by Chris Tobin

So once again Luis Suarez becomes embroiled in a drama all of his own making, and tryst-like we are dutifully challenged to support our idol whilst not having our own morality brought into question. Is there any more hurt or damage Luis can do to the football club? Will this seemingly never ending saga “The Suarez Story” conclude with the villain departing these shores?

Let us for one moment take a step back in our footballing morality stance, and firstly state where I position myself on this latest controversy to surround Suarez – For me he is guilty of serious foul play and a quite despicable act, so therefore he must be punished and fined by both the club and those suits and protectors of our not so beautiful game – The F.A.

Every now and then in sport a moment of pure madness will thrust itself to the fore and with a sensationalised if sanitised media exposure, it soon becomes a far greater and much more extraordinary incident. Ever forgetful of our own failings we enable the passing of judgement like arbiters suddenly finding ourselves passing sentence.

Unfortunately our own prejudices leave us unable to avoid hypocrisy whilst blatantly subjective our opinion becomes flawed – That is the dilemma of the football fan. You are either independent in your assessment of Liverpool’s number 7 or you are an opposing football fan. Alternatively if you are not a football fan then a clouded social morality exists which does not take into account the intricacies of the sport.

Footballer bites footballer – Is the act itself any worse than the two-footed challenges that end careers?

I was far more concerned by the constant diving of Suarez and that whiney moaner attitude he possessed last season, and for part of the early season this campaign – That alienated me far more, than him biting an opponent ever will.

Footballers have a responsibility to the fans especially the younger more impressionable children who hero worship their idol, whilst copying his every move. God only knows how many kids will be bitten in Liverpool playgrounds this Monday dinner time.

As is the norm with these mountains from mole hills, everyone has an opinion, usually the question of morality rises alongside highly opinionated former pros, however becoming ever forgetful of their own questionable acts, as they become compelled and obliged to pass comment.

Gary “whiter than white” Lineker suggesting that Suarez be struck of the list for Footballers Footballer of The Year to in some way set an example, to stop people biting people? Where does that kind of precedent stop then Gary? Quite happy for the award to go to a man who cheats on his wife and kids with his brother’s wife – Slightly different because nobody was bitten on a football field. For Gary and those who agree with the MOTD front man – There is a clue in who chooses the recipient of that award – Footballers themselves, surely if they are so disgusted by Suarez then we can assume they won’t vote for him.

Which moves me on to Sky’s coverage of the whole palaver – Thuggish behaviour of the type Suarez so exemplified with his choppers is a constant on Rugby fields around this and many other countries, indeed the world – Biting, kicking, stamping and attempting to pop your opponents eyes out, which get buried beneath the “man’s game” tagline all occur with hardly a murmur from the self -righteous Sky custodians – Whilst the smallest drama within football is met with reel after reel of constant footage like some macabre movie with outrage as its leading man.

Graeme Souness him of moustache fame and one of the hardest(dirtiest) footballers to ever disgrace a football field – Also a very good midfield general I might add. In Souness condemnation of Suarez he had the audacity to state “In this week more than any other” in reference to Hillsborough and the club remembering the 96 along with Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams – As if Suarez bite could not have come at a worst time.

I will remind the uninitiated – Graeme Souness whilst Liverpool manager sold his personal story on his heart bypass operation to The Sun newspaper on the 3^rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. To disparage Luis Suarez with such a comment is the height of hypocrisy. Without even taking into account Graeme’s own misdemeanours on a football field he makes Suarez look positively saintly.

For those fans still intent on hanging Suarez out to dry, let us not forget Kung Fu kicks, career ending tackles, spitting incidents, head butts, diving and downright cheating. Memory loss occurs when we attempt to kick our footballing dogs as they die. We are all guilty of one commodity that of support, we support our team and its players sometimes in the face of a barrage of abuse. We don’t defend the indefensible – Blood is thicker than water, whilst footballers, well sometimes they are incredibly thick.

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