Dalglish defends race record at Liverpool

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has moved to defend his club’s record on race relations, saying: “We don’t want racism anywhere near football and certainly not anywhere near this football club.”

Reds striker Luis Suarez has begun serving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and the club have apologised to Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi after he was apparently the subject of racist abuse from a supporter at Anfield during an FA Cup tie last Friday.

The club were criticised in some quarters for their staunch defence of Suarez, with Liverpool players wearing t-shirts in support of the Uruguayan just after the eight-match punishment had been handed down.

But Dalglish stood by the decision to support Suarez and insisted he would never have returned to Liverpool if he thought the club was in any way discriminatory. He said: “Over the past few weeks there has been a perception that the football club isn’t doing what it should be doing, but I don’t think the football club would ever go down that road. We will always support the official campaigns related to racism.

“Obviously there was a big issue with Luis. The players showed support for Luis which was fantastic, but then some people interpreted that wrongly as the players saying they’re not interested in the fight against racism. That is utter rubbish. If we can help to eradicate racism or discrimination from any part of the society, that help will be forthcoming. We don’t want racism anywhere near football and certainly not anywhere near this football club.”

A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Adeyemi was released on bail on Sunday. The man, from Aintree, was arrested on Saturday by Merseyside Police, who are investigating the incident.

Dalglish added: “Our club is based on serving the community and whoever is in the community we will treat as an equal.

“It never has been a club that’s discriminated and never will be.”