The Sun's apology

[Tooting Gull]

I don't agree with a lot of the views expressed about the Sun on this thread. It is a brilliantly put together paper, knows exactly what it's marketplace is, and plays to it perfectly. It is invariably a fun read, albeit for 10 minutes, and the day that stops the editor gets sacked.

They regularly get stories first both at the front and the back of the paper, and are prepared to say things that some of their more mealy-mouthed rivals won't. It's an agenda-setting newspaper - even if it isn't your agenda, or mine come to that - and the politicians are rightly respectful of its power.

Hillsborough was a terrible mistake by the Sun. Every person and company makes them, and it was a shocker. They have paid very heavily for it, and rightly so. You can see exactly why a relative would never buy it again, and you would not try and persuade them otherwise, it's perfectly understandable.

But to load all that on Rooney 15 years later is a bit much, and the Sun has taken an unusually responsible attitude in trying to defuse things with that piece. I don't think it is to do with sales, they've all but written them off up there, it's more to do with Rooney and avoiding creating a really nasty environment for him up there. He's the future of English football, for Christ's sake.

 

[Skaville]

I have vowed never to read The Sun or The News of The World, let alone pay for it. They print unsubstantiated, unimportant, sensationalist, nasty bullshit.

Two good examples of these papers and what they do.

April '96. The last game at The Goldstone. Brighton fans demonstrate peacefully on the pitch (yes, I know, we broke the crossbars...). The News of the World Headline "Riot" - Apparently what happened showed the what was going to happen at Euro '96. Erm....I think not.

"Bonkers Bruno". Just how much did The Sun make out of Big Frank over the years? How do they repay him? By running with this front page. Nice. Then, just to show what a hypyocritical bunch of bastards they are they start a Bruno fund the next day after they've been slaughtered by everyone else in the media.

Arseholes. I wouldn't wipe my arse with either of those rags.

 

[El Presidente]

the Sun has taken an unusually responsible attitude in trying to defuse things with that piece.

Piers Morgan was rightly sacked for printing mistruths. If the same fate had befallen Kelvin Mackenzie then the issue would have been forgotten, but Murdoch backed him 100%.

It is a brilliantly put together paper, knows exactly what it's marketplace is, and plays to it perfectly

So did Adolf Hitler, but that did not make him acceptable.

 

[oapdodge]

Great shame the Rooney got involved with the Sun and his advisors have let him down badly.Still understand why the people of merseyside hate the sun so much.Perhaps when Rooney moves to ManUre the whole of merseyside will wave farewell with a closed fist.Shame that an 18 year old has sold the story for a few quid more when he is earning so much,is he so unaware of the hatred towards the sun on merseyside ?

 

[London Irish]

The Sun Says...

Fifteen years is a long time.

It is 11 years longer than the First World War, nine years longer than the Second World War.

What? You could tell the Sun editorialist was really losing it at this point!

I've got to say, isn't it a wonderful thing to see this supremely arrogant voice of cu-ntish rightwing populism ABSOLUTELY SQUIRMING like some kerbcrawler caught in a vice swoop.

Have you ever seen the Sun so vulnerable and crying LIKE A BIG GIRL?

f***ing brilliant!

Yes, Tooting Gull, the Sun does employ probably the most talented journos in Britain, Sussex newspapers have been a training ground for many of them.

But if we're about congratulating good journalism here, how about a round of applause for the Liverpool Post and Echo. It's not often a provincial rag gets to completely stick it to a multinationally-funded giant like the Sun and old Goliath is left whimpering for mercy.

The lesson to the Sun is clear. No, fifteen years of grovelling to the people of Liverpool is not enough for the scale of blood libel you committed - keep f***ing grovelling.

The people of Liverpool will say when enough is enough, not a bunch of amoral, money-grubbing sleazebags like you.

 

[Shankly Seagull]

Soton Seagull - You need to check your facts on Hillsborough with many of the pieces of evidence given at the enquiry rather than spout out crap about thousands of ticketless fans forcing their way in.

The tragic events had a lot more to do with the ground not opening enough turnstiles to allow entry (of fans with tickets) and the fatal decision made by the Police to close side access gates to terrace Pens 1&3 and funnel all the supporters into the central Pen 2.

People at the turnstiles hurrying to get into the match and avoid missing kick off had no idea of the carnage that was occuring at the front of the central pen.

While we are debating the events someone can ask Chief Inspector Duckenfield why he disposed of the video evidence from the Police Control Booth that would have led to his prosecution at trial.

Or why to this day no one from his force has ever been prosecuted for the deaths of 96 men, women and children.

As my shirt says...JUSTICE 96.

 

[Yorkie]

Soton Seagull - You need to check your facts on Hillsborough with many of the pieces of evidence given at the enquiry rather than spout out crap about thousands of ticketless fans forcing their way in.

The tragic events had a lot more to do with the ground not opening enough turnstiles to allow entry (of fans with tickets) and the fatal decision made by the Police to close side access gates to terrace Pens 1&3 and funnel all the supporters into the central Pen 2.

People at the turnstiles hurrying to get into the match and avoid missing kick off had no idea of the carnage that was occuring at the front of the central pen.

While we are debating the events someone can ask Chief Inspector Duckenfield why he disposed of the video evidence from the Police Control Booth that would have led to his prosecution at trial.

Or why to this day no one from his force has ever been prosecuted for the deaths of 96 men, women and children.

As my shirt says...JUSTICE 96.

Shankly Seagull I applaud you

 

[Simster]

Great post London Irish. f*** the Sun. If they were so bothered about the feelings of the Liverpool public then they should have left Rooney well alone. And the number of blatent LIES they put in their editorials beggars belief.

BTW Looney, sometimes I really do think you should shut your f***ing NOISE. Nobody mentioned politics on this thread until you showed up, and it's nothing to do with economical or political beliefs. The facts are, McKenzie wasn't sacked for the disgraceful slur, the Sun has NEVER issued an apology before despite what it says in this "apology" and if the same thing had happened but with The Mirror instead, I'm willing to bet the feelings would have been just the same. The Sun were, and still are, an utter disgrace and unbelievably arrogant, and I don't care what their political beliefs are.

 

[Safeway]

It's just a shame that there are still four million ignorant twats that buy it everyday.

Unfortunately all the time that night follows day, The Sun will continue to be this countries biggest selling 'newspaper'.

 

[Easy 10]

I know The Sun is a load of old shit.
But I like 'Dear Dierdrie'.

 

[Dover]

I have never brought the Sun, due to it's virolic and perpetual lies. Some of these being Hillsbrough, live animal export demostrations at both Dover and Shoreham, the Miners strike, Zeebrugge, and lastly the Dover dock strike.

As for their quality journolists, don't make me laugh. You can give any one of their hacks the runaround on a demo. It's so easy.

 

[Fluffster]

I know The Sun is a load of old shit.
But I like 'Dear Dierdrie'.

Glad i'm not the only one.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

I think the Sun has a point to be fair. Time to grow up I think.

Ouch, I'd be careful if I were you. It's a bit rich for any of us to take the high ground on this but if you lost friends and family I'd think you have a(nother) perfect reason never to buy that 'paper'. And if you have any sympathy with the families and friends then there's a(nother) good reason not to buy that 'paper'.

Why has it taken them 15 years to offer such a cringingly sycophantic apology? Hmm, sales?

 

[kalinski]

I wouldn't use the sun to clear up cat shit...er hang on should this be on a different thread

 

[looney]

The facts are, McKenzie wasn't sacked for the disgraceful slur, the Sun has NEVER issued an apology before despite what it says in this "apology" and if the same thing had happened but with The Mirror instead, I'm willing to bet the feelings would have been just the same.

Thats not exactly a straight comparison. Firstly the Sun goofed over deaths ex-post, the mirror put lives at risk, OUR ARMED FORCES, ex-ante far worse IMO. The Sun did apologise as it lost 40,000 readers, I remember reading that in Private Eye.

Nobody mentioned politics on this thread until you showed up, and it's nothing to do with economical or political beliefs.

Isn't it? The venom heaped on the sun seems out of all proportion to their Crimes especially one 15 years ago. Especially as other tabloids are all as guilty if not more. See my comment just above. Especially as it is the "usual suspects" draw your own concluisions. The print strike? What do think of that?

 

[captainmorganrum]

I think the lasting damage is due to the Sun not only blaming Liverpool fans, but also accusing the survivors of p1ssing on the corpses and pickpocketing the dead.

That's totally out of order.

 

[Beach Hut]

Cynics might say Rooney (or his agent) has done this to ensure an exit from Everton

 

[oapdodge]

Soton Seagull - You need to check your facts on Hillsborough with many of the pieces of evidence given at the enquiry rather than spout out crap about thousands of ticketless fans forcing their way in.

The tragic events had a lot more to do with the ground not opening enough turnstiles to allow entry (of fans with tickets) and the fatal decision made by the Police to close side access gates to terrace Pens 1&3 and funnel all the supporters into the central Pen 2.

People at the turnstiles hurrying to get into the match and avoid missing kick off had no idea of the carnage that was occuring at the front of the central pen.

While we are debating the events someone can ask Chief Inspector Duckenfield why he disposed of the video evidence from the Police Control Booth that would have led to his prosecution at trial.

Or why to this day no one from his force has ever been prosecuted for the deaths of 96 men, women and children.

As my shirt says...JUSTICE 96.

Perhaps someone could explain why the Inspector from Humberside in the recent Soham case has been sacked over the way he was reponsible for his force over the tragic deaths of the 2 children,yet NO ONE has ever been responsible for the tragic deaths of 96 people.These fans and their families have never had any justice.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Whether or not we are for or against the Sun, surely this interview is just more Rooney overkill! Cashing in on a kid's boring life to sell more papers.

For crying out loud, the lad's only just 18 isn't he? He hasn't got a life's worth of events to talk about, other than his bloody girlfriend. "Er, yeah, and then I woke up one day and started shaving." For Christ's sake, leave him alone, let him have a life, then do the interview. Bored of the Beckhams? Bored of f***ing Wayne Rooney morelike. Give a shit!

 

[Beach Hut]

I think the main reason for no prosecution is the same as with all issues concerning collective deaths and corporate manslaughter.

It is neigh on impossible to prosecute a single person when an organisation is responsible be it the West Yorkshire Constabulary, Railtrack or whoever.