The nation’s favourite paper quite rightly comes under fire in the Guardian for its disgraceful treatment of Swiss referee Urs Meier. Of course their website today has no mention of the fact that this man has had to seek police protection because the imbecilic, knuckle dragging primates that constitute their readership were manipulated by the evil organ into persecuting a referee who had the temerity to correctly disallow a goal. Instead they pander to their dribbling public by doing what British losers love doing best; knocking down those that they have built up. Beckham, Henman, Vaughan and Dallaglio all cop for it:
‘Beckham has let us down badly and gutless Henman carried the hopes of the nation with all the strength of a knock-kneed gnat. . Our sportsmen and women have the best fans in the world . . . and the biggest pay packets. But on the evidence of the last few weeks they need this reminder: RAISE YOUR GAME!’
Someone pass the sick bucket! This from the Guardian:
‘Swiss referee Urs Meier has gone into hiding with police protection after receiving death threats and hate email from England fans in a backlash fuelled by the Sun.
‘Speaking by telephone from his secret Swiss address, Mr. Meier said he was shocked by the reaction in the UK media and from fans to his refereeing of the England-Portugal game last week - and he singled out the Sun as being the worst offender.
‘Mr. Meier, 45, said he had been forced to leave his home in northern Switzerland after a torrent of media abuse that followed within hours of him disallowing a goal by Sol Campbell in the dying minutes of normal time in the game.
‘He said: "I'm absolutely shocked by the media campaign against me and the attacks from the supporters. I always thought the spirit of fair play was important in England, with respect for officials. I never expected this reaction.
‘"I had a wonderful tournament with three fantastic games, and I'm feeling good about that. But the English newspapers, especially the Sun, have caused a big problem. It is really a big shock for me here in Switzerland.
‘”I have security problems and this is not the right way to handle referees' decisions, whether they are right or wrong. The police are here with me now as we speak. I'm not going to leave Switzerland but am somewhere where nobody knows me."
‘And he told Lausanne daily paper Le Matin: "This has taken on unacceptable proportions. These people have nothing to do with journalism. They just make things up and lie. They are trying to destroy me. There are limits - and they've been long broken.
‘"Going after my family, digging into my private life - that's totally unacceptable. I'm not afraid for my own life, but I am afraid of what might happen to my loved ones."
‘The morning after England were knocked out of Euro 2004, many newspapers led attacks on Mr. Meier. The Sun asked readers to "let rip" and send him emails.
‘The paper claimed the nation was "robbed" by a "half-wit" referee who made a "heartbreaking decision".
‘This was followed over the weekend by reports in the Daily Mail and the Sun, revealing that Mr. Meier had left his wife, Franziska, with whom he has two children, for referee Nicole Petignat. The papers published details of where he lived and worked.
‘The Sun followed this up early this week by sticking a huge St George flag outside his home in northern Switzerland. By then Mr. Meier had already closed his office and left his home.’