IRELAND FOOTBALL GREAT Paul McGrath is at the centre of a row with Liverpool defender Glen Johnson.
The former Aston Villa and Manchester United defender came out strongly in the wake of Liverpool’s reaction to Luis Suarez being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra.
Kenny Dalglish and his squad wore t-shirts with the forward’s image on the front and name and number on the back before the Wigan game in midweek.
But McGrath yesterday insisted he would have “thrown his shirt to the floor” rather than pull on the jersey in a show of support.
“If I was in Glen Johnson’s situation, I’d have thrown the shirt to the floor,” he told talkSPORT yesterday. ”If that had been someone in my time and I’d heard the comments or I’d even suspected he was guilty, and obviously there has been a tribunal, then I would not wear a T-shirt with his name on it, saying all is well and good here.
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“There are a lot of children that watch these games and to have done what they did, doing their warm-up in T-shirts with his smiling face on it, having just been done for a supposedly racist comment to one of his opponents, is shameful for football.
“It puts the anti-racism campaign back to the beginning as far as I’m concerned.”
Liverpool players warm up before Wednesday’s draw. Images: PA
Johnson however hit back on Twitter, writing: “I will support who i want when i want!!! There are a lot of reasons why I’m standing by Luis Suarez!!!”
McGrath’s comments on the British station came hours after he sent several tweets of his own criticising the behaviour of the Anfield club in the immediate aftermath of the FA’s eight-game ban decision.
“Maybe Kenny [Dalglish] is trying to make a statement to the FA but I just think it is in bad taste that he sent them out in those T-shirts. It would have been much better for Liverpool Football Club if they had worn anti-racism shirts,” McGrath added on the airwaves.
“It’s about respect. There’s this issue going on about respecting your opponents. It is actually a game. The game itself has gone too big, it’s about winning and the money. The actual element of football being a game has long since gone, it is all about protecting your interest, protecting your best players.”
Dalglish has just finished his weekly press conference at Melwood and says he doesn’t see the issue with the t-shirts.
“I don’t think the players have caused any trouble with the FA by their statement or support by their t-shirts,” he said.
Its been going on for decades. Langer, Harrington and numerous others, not one of them has ever been penalised. Lip service to the problem time and again.
A sport if it was a sport would issue a time limit on the completion of the round, 4 hours would be reasonable for a 3 ball, fail to finish in time, all 3 gone, disqualified.
Watch them speed up, watch fellow competitors take a real interest and it could become a sport rather than a game.
@Gerry Ryan deG: do you play golf? I can’t even get around in 4 hours in my local club in a 3 ball. and you expect the pro’s to. and if they don’t you’d dq them. lol
@Gerry Ryan deG: the whole field could be disqualified if that was introduced. It’s not like your local club where the etiquette should be to let the faster groups behind play through. On the PGA, 1 slow player can hold up many groups behind them, the rules should be implemented to punish that player. I hope they bring in a rule like 1 or 2 shot penalties for the slow players and actually implement it…Bryson, JB, Jordon and that ilk are just painful at times!!!
@Ardmore02: you need to have a chat with your partners I play in a 4ball every Sunday if we go over 4 hours it’s been a very slow round. 3 and half hours on average for 18 holes
@James O Lone: depends on the course bro. We play at 7.30 on a Sunday and a quick 3 ball is 4 hours, after 9 you would be lucky to get around in 5 hours.
They take far too long per shot, on the intervasity scene a few years ago when I played it was at least 6 hrs a round. Kids are being taught its okay to take all the time they want. By the time its my turn to putt generally I have already seen the putt from both sides, lined the ball. You look at the angle as you approach the ball coming onto the green, then from the opposite side, even easier if you are past the flag and as your partners balls is rolling line your ball up and go
On approach shots you know your distance as you approach, if you play regularly you know the club, the wind and you know what shot to play get up and hit it.
@Ardmore02: My links course times all 4 balls going out with one player a designated time keeper. Usual time allowed is between 4 hours and 4 hours 20 mins. In saying that if you are behind overseas green fees it could take 5 hours or more! But if you’re paying “top dollar green fee” I would probably expect them to enjoy the experience!
It can be infuriating to play with a slow player. I do have a little sympathy for the pros in certain situations, as one shot can have a monetary difference of hundreds of thousands, or even keeping their tour card, and that sort of pressure can take effect, but some players are just to methodical and they can drive others guys who need to have a quick rhythm like Koepka mad.
@Gearoid Stakelum: Flippant statement. Life as a pro is bloody tough when you’re not in the top 250 in the world. Guys traveling tournament to tournament, away from family for long stretches, with big expenses trying to keep their card. Just because we see the success and riches of the top pros doesn’t meant that it’s the same life for journeymen pros on lower tours, relying on sponsors invites and earning very small money. Look at the order of merit and earnings on lower tours
Big problem for golf is kids are watching this and copying what they see themselves. The amount of hackers who take forever to hit their own shots is getting worse, measuring each distance when they couldn’t hit it with control if their life depended on it.
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Its been going on for decades. Langer, Harrington and numerous others, not one of them has ever been penalised. Lip service to the problem time and again.
A sport if it was a sport would issue a time limit on the completion of the round, 4 hours would be reasonable for a 3 ball, fail to finish in time, all 3 gone, disqualified.
Watch them speed up, watch fellow competitors take a real interest and it could become a sport rather than a game.
@Gerry Ryan deG:
All 3 disqualified !!!!
Are you having a laugh
@Gerry Ryan deG: do you play golf? I can’t even get around in 4 hours in my local club in a 3 ball. and you expect the pro’s to. and if they don’t you’d dq them. lol
@Gerry Ryan deG: the whole field could be disqualified if that was introduced. It’s not like your local club where the etiquette should be to let the faster groups behind play through. On the PGA, 1 slow player can hold up many groups behind them, the rules should be implemented to punish that player. I hope they bring in a rule like 1 or 2 shot penalties for the slow players and actually implement it…Bryson, JB, Jordon and that ilk are just painful at times!!!
@Ardmore02: you need to have a chat with your partners I play in a 4ball every Sunday if we go over 4 hours it’s been a very slow round. 3 and half hours on average for 18 holes
@James O Lone: depends on the course bro. We play at 7.30 on a Sunday and a quick 3 ball is 4 hours, after 9 you would be lucky to get around in 5 hours.
They take far too long per shot, on the intervasity scene a few years ago when I played it was at least 6 hrs a round. Kids are being taught its okay to take all the time they want. By the time its my turn to putt generally I have already seen the putt from both sides, lined the ball. You look at the angle as you approach the ball coming onto the green, then from the opposite side, even easier if you are past the flag and as your partners balls is rolling line your ball up and go
On approach shots you know your distance as you approach, if you play regularly you know the club, the wind and you know what shot to play get up and hit it.
@Ardmore02: My links course times all 4 balls going out with one player a designated time keeper. Usual time allowed is between 4 hours and 4 hours 20 mins. In saying that if you are behind overseas green fees it could take 5 hours or more! But if you’re paying “top dollar green fee” I would probably expect them to enjoy the experience!
It can be infuriating to play with a slow player. I do have a little sympathy for the pros in certain situations, as one shot can have a monetary difference of hundreds of thousands, or even keeping their tour card, and that sort of pressure can take effect, but some players are just to methodical and they can drive others guys who need to have a quick rhythm like Koepka mad.
@Devilsavocado: yeah they could wind up in the poor house if forced to play more quickly.
@Gearoid Stakelum: Flippant statement. Life as a pro is bloody tough when you’re not in the top 250 in the world. Guys traveling tournament to tournament, away from family for long stretches, with big expenses trying to keep their card. Just because we see the success and riches of the top pros doesn’t meant that it’s the same life for journeymen pros on lower tours, relying on sponsors invites and earning very small money. Look at the order of merit and earnings on lower tours
Big problem for golf is kids are watching this and copying what they see themselves. The amount of hackers who take forever to hit their own shots is getting worse, measuring each distance when they couldn’t hit it with control if their life depended on it.