No FA punishment for Reds

3rd December 2008

The Football Association will not take any formal action against Liverpool after their players wore T-shirts carrying a message of support for a fan who was jailed for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter in 2005.

Liverpool players wore the T-shirts in the warm-up for the Barclays Premier League match against West Ham on Monday.

Michael Shields was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of the attempted murder of Martin Georgiev in Bulgaria on a holiday taken after seeing his side win the Champions League final in Istanbul. Liverpool's players were seen wearing `Free Michael now' T-shirts while warming up ahead of Monday's televised 0-0 draw with West Ham at Anfield.

Despite another man confessing to the attack, Shields was locked up and his sentence was reduced to 10 years on appeal. He was transferred to the UK to serve the remainder of his sentence, but his supporters have never halted their campaign to prove his innocence.

An FA spokesman said: "We have spoken to Liverpool Football Club about this matter. We understand that Michael Shields' case is a very emotive issue and one that many Liverpool players and fans feel strongly about.

"Having heard the club's explanation we will not be taking any formal action, and we are satisfied that they understand the sensitivities around football matches being used as a platform for political messages."