Hillsborough Hate Shirt Update 2

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This morning I posted the blog About the sick shirt with 96 not enough on it, the story spread like wildfire across the internet and the response has been tremendous.

Here is an update.

The perpetrator Colm Jackson did remove the photo and apologised on the group he originally posted it on, he also changed his profile picture to a more humble looking one. He has also sent out this message to those who did send him a Facebook message.

“I DEEPLY APOLGISES FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE AND DID NOT REALISE THE SHEER DISREPCT OF IT I KNOW AS FOOTBALL TEAMS WE HATE EACH OTHER BUT I HAVE GONE TOO FAR I HAVE NOW REMOVED THE SHIRT OFF FACEBOOK AND I ALSO BURNED IT I KNOW 96 PEOPLE DIED THAT DAY AS A STUPID LITTLE CHILD I AM I GOT IT PRINTED ON THE SHIRT WHICH WAS REALLY REALLY STUPID AND MY INBOX MESSAGES ARE FULL OF THREATS AND IT IS A DISGRACE TO MAN UNITED FANS I DEEPLY SORRY FOR STUPID THING I HAVE DONE”

I have also received claims that Sports Direct have also emailed those who complained.

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the Man Utd. shirt printed at our Manchester Arndale store.

Please find below a statement concerning this.

Sports Direct International plc

Statement re football shirt

Sports Direct has been notified that an extremely offensive and wholly inappropriate football shirt was printed at one of its stores. The store assistant printed this unknowingly and has been deeply shocked upon being notified of the significance of this and the upset caused.

As a result, Sports Direct has taken immediate action and changed the administration policy for printing football shirts across its store network. With immediate effect, it will only allow printing of current football players names and numbers on football shirts.

Sports Direct has contacted Facebook to request the urgent withdrawal of this deeply offensive image from the individual’s Facebook page, and is very apologetic for this spiteful and abusive shirt.

Yours faithfully

Mr K Fitch
Customer Service Manager

I personally want to thank those who brought this to my attention this morning, all the Liverpool & non-Liverpool fans who helped get the word out and for their actions and all the other football blogs which carried this story.

Let this be a warning to anyone who tries something stupid like this in the future. Racism or  defaming the dead is not cool, no matter if it is Hillsborough, Heysel or Munich it is not behavior that is tolerated in the 21st century. I will not hesitate to expose anyone who would do such a thing in the future.

You can hate a team and hating a team is fair game but YOU NEVER DEFAME OR INSULT THE DEAD NOR DO YOU MAKE ANY RACIST OR ANTI-SEMITIC REMARKS.

Y.N.W.A.

-Antoine

antoine@empireofthekop.com

More Stories Heysel Hillsborough JFT96 Munich

18 Comments

  1. i recieved the first message from the guy. I just feel bad because they haven’t given an official apologize to the 96 families… but, at least, we could make people get on concious… greetings Antoine.

  2. well done Antoine i hope people from all clubs stand up and take notice of this its not big and its not cleaver.YNWA.NEIL

  3. Music to my ears Antoine, we did it all together. Shows that not only do we not walk alone, but millions come to walk with us when they see we are in need. Still gutted bout how he made it in the first place, but glad he didnt become a Cohen #2 and burnt it and apologized.
    JF96 YNWA

  4. Well done mate.
    You’ve handled this very well, and to see a company like Sports Direct have handled it so quickly aswell is quite an achievement.

    True I believe that limitting name printing to only real players from now on may be a little extreme, but its easily an effective way to combat anything like this so at the end of the day it is the right thing to of done.

    Once again, Well done Antoine, you make all of us Liverpool supporters proud lad.
    YNWA

  5. The Administrator of a facebook Group that was created this morning received this email.

    Hello Stu,

    I am Colm Jackson’s older brother and have just been tipped off about the group on here. I don’t have a Facebook account so just sent one up now so I can get in touch with you. This top never saw, and will never see, the light of day. I took it off him as soon as he bought it. I’m not sure what he’s been posting on Facebook but he has never worn it.

    I educated him on the seriousness of the Hillsborough disaster and also on what is acceptable and what is not and obviously this top is a disgrace. I’m a United fan and have never seen anything like it in all the years I’ve been to games. We all understand the United / Liverpool rivalry but there is a line which has been crossed. I wish to send my apologies to all for the offence caused, and secondly on behalf of United fans in general.

    As regards the actual printing of the shirt at the shop I called in to see the manager of the branch of Sports Direct to discuss it and she did explain that members of staff can’t always be held responsible for what is printed on the back of shirts which I understand.

    In terms of my brother trying to make amends for his stupid teenage bravado I will look into getting a donation organised to the charity of choice. I’m not sure if there is a Hillsborough relief fund still going? I understand this does not excuse what he did but I hope it is a start before I can think what else to do with him.

    I was going to post this straight on the wall but thought it would be better to send to yourself first. Feel free to post it on there if you think that’s the best course of action.

    Cheers,
    Graham

  6. A United supporter to the core but, as a red I also apologise for the hurt that we sometimes cause each other, Football is Football you hate us we hate you but we owe each other that basic respect not to go too far, we grieve with you as real Liverpool Fans do with us. Our Kids get carried away and it sounds as though this one has a good brother to show him the way, he never thought and maybe thats a lesson to us all.

    PS still hope Stoke stuff you!!!!

    Love from the REAL REDS!!!

  7. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I’ll never be able to get my name printed on a shirt again :cry:

    lol at least its sorted

    -Sam

  8. I have had contact with friends of the kids family who did this.

    They explained to me that they where utterly disgusted with it and the child is now learning the error of his ways,it was a stupid childish mistake that will take a long time to lie down.

    I am a part of both of the groups on Facebook that brought this to attention, one is now closed toposting as it served it’s purpose, the other is still open as it isn’t happy with the response from Sports Direct.

    We had messages from football fans all over the world about this, no matter what team they where from it disgusted them, they knew what the writing on the shirt meant, and find it hard to believe the person in the shop didn’t know what they where printing as i do myself. Sports Direct have effectively changed their policy, but we want a full apology made to the fans and families of Hillsborough. I sizeable donation wouldn’t go amiss either.

  9. I am amazed at how this has been handled.

    The kid knew exactly what he was doing. As it’s been pointed out, no football supporters are saints, and there are a small minority that shout stupid things at games. Usually in the heat of the moment.

    But this was planned, and pre-meditated. HE went out and bought the shirt, then PLANNED having this disgusting message printed in the shirt. THEN he thought it would be hilarious to take a picture of it, and THEN post it online.

    So all the excuses are complete rubbish.

    What he did was completely wrong and I’m surprised he’s been forgiven so quickly. It’s ridiculous.

    Actions speak louder than words, and a few ‘typed up’ apologies then everyone accepts them. Isn’t it obvious he’s just trying to take the heat off himself?

    Only AFTER the messages from disgusted fans did he ‘apologise’. Do you think he would have apologised (or even cared) if this didn’t get the attention it got? Of course not, he’d still be laughing at the people who died at Hillsborough.

  10. I am a part of both of the groups on Facebook that brought this to attention, one is now closed to posting as it served it’s purpose, the other is still open as it isn’t happy with the response from Sports Direct.

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