Liverpool Vow to Support Gerrard Over Assault Charge
Sources indicate there are no plans for midfielder to meet senior club staff following incident
Liverpool football club offered its support to its captain, Steven Gerrard, yesterday after he was charged with assault and affray following a bar brawl.
The club said it would give its full backing to the midfielder and sources indicated there were no plans for him to meet senior club staff following the incident in the early hours of Monday.
The England international was charged yesterday alongside two other men, John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, after spending almost 24 hours in police custody following the brawl at the Lounge Inn in the seaside town of Southport.
He had been celebrating his side's 5-1 victory at Newcastle, which extended the club's lead at the top of the Premier League to three points. In a statement, Liverpool said: "Steven has been an outstanding servant to Liverpool for the last 10 years and the club will give him all the support he needs at this time."
The 28-year-old player was released on bail to appear in court on 23 January.
Kenny Dalglish, the former Liverpool player and manager, said he met Gerrard and his friends before the incident.
"He was out with his mates and they were enjoying themselves," Dalglish said. "They were very well behaved. When I heard the news I was really surprised. It was a night out he had organized. It was not affecting any matches. I'm sure what has happened has not been pleasant for anybody. But they were not rowdy. They were not badly behaved."
He said he expected Liverpool to pull behind Gerrard and added: "There is no better football club to be at for that. They will do that for him because he has certainly helped this football club."
The DJ at the Lounge Inn, a 34-year-old local man, required hospital treatment after suffering facial injuries. Police arrested six men on suspicion of assault. It remains unclear what happened at the celebrity nightspot, but one report has suggested that Gerrard and his friends got involved in an altercation after the DJ refused to allow them to choose the songs played on the venue's sound system.
Gerrard has been capped by England 70 times and has captained his country four times. He was made an MBE last year.
It is uncertain whether he will return to training before Liverpool's FA Cup third-round tie away to Preston on Saturday.
The maximum penalty for assault and affray would involve a custodial sentence.
The club said it would give its full backing to the midfielder and sources indicated there were no plans for him to meet senior club staff following the incident in the early hours of Monday.
The England international was charged yesterday alongside two other men, John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, after spending almost 24 hours in police custody following the brawl at the Lounge Inn in the seaside town of Southport.
He had been celebrating his side's 5-1 victory at Newcastle, which extended the club's lead at the top of the Premier League to three points. In a statement, Liverpool said: "Steven has been an outstanding servant to Liverpool for the last 10 years and the club will give him all the support he needs at this time."
The 28-year-old player was released on bail to appear in court on 23 January.
Kenny Dalglish, the former Liverpool player and manager, said he met Gerrard and his friends before the incident.
"He was out with his mates and they were enjoying themselves," Dalglish said. "They were very well behaved. When I heard the news I was really surprised. It was a night out he had organized. It was not affecting any matches. I'm sure what has happened has not been pleasant for anybody. But they were not rowdy. They were not badly behaved."
He said he expected Liverpool to pull behind Gerrard and added: "There is no better football club to be at for that. They will do that for him because he has certainly helped this football club."
The DJ at the Lounge Inn, a 34-year-old local man, required hospital treatment after suffering facial injuries. Police arrested six men on suspicion of assault. It remains unclear what happened at the celebrity nightspot, but one report has suggested that Gerrard and his friends got involved in an altercation after the DJ refused to allow them to choose the songs played on the venue's sound system.
Gerrard has been capped by England 70 times and has captained his country four times. He was made an MBE last year.
It is uncertain whether he will return to training before Liverpool's FA Cup third-round tie away to Preston on Saturday.
The maximum penalty for assault and affray would involve a custodial sentence.
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