SOCCER: Wayne Rooney was last night experiencing his first taste of adverse publicity as a backlash gathered force on Merseyside against the Everton and England striker's appearance in a series of exclusive interviews with the Sun
Rooney's decision to accept more than £250,000 to appear in the newspaper has outraged many on Merseyside who recall the Sun's offensive and inaccurate reporting of the Hillsborough disaster 15 years ago.
The paper yesterday printed a front-page apology and a full-page editorial describing its coverage of the disaster as "the most terrible mistake in its history", and pleaded with Liverpudlians not to take their anger out on Rooney.
The families of Hillsborough victims rejected the paper's apology and others, including the Everton supporters' group, called on Rooney to donate the proceeds of the interviews to charity.
The apology, which was illustrated with pictures of Rooney, also caused resentment in the player's camp. His advisers expected some adverse reaction to the Sun deal, but the apparent use of Rooney to support the apology was unexpected. One source yesterday called it "deeply cynical".
The Sun has been an object of hate in Liverpool since 1989 when 96 Liverpool supporters were killed in a crush on the terraces at Hillsborough prior to an FA Cup semi-final.
After the tragedy the Sun reported that Liverpool supporters stole from the pockets of the dead and urinated on corpses. It also accused supporters of causing the disaster, though subsequent investigations established that South Yorkshire police allowed too many people on to the terrace to avert overcrowding outside the stadium.
Phil Hammond, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, who lost his 14-year-old son Philip in the tragedy, said the Sun's apology was "too little, and 15 years too late.
"They think that because they've got a big name on board people in Liverpool will now start to buy the paper, but we're not that stupid."
Ian MacDonald, of the Independent Everton Supporters' Association, told Channel 4 News: "These columns are nothing more than pieces of silver."
He called on Rooney to donate the £250,000 to the Hillsborough Foundation.
In a leader, the Sun pleaded with readers on Merseyside to forgive it for a "terrible mistake", and said Rooney did not deserve to be vilified for associating with the paper.
"We long ago apologised publicly to the victims' families, friends and to the city of Liverpool for our awful error," it said. "We gladly repeat that apology today: fully, openly, honestly and without reservation.
"The Sun of 2004 no more deserves to be hated on Merseyside than Wayne Rooney does."
The Sun also accused Trinity Mirror, owners of the Liverpool Post and Echo, two papers critical of its coverage, as well as the Daily Mirror, of stirring up opposition to Rooney.
The Echo responded angrily in a statement: "Fifteen years ago, (the Sun) told deliberate lies to sell newspapers. Today, it has published a hypocritical apology to sell newspapers."
