Hillsborough campaigner reluctant to accept Suarez donation

Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall has admitted to having reservations about accepting Luis Suarez’s donation to the families of the 96 victims.

Suarez was fined by Liverpool for biting Branislav Ivanovic in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea and requested the money be donated to the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG).

Aspinall, chairwoman of HFSG acknowledged that Suarez was attempting to make amends with the gesture but described the incident with Ivanovic as “awful”.

“I would rather not be accepting the fine from Luis Suarez because I would rather he had not bitten that player,” she told The Daily Mail.

“It is a nice gesture but it is a terrible thing under the circumstances. We can’t say we are grateful because we would rather him not have done that at all.

“It is an awful thing at any time not just this particular week. It is nice to know he knows he has let himself, the club and the [Hillsborough] families down.

“We could refuse to accept it but it is going to have to go to someone, and he wants to show respect and remorse to the families.”

Suarez also faces a lengthy ban after the Football Association described a three-match suspension for the incident as “insufficient”.