KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Fans worried as website calls for 'hooliganism'

Fans worried as website calls for 'hooliganism'

Irish supporters of Liverpool are concerned over article seeking to 'put the frighteners on' owners

John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent



Irish supporters of Liverpool Football Club (LFC) have reacted with concern to an article on a well-known UK fan website urging them to "get the baseball bats and ski masks ready" to "put the frightners [sic] on" the club's beleaguered American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The article, posted on the popular Koptalk website by its editor, Duncan Oldham, is accompanied by a picture of a man in a black balaclava and holding what appears to be a crowbar.

A spokesman for Merseyside police has confirmed it is examining the content of the article to establish if it involves any public order offences.

The up-for-sale club is currently at the centre of a longstanding takeover battle which has led to numerous peaceful protests staged by fans encouraging Hicks and Gillett to sell their shares.

But supporters' groups here said they in "no way condone" the calls in the article for "every passionate Red out there who has a 'set' and who is capable of donning a ski mask and waving a baseball bat in a menacing manner, to step up to put the frighteners on these two and everyone they associate with including any companies that support them".

"Disruption, especially to financial institutions, is what they are scared of. And on a personal level, there's nobody in the world who's [sic] arse wouldn't collapse if someone peered over their bed in the middle of the night armed with a Texas Rangers baseball bat or two," it states. "I won't sign petitions, I won't send emails to journalists who don't care, but I will get stuck in via other methods best not written about. I don't care if I get into trouble with my words… I mean it. I mean every single word."

Oldham also stressed that while he does not believe in "anyone getting physically hurt", he acknowledged that this was "tempting" but not acceptable.

"They can cling on for as long as they want but something will give and that's why I'm fairly relaxed and confident that I won't have to do three months inside for threatening behaviour," he wrote. "Seriously, it's time to scare the [oops] out of them… People have died for our club. People have had their ashes scattered at Anfield."

Sarah Higgins, committee member of Tallaght LFC supporters' club, said many Irish fans of the Premier league club have taken part in peaceful demonstrations against its owners. She noted that Koptalk is an influential LFC site among supporters. "No one can condone violence of this sort at all," she told the Sunday Tribune. "I don't think it's the right message to put out at all. An awful lot of people would not get behind us if we did what is being suggested."

John Curtin, secretary of Cork-based Buttevant international LFC supporters' club agreed. "I wouldn't condone it in any way. It is bringing a violent hooliganism aspect back into something that the English FA has been working to eradicate," he said. "I can't see how any Liverpool fan would like to see that carry-on."

Irish supporters of Liverpool Football Club (LFC) have reacted with concern to an article on a well-known UK fan website urging them to "get the baseball bats and ski masks ready" to "put the frightners [sic] on" the club's beleaguered American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The article, posted on the popular Koptalk website by its editor, Duncan Oldham, is accompanied by a picture of a man in a black balaclava and holding what appears to be a crowbar.

A spokesman for Merseyside police has confirmed it is examining the content of the article to establish if it involves any public order offences.

The up-for-sale club is currently at the centre of a longstanding takeover battle which has led to numerous peaceful protests staged by fans encouraging Hicks and Gillett to sell their shares.

But supporters' groups here said they in "no way condone" the calls in the article for "every passionate Red out there who has a 'set' and who is capable of donning a ski mask and waving a baseball bat in a menacing manner, to step up to put the frighteners on these two and everyone they associate with including any companies that support them".

"Disruption, especially to financial institutions, is what they are scared of. And on a personal level, there's nobody in the world who's [sic] arse wouldn't collapse if someone peered over their bed in the middle of the night armed with a Texas Rangers baseball bat or two," it states. "I won't sign petitions, I won't send emails to journalists who don't care, but I will get stuck in via other methods best not written about. I don't care if I get into trouble with my words… I mean it. I mean every single word."

Oldham also stressed that while he does not believe in "anyone getting physically hurt", he acknowledged that this was "tempting" but not acceptable.

"They can cling on for as long as they want but something will give and that's why I'm fairly relaxed and confident that I won't have to do three months inside for threatening behaviour," he wrote. "Seriously, it's time to scare the [oops] out of them… People have died for our club. People have had their ashes scattered at Anfield."

Sarah Higgins, committee member of Tallaght LFC supporters' club, said many Irish fans of the Premier league club have taken part in peaceful demonstrations against its owners. She noted that Koptalk is an influential LFC site among supporters. "No one can condone violence of this sort at all," she told the Sunday Tribune. "I don't think it's the right message to put out at all. An awful lot of people would not get behind us if we did what is being suggested."

John Curtin, secretary of Cork-based Buttevant international LFC supporters' club agreed. "I wouldn't condone it in any way. It is bringing a violent hooliganism aspect back into something that the English FA has been working to eradicate," he said. "I can't see how any Liverpool fan would like to see that carry-on."

Nothing wrong with financial hooliganism of course. I would in no way condone someone beating the living daylights out of someone like that that just isn't cricket. It's baseball...

They says, it's not what you know, but who you know! I have a very influential contact who, with your approval, could make the following happen. Give me a few seconds to write to him...


Dear Jim'll Fix It,

Please, please, please, can you fix it for me & make the following scene a reality!

It involves a certain Mr Thomas 'Ollis' (WTF!!) Hicks (inbred liar & financial parasite), an elevator stuck on the 180th floor of the Burj Khalifa (help won't be quick ) & the two ravenously amouros gay cowboys out of Brokeback Mountain.

I await your reply,

All the best, a huge fan.


P.S. Mum says hi!

Dunk, now I realize your a dumbass, and I've lost all respect for you and your site and will very shortly join another forum. You of all people should know and understand the mentality of many people out there who support LFC as well as those idiots who are just looking for a reason to hurt someone...Congrats! You just gave them the reason. Sure, you "really" did not mean for anyone to get hurt you write with a sly smile and a wink. You know exactly what is going to happen and YOU will be responsible. It will probably start with some kid or visiting supporters of another team getting their heads crashed in, but hey, anything to bring attention to your "Cause" and publicity to your site is just right?

You are less than sheit and you sicken me.

Some folk simply need to lighten up a bit imo.

Personally speaking, I'd love to [oops] the pair of yanky twats, but that doesn't actually mean I'm going to, tempting as it is.

Actions speak louder than werds, simples.

I agree of some of what your saying, dunk you probably are loving the publicity. But do get a grip, I'm with growler on this one. Actions speak louder than words and you seem to forget there's alot of Liverpool supporters sick an tired with your lot. So putting up what they did and saying what they said, is probably themselves letting off a bit of
steam. For me violence is the last thing we want to be resorting to considering people opinions about Liverpool supporters in the 80s etc. So before you swan off to another site, 1. Stop shi tting yourself 2. Grow a pair 3. Understand that something has ben made out of nothing

KopTalk doesn't need publicity but the fight against the owners does.

If you want to sulk off to another site, don't let the door hit you on your way out.

He'd probably sh it himself if the door hit him. He'd think it was a bat

lol quite funny today that

Seriously. We're ALL extremely pi55ed off with these two arrogant ignorant greedy little scummy rodents.
What are we all supposed to do ey? Sit here saying nowt?
What happened to 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH'?

It wouldn't be so bad if these two nasty little scrotum twats had actually had the decency to come out with some sort of a statement to try and pacify the growing hatred being directed at them, but they haven't even got the balls to do that, cowardly yanky rats.
I don't condone violence, but these two are really pushing the boundaries of everyones patience, and something IS going to give sooner or later.