Footballers are human beings

Comment by MATTHEW CHAMBERS

TOM Adeyemi was a badly shaken-up young man at Anfield.

His every on-pitch move betrayed shock and distress. Even after the game had finished, the bright, capable 20-year-old was clearly running over events in his mind.

Plenty of people the country over, less well-placed to judge, were invited to hold an emotional stake in the story. Stoked largely by the fact it took place at Anfield, the incident resulted in Adeyemi’s face being plastered over national newspapers and television reports.

On the back of the public relations disaster that was the Luis Suarez affair, this matter was terrible news for Liverpool FC.

Thankfully, the club’s response on this occasion in apologising to Athletic was impeccable, going some way to restoring what is a bruised reputation in the eyes of many.

Football is a passionate game. Just examine the joy expressed by Robbie Simpson in celebration at so brilliantly putting Athletic ahead in the big Liverpool FA Cup tie.

Words borne out of that passion can become powerful weapons.

In the stands, too often a minority of supporters feel it is their right to scream the worst imaginable obscenities at players.

It is true that some top clubs actively foster a wall of separation and a them-and-us attitude, creating a distance between highly-paid players and fans.

The days of Premier League stars mixing it in the local pubs on a Saturday night are long-gone and even signing a few autographs is a bridge too far for some.

illusion

But even though a handful of superstars can sometimes feel like concepts rather than human beings, this is an illusion.

And no matter how much a player earns, he deserves to be treated to a level of decency.

Whatever was alleged to have been said to Tom to invoke such a strong reaction, it is safe to say he didn’t deserve it.

Barracking the opposition is, to an extent, part of the fun of watching football. Berating players with filth is not, and never has been, acceptable.