Liverpool's recently appointed Director of Communications, Jen Chang, could face the chop after bizarrely threatening a Liverpool fan who created a parody twitter account.
CCTV: Liverpool's communications chief Jen Chang met 'Duncan Jenkins' in Manchester
The new PR Chief, brought in to improve the clubs image after last season's Suarez debacle, has brought further embarrassment on to the club - and Ian Ayre has been forced to apologise to the Liverpool supporter involved.
Liverpool fan Sean Cummins was the man behind the popular parody twitter account Duncan Jenkins. Under this alter ego he correctly guessed Liverpool line ups, and pretended to have inside knowledge of transfers, based on articles in the national media.
However, according to Duncan Jenkins, Jen Chang tracked him down this August and agreed to meet him in a restaurant in Manchester - here Chang demanded to know who the 'Liverpool mole' was and suggested he would get tabloid journalists to run smear stories on - stories which could affect his family business, see him receive hate-mail from Liverpool fans, etc Chang even suggested that the fake twitter account cost Liverpool money in transfer deals.
Sean detailed the email contact and the meetings in Manchester in this blog post.
A leaked image was revealed a fortnight ago of CCTV footage showing Cummins and Chang meeting at the restaurant in Manchester.
According to Sporting Intelligence, Ian Ayre has met Duncan Jenkins twice in recent days and he has received a written apology from the club.
“Based on everything I have heard and seen, including information provided by the parties involved in the matter, I acknowledge some of the elements you highlight were not appropriate …
“I would therefore like to apologise to you on behalf of Liverpool FC, for any upset and distress this caused you.
“Clearly it is not appropriate for me to comment on how the club is managing this internally, and I trust you understand this.”
Jen Chang has become close to a number of Liverpool bloggers in recent months in an effort to help spread 'the clubs message' out to the fans - giving them access to player interviews, press conferences and joining the mainstream media in the Anfield press box. Some supporters have suggested that this relationship stopped Duncan Jenkins original complaint from being investigated.
Jen Chang must be sacked immediately, he has after all brought the club into disrepute and any other company would have sacked him the moment the bullying came to light. He is also not qualified enough to hold the position of Communications Director so I suspect he just struck lucky at his interview.
what has it come to when our club has to appoint some half baked l.f.c fan to sell us abroad.I live a mile from the ground always have done.I am a season ticket holder.I have seen my team play all over the world and have willingly payed for that privilege. Now it has to be some nobody who supports no team and is being payed to do so. Shankly would turn in his grave.GET WISE LIVERPOOL,SACK IAN AYRE, HE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT, SACK JEN CHANG, HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT OUR CLUB AND APPOINT SOMEBODY WHO CAN PUT OUR CLUB ACROSS IN A LIGHT THAT MADE US THE CLUB WE ARE.