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The Football Writers’ Association has called for Liverpool and Everton to reconsider bans imposed on reporters from The Sun and to work with them alongside the Premier League to seek a resolution.

In February, Liverpool banned Sun journalists from both the training ground and Anfield over the newspaper’s coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Earlier this month, Everton issued a strongly-worded statement confirming The Sun would be banned from “all areas of the club’s operation” following a controversial column by Kelvin MacKenzie directed at midfielder Ross Barkley and the people of Liverpool.

The Sun swiftly suspended MacKenzie and apologised “for the offence caused”.

The newspaper had also released a statement following the Liverpool ban calling for further dialogue with the Anfield club.

The FWA, established in 1947, represents the interests of football journalists, and hopes an amicable resolution can be found.

A statement read: “The Football Writers’ Association is concerned by the recent bans imposed on The Sun by Liverpool FC and Everton FC.

“While the FWA understands the upset caused by the presence and views of columnist Kelvin MacKenzie, the organisation feels that its members, the football journalists, are being unfairly punished for actions which have nothing to do with them.

“The FWA has always believed in the fundamental principle that all of its members have a right to carry out their jobs and should not be banned because of the actions of others.

“Following discussions at National Committee level, we believe the clubs should reconsider these bans and work with the FWA and Premier League to resolve the situation.”

Liverpool and Everton were not available for comment when contacted by Press Association Sport on Friday morning.

Spokesman for Total Eclipse of the Sun campaign group on Merseyside, Paul Collins said: “We share some of the concerns of the FWA and we welcome their acknowledgement there is a problem here. Why don’t they come up to Liverpool and have discussions with civic leaders and Hillsborough families?”

He added: “This is a problem for the people of Merseyside and has been for the last 29 years and it has become a problem for other bodies as well.

“We as a group have said many times we firmly believe in the freedom of the press, or rather the freedom of a responsible press.

“I’d be very surprised if the ban is rescinded. We met both clubs and had very constructive meetings.

“This is an honest boycott. We don’t create anti-Sun feeling, the newspaper did that.

“We are decent people and I would regret it if people painted us as anything different.”