Liverpool Football Club - A Positive Outlook

LFC

LFC - You'll Never Walk Alone

Chelsea FootballClub

Welcome to the first edition of The LFC Times which is a new, independent view of the events at Liverpool FC.

I have written a number of blogs on a wide range of subjects related to LFC, as well as being a regular contributor to posts in the LFC website fans forum, simply because Liverpool Football Club is my passion and just like millions of other fans worldwide, I have very firm views on everything to do with this world sporting icon that I happen to love very much.

However, this new project is designed to be more than just another blog and more than can be achieved within existing forums. The purpose of this new, online voice is to counter the vast amount of negative material that is being written and spoken about Liverpool FC by presenting an honest, forthright viewpoint of events at Anfield. The Story So Far.........

Let me see. It goes a little like this:

* The tactics are wrong

* The manager is old school, whose failed ideas are rooted in a previous generation that is not compatible with football today

* Our team is too old

* Our players are not good enough

* We have no chance of winning anything

* We were outfought and outclassed by Manchester City when we played them

* We need another striker

When you consider all the 'expert opinion' that has been written and spoken about LFC since the start of the season, it is a wonder that we are bothering to even turn up this season.

On top of all that, there is the ongoing saga of 'The Takeover' which is currently an issue that has gone very quiet but which seems to be a source of so much depression amongst LFC supporters.

It seems that whenever I pick up a newspaper or tune in to the television or radio, someone is voicing an opinion that amounts to "The King is dead. Long live The King"

Well, if you don't all mind, I think that rumours of the death of LFC are a little premature. We are alive and well and I have every reason to believe that L4 will soon be buzzing again.

The media have an agenda, or several agendas, actually and the trouble at the moment is, that so many people are being sucked in by the poisonous words that they are spouting.

Let us look at the first 10 games that we have to play, in the Premier league, this season. Arsenal and Chelsea at home plus Man City, Birmingham, Everton and man Utd away, that's 6 really tough away fixtures in the first 10 matches, not to mention Bolton, a notoriously difficult away fixture for any team. If you count that one as well, that makes 5 tough, uncompromising away fixtures plus 2 very tough home fixtures.

Given that sort of start to a season, I would be happy if, at the end of that run, we had only lost a couple of matches and were within 6 to 9 points of a top four place. Currently we are 2 points from that goal!

Let me repeat that.

After what the pundits are describing as a wretched start to the season, we are just 2 points away from 4th place. Hmmm.... awful start eh?

Shankley

How come, I wonder, no one seems to be writing about the early demise of Spurs and free spending man City? Have you had a look at their league position? Taken a peek at how many points they each have?

Well, just in case you haven't, let me enlighten you.

Man City and Spurs both have 5 points, which is exactly the same as....... erm...... Liverpool! And Villa have 6. Add in to that the fact that Everton have 2 points and you can see that, apart from Chelsea and Arsenal, none of the expected top 8 clubs have yet performed this season.

I don't, however, see or hear the same terminal diagnosis for any of the other slow starters.

Liverpool, though, have become the number one, easy targets and so, this onslaught is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Allow me to explain why...

Firstly, they make an easy story. Journalists don't even have to think. All they need to do is rewrite all the old stories, over and over again. Stories about the failings of LFC are easy to write but have you noticed, when you read and listen to this stuff, that there is nothing new or original about any of it?

* Torres has never recovered from his injury

* Torres is lazy and disinterested

* Liverpool are short of quality and have a weak squad

* The manager doesn't seem to know what he is doing

* Our players are lacking in motivation

These same old phrases keep getting written and rewritten by every Tom, Dick and Harry without any thought, research or imagination whatsoever.

Let's have a look at Liverpool's strongest 11:

Steven Gerrard

Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Koncheski, Kuyt, Gerrard, Meireles, Maxi, Cole, Torres.

Then let's look at the choice of subs: Agger, Kyrgiakos, Aurelio, Lucas, Poulson, Pacheco, Kelly, Ngog, Babel, all of which are either established full international players or Under 21, promising and talented young players and I have left a few out, too.

That makes 20 players who are somewhere between good and brilliant.

So, spare me the rubbish about the quality of our players. They are more than good enough for the top 4 this season.

Next we have the backlash from 4 successive decades of being one of the top sides in England, and for 2 of those decades we were THE top side in England, Europe and, truth be told, probably the world, at club level. During that time, in fact, we probably would have beaten most international sides.

So, there are a lot of reporters and ex players out there with an axe to grind, who have been waiting 20 to 30 years for Liverpool to stumble, just so they could gloat and exact some revenge. Most of those are part of the southern press machine.

And finally, we have the awful PR job that we have carried out these past 3 years, meaning that some of what we are currently receiving is to be expected.

Our owners have made a right pig's ear of overseeing club business matters, we had a chief executive (Rick Parry) who just made matters worse by being inept in the transfer market and then we had Rafa, the subject of some sort of misplaced and misguided folklore status by so many of our supporters.

Rafa, with his smug, self serving media attitude did us a lot of harm and brought a lot of the poor perception of LFC down upon us himself. Had he been a bit more media friendly, I am convinced the press image of us would be much better than it has been.

Having said that, lets look at what we have won during the past 5 years:

* Champions League

* FA Cup

* Super Cup

* Charity Shield

Then, on top of that, we have been League Cup runners up, Premier League runners up, World Club runners up and Champions league runners up as well, plus Champions League semi finalists and Europa League semi finalists.

How bad is that, eh?

Last season we lost 19 matches in all competitions and so is it any wonder that we have started off in an uncertain manner? The squad has had to exist through endless rumours of takeovers, a new manager, the loss of 2 very influential players, plus continual speculation (again, magnified by the media) about key players and then, we have new players who need time to settle into the team and the team is having to get used to new personnel on and off the pitch, new ideas, new ways of doing things.

You don't go from losing 19 matches to suddenly playing great football all in one seamless movement. It takes time.

The first thing is that a team needs to tighten up and become hard to beat, which we are in the process of achieving, in my view and then, from that comes confidence. Then, bit by bit, that confidence grows and shows itself in the type of football that is played.

On top of that, new players have to bed in and the manager has to discover, through trial and improvement, through experimenting, which combinations of players is the best suited to achieving what he wants.

It just takes time.

But be in no doubt. The players are plenty good enough. The manager is good enough. The fans are good enough.

Let's give the team and the manager a break. Let's be patient and see out the first 10 matches and then, once they are out of the way and once the early season international fiasco is over, maybe we will start to see the revival become stronger.

I am most certainly not walking alone. Remember, we are LFC. We are proud, we are strong, we are knowledgable and we are passionate.

Bring it on!

Liverpool Football Club - A Positive Outlook

Billy Liddell - Liverpool FC Legend

Billy Liddell is believed by many Liverpool fans to be the best player of his generation. Born in Scotland in 1922, Liddell signed for Liverpool in 1938, a career that was affected by the onset of the second world war as the English league was suspended from 1939 until the end of the war in 1945, with the First division resuming for the 1946-47 season. Like many players of the time Liddell signed up for the armed forces and joined the Royal Air Force, he re-joined Liverpool and resumed his football career after the war.

Liddell made his official Liverpool league debut in a match against Chelsea, at the start of the 1946-47 season, scoring two of the goals as Liverpool went onto win the game 7-4, and during his first full season in which he started thirty-four matches, and scored seven goals, he helped Liverpool win the league title, a feat that unfortunately wasn't to be repeated during his career.

Chelsea FC

Billy Liddell would go onto be Liverpool's leading goal scorer in eight out of nine seasons from 1949 to 1958. A player of great versatility, Liddell played in nearly every outfield position at one time or another but preferred a striking role, where his quick pace and lightening shot caused havoc amongst the opposition defences. His preferred centre forward role, saw him score his seasons best tally of 33 goals during the 1955-56 season.

In 1950 Liddell inspired Liverpool to their first ever Wembley FA Cup final appearance, which they unfortunately lost on the day 2-0 to Arsenal.

Unfortunately Liverpool were a team in decline, and were relegated to the second division in 1954, and despite offers from others clubs, Liddell always remained loyal to Liverpool, and is credited by many for keeping them in the second division, when at worst, Liverpool avoided relegation to the third division and relative obscurity.

Liddell continued his goal scoring and in total netted 228 goals for the club in 534 appearances, a record that probably would have been bettered if it wasn't for the war years. Always popular amongst the fans he made his last appearance for the club in 1960, many fans still rue the fact that he didn't play during the management of Bill Shankly and Liverpool's revolution and rise back to footballing glory. After illness Billy Liddell passed away in 2001, he will always be remembered as a Liverpool legend.

Billy Liddell - Liverpool FC Legend

What Next for Liverpool FC?

Is this the most turbulent time in the history of Liverpool Football Club? Underperforming on the pitch and uncertainty off it. It is said that the problems of nay business should be traced back to the highest level and no one would question this of Liverpool's fate. The problems stem back to the owners, American's George Gillet and Tom Hicks. The paid clearly have a successful business past building up their millions and running sports teams in the States. However they seem to have taken major gambles in the purchase of Liverpool FC that have not paid off. They gambled that funding one big investment in Fernando Torres would guarantee success...it hasn't. They gambled that the economics market would continue to rise...but then game the world banking crisis. They gambled on being able to obtain external funding for the new stadium....they couldn't because their credit rate was falling. Finally but most significantly, they gambled that leveraging the club with purchase debt would be manageable by increased revenues off the pitch.....it hasn't.

Hicks and Gillett do not sit on the board of Liverpool FC, that is mainly comprised of Chairman Martin Broughton, Managing Director Christian Purslow and Commerical Director Ian Ayre. All three publicly want a sale and to see the club in the hands of new owners who will not saddle the club with leveraged debt. The Americans want a reported £600million for the club which will net them a healthy profit for their time on Mersyside. If RBS complete their option of calling the club into their ownership because of non repayment of loans worth £237million then they may sell for around this mark as they will only look to recall their loans, not make a large profit from the club (aside from the vast interest profits already made that is).

Chelsea FootballClub

Given the above figures, who has got a spare £600million to buy a football club? Especially as the board will block an attempt at a leveraged purchase. And then they would be required to fund investment on the pitch and possibly the new stadium too, as hard as the current board look there are not too many people with that sort of spare change. With that in mind it is likely that a sale will not materialise before the RBS deadline. Prospective buyers with £600million to spend may also sit tight and wait to buy the club at a knocked down price of £240million from RBS and then they would have surplus cash to invest in the first team and a new stadium, in that sense £600million would go a long, long way and would purchase the three World Class players required to accompany Gerrard and Torres in the Liverpool team.

So, Liverpool fans clearly don't want Hicks and Gillett and longer than they have to have them, but do they really want RBS running their club and making the financial decisions? Baring in mind that RBS are technically state owned, is that a better solution? Who can afford to buy the club is also un-known as there is not an un-limited supply of Arab state oil merchants shopping for football clubs. Liverpool fans may have to be patient in their wait for a resolution and pray that it does not cause too much damage in the process.

What Next for Liverpool FC?

Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

At the tender age of 9 young Steven Gerrard joined the Liverpool FC youth academy after being spotted by Liverpool scouts playing for his hometown team, Whiston Juniors. He had trials for a few different clubs including Manchester Utd but eventually signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in 1997.

In his first season he made 13 appearances, often looking out of his depth and nervous. It wasn't until the 2000 - 01 season that Gerrard made a real impact, he scored 10 goals and contributed to the team winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. After a trophyless season during 2003 - 04, Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea. He finally turned down the £20 million move and decided to stay at Anfield under new coach Rafa Benitez.

Chelsea FC

Benitez built the strong new Liverpool squad that reached the finals of the Champions League in 2005 against AC Milan. Liverpool had a shocking first half and were 3-0 down, only to turn the scoreline around during six minutes of the second half. Gerrard scored one of the goals and was a huge influence throughout the match. Liverpool eventually won the game on penalties and Gerrard won Man Of The Match. Gerrard turned down another move to Chelsea that summer, even though he was offered £100,000 a week.

In 2006 Gerrard became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes to win the PFA Player Of The Year and scored twice in the FA Cup final against West Ham Utd. He made his 300th Premier League appearance for the club in 2008 and scored the opening goal against Blackburn Rovers. in 2009, Gerrrard was named as The Football Writers Association Player Of The Year.

He continues to play for Liverpool and is currently captain of England. Steven Gerrard is a true Liverpool FC legend.

Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

Peter Beardsley - Liverpool FC Legend

Peter Beardsley was born in Newcastle, England in 1961 and was signed by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish at the beginning of the 1987-88 season, for a then British record transfer fee of £1.9million, from Beardsley's hometown club Newcastle United.

Ironically Beardsley had been released by Newcastle in his early career, before being re-signed for £150,00. During a turbulent early career Beardsley had also signed for Manchester United for £250,000 before being released on a free contract after playing just one game for them, he also had short spells at Carlisle United and Vancouver in Canada.

Chelsea FC

Beardsley signed for Liverpool at the same time as John Barnes, and along with John Aldridge, would develop a fearsome striking force at Liverpool. The new strike force at Liverpool had taken over from Ian Rush, who had left for Juventus and Kenny Dalglish, who had become player manager, by this stage however Dalglish's appearances on the pitch were very infrequent.

Although the Dalglish and Rush era would be a big act to follow, the new attacking trio didn't take long to gel and Beardsley soon signalled his intent during a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, and his first goals soon followed.

During his first season at Liverpool, Peter Beardsley scored 18 goals and played in 48 games as Liverpool won the First Division title in style. During the 1989 season, which was marred by the Hillsborough tragedy, Liverpool beat local rivals Everton in the FA Cup Final.

Liverpool went onto to win another League title with the help Peter Beardsley, in 1990. With the return of Ian Rush, Beardsley formed the main striking partnership and scored 10 goals in 29 games that season.

When Graeme Souness was appointed as Liverpool manager and the signing of Dean Saunders in the summer of 1991, saw Beardsley first team appearances diminish and in a nearly unprecedented move, he signed for Everton for one million pounds.

In total Peter Beardsley made 175 appearances and scored 59 goals for Liverpool, and many believe his greatest Liverpool game was a hat-trick he scored against arch rivals Manchester United, and his outstanding performance against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi final when he scored one and created another two goals for Liverpool, will never be forgotten.

Peter Beardsley - Liverpool FC Legend

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

Times are looking bleak for Liverpool football club and for Liverpool fans across the globe. While the club's owners seem to show no interest in the club and are only concerned with their own financial gain, Liverpool have won just 3 games in 15 and have already been knocked out of the Champion's League before the knockout stages have even begun. On top of all of this, the club is in tremendous debt and it seems that they may soon have to sell some of their biggest stars (also known as 'assets') if they cannot make their annual interest payment of £20 million (brought about by their £300 million loan that was taken out two years ago).

Many fans fear that Liverpool may soon become the new Leeds United (who finished fourth in the Premier Division less than 10 years ago and are now playing in the third tier of English football) is problems are not sorted out on and off the field, and if the club don't finish in the top 4 league positions this year (thus earning them qualification to the Champion's League).

Chelsea

With news today that Chelsea are preparing to mount a £30 million bid to secure the services of Liverpool's 29 year old captain, should Liverpool sell their influential skipper in January? In my opinion they should either do one of two things; sell Gerrard (but not for £30 - for a figure nearer to £50m) or change their formation so that Gerrard plays as a right wing-back (much like Dani Alves does for Barcelona).

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

Alan Kennedy - Liverpool FC Legend

Alan Kennedy spent seven great years at Liverpool Football Club, and will always be remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 1981 European Cup final against Real Madrid. He made 359 appearances for the Reds, winning six League titles, two European cups, and four League Cups.

Born in Sunderland in 1954, Kennedy began his football career playing for rivals Newcastle United, ironically he played for Newcastle against Liverpool in the 1973 FA Cup final as the Reds were 3-0 winners.

Chelsea FC

A no nonsense, tough tackling full back, Kennedy was always a fans favourite at Newcastle and he soon endeared himself to the Liverpool fans when he signed just before the start of the 1978-79 season for a fee of £330,000 under then manager Bob Paisley.

He quickly adapted to Liverpool's way of playing and made 37 league appearances in each of his first two seasons at the club, as he helped them win and then retain the league title.

Although he missed much of the 1980-81 through injury he returned to score two vital goals that would see Liverpool win two trophies, the first goal was against West Ham in the League Cup final, which took Liverpool to a replay, which they then won, and the second was the winning goal against Real Madrid in the European Cup final, for Liverpool to win the European Cup for the third time in five seasons.

Although he only scored twenty goals during his time at Anfield, but Alan Kennedy had already gained the reputation of scoring crucial goals in important matches, he scored again as Liverpool beat Manchester United in the League Cup final of 1983 and a year later was on hand to convert the winning penalty to beat Roma, during a shoot-out to decide the winners of 1984 European Cup final, after the game finished in a 1-1 draw, this was the fourth time Liverpool had won the trophy.

Kennedy played many games for Liverpool the following season, but after the signing of full back Jim Beglin, his place in the first team was no longer guaranteed and he was sold to his native Sunderland. For all those big goals on big nights for Liverpool Alan Kennedy will always remain a Liverpool legend.

Alan Kennedy - Liverpool FC Legend

Liverpool FC Getting Used to Mediocrity?

There was a time in the not too distant past when a trip to Anfield was regarded by every opposing fan as a highly stressful affair where coming away with a point was a moral victory. In those days English football drew most of its talent from the home countries and that was true of management as well. Liverpool had a succession of strong managers who created a legacy of winning which, today, weighs heavily like a millstone around the necks of players and supporters alike. They have in recent years tasted limited success under the tutelage of Rafe Benitez, but his failure to secure the premiership and their general lack of consistency has been his ultimate undoing.

English football has undergone a major revolution since the advent of Sky TV and their millions. Suddenly the world's best saw the premiership as the place to play. It is no coincidence that the last Liverpool title win in the 1989-90 season was the first year that Sky began broadcasting as BSkyB. It was their inability to adapt to the new era in football that has seen them lagging behind Manchester United, Arsenal and latterly Chelsea. In effect Liverpool's intransigence and unwillingness to change has seemingly meant that they have missed the boat. Now their past success has become a point of ridicule by, in particular, Manchester United fans who had to stand by as title after title headed towards Anfield in the seventies and eighties.

Chelsea Football Club

Today Liverpool were beaten by their arch rivals Everton and they sit humiliatingly at the foot of the table with West Ham and Wolves. This has been the worst start to the season for the Reds for 57 years and has made the task of lifting the players and the club a daunting task for incumbent manager Roy Hodgson. Matters off the field regarding the ownership of Liverpool FC Limited have also added to the unsettling atmosphere at the club. It begs the question whether a club floundering at the foot of the premiership can possibly hold on to world class talent like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard? In the case of Gerrard he could not be blamed if he decided to move on from a club he has shown great, yet fruitless, loyalty to over many years. It just goes to show that nothing is forever. No club has the right to be at the top and they certainly cannot use the past as a sign of pedigree. You are only as good as your last result and Liverpool lost 2-0 to the club from across the city. Judging by their current league position the only way is up for the Reds. I wish them well.

Liverpool FC Getting Used to Mediocrity?

Bruce Grobbelaar - Liverpool FC Legend

Bruce Grobbelaar spent nearly fourteen years at Liverppol, and will probably be remembered for his eccentricities on the pitch as well as his great goalkeeping skills, the fact remains that he won six League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and famously one European Cup in 1984.

Born in 1957 in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Grobberlaar was signed from North America side Vancouver Whitecaps for 250,000 in March 1981 by then manager Bob Paisley. Within months of signing he secured a regular first team place after Liverpool goalkeeping legend Ray Clemence signed for Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea FC

An amazing 310 consecutive appearances for Liverpool over five seasons then followed, although it wasn't all plain sailing. Some erratic performances and errors, for which Grobberlaar took the blame, saw Liverpool languishing in the mid-table of the first division and seemingly out of the title race, however a dramatic resurgence at the turn of the year saw Liverpool win the league title during his first season at the club, as well as beating Tottenham in the League Cup final.

The Liverpool fans soon warmed to Grobbelaar, he showed superb reflexes as a goalkeeper and had great natural ability, always vocal, he displayed a great command of his penalty area and would often be seen berating his defenders, often described as flamboyant he was also renowned for his eccentric moments, punching the ball when it could easily have been caught, or catching the ball with just one hand rather than two. He was renowned for his long throws and dribbling the ball up the pitch or even running up the pitch to contest a header in the centre circle. Heart stopping one minute, and making breath taking saves the next, he would always keep the crowd on their toes, and even entertained the fans by doing handstands on the pitch while the ball was in play.

One of Bruce Grobbelaar's most famous moments was during the 1984 European Cup final penalty shoot-out he wobbled his legs in 'mock terror' before the penalty kicks were taken, many believe this made two of the Milan players totally miss their penalty kicks, as Liverpool went on to win the trophy.

When Liverpool signed David James, there was greater competition for the goalkeepers jersey, and after two very competitive seasons, in 1994 Bruce Grobbelaar finally left Liverpool after making 628 appearances for the club, for whatever reason, he will never be forgotten.

Bruce Grobbelaar - Liverpool FC Legend

Who Wants to Buy Liverpool Football Club

George Gillett and Tom Hicks are the current owners of the reputable Liverpool Football club, which of course I home to our very own, Steven Gerrard. The two owners could possibly see the once in a lifetime opportunity of a Football Club investment, clearly go down the pan.

The current financial meltdown on a worldwide scale has pushed the Royal Bank of Scotland to start pressuring the two owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, to repay their initial loan of £350m, which was used to purchase the club a while back.

Chelsea FootballClub

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum the rulers in Dubai have had a keen interest in Liverpool Football Club for the past couple of years, which eventually led to them placing an offer of £500m not so long ago, which was of course, denied. Maybe the two owners are wishing they had accepted the offer!

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum have now expressed that they are not in a position or interested in buying the club anymore, although the offer of £350m may tempt them back into the bidding race, a full £150m below what they previously offered.
The uncertainty behind the Liverpool team could have devastating effects and could see them in financial ruin in the long term.

The current owners have decided not to release details on their current financial situation or future plans of the Club. This being said, investment analysts are in a strong position to suggest that the club will be sold off, and they'll be no problem finding a buyer, its just a case of at what price!

Who Wants to Buy Liverpool Football Club

Kevin Keegan - Liverpool FC Legend

Kevin Keegan began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968 and signed for Liverpool in 1971 for an amazing £35,000, under the management of Bill Shankly, Keegan went on to become one of Liverpool's greatest ever players.

On August 14th 1971, Kevin Keegan made his Liverpool debut at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and after only twelve minutes he scored his first Liverpool goal. Keegan was originally signed for his midfield qualities, but his abilities as a forward were soon recognised and he went onto forge a great partnership with striker John Toshack.

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Keegan won his first honours with Liverpool in 1973, when they won the First Division title, as well as wining the UEFA Cup, scoring two goals in the first leg of the final against German side Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The following season Liverpool lost the league title to Leeds United, but Keegan had a successful season, playing in all 42 League games and another 19 in cup competitions. He was the Liverpools' top scorer in the League with 13 goals and, Keegan scored two goals as Liverpool beat Newcastle United 3-0 to win the FA Cup final, and another four goals in the qualifying games leading up to the final.

Keegan had by now completely endeared himself to the Liverpool fans, with his commitment and work rate, Bill Shankly once describing him as a 'born winner' The adoration between the fans and Keegan was mutual, he was quoted as saying "The only thing I fear is missing an open goal in front of the Kop, when they start singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' my eyes start to water. There have been times when I've actually been crying while I've been playing''

The 1975-76 season was to be his finest as a Liverpool player, with his all round play and crucial goals, proving pivotal in another league and UEFA Cup double, and Keegan was awarded the Footballer of the Year title.

At the beginning of the 1976-77 season, Kevin Keegan confirmed his intention to leave the club and join German side Hamburg in twelve months time, his huge popularity was dented significantly amongst the Liverpool fans, with many questioning his loyalty to the club.

Keegan's work ethic and commitment however were never in doubt, as he help Liverpool as they looked certain to achieve to an unprecedented 'Treble' which was to be denied by Manchester United winning the FA Cup final, a few days later however, Keegan won back the everlasting affection of the supporters with an amazing performance against Borussia Moenchengladbach to win the European Cup.

Keegan fulfilled his promise and joined Hamburg at the end of the season, after a total of 323 appearances and exactly 100 goals for Liverpool. Keegan went on to be crowned European footballer of the year on two occasions while at Hamburg, but he will always remain one of Liverpool's heroes, and there'll always be a special place for him in the heart of the Liverpool fans.

Kevin Keegan - Liverpool FC Legend

John Barnes - Liverpool FC Legend

Born in 1963, John Barnes became a true Liverpool legend. Barnes signed for Liverpool from Watford for a fee of 900,000 pounds in 1987, after making 292 appearances for Watford and scoring 83 goals.

Barnes was an instant success at Liverpool, he teamed up with attacking players.

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John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley, and later Ian Rush, to form the most formidable attacking force of the era.

With the ball at his feet, Barnes was always poised, always enthralling, he combined a blend of strength and skill, and his play was often described as awesome.

Goal scoring aside, John Barnes made a great impact on the Liverpool team and during his first season at the club he helped them to a record-equalling 29-game unbeaten run and, ultimately, a 17th league title for Liverpool. Barnes was awarded the 1987-88 Player of the Year award, the only down point on a fantastic season was defeat to Wimbledon in a dramatic FA Cup final, which denied Liverpool winning the double.

Many say Barnes first season at Liverpool was his best, but he always performed consistently well over the nine years he spent at Liverpool,

1989 saw Liverpool win the FA Cup final against local rivals Everton, however this victory was over shadowed by the tragic events at Hillsborough in the semi-final.

During the 1989-90 season, Liverpool again won the League, while Barnes was Liverpool's top-scorer with 22 league goals and he was again awarded as Player of the Year.

Barnes became the club captain in the mid 1990's, and he also had a great influence on the youngsters in the team at that time, the likes of Robbie Fowler, Jamie Redknapp and Steve McManaman all benefited from playing and training alongside Barnes.

Age started to catch up with Barnes and a serious injury meant he lost some of his effectiveness as a 'winger' and he then assumed a central midfield role, one which he performed outstandingly, with great passing and vision for the game, he was able to hold the ball well and his short, sharp passing game, meant that the Liverpool midfield rarely conceded possession.

Barnes led the Liverpool side out for the 1996 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United which was to be his last high-profile game for the club. A year later, the midfielder finally ended his career with Liverpool when he signed for Newcastle United.

For those that saw Barnes play, will agree that his illustrious career with Liverpool made him a true legend.

John Barnes - Liverpool FC Legend

Premier League: Liverpool To Lose 9 Points Owing To Ridiculous Rule

Why should players be penalised for no fault of theirs? Liverpool FC face the unwelcome prospect of being docked 9 points in the Premier League, thereby pushing them into possible relegation.

This is what is likely to happen if Kop Holdings the company that owns the club goes into administration, an event that looks increasingly likely to happen after the Premier League's approval of the club's sale to New England Sports Ventures (NESV).

Chelsea FC

NESV, the owners of Boston Red Sox have made a bid to buy the troubled Anfield outfit for 300 million pounds. The Premier League has approved the sale in the face of opposition from the current American owners who consider said offer an undervalued bid, and are holding out for double the amount, at 600 million.

George Gillett and Tom Hicks bought the club in 2007 for 174 million. The debts of the club which stood at 40 million when the American duo bought Kop Holdings have risen to 240 million, apart from another 40 million payable to Royal Bank of Scotland, the creditor.

To foil the bid, the American owners sacked the chairman and another director and tried to foist their own candidates in their place. But the move came after the directors had approved the sale to NESV.

The Premier League is run as a corporation, with each of its 20 member clubs owning a share. With the Premier League in its turn approving the sale, it is in the club's interest to have their owners in place by October 15, to avoid having to pay an additional 60 million to RBS as penalty for defaulting on the loan repayment.

In case the sale doesn't go through by the October 15 deadline, RBS has the option of extending the deadline till the sale transpires, following due process of law. Such a move would absolve the new owners of having to pay the 60 million pounds in penalty to RBS.

Gillett and Hicks are likely to try and block the takeover of the club by NESV, in the High Court, an action that would automatically push Kop Holdings into administration.

Irrespective of what happens, in the High Court, the poor players of Liverpool FC would still have to pay for the board room wrangles at Anfield.

In case the holding company Kop Holdings goes into administration, the club would be penalized nine points. Liverpool have just six points from seven games and are currently in 18th position on the Premier League points table.

Incidentally, Portsmouth were the first Premier League squad to receive the nine-point penalty and consequent relegation, last season, after the club went into administration. Liverpool look set to follow in Portsmouth's footsteps.

Premier League: Liverpool To Lose 9 Points Owing To Ridiculous Rule

In The Beginning - The History Of Liverpool Football Club

The English football league was formed in 1888, and on September 8th, Anfield laid turf to the first football league game in its history. The home team wasn't dressed in red, as would be the case now-a-days. They wore the blue and white strip of Everton FC.

This marked the beginning of what was to become a great name in world football - Anfield.

Chelsea FC

The man behind Everton FC, and the owner of the Anfield ground was John Houlding, a local brewer and pub owner, member of the local council, and later the Mayor of the city of Liverpool.

In 1892, however, a row broke out between Houlding and the Everton board. Tensions had been building up over some time, because the Everton board felt that Houlding was profiting quite considerably from the sales of ales on match day, and the final straw broke when he raised the ground rent.

Everton FC left Anfield, and moved to their new home at Goodison Park, leaving behind a handful of players. The same week Houlding founded Liverpool FC on 15th of March, with William E. Barclay as club secretary and John McKenna as chairman and manager of the team.

Liverpool FC wasn't allowed immediate access to the football league, and started life in the Lancashire League. Their first competitive match was played at Anfield in front of a handful of spectators, while Everton was playing a game the same day in front of a crowd of 10,000. The rivalry was on!

Liverpool FC won their first game, a friendly against Rotherham, by an impressive 7-1 score. Their first league game they won 8-0, and they went on to comfortably winning the Lancashire League, as well as the Liverpool District Cup and the Reserves Cup. Quite an achievement for a club less than 12 months old.

Houlding adopted the City of Liverpool's colour, red, for the playing shirts in 1894, and the liverbird in the club crest in 1904. Later the club slogan "You'll Never Walk Alone" has been added.

This is how 3 men, in 1892, founded what was later to become the most successful club in the history of English Football - Liverpool FC.

In The Beginning - The History Of Liverpool Football Club

Ronnie Whelan - Liverpool FC Legend

Born in 1961 Ronnie Whelan began his football career in the Irish League, before being signed by Liverpool under manager Bob Paisley in 1979 for a cut price £35,000. Signing Whelan proved to be a very shrewd investment as he went on to captain the club and make over 400 appearances for Liverpool.

Whelan was a hard working skilful midfield player, who could also double up as a defender when required, he made his debut against Stoke City in 1981 and crowned his debut with a goal in the 3-0 victory.

Chelsea FC

It was the 1981-82 season that Ronnie Whelan established a regular place in the Liverpool first team, a season that would see Liverpool win the League Cup with Whelan scoring two goals against Spurs in the final. Liverpool then went onto win the League title, and as if that was enough for his first full season, Whelan was then voted as the young player of the year.

Having succeed his midfield role from the great Ray Kennedy, Whelan fitted into the role straight away, never looking out of his depth in this great Liverpool team. They retained both the League title and the League Cup the following season, with Whelan scoring again in the final, this time against Manchester United.

Things just got better for Liverpool as the 1984 season saw them win a treble of trophies, retaining the League title, the league Cup and the not so small addition of the European Cup, as Liverpool won this trophy for the fourth time.

Despite a surprising trophy less season during 1985, Ronnie Whelan had a great season during the 1985/86 campaign as Liverpool won the League Cup and FA Cup when they beat Merseyside rivals Everton in the final.

After missing much of the 1987/88 season through injury and losing his place in the team to Nigel Spackman, Ronnie bounced back the following season being made club captain following a long term injury to Alan Hansen, as Liverpool won the FA Cup in the 1988/89 season, but narrowly missed out on the League title as Arsenal scored in the final seconds of the season to clinch the title.

Whelan was part of the Liverpool team that reclaimed the title in 1990, however due to injuries and the emergence of new players Ronnie Whelan's appearances for Liverpool were now diminishing, Despite a resurgence under manager Graeme Souness his days at Liverpool now seemed numbered, as he faced competition for his place from players like Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp and he left Liverpool to Southend United in 1994 after making 443 Appearances and scoring 73 goals, he will always remain a Liverpool Football Club legend.

Ronnie Whelan - Liverpool FC Legend

Graeme Souness - Liverpool FC Legend

Graeme Souness signed for Liverpool from Middlesbrough in 1978, for a fee of £350,000, which was a record transfer fee between two English clubs at that time. Souness spent six glorious years at Liverpool where he won five League titles, three European Cups and four League Cups.

Souness quickly established himself in the Liverpool first team, fittingly scoring his first goal for the club in a victory against bitter rivals Manchester United, the goal was later voted Liverpool's best goal of the season.

Chelsea FC

As if scoring against United in only his second home game wasn't enough, Souness soon established himself as an Anfield favourite. His tough tackling, no-nonsense approach made him unpopular with opposing fans, but with an ice cool temperament, meant that the more hostile an environment, the better he played.

Graeme Souness - Liverpool FC Legend

Souness played a pivotal midfield role and was instrumental as Liverpool made history by becoming the first English team to retain the European cup in 1978, in fact it was Souness' pass to Kenny Dalglish that led to the winning goal in the final.

Continuing to be huge influence on the pitch, Souness was made Liverpool team captain in 1982, a season in which Liverpool again won the League Championship and the League Cup.

Souness enjoyed more illustrious seasons as Liverpool went on to win the League title for three years running, and he led Liverpool to a fourth European Cup final victory in 1984, as Liverpool completed the 'treble' which also included the League Championship and League Cup, Souness himself scored in the penalty shoot-out that secured the European cup against Roma.

Little did anyone know at the time of that famous European Cup victory, would be Graeme Souness' last game for Liverpool, leaving for Italian side Sampdoria, in a £650,000 transfer.

As a player, Souness was considered by many fans to be the best midfielder in football, and it would take Liverpool many years to find anyone as good. Souness later came back to manage Liverpool, but that's another story.

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John Toshack - Liverpool FC Legend

John Toshack was a Liverpool legend, famed for his great goal scoring and his fantastic strike partnership with Kevin Keegan.

Toshack began his football career with his home town club Cardiff City, signing his first professional contract in 1966, on his 17th birthday. Toshack remained at Cardiff for four seasons and scoring seventy-five goals.

Bill Shankly signed Toshack, after Liverpool's original target Frank Worthington had failed a medical and the rest, as they say, is history. Toshack signed from Cardiff for 110,000 in November 1970 and became an instant hero when he scored against local rivals Everton in his second match for Liverpool.

Toshack will be remembered for his great aerial ability, that would become a feature of Liverpool's attack for many years, and his great partnership with Kevin Keegan which terrorised defences in England and Europe, scoring nearly 200 goals for Liverpool between them.

During his time at Liverpool John Toshack scored 96 goals, and he was part of the Liverpool team that won the First Division titles in 1973, 1976 and 1977, the FA Cup in 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976.

1975-76 was Toshack's beat season at Liverpool, playing in fifty competitive matches for the club in four different competitions winning the League and UEFA Cup winners medals.

Unfortunately Toshack had numerous injuries during his time at Liverpool, which blighted his career, injury also meant that he missed the last part of the 1976-77 season and he could only watch as his team won the European cup for the first time in 1977.

After making only a few appearances in the first team the following season, Toshack left Liverpool to become player-manager at Swansea City. John Toshack made 247 appearances for Liverpool and scored 96 goals.

Toshack made an emotional return to Anfield in 1981 with his Swansea side, a few days after Bill Shankly died, just before the minutes silence in memory of Shankly, Toshack removed his Swansea tracksuit top, revealing a red Liverpool shirt with his number 10 on the back. It was an emotional moment which will be remembered by many Liverpool fans and demonstrated just how much playing for Liverpool and Bill Shankly had meant to him.

Liverpool Football Club - It's Time to Relive the 80s!

The English Premier League has become somewhat of a spectacle in recent times. Thanks to intense media coverage and vast quantities of money paid to the league for broadcasting rights it has surpassed every other league in Europe. The biggest names in the world are lured over to the Premiership with the promise of money, glory and success. If you look at the Champions League competition over the last couple of seasons it has been dominated by the English teams. This shows the strength of the English sides and the power of the Premier League. As with all leagues the Premiership has a select group of teams that are a cut above the rest and one of the sides representing the cream of the Premier League is Liverpool FC.

Liverpool are one of the most decorated teams in England posing 18 league titles, 6 European titles and have many other trophies to their name. The 1980's were dominated by Liverpool. But unfortunately they have not won their domestic league title since. In 2005 Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League title coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win on penalties against AC Milan and since then have really made this competition their own. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have outgrown Liverpool and it has been a while since they have gone anywhere near the Premier League trophy. In 2006 the current owner of Liverpool football club David Moores decided it was time to move on. He wanted to sell the club to someone that had capital to invest in the club on both players and a new stadium. After much thought and negotiation he agreed to sell to two American businessmen, Tom Hicks and George Gillette.

Hicks and Gillette promised to make the purchase of Liverpool FC with their own money and no debt would be involved. They were all for current manager Rafa Benitez and said that they would allow him to look after the team decisions. A new stadium was to be built directly after the takeover but this has been put on hold due to the current economic situation. Since the takeover the club has plundered further into debt and the relationship between Hicks and Gillette and manager Rafa Benitez has become somewhat strained. This became most apparent during the Gareth Barry saga that went on over the summer of 2008 where Benitez implied that he was allowed no control over his team. The fans as you would expect have taken sides with their manager. Hicks and Gillette have been falling out with each other of late which can only hinder the team's performance. The two have extra police protection on rare visits to the ground due to the fans discontent.

But things are looking up for Liverpool. Over the last few seasons they have brought in some top signings during the transfer windows. After a successful start could this be the season where Liverpool football club relive their glory years? Only time will tell.

Liverpool Football Club

Liverpool team has participated in several leagues right from its inception. It is rightly the owner of leagues because it was formed because of dispute between the Everton Foot ball club leader and the landowner of Anfield. This landowner was also the president of the Everton Football club. They disputed for a long time over the land and later, Houlding, the landowner started Liverpool Football Club. Though it did not avail good support from the football committee, it won the Lancashire Leagues, which was its first victory as well, the most important victory to help it gain reputation in the football committee.

In 1901, it won the first division and the same happened in 1906 too. Victories followed victories leading avalanche effect. However, a sudden stop prevailed from 1923 to 1946 until which there was not a single trophy. In 1946, it again will not the first division and became the first club to win it five times. There were certainly a few losses too at Liverpool Football Club. However, all these losses were effectively converted into gains to the team. When LFC lost the 2to1 non-league FA cup, a new manager called Bill Shankly was appointed. He converted a room at the LFC space into a strategy discussion room. This room was initially used a boot space, but now it is one of the best places to discuss intellectual moves.

The team moved towards another orientation from then on. They started to focus on intellectual moves too rather than just being vigorous in action. A complete reshape happened in the entire team. The club now obtained a good status of First division and it took nearly 17 years for this struggle. With Shankly's management, the team won a league UEFA, FA cup too. Later when Shankly retired, his assistant took over the post and the team again started to get its fame with its new management.

With the new manager, Paisley Liverpool Football Club won the European Cup, UEFA Cup, but they lost FA Cup in the finals. Around 21 trophies were bagged and the members of Liverpool Football Club atrophied not a single opportunity. The determination and strategies gave them immense opportunity in the football club.

Liverpool FC - The Glory Days

When it comes to Glory Days, there isn't a team in England that can match Liverpool's.

When you consider their achievements during the era that started with the legendary Bill Shankly and continued under the stewardship of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and the exalted Kenny Dalglish then you can understand the frustration of supporters desperate to win the league title for the first time since 1990.

Bill Shankly - perhaps, along with Brian Clough, the most quoted football manager of all time - was actually appointed manager in 1959 but had to get the club out of the 'old' Second Division before his title winning days could begin. Arguably, though, a decision he made early on in his managerial career proved to be one of the most important of them all. Should you go on the Anfield Stadium Tour at any time, you'll see the Press Room, which is an important enough part of any modern football club. This Press Room, though, is on the site of the old Boot Room, one of the most iconic aspects of Liverpool's greatest era. It was Shankly who changed the Boot Room from its original purpose into the famous and influential 'think tank' where the Liverpool coaches would sit and talk for hours. The Boot Room, launchpad of the careers of Paisley and Fagan, would have some wonderful stories to recount.

Liverpool won the league title under Shankly for the first time in 1963 - 64; interestingly enough Manchester United, Everton, Spurs and Chelsea were the next four teams in the League, which had no fewer than 15 teams that are in this season's Premier League. (There's a good quiz question for you!) This was just the beginning of Liverpool's glorious era of domination of English, and European, football; Shankly's teams, driven by his amazing motivational powers, won the league again in 1966 and 1973, the FA Cup in 1965 and 1974 and their first European competition, the UEFA Cup, in 1973, with two goals from Kevin Keegan.

After Shankly's retirement, Bob Paisley gained even more success, winning an almost unbelievable 21 trophies during his nine seasons as manager. As well as another UEFA Cup success, this haul included no fewer than three European Cup successes in 1997, 1998 and 1981 and six league titles. The Liverpool machine looked completely unstoppable.

When the affable Paisley retired - Mark Lawrenson affectionately likened him to a favourite grandfather when he arrived to sign him from Brighton in his carpet slippers - the continuity that was so important at this time continued with the appointment of his right-hand man, Joe Fagan. In his first season as manager, 1983/84, Fagan's team became the first in England to win three trophies in one season - the European Cup, League and League Cup.

It is generally agreed that the events at the Hysel Stadium at the following season's European Cup Final had a devastating impact on the manager and he resigned soon after. Kenny Dalglish then became the first top-flight player manager in English football, successfully combining both roles. Three championships and two FA Cups meant that, although the club were no longer competing in Europe because of the post-Hysel ban, the successes were still plentiful. At the beginning of the 90s, though - after Hillsborough and with the resignation of King Kenny - the Glory days came to an end.

Liverpool have, of course, continued to win trophies and remain one of the very best teams in Europe. In recent seasons, after all, they have captured the Champions' League, UEFA Cup and two FA and League Cups. Still no sign of that elusive league title, though.

The Glory days were glorious indeed. Successive teams still run off the tongue to this day - Lawrence, Lawler, Byrne, Strong, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Smith, Thompson from the 1960s; Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway, Callaghan, McDermott from the 1970s (with supersub Fairclough); Clemence, Neal, A Kennedy, Thompson, R Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Johnson, McDermott, Souness from the early 80s; and others containing some of the English game's greatest players - Rush, Toshack, Lawrenson, Beardsley, and many, many more.

Incidentally, earlier I mentioned that there were 15 current Premier League teams in the old First Division in 1964. When Liverpool won their most recent title, in 1990, there were only 8 - including all of the top six. See if you can name them. If you really want to tease yourself, though, try working out which four current top tier teams were in the old Division Three and which was in Division Four. And which two teams that were in that division aren't even in the Football League anymore. Which puts Liverpool's 'fall' from the Glory Days into a little more perspective!

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