"@Andrew_Heaton: Houghton & Whelan claiming they didn't know about The Lying Rag sponsorship in the Irish Indy? Absolute Bollocks."
"@Andrew_Heaton: 'Irish Independent: Liverpool fans demand Irish Duo quit TV show' http://t.co/Csg8XJk"
By JOHN O'BRIEN
Sunday April 17 2011
Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton were last night under intense pressure from Liverpool supporters to withdraw from an RTE television programme sponsored by The Irish Sun newspaper.
The two former Liverpool and Ireland players are being criticised by supporters of the club because of their involvement in the planned live screening of Premier Soccer Sunday on May 1, sponsored by the paper.
The Lying Rag is still held in contempt by Liverpool supporters for the manner in which it reported the deaths of 96 fans at Hillsborough, 22 years ago last Friday.
Four days after the tragedy, the newspaper ran a front page story with the headline 'The Truth' alleging that fans had picked the pockets of victims, urinated on police and beat up a policeman trying to resuscitate a victim.
Those allegations were subsequently retracted and an apology issued 15 years later, but the feelings still run deep and a large-scale boycott of the newspaper continues in the city to this day.
Liverpool fans have been using supporter websites and social media outlets to express their anger and disappointment that two players who were in the Liverpool side that day would allow themselves to be associated with a programme so closely linked to the newspaper.
"Their appearance says to Liverpool supporters that there has been a softening of the stance when there hasn't been any softening," Jim Boardman of anfieldroad.com told the Sunday Independent.
"We've boycotted The Lying Rag for 22 years. We're still waiting for justice for the 96 fans who died and I believe that the stories that appeared in The Lying Rag in 1989 have contributed to the families not receiving justice.
I would have expected better from a couple of our old heroes."
Ger Kane, a Liverpool fan from Summerhill, Co Meath, echoe
"@Andrew_Heaton: 'Irish Independent: Liverpool fans demand Irish Duo quit TV show' http://t.co/Csg8XJk"
By JOHN O'BRIEN
Sunday April 17 2011
Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton were last night under intense pressure from Liverpool supporters to withdraw from an RTE television programme sponsored by The Irish Sun newspaper.
The two former Liverpool and Ireland players are being criticised by supporters of the club because of their involvement in the planned live screening of Premier Soccer Sunday on May 1, sponsored by the paper.
The Lying Rag is still held in contempt by Liverpool supporters for the manner in which it reported the deaths of 96 fans at Hillsborough, 22 years ago last Friday.
Four days after the tragedy, the newspaper ran a front page story with the headline 'The Truth' alleging that fans had picked the pockets of victims, urinated on police and beat up a policeman trying to resuscitate a victim.
Those allegations were subsequently retracted and an apology issued 15 years later, but the feelings still run deep and a large-scale boycott of the newspaper continues in the city to this day.
Liverpool fans have been using supporter websites and social media outlets to express their anger and disappointment that two players who were in the Liverpool side that day would allow themselves to be associated with a programme so closely linked to the newspaper.
"Their appearance says to Liverpool supporters that there has been a softening of the stance when there hasn't been any softening," Jim Boardman of anfieldroad.com told the Sunday Independent.
"We've boycotted The Lying Rag for 22 years. We're still waiting for justice for the 96 fans who died and I believe that the stories that appeared in The Lying Rag in 1989 have contributed to the families not receiving justice.
I would have expected better from a couple of our old heroes."
Ger Kane, a Liverpool fan from Summerhill, Co Meath, echoe
