Sport 23-12-2002 Gerrard Apologises For Horror Tackle who: Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard what: Apologises for late tackle against Everton`s Gary Naysmith in Merseyside derby stalemate where: Anfield, LIVERPOOL when: Yesterday snippet: "Families can fall out over Christmas," says The Telegraph`s Henry Winter, "and Steven Gerrard almost divided Merseyside last night with a challenge on Everton`s Gary Naysmith that was so late he almost finished it on Boxing Day." "With two minutes remaining Gerrard, on a run down the right, was taken aback by the sliding interception with which Naysmith was about to dispossess him and leapt two-footed," says The Guardian`s Kevin McCarra, who watched the 0-0 draw at Anfield. "He landed on the knees and thighs of the prone Everton midfielder. The action was disproportionate and reckless." "I want to apologise for the tackle," says Gerrard, whose alleged foul went unpunished by referee Graham Poll. "I have gone in with two feet with my studs showing, but I tried to pull back as late as possible. I`ve apologised to the player after the game. If I tried to go straight through him then I`d have hurt him, but I did try to pull out of the tackle. It`s a derby game and tackles go flying in left, right and centre but it is never my intention to hurt a fellow player." However, Gerrard may yet be punished for the tackle by the FA video panel and a disrepute charge is not unlikely. As The Sun points out, "Dennis Bergkamp was recently fined £5,000 after being convicted on TV evidence of stamping on Blackburn`s Nils-Eric Johansson." [... more]

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