To any man amongst you who recognises the value of truth,
I write this letter with the utmost rage and regret having read an article published in your newspaper and written by one ‘Mr’ Alex Beam.
I would firstly like to point out to you that we at Liverpool FC have no qualms in accepting constructive criticism if accompanied by indisputable facts. Slurs against my City and my Club will pain me but I will tolerate if only to honour you with the right to an opinion.
But the shameful rewriting of history and the vicious attacks against those who now lay defenceless and unable to defend their honour I will not let pass by.
Your writer tried to besmirch the honour of the 96 fallen souls who were taken from us after committing no crime other than supporting their beloved team. These men, women and children who fell were not violent thugs armed with weapons and with a vendetta to kill! They were armed only with the love of their great club. This tragedy that took them from us, that tore apart so many families, that united a grieving nation – was through no fault of their own.
Reputations can be made and shattered by the words we speak. There were those in the press so many years ago who saw this great tragedy as an opportunity to spread great lies and make great money. They knowingly stabbed again at the broken hearts of a broken nation only to cause further pain and to humiliate those not deserving of humiliation.
Yes, we campaigned then against these spreaders of lies and we campaign again today. For though those 96 souls have gone it is our duty to bring justice and ensure their names are never forgotten.
We are a peaceful people but we exercise our right to campaign against those whose only aim it is to tarnish the memories of our fallen. For this reason, I write this peaceful message to you urging you to take action against your journalist who knowingly stood ready to add to the years of pain and tears by penning his brand of twisted ‘truth’.
Know this; at Liverpool FC we are one body, one soul. As you can see, if you hurt us we rise from every corner of the world to defend what we know to be true.
So I implore of you that you learn from the examples of those before you who dared try to point their withered fingers of blame at our innocent fallen souls – before your own reputation is tarnished forever.
Yours honestly.