THE sports-desk was treated to a beezer of a phone-call on Monday. One angry Liverpool fan, who would not identify himself, was banging on about the part played by Patrice Evra in the now infamous non-shake, battle and scold disgrace of a prelude to the Manchester United clash against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

The caller was railing at how Liverpool striker Luis Suarez had been, in his view, unfairly maligned in all quarters for not shaking the hand of the United captain, who had been racially abused by the Liverpool striker.

That ill-served refusal stoked yet more fuel on the incandescent fire raging between the two tribes as well as placing Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish in the intolerable position of defending his player in the mistaken belief that Suarez was going to shake Evra’s hand.

The sports-desk caller was bending the ear of esteemed sports editor Stuart Martel, insistent that Evra was getting off scot-free.

After asking to take over the call, I reminded the irate Reds fan that Suarez had admitted using the word “negro” or “negrito” to Evra seven times as was noted in the FA hearing report into the incident last October.

Even if Evra did celebrate wildly in front of Suarez after the final whistle of Man U’s 2-1 triumph, the fact was he was racially abused by Suarez, who conceded using the offensive word and who was found guilty and subsequently served an eight-match ban.

Whether such a word is common usage in his native Uruguay, as was originally claimed, it is not here. And as it obviously referred to the colour of Evra’s skin, it was racially abusive.

The sports-desk caller was then informed by myself – a Liverpool fan of 50 years’ standing, many on the Kop – that the fact Suarez went back on his assurance to his manager that he would complete the handshake was nothing short of a disgrace to the club and its supporters, whatever the merits of how wronged he may have felt.

It’s fair to say the caller remained far from mollified, but a racial insult is a racial insult. End of.

However, even if most Liverpool fans would wish to draw a line under the entire episode, and the apologies which emanated from Anfield less than a day after the incident were overdue, it’s not quite the finale is it?

Liverpool and – I hate to say this – King Kenny himself contributed to the February 11 fiasco.

By defending Suarez to the ultimate hilt, including sporting those stupid T-shirts at Wigan soon after the striker was charged, probably hinted to Suarez that he was untouchable. Big mistake.

There’s also the part played by the FA.

Why was the hand-shake ritual abandoned for the Chelsea v Queens Park Rangers clash to avoid a confrontation between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand – the Chelsea captain is to appear in court in July charged with racially abusing Ferdinand – when the pre-match parade of insincerity was allowed to go ahead at Old Trafford?

Also, why was the usual practice in top-flight matches of the home team walking down the line of the static away ranks to shake hands replaced by visitors Liverpool first proffering their hands to United?

And just one final matter. I can understand Sir Alex being angry at what he saw as a scandalous snub to his skipper.

But he should keep his Glaswegian nose out of deciding who should play for Liverpool FC, or any other club come to that matter.

His assertion that Suarez should never be allowed to play for Liverpool again was as rich as a banker’s bonus given how his United past is littered with defending Eric Cantona (he of the kung-fu kick into a fan’s solar plexus); Roy Keane (he of a feud that simmered until a savage tackle on Alf Inge-Haaland in a Manchester derby); and Rio Ferdinand (he of the forgotten drugs test). And that’s not even talking about Wayne Rooney. His errant behaviour could fill this entire column, no danger.

THIS week’s tawdry events also begged the question – just what is wrong with South American strikers?

Besides Suarez reneging on his assurance to his manager, a certain Carlos Tevez returned from his home in Argentina, where he has been in self-imposed exile, to seemingly try for a peace mission that might resurrect his career at Manchester City.

So what does Tevez say in an interview before boarding the plane? He claimed City’s manager Roberto Mancini treated him “like a dog”. Si, Senor Tevez – that should do it.