Souness: I'm no racist - March 6, 2001
Blackburn Rovers manager Graeme Souness has hit out about being called Anti-Irish. The former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder said he was sickened when he heard about the accusations.
Souness tried to justify his actions yesterday but most of his arguments sounded hollow. Since he took over at Blackburn he has got rid of Lee Carsley, sent Ben Burgess to Australia for a year, demoted Ireland's No.1 goalkeeper Alan Kelly to No.3 at the club and told Jeff Kenna that he has no future at the club.
When you take into account that he also got rid of Steve Staunton and Ray Hougton when he took over at Liverpool why is he surprised when people connect all these actions and write about them.
Souness said: "I work in England and I was not aware for some time that certain newpapers were spouting this rubbish about me. Anyone who knows me or my family wouldn't have even attempted that kind of line.
"I grew up in a mixed areas in Edinburgh and my best friend was Peter Marinello, a Catholic who signed for Arsenal.
"My first wife is an Italian Catholic and the kids from that marriage are Catholic. My current wife is Catholic whose name was Kelly and her parents came for Dublin."
It should be pointed out to him that Anti-Irish is not the same as Anti-Catholic. Who cares whether both his wives have been Catholics.
Lets break it down simply. Souness fell out with Lee Carsley and in retaliation he took the captains armband from him and dropped him from the team which in the long term forced the Irish midfielder out of the club.
Jason McAteer also felt the wrath of Souness which saw him left out of the team and told his attitude was wrong. Alan Kelly went from No.1 goalkeeper to forgotten man.
Also Souness all but ended Ben Burgess underage international career by sending him to the other side of the world to play in Australia.
The exceptions to the rule are Damien Duff and on loan midfielder Alan Mahon. Souness rates Duff and wants to sign Mahon on a permanent basis. Yet just a couple of months ago he allowed Carsley to move to Coventry because of the glut of midfielders at the club.
The Blackburn manager is entitled to run the club in whatever style he likes but we also have the right to say that he has an Anti-Irish policy if we believe it.