Liverpool FC Forum

by **Big Niall** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:47 pm

Watching the scumbag Naseem Hamed get jail (anyone with that driving history has little respect for othe peoples lives) I was wondering what the latest is on the Finnan case?

anyone know?

by **XSD** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:49 pm

I'm sure it was all dropped ages ago and he was found not to be at fault?

by **EddieC** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:51 pm

Thats what I thought too.

by **AussieKopite** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:03 pm

But do we have any article/hard information?

by **2520years** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:15 pm

He ran over and killed a pensioner. The charges were dropped though because there was insufficient evidence.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Wed May 17, 2006 7:10 pm

He was definately cleared due to insufficient evidence.

There was a thread on it somewhere on here aswell.

by **Big Niall** » Thu May 18, 2006 9:17 am

I hope my fellow Limerick man was innocent and that he didn't do an OJ.

I know many here don't care as long as he plays well but I do.

by **Woollyback** » Thu May 18, 2006 9:39 am

the case is closed, but "unsufficient evidence to prosecute" suggests the police think he's guilty of dangerous driving/driving without due care & attention but just couldn't get the CPS to go through with the prosecution due to lack of evidence/witnesses etc

by **AussieKopite** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:02 am

Fair enough. Hope he hasn't.

by **greenred** » Sun May 21, 2006 6:20 pm

Decent article from todays paper.

The Sunday Times May 21, 2006
Finnan ready to make it right at last
PAUL ROWAN

Having seen off all challengers for his spot at Liverpool, the full-back is keen to cement the position for his country

FEW things have ever come easy for Steve Finnan. For the player rejected by Wimbledon at the age of 16, who then worked his way up from Conference league club Welling to become a Champions League winner with Liverpool, last week’s FA Cup triumph came after an extraordinarily turbulent year in the life of the 30-year-old from Limerick.
First he had to deal with the aftermath of a road accident, in which the car he was driving ran down and killed an 81-year-old man in Liverpool.

There were also allegations of racism made against him because of comments directed at a Manchester United player, which were then dismissed by a police inquiry. But through it all, Finnan has managed to produce the best form of his career.

Liverpool managed 33 clean sheets in the season just finished, Finnan playing in 30 of those. He also proved to be one of Liverpool’s most unexpected attacking weapons, with seven assists to his credit, including two superb crosses during the FA Cup run which dismissed Manchester United and crushed a redoubtable challenge at Luton Town.

When he sat down after training yesterday at the Republic of Ireland team base on the Algarve, Finnan was reluctant to discuss those matters which involved the police, but he did admit to a feeling of quiet satisfaction at the way the season had worked out.

“I think Liverpool played about 64 games last season over the space of 11 months and I played in 52 of them. At the end. I don’t think any of us could have foreseen the drama of the FA Cup final, particularly after the Champions League final the previous season.

“In some ways it was an even greater comeback. We scored in the last couple of minutes of the game thanks to a brilliant goal from (Steven) Gerrard when a lot of the lads were tired and we looked down and out. It was an emotional game.”

Finnan, signed by Gerard Houllier from Fulham three years ago for £3.5m, was one of those players reported to be on their way out of the club with the arrival of Rafael Benitez, and though the Spaniard initially seemed underwhelmed by what he saw at right-back, this season he has become an ardent convert, placing Finnan in the same category as the Anfield hero, Jamie Carragher.

The Liverpool manager’s change of heart meant that Finnan has seen off the challenge to his place from two Benitez signings — Josemi and Jan Kromkamp — though Finnan remains watchful for more challenges along the way.

“It’s not about seeing off challenges,” he insists. “You need 20 or 22 players to deal with the number of games I spoke about. I’m sure the manager is looking at the squad during the summer. We got a good league points total this season but we didn’t do well in the big league games against Chelsea and Manchester United, and I can see a few players coming in who will strengthen the challenge.”

Despite the competition, Finnan has always felt he has been dealt with fairly by Benitez, though he can’t say the same thing about his experiences under Brian Kerr in the international arena.

Stephen Carr was always Kerr’s preferred choice at right-back, and Finnan, when he did make the team, often struggled when he was picked on the right-hand side of midfield as a defensive option by Kerr, such as the night in Tel Aviv when Ireland conceded a disastrous last-minute goal.

“I am a right-back,” he says, “but I never really played in my position under Brian and I don’t feel I got a fair crack of the whip.”

He is reluctant to delve further into the past or, for that matter, to add further momentum to the avalanche of praise for Stephen Staunton’s regime, understandably so since he had to withdraw from the new manager’s first squad with a neck injury. “I think it’s too early to say whether there’s been a change of mood in the squad since the new manager came in, but he’s made a great start. I saw it on television. It looked good and the lads were positive.”

Having learned rather belatedly yesterday that Stephen Carr would be returning to the Ireland squad in the autumn, Finnan was slightly taken aback, though he insisted it was always good to have competition for places.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, Finnan was struggling with a groin strain yesterday but should be fit to face Chile and he knows that a good performance will make him the man in possession of the right-back slot going into the autumn and the opening European qualifier against Germany.

He also knows that his greatest chance of winning medals rests with staying with Liverpool, and he has two years left on his contract in which to realise his biggest ambition of all.

“I am happy with the way it has gone for me and I want to hang around and win more trophies. You want to win as many as you can, store them somewhere and then sit back and enjoy them once you’re finished. But my great ambition is to complete the set with the Premiership.”

If he does it, it won’t be the easy way.

by **Bad Bob** » Sun May 21, 2006 7:03 pm

Finnan's a quality player and a real steadying influence on the team. All of that turmoil surrounding the car accident and the bollox racism charge at Old Trafford affected his form not a jot...he was simply outstanding for us this season. How Carr can get into Ireland's starting 11 ahead of him is beyond me!

Thanks for a great season Stevie F! :cool:

by **tubby** » Sun May 21, 2006 7:06 pm

He hasnt put a foot wrong at all. A very consistent player for us. One of Houlliers good signings.

Liverpool FC Forum

Finnan driving charge - Whats the latest

Who is online