Monday, February 27, 2012

Liverpool To Play On Hillsborough Anniversary?

In the world of PR timing is everything, so we're told by those well-versed in that dubious activity. Consider, then, the glorious irony to befall the Murdoch empire yesterday. Choosing to launch a Sunday version of The Sun on the day when 30,000 Liverpool fans would be at Wembley & only too willing to let a global TV audience know just what they thought of Murdoch's rag, the timing of the move only served to remind many of that rag's lies about Hillsborough. The Cardiff City fans also have good reason to view Murdoch's paper with contempt (http://www.criticalfootball.com/2011/09/15/tabloids-mike-dye-death/ ).
That said, cack-handed PR isn't the sole preserve of an Australian billionaire who adopted US citizenship in order to increase his business interests (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch ). The Football Association, too, can lay claim to the prize for crass, inappropriate & callous decision-making; shortly after the Hillsborough tragedy, the FA demonstrated its empathetic side with a strident insistence that the FA Cup competition shouldn't be derailed or delayed by the minor matter of 96 deaths for which it was partly responsible.
Moreover, it seems possible that the FA could, once again, give the Murdoch empire a run for its money in the race to win the award for Bad Timing decision of 2012. If Liverpool get through to the FA Cup semi-final, the club might be requested to play its fixture on the anniversary of Hillsborough (http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/More/round-dates ).
Of course, any sensible person wouldn't even countenance such a possibility. However, common sense is not something that springs to mind when one thinks about the dysfunctional, ego-driven institution that is the Football Association.  

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