It is quite easy to be an avid sports fan in Southern California or anywhere else in this country without spending one second thinking about soccer.

So it's perhaps the ultimate irony that an intense battle is being pitched right now over comments made by a Los Angeles-based radio host with a fervor usually reserved for all those other soccer-mad countries.

Last month, Steven Cohen, the host of the "World Soccer Daily" show on Sirius/XM satellite radio, infuriated Liverpool supporters with his comments regarding the 20 th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, the worst tragedy in English soccer history.

First, some history. On April 15, 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died when one end of Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, became overcrowded at the start of an FA Cup semifinal game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

A crush ensued as too many people were allowed to enter two sections of the stadium, and victims were pushed up against perimeter fencing that kept them from jumping to safety on the field.

An official inquiry was conducted in England and produced the Taylor Report, which blamed poor policing for the tragedy and recommended the removal of standing-only areas and perimeter fencing.

Cohen dove into the situation head-first when he said Liverpool's fans should "share responsibility" in the blame.

"When people go to games without tickets and liquored up and 96 tragically die, at some point the fans have to

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share responsibility. You can't just blame the police," Cohen said.
"I'm not saying they went with evil in their hearts to do it. Liverpool brought the same number of fans as the year before (to Hillsborough) even though they were at the smaller end of the stadium this time.

"I have expressed an opinion that there was a shared responsibility."

Unfortunately for Cohen, an American-based soccer Web site picked up the story and said he "solely" blamed Liverpool's fans for the tragedy. Since then, he's received hundreds of death threats, threats to kidnap his fiancee's children and threats to burn down his house.

"It's spread like a virus," he said.

Cohen estimates more than 3,500 e-mails were sent to his show regarding the controversy.

"I've seen the Taliban less defensive," Cohen said. "If this was being done in Afghanistan or Pakistan, we'd call these people terrorists. A lot of them are little cowards hiding behind their computers.

"(But) I feel my life and my livelihood is at stake."

Some e-mails compare Cohen's comments to blaming the victims in the World Trade Center for Sept. 11.

"You almost wonder what they are protesting so much?" Cohen said. "Why do they care so much about what some nebbish in California in a soccer wasteland thinks? This is terror tactics from one club's fans that are hypersensitive."

In the small but die-hard world of U.S. soccer fans, this is news because "World Soccer Daily" is the only national radio show devoted to the sport in North America. It consistently ranks among the top 10 sports podcasts downloaded daily on iTunes and revolves around Cohen's lively opinions, insight and top-notch guests.

But its future hangs in the balance because of a sponsor-boycott led by Liverpool fans. Achief organizer is Mel Abshier, the acting representative the North American branches for Liverpool Football Club.

"What we were asking for is for Steven to provide the information that led him to his 'opinion' or to apologize and give his listeners the facts," Abshier said.

"Imagine USC (football) supporters going to a game, being told to go down a tunnel into a packed, standing-room only area. And due to the crush, 96 USC supporters died. One might ask one self, why those who went in should 'share responsibility' in the deaths of their fellow supporters because basically that is Stevens claim."

So far, the boycott has produced results.

FourFourTwo, a respected soccer magazine based in England, pulled its advertising, along with Fado, a chain of 14 Irish pubs in the United States.

Cohen was scheduled to appear at the Fado pub in Austin, Texas, last Tuesday for the Champions League semifinal between Arsenal and Manchester United but the event was canceled following boycott threats. A similar appearance at the Philadelphia restaurant for the Champions League final was also canceled.

"Our sponsors are being bombarded," Cohen said.

Another sponsor, Setanta Sports Network, is also wavering.

"The ugly side of English football is rearing its head in America," Cohen said.

Cohen, who also hosts a phone-in show on Fox Soccer Channel, was born and raised in London, then moved to the United States in 1982 and served in the U.S. Army from 1982-86.

"I adore this country," he said. "I don't care for Rush Limbaugh, but I'd defend his right to say it."

He knows that in his native England, he would already be fired.

"I'd be lynched (in England)," he said. "The English media are being scared off this story."

Last week, the United Kingdom banned right-wing radio host Michael Savage from entering the country for allegedly fostering extremism or hatred.

Cohen further angers Liverpool fans when he says that Hillsborough is related to the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster in Belgium, when 39 soccer fans of the Italian club, Juventus, died after Liverpool fans breached a fence and attacked them. The Juventus fans retreated, which caused a retaining wall to collapse. The crush of fans led to deaths and around 600 injuries.

"The only common link to these two incidents is Liverpool football club," Cohen said. "I'm saying it's not a coincidence. But they will not have anything to do with it. I merely passed on an opinion that they are not as blame less as they think they are."

Whatever happens in the next few weeks, if the radio show is ultimately a casualty, American soccer fans will suffer.

To whom it may concern,

You advertise on either or both of Steve Cohen's shows on Fox and Sirius. Steve Cohen has, and not for the first time, told lies about the deaths the 96 fans at Hillsborough, claiming that Liverpool fans were responsible for killing their own, amongst other lies. Is this the type of person you want representing your company? Steve Cohen has done this before, apologising when the outrage grew too large. Clearly, he will not stop, so our objective is to see him being put off air permanently.

I urge you to reconsider your purchasing of advertising.

I will be boycotting all your products and services until your support for Steve Cohen and his lies ends.

Thank you,

Jack The Lad
Gary Allen
sales@jackthelad.us and garyah63@msn.com
Press Display
Alex Kroogman
akroogman@newspaperdirect.com
PSG Sports
Nick Roberts
nickr@psgsports.com
Sporting Glory
Michael Coyle
michael.coyle@lawdit.co.uk
The Fix
Declan Hill
declanhill2002@yahoo.com
VIP Communications
customerservice@joinvip.com