World Soccer Daily Ceases Production
World Soccer Daily, Sirius Radio’s football call-in which aired weekdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific, announced they will cease broadcast, effectively immediately. Show host and owner Steven Cohen announced the decision on Friday’s show, citing security concerns extending from an ongoing battle with Liverpool FC supporters groups.
Cohen attributed his decision to cease broadcasting to threats received by his family. Recently married, Cohen cited contact made with his step-daughters by Liverpool supporters. In response to callers appeals, Cohen said continuing the show was “not worth it,” later admitting that the boycott had achieved its goal.
Since April, Cohen has been the subject of a boycott from the North American branches of Liverpool supporters groups, a protest born from Cohen’s characterization of the Hillsborough Disaster. Supporters groups objected to Cohen’s claims that unticketed Liverpool supporters were responsible for the deaths of 96 fans at Hillsborough stadium, where Liverpool was to play a FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest. Their protests had been successful in persuading sponsors such as Heineken and FourFourTwo magazine to withdraw their advertising on World Soccer Daily. Earlier this month, Fox had announced Cohen would not return to Fox Football Fone-In, Fox Soccer Channel’s weekly television show.
“At some point, where do you draw the line and say ‘This is just crazy,’” Cohen told a caller, describing how he felt the conflict between himself and the protests had escalated to where he could see somebody becoming a “martyr” in support of the boycott. Cohen characterized the actions as “a form of terrorism.”
“Over the last few months,” Cohen said, “The game has not been fun for me. Every day, waking up to antisemitism.
“It just takes its toll.”
During the show, Cohen named Conor Brennan, vice-president of the New York branch of the Liverpool Supporters Club, and Mel Abshire, the acting head of the North American Liverpool Supporters Groups. Brennan and Abshier have previously denied association with antisemitic and otherwise threatening actions.
On its last day of production, World Soccer Daily was the twelfth most-downloaded sports podcast on iTunes, and the most downloaded football podcast distributed through the service.
Request for comment by LFCNY had not been returned at the time of publication.
Update: The Liverpool Supporter Club New York (LFCNY) issued a statement shortly after noon Pacific time. That statement can be found here.
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About Richard Farley
Richard Farley is a U.S.-based contributor to World Soccer Reader. He also hosts Inside the Six, the site's regular podcast. He can be reached at richardfarley at gmail dot com and followed on Twitter, username "richardfarley." And while you are at it, feel free to check out RF Football.
Well Mr. Cohen’s hatred for Liverpool football club and supporters clouded his judgment. He is the only one to blame for his downfall because of the terrible things he said about the Hillsborough incident . The threats against his family are wrong and when they find the people behind them they should be punished. Why cancel the show why not have Kenny go on with someone else. Because it’s Cohen’s ego again. YNWA Alan
This is one of the worst things that has ever happened to soccer in the US. He didn’t hate your club, he simply had an opinion. Enjoy celebrating while the rest of the US soccer community mourns.
Way to go scousers. blow one comment out of proportion and take something away from many who enjoyed the show. Censorship is alive and well in the US. Way to go. and 442 and Heiniken have hitched your wagon to this group of fine upstanding people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP1S9Vi-y9A
I am gutted. I have been listening to this show for four years. The man made a mistake and apologized for it. I didnt agree with him all the time but loved the show. Now we have nothing. Thanks Liverpool scum!
Disgusting how the Liverpool fans reacted. One giant step back in the fight to get more u.s. soccer fans. Terrible.
Scousers will sing and laugh about the Munich accident but respond with death threats because they can’t change a channel? or are so dumb they listen to a show they hate??? i hate o’reilly so i don’t watch him (and he spreads many more lies and hate than a simple soccer show)
just shows the level of class that comes from the supporters.
Isn’t it funny that football invokes so much passion out of so many people? Passion tends to create irrational tendencies and leads to fanatically stupid actions. Steven Cohen was wrong to make the claims that he did; however, to have such comments lead to THIS just shows the idiocy of passionate fandom. Justice for the 96 should come in the form of proper action against those who allowed the situation to occur 20 years ago. Last time I checked, Cohen had no part in that incident. He simply spoke misinformation. The entire fight was petty and shows how pathetic these Liverpool supporters really are. Cohen felt the pain from his statements through a withdrawl of commercial sponsorships of his radio program. Anything more than that crosses the line and becomes criminal. Someone will pay the consequences for acting with such hateful intentions. The score in this fight? Cohen 0. LFC American supporters 0. Football in America 0. Lose-Lose-Lose.
What a joke, Liverpool FC NY comes across looking like a bunch of cyber-hooligans. Against Liverpool and the advertisers which sided with their boycott. We want opposing views, and its to bad the LVFCNY feels that the tactics used were appropriate or justified. World Soccer Daily was a very entertaining show. The merits of LVFCNY’s campaign has now been lost against the tactics and methods employed.
“On its last day of production, World Soccer Daily was the twelfth most-downloaded sports podcast on iTunes, and the most downloaded football podcast distributed through the service.”
Funny thing about that. It’s amazing how you can improve the ranking of a podcast by repeatedly hitting the “subscribe” button on iTunes.
I have watched this dispute Three times–The first Time on television ” Live from Sheffield in 96″
“The pictures showed boisterous, partial;y inebriated members of the public,coming along the road,[after having dismounted from coaches]in groups of 50 or 60,hundreds & hundreds of them– joining a crush at a gate with restricted Turnstile access —and start pushing & pushing until the gates gave way” FACT– FACT– FACT
The .disaster took place, at a time when it was considered some what clever to break gates– to get into grounds with out tickets,but this was a huge game and tickets were impossible to obtain—- There was no police presence to speak of.
It is still possible to see these pictures —- supporters go on football excursions WITH OUT TICKET “FOR THE ATMOSPHERE”—-[HA HA]—-,and STILL try it on– But now the Police are much more in evidence. Than At the time,that Sheffield happened.
The second time,was after the The Sun newspaper ,and the News of the World,made these exact same comments, about the disgusting behavior of the Liverpool supporters—– The LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS blamed the POLICE for not being available in sufficient numbers to have controlled the crowds. But went around Liverpool threating all shops that sold these newspapers with destruction,and violence. for even suggesting their horror mobs/ fans were at fault at all, it was the POLICE to blame–the supporters were blameless.—[HA -HA]
So after a re think the Necessary apologies were offered, by the news papers,and the animals in Liverpool allowed the papers to be available,in the Liverpool area.once again.
The Third time is right now, The Broadcasters—- Cohen& Kenny–[ 24 years later] who I listened to occasionally are too young like 99% of the so called objectors to have any knowledge about what actually happened, their take on the incident, is not any different to ,the Irish —who became more militant with the passing of time.400 hundred years later the Irish were still at WAR. I am 78 years of age,and a great follower of football [but ten years ago] gave up football— because I could not stand the ignorant mobs and their passion for a game,which makes mainly men dehumanized.
The Victims were innocent Liverpool supporters queuing in an orderly manner–The Perpetrators are the scum that follow a lot of soccer Teams ,purely to DRINK– FIGHT.and be as obnoxious as possible.
A Tottenham supporter, who likes watching the Arsenal play FOOTBALL
Ahhh, thank god he’s gone, i must say i’ve been enjoying my football a lot more lately…my decision to not listen to the show, and not view their web site was the best decision in my fanatical career…..I don’t even hate Chelsea as much as i used too, and that’s saying a lot.