Liverpool FC: Reds Must Act Swiftly to Stem Tide of Racism

I know that one thing doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the other, that the spat between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra and the confrontation between Oldham's Tom Adeyemi and a member of the Kop during Liverpool's 5-1 FA Cup victory probably aren't related.

I know that two incidents like this do not a trend make, at least not on their own.

But that doesn't mean that Liverpool, one of the historic pillars of the English Premier League and a club with a massive following that spans the globe, should turn a blind eye to the racism that lay right beneath them and before them. That doesn't mean that the Merseysiders should remain defiant in the face of criticism, much as they were in the wake of Luisito's eight-match ban handed down from the FA.

It's one thing to run the adverts around Anfield reading "Say No To Racism," but are the Reds really setting a proper example for the legions of Kopites who pack the grounds, week in and week out? Are their words matching their actions?

If Liverpool's official response to Luisito's ban, the Suarez T-shirt controversy and Reds boss Kenny Dalglish's dismissal of the uproar are any indication, then the answer is a resounding "NO!"

To be fair, the actions of one hateful 20-year-old are hardly representative of all Liverpool supporters, and it's not as though the Reds are the only major club that has been smeared by racism in the past or will be in the future.

But that should hardly preclude the club from setting a better example, from acting out against the sort of racial abuse that remains all too common in the world of football. If anything, Liverpool have an even more important duty to draw attention to the problem and warn against it now that the spotlight is shining so brightly on Merseyside. 

This could be a golden opportunity for Liverpool to seize upon this rather dark moment, to turn it into something teachable and, in the process, restore the honor of a club whose image has taken a beating of late, and not simply for their torrid play on the pitch.

Because no one should allow Tom Adeyemi to walk alone, especially not the Reds.

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