Radio Sounders Liverpool FC Special

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Click on the Arrow to Listen

Radio Sounders welcomes its most controversial guest yet when it talks to Conor Brennan, vice president of the Liverpool FC Club of New York (LFCNY) and host of the MP Red podcast.

Radio Sounders Liverpool FC Special with Conor Brennan

Tipperary born Conor hit the headlines last year when he organised an economic boycott of firms sponsoring Fox Soccer Channel’s Fone-In and the World Soccer Daily show on Sirius. Their target was host Steven Cohen, whose remarks on the Hillsborough Tragedy of 1989 offended many Liverpool fans. The boycott was ultimately successful and Cohen was replaced by Eric Wynalda on the Fox show. The story was notable for two extraordinary facets.

Liverpool Fans from New York Spearheaded the Campaign

Firstly, it was the first time soccer fans in the USA had organised and exerted their economic muscle to force a change on a matter of concern to them. Secondly, the affair was notable for the passion, intensity and vitriol of the debate between the pro and anti boycott factions, with both sides accusing each other of intimidatory tactics and sending threatening emails.

Some of the emails sent were highly abusive, and we have already received one before the show was even broadcast, from a Liverpool fan who didn’t think the show was biased enough towards his point of view. We also received one from the other side of the debate during our earlier coverage accusing us of much the same thing. In both cases, our sin was to bring you the story as opposed to one side’s propaganda. In neither case did we moderate our coverage one iota.

In Part 1 of a two part interview, Conor looks back on the campaign and answers some tough questions about the issues raised in the campaign. He later declared it both ‘his toughest interview yet, but a very fair one.’

He also talks about the incident known as ‘Blowmegate,’ where a top Liverpool FC official made the mistake of emailing what he was thinking to a Liverpool fan and lost his job as a result (something to bear in mind before you send abusive emails). Conor also lists his objections to groundsharing with Everton, and we mix in some of the finest folk tunes of the many that have been inspired by the unique culture of Merseyside to give the show a colourful local background.

In concordance with our normal policy, we are more than happy to offer Mr Cohen or Tom Hicks Jr the right of reply if they wish to be guests on the show.

Radio Sounders Liverpool FC Special with Conor Brennan

In Part 2, to be broadcast next week, we bring out the Irishman in Brennan and talk to him about the famous Thierry Henry handball incident. Conor has some brand new inside information, and reveals just how close the Irish came to getting a replay, who stood in the way and how Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger got involved.

Also of interest:

Derby Day in London and Liverpool

Radio Sounders Everton FC Special – December 17, 2009

Background Information on the Steven Cohen Story:

Fox Fire Steven Cohen

A Bunch of Thugs Behaving Like the Taliban – June 3

Liverpool FC Enter Cohen Controversy – May 21

Liverpool Fans Reject Cohen ‘Apology’ – May 18

Cohen Releases Public Apology – May 18

“We Want Him off the Air” – May 13

Row Erupts over Steven Cohen’s Hillsborough Remarks- May 12

Stay Informed When We Post a New Story

Vote for Your Sounders Photo of the Year

Facebook User? Become a Facebook Fan

Click For All Stories in the EPL, Podcasts Category

Back to Soccer Homepage

Rory

02/08/2010 at 9:01 am

I hate these jokers from Liverpool. Because of them we lost the only radio program in America that could take small soccer fans and turn them into bigger fans and newcomers to the game and turn them into fans. On a personal note, I lost $40 a year because I now have to pay to get what I used to get free. Our sport has way to few opportunites to reach the mainstream… now that Fox Soccer is buying more soccer properties it’s becoming more and more a “pay to join” system and that’s NEVER going to bring in new fans.

This is America, and you can have opinions (even wrong ones) and still feel free to say them. I feel sorry for the victims, but I don’t believe that anyone saying (even if it is incorrect) that other LFC fans HELPED cause the tragedy disrespects the dead victims in any way.

#13657

Gary Robertson

02/06/2010 at 1:54 am

This is the first time I’ve heard Brennan not sound smarmy. I always thought he was a one trick pony – I followed the Cohen campaign closely – but somehow I see him now in a different light. Part of that I’m sure is because I have lost all faith in anything Steven Cohen will ever do. Now I’m not so sure Brennan was ever smarmy, but more reacting on behalf of his tribe, even if it is Liverpool. But he does come across as a real football fan.

Steve Clare deserves an awful lot of credit – he did ask the hard questions that many of us who followed the campaign wished had been asked during. But to give Conor Brennan his due, he answered all of them well. I still don’t agree with him, but maybe he’s good in my book. I am prompted to ask why it is that Scousers, and no other clubs, are so good at this sort of thing.

Nice going, keep up the good work.

#13365