Liverpool forums are exploding tonight with supporters outraged over replica shirts being sold in the club store. The shirts have number 96 on the back and “Justice” instead of the name of the players. The timing couldn’t have been worse, it comes just the day after Tom Hicks was boasting on how much money he was going to make from the Liverpool sale.
The photo above courtesy of http://forum.raotl.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=158825 shows the shirts on display next to the Gerrard replicas. Fans are upset that the club is making money off Hillsborough in this way and as far as we know none of the money is going to any of the Hillsborough charities.
My take on the whole thing:
I personally think that whoever had this idea did not think about the implications. Many Liverpool supporters have in the past customised their shirts with the 96 number and “Justice” as the player name. They did this out of their choosing and did not pick one ready off the rack. Whoever had this idea failed to realise that Hillsbrough is a very sensitive subject and you just can’t profit from it like this. Had they offered a percentage of the proceeds to one of the charities then it would have been hailed by many. I am sure that by the time I wake up tomorrow morning there will be a response to this and the shirts will probably be withdrawn.
Y.N.W.A.
-Antoine