle of good people around them to look after them. I'm always getting our players out of pickles. I think it's all that testosterone in a bunch of young lads together that makes them troublesome. I think it's actually beneficial to have a woman around to sometimes just say to them: 'For god's sake, what are you doing?' It's like girls at boarding school where they all have that bitchy, fiery thing and with young boys, especially the ones at the top earning ridiculous wages, they can get too cocky. As for the ultimate cocky young man, Mario Balotelli, I think somebody just needs to put their arms around him and tell him he'll grow up one day. Cocky young man: Mario Balotelli (No 45) is hauled back by Watford manager Gianfranco Zola on Saturday so the two Italians could enjoy a chat Cocky young man: Mario Balotelli (No 45) is hauled back by Watford manager Gianfranco Zola on Saturday so the two Italians could enjoy a chat Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2258376/THE-FOOTBALLERS-FOOTBALL-COLUMN--CAROLYN-RADFORD-Luis-Suarez-cheat-I-think-players--And-secrets-Mansfields-party-Elvis-Bob-Marley.html#ixzz2HOFw26wJ Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook ------------------ Suarez row rumbles on as Mansfield chief says sneaky striker shamed Anfield By Ian Ladyman PUBLISHED: 01:07, 8 January 2013 | UPDATED: 01:07, 8 January 2013 Comments (80) Share . . Mansfield chairman John Radford has ensured the row over the controversial Luis Suarez goal rumbles on by making the extraordinary claim that Liverpool's own directors are embarrassed by the actions of the club's Uruguay striker. The Blue Square Bet Premier club are counting the cost of Sunday's 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat by Liverpool at Field Mill, with initial estimates suggesting a replay at Anfield would have brought them more than £600,000. Hold your hands up: The has been a furious reaction to Luis Suarez's goal for Liverpool against Mansfield Hold your hands up: The has been a furious reaction to Luis Suarez's goal for Liverpool against Mansfield Comments from Mansfield's owner and chairman - made after the full implications of the goal sunk in - will perhaps inflame a situation already so sensitive that ESPN felt moved to apologise publicly for on-air suggestions from commentator Jon Champion that Suarez had cheated. 'To be honest the Liverpool directors felt embarrassed,' said Radford. 'That's it. I would have been absolutely embarrassed had it been one of our players. 'I'd have been embarrassed and the man should be embarrassed. Referees have a hard time but to do it deliberately then celebrate is the hardest thing. 'To cheat, maybe that's OK in sport. But to cheat and then celebrate cheating, that is the worst thing you can do. It's always disappointing when things happen. 'I'm going to be biased every time because I'm watching a Premier League referee in charge of a game between a non-League side and a Premier side and some of the decisions were hurtful. 'When you get a professional player like Suarez and when they kiss the hand after a deliberate foul then of course it hurts.' Asked if Suarez was gloating, he added: 'Well, obviously he was. It was like, "Hang on, I can get away with this". If one of my players had done that I'd be embarrassed. 'I was looking for a fair and true competition and that was one incident in the game that made me feel like...well...' No fuss: Suarez angered fans further when he celebrated the goal in trademark fashion No fuss: Suarez angered fans further when he celebrated the goal in trademark fashion No fuss: Suarez angered fans further when he celebrated the goal in trademark fashion Regular watchers of Barclays Premier League football will know Suarez always celebrates a goal by kissing a tattoo of his daughter's name on his wrist. Nevertheless, Mansfield's ire will not subside. As Liverpool look ahead to a Premier League game at Manchester United on Sunday — expected attendance 76,500 — and Mansfield prepare to host Kidderminster — anticipated attendance 2,500 — in the Blue Square Bet Premier, it is perhaps understandable Radford has been left rueing a 2-1 defeat. With Suarez's handball prior to Liverpool's second goal proving decisive, Mansfield are reflecting on missing out on 45 per cent of replay gate receipts plus more TV money had the second game been shown live next week. Radford, who bankrolls Mansfield with his own money, did not try to hide his frustration and disappointment as he widened his attack on Sunday's opponents. He said: 'They have denied us a replay but it doesn't matter. I know I'm big enough and daft enough to be able to stand up for the club and take us forward. It's hurtful for the league we are in because we are playing at the likes of Luton and Grimsby. The profile would have been good. Not happy: Mansfied's owner John Radford has hit out at the player, claiming he shamed Liverpool Not happy: Mansfied's owner John Radford has hit out at the player, claiming he shamed Liverpool READ CAROLYN'S VERDICT HERE CAROLYN RADFORD: Suarez a cheat? I'd like to think one of my players would own up but football's not like that... And the secret to a swinging Mansfield party: Elvis and Bob Marley (of course) . 'Did you not hear our fans? Did you not hear how loud they were? Compared to Liverpool fans they are true fans. It's not like Liverpool fans are not true fans, but it was proper fans that were there for us. 'They paid their £20 for a ticket and they had queued up overnight to get them. Liverpool fans were probably all corporate because we outsung them at the game. 'As Mansfield chairman, local club, local boy, born and bred, supporting the team, it's not business. This is the team I love. 'I'm here for the passion, as against Liverpool, where it's all about business.What happened was a killer. It was a killer and a shame that a professional would do that sort of thing to a non-League team.' Radford's wife, Carolyn, the club's chief executive, added in an exclusive column on Sportsmail Online: 'We all have that "what if" feeling. With Liverpool playing Oldham in the next round, we could even have had a chance of getting through that one. 'The goal was really frustrating for us. He got such an advantage and then kissed his hand. I think the reaction from Liverpool showed that even they thought it shouldn't have been allowed. 'It's difficult to know if he is a cheat. If it was deliberate he should have owned up.' Her husband's view was more categorical. 'One day, cheats will never prosper,' he said. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2258758/Luis-Suarez-handball-He-shamed-Liverpool-says-Mansfield-chief.html#ixzz2HOGAMIb8 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook --------------------- ESPN apologises after commentator calls Liverpool's Luis Suárez a 'cheat'• Jon Champion made remark during FA Cup tie at Mansfield • 'We have spoken to our commentator about this incident' http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/07/luis-suarez-liverpool-espn-apologise Share 388 inShare.1Email Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk, Monday 7 January 2013 15.20 GMT Luis Suárez controls the ball with his hand prior to scoring in Liverpool's 2-1 win at Mansfield Luis Suárez controls the ball with his hand prior to scoring in Liverpool's 2-1 win at Mansfield in the FA Cup. Photograph: Jon Super/AP ESPN has defended its decision to apologise and hold talks with commentator Jon Champion after he labelled Liverpool striker Luis Suárez a "cheat" in the wake of the striker's controversial goal against Mansfield Town on Sunday. The broadcaster made the unusual move of issuing a statement implying that Champion had erred in criticising Suárez after he controlled the ball with his hand during its live coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie from Field Mill. After Suárez put the ball in the net for Liverpool's second goal, Champion declared: "That, I'm afraid, is the work of a cheat." It is understood that ESPN, which is in the third year of a four-year deal to show 25 live FA Cup matches per season, had not been contacted by Suárez or Liverpool but decided to act after a string of inquiries from viewers, Liverpool bloggers and the media. The club were aggrieved by Champion's comments but had no plans to take it any further. Following the match, Mansfield's chief executive, Carolyn Radford, said the tie had been "stolen" from the club but Liverpool's manager Brendan Rodgers defended his player. The broadcaster has apologised for any offence caused and is believed to have discussed the subject "at length" in a post-match debrief. "We take our responsibility to deliver the highest standards of coverage to our viewers. ESPN's editorial policy is for commentators to be unbiased and honest, to call things as they see them. Inevitably this can involve treading a fine line on occasion, especially in the heat of the moment," said an ESPN spokesman. "Comments during the Mansfield v Liverpool match caused offence where none was intended and we have spoken to our commentator about this incident." --------------------- Stags Praised For FA Cup Safety Arrangements Mansfield Town has been congratulated by Nottinghamshire County Council for the successful safety arrangements put in place for the FA Cup game against Liverpool at the One Call Stadium. http://www.mansfield103.co.uk/sport.php?n=2181 The Council allowed Mansfield Town to increase its ground capacity to include 90 percent of the seats in the stadium at yesterday's game. Extra safety measures for the game were introduced by the club, including increasing the number of stewards, introducing allocated seating and not providing general parking at the ground. The game was the first time Liverpool had played a Nottinghamshire club in the FA Cup since the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. The Council has a duty to issue a General Safety Certificate for designated sports grounds in Nottinghamshire, stipulating conditions which the club must comply with to protect the safety of spectators attending the ground. Rob Fisher, Group Manager responsible for emergency planning at the Council said: “The club put in place a detailed safety plan to respond to near full capacity at this major game and anticipated potential safety issues that may have arisen. “We are pleased that the club has demonstrated that it can cope well with a large attendance at the ground and we are confident that it can continue this safety success if they reach the play-offs at the end of the season.” ------------------------ Liverpool FC: Reds MD Ian Ayre denies claims he was 'embarrassed' by Luis Suarez's goal at Mansfield by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo Jan 9 2013 LIVERPOOL managing director Ian Ayre has dismissed as “nonsense” suggestions that he felt embarrassed by Luis Suarez's actions in the FA Cup tie at Mansfield Town. Ayre was left baffled by a scathing attack on the Reds striker from Stags chairman John Radford. The insurance tycoon branded Suarez a cheat after his handball prior to scoring what proved to be the decisive strike in Sunday's third-round tie. Radford said the Uruguayan should feel ashamed, accused him of gloating with his goal celebration and claimed even “Liverpool's directors felt embarrassed”. However, Ayre insists that is untrue and has delivered a robust defence of the Reds' top scorer. “It's nonsense to say that I was embarrassed,” he said. “I spoke to their chairman after the game and we shook hands. I thanked him for their hospitality and wished them all the best of luck for the rest of the season. “He said that our second goal was a clear handball. I said the referee didn't think it was deliberate and had given the goal and we move on. “I certainly didn't give him any indication that I was embarrassed. I was the only director there so I don't know who he is referring to. “I was surprised when I read his comments because Mansfield's manager and players showed a lot of dignity after the game. They spoke sense when they said these things happen in football all the time. “It was a great game and a great occasion. Mansfield conducted themselves fantastically well both on and off the pitch. “It's just disappointing that the chairman has made these comments. He's hurting at being knocked out, you can't blame him for that, but it's wrong to say that Luis kissing his wrist was in some way gloating over the handball. Luis does the same thing after every goal.” Ayre believes the criticism of Suarez has been blown out of all proportion and rubbished the idea that the talented frontman should have informed referee Andre Marriner that he had handled the ball and urged him to disallow it. “A lot has been written about it but the reality is – as we always get told – the referee's decision is final,” Ayre added. “I don't know what people expected Luis to do? The ball came back at him off the keeper so fast and there is no question that it hit his hand. He did what any player would do and put it into the net. “It's not for Luis to say whether the handball was or wasn't deliberate. The referee and the assistants are there to make that decision. Their decision was that the goal stood. “There have been plenty of decisions which have gone against Luis this season. This one went the other way. “These things seem to follow Luis around and it's unfortunate, but he has our full support. He's a fantastic player who makes a huge contribution to the club. “Knowing Luis, it won't affect him as he's a very strong character." ------------------- Mansfield Town legend feels 'robbed' by Liverpool - again! chad.co.uk By James Savage Wednesday 9 January 2013 IT was a case of deja vu for a legendary former player who claims Mansfield Town were 'robbed' by the officials for the second time in a big cup tie against Liverpool. http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/mansfield-town-legend-feels-robbed-by-liverpool-again-1-5292271 Sandy Pate insists it was 'like going back in time' to see Luis Suarez's handball end Stags' cup dream after he played the last time the sides met back in 1970 when a controversial penalty and a disallowed goal helped The Reds through. The defender thinks a Mansfield player would have been penalised under the same circumstances and claims the 'bigger' club was given the benefit of the doubt in Sunday's encounter. “It makes you wonder,” Pate said. “That's three times Mansfield have lost out due to decisions going the way of the bigger club.” In 1970, the teams drew 0-0 at Field Mill, but Mansfield went down 3-2 at Anfield following a disallowed Dudley Roberts goal in the first match and a dubious penalty nine minutes before extra time in the replay. And, after seeing Suarez use his hand to control the ball before putting Liverpool 2-0 up on Sunday, Pate thinks Stags were unlucky to not to get something from the game. He added: “It wasn't just ball to hand, there was a little bit more to it than that. “I looked at the goalkeeper, he's reaction told you Suarez had handballed it. “I know exactly how the players will be feeling. When it happened to us we felt cheated and robbed. “The current players will feel they were robbed in the same way we were. It's disappointing, but it's not the last time it will happen to them. “It's a cruel game, you don't always get what you deserve. “Do the officials favour the bigger clubs? I don't know. Did the officials see the handball? Only they will know. “But if the same incident had happened at the other end I think they would have blown for a free-kick. “The officials got it wrong and Suarez has got away with it.” Matt Green's deserved 79th minute goal set up a thrilling finish, but Liverpool held on to earn a fourth round tie away at Oldham Athletic. Pate, who is second in the all-time Stags appearance list, is certain the players and the club can take plenty of positives from the occasion. He said: “Once the players get over the disappointment, I think they will be pleased with their second half performance. They came off the pitch with their heads held high. “Matches like this are great for the fans, great for the town, but the league is so much more important. “Hopefully Mansfield can carry on the way they finished the Liverpool game when they get back to playing in the league. “Most supporters would agree, that second half was the best of the season so far.” Fellow Stags legend Kevin Bird was holiday in Spain at the weekend but saw the match on television. He said: “The handball was disgraceful. The big teams seem to beable to get away with murder. How the referee didn't see it, I honestly don't know. “But Mansfield played really well, I was surprised just how well. The fans should be looking forward to the rest of the season.” ---------------- |
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