The English 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 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 after the Champions League final in Istanbul.
Liverpool's players were seen wearing 'Free Michael now' T-shirts ahead of the televised 0-0 draw with West Ham at Anfield.
Despite another man confessing to the attack, Shields was locked up, but his supporters still campaign to prove his innocence. An FA spokesman said: "We have spoken to Liverpool today. We understand that Michael Shields' case is a very emotive issue and one that many Liverpool players and fans feel strongly about.
"We are satisfied that they understand the sensitivities around football matches being used as a platform for political messages."
* PA Sport
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.