Michael Shields' parents have had a crunch meeting with Jack Straw in final bid to urge the Justice Secretary to free the jailed Liverpool fan who is widely recognised as wrongly imprisoned.
Ex-student Michael, 22, remaims behind bars four years after his conviction for attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria despite an international campaign to prove his innocence.
The Reds fan was found guilty of attacking Martin Georgiev after the club's European Cup victory in 2005 in the Black Sea resort of Varna.
Then aged just 18 and away from home without his parents for the first time, Michael has always maintained his innocence.
Following his transfer to the UK two years ago he is serving his 10-year term at Thorn Cross Prison in Warrington, though he has had numberous home leave visits in recent months.
His parents, Michael senior and Marie, were joined by supporters, Liverpool councillor Joe Anderson and Riverside MP Louise Ellman for the showdown with Mr Straw in his Blackburn constituency.
Mr Straw has the power to grant Micheel a royal pardon but has already said he is minded not to do so.
He claims top lawyers have advised him that there is not enough evidcne to show that Michael is "morally and technically innocent".
Mr Straw says that was the test set by three High Court judges who ruled on his earlier refusal to even consider a pardon.
Micahel's lawyers argue that the Justice Department legal team has misinterpreted the High court ruling to use it as "setting the bar high" for a pardon.
After the meeting Cllr Anderson said: "I am cautiously optimistic that Jack Straw will do the right thing. We have had many setbacks, but let's hope that's the case. He also said he would make the decision as quickly as possible."
Cllr Anderson, who has long campaigned for Micheel's freedom described the meeting with Mr Straw in Blackburn as "really positive". They had passed information to the minister he had not previously seen.
Mr Straw said: "On July 2 I made a provisional decision to refuse Michael Shields' application for a free pardon. I am sorry but it did not meet the test set by the court.
"I made clear at the time that I would welcome any further representations before I made a final decision. I am now going away urgently to consider what they have said alongside the further representations.
"I intend now to move quickly to a final decision on Michael Shields' application, taking into account what his parents said to me today and the written representations I have received on his behalf."
Maria Shields said: "Now that we have met Mr Straw face to face I feel more positive than I ever have before.
"Mr Straw listened carefully to what we said and the evidence that we showed him."
Mark, Liverpool around 2 years, 8 months ago