Liverpool F.c.

[scousemouse]

Just one more vid about Robbie Fowler that shows why he was so loved by the Liverpool fans :

100 - Fowler Backs Dockers

If you want to check out some great Anfield moments type in "100 Days That Shook The Kop" on youtube and also to check out great Liverpool players type in "100 Players Who Shook The Kop"

[scousemouse]

Robbie Fowler: It’s just like going home

ROBBIE FOWLER is looking forward to a “great reception” from the “fantastic” Anfield crowd tonight but admits he is hopeful of knocking his beloved Liverpool out of the Carling Cup.

Fowler insists he will put all sentimentality aside and will concentrate on helping Cardiff City to what would be a shock fourth round victory.

He said: “I have been back before with Leeds and Manchester City so it will not be too weird for me,” said Fowler, who has recently bought a home in Cardiff.

“I am expecting a great reception from the Liverpool supporters, they have always been fantastic to me and I don’t see any reason why that should change.

“It is like going home when I get there. I will have a lot of friends and family to watch me there so I am hoping it will be a good night for everybody.

“It will be nice to see everyone, but we have a job to do there and I am going to give it my all to see Cardiff do the business.

“Once the whistle goes for the kick-off, I will be concentrating on putting in a good performance for myself and to help the whole side.

“If I score that would be fantastic, this is all about football and the Liverpool fans love their football so they all know how the situation works.

“It is a big game for the Cardiff fans and I think there will be a lot there, so it should be a really good atmosphere and I want to give them something to cheer about.

“If we can put in a performance we can get the result we want. If we can get something positive in this game, I think it could act as a real spark with our league form.

“We are going into the game as underdogs really, but I know we will be giving it our all – like we always do.”

[scousemouse]

A bit unfortunate for Riise , especially when you see how much tax he pays . At least he still takes home 90 grand a month , and what does he need a student loan for ??? , a bit of BS so he can pay less tax methinks. And he gets a 4 grand appearance fee , how many of us would gladly PAY out of our own pocket to make an appearance :

Liverpool star's payslip on web

An inquiry has been launched by Liverpool Football Club after a top player's payslip, detailing a £139,634 monthly wage - was put on the internet.

Liverpool FC are looking at how John Arne Riise's pay document, which reveals the Norwegian's net pay and home address got into the wrong hands.

It also shows his national insurance number and appearance bonuses.

A spokesman for the club, said: "We are taking the matter extremely seriously and we are investigating."

The payslip which appeared on a series of football fans' forums, shows he was paid £4,000 in appearance bonuses.

A club insider said: "It must have been stolen but the player simply doesn't know how it has happened.

"I can assure you that John Arne Riise is not in the habit of throwing payslips out, it's clearly been stolen and taken without his permission."

The Kop ace also landed a Champions League salary increase of £15,384.

His take home pay was £82,413 and his monthly tax payment £55,508, while £65 was deducted for meals. Several Liverpool players' homes have been broken into during the last 18 months but Mr Riise's home has not been burgled.

The Liverpool star's payslip also included a column for student loan deductions

[scousemouse]

Let's hope Jack Hobbs can put in a good performance tonight.

God knows we need a good centre back as Sami looks to be past premiership level .

Jamie Carragher has good words to say about the lad .

Tonight should be a tough test up against Fowler and Hasseilbank :

Jack Hobbs ready for big stage insists Jamie Carragher

JACK HOBBS is set to make his full Liverpool debut against Cardiff City at Anfield tonight – with Jamie Carragher adamant he is ready for the big step up.

The 19-year-old is in contention for a place in the starting line up as Rafa Benitez looks to give Sami Hyypia a well earned rest.

And Carragher – who is likely to partner Hobbs in central defence – says the time has come for the likeable teenager to show he is ready for Liverpool’s first team.

He said: “Jack has done very well since he started training with the first team about six weeks ago and he wouldn’t let anyone down if he played against Cardiff or anyone else.

“He has been one of the stalwarts of the youth team, captain of the reserve team and now the next stage is for him to see if he can make the breakthrough into the first team.

“You never really know what a player is going to be like until he has been given a chance and been tested at the top level but Jack should be confident because he is a good player – now he just has to go and prove it.”

Portsmouth-born Hobbs was bought for an undisclosed fee from Lincoln City in the summer of 2005 having played just three games for the Sincil Bank side. He went on to become a key member of the Reds’ FA Youth Cup winning side of 2006.

Hobbs’ only previous competitive outing for Liverpool came as a late substitute in a 4-3 victory over Reading in the third round of last season’s Carling Cup.

And with Cardiff likely to field a strike partnership consisting of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Carragher believes an outing against the Championship side would provide Hobbs with valuable experience as he looks to make his way in the game.

He said: “It would be a good experience for Jack to come up against the likes of Robbie and Hasselbaink because they are both strikers with lots of experience and as a young defender you will learn loads of lessons from them.

“He is a big, strong lad who is good in the air but he can also play a bit because I know he’s been playing in midfield for the reserves. I’m sure if he’s selected he will do well.”

A number of fringe players like Lucas Leiva, Sebastian Leto and goalkeeper Charles Itandje are also in line to play.

But with the current injury crisis at Anfield severely depleting the numbers available to Benitez, the Reds manager is likely to have to call on a number of senior players for his starting line up.

Although he would much prefer to give Carragher and Steven Gerrard the night off the star duo could be pressed into action as Hyypia is rested and Momo Sissoko is still struggling with illness.

[PST]

ah right, cheers mate

What can only be described as very wrong,i can't see it on any of my thai tv channels,

Got a link for tinternet lid?

PST

[scousemouse]

Steven Gerrard scores the winner as we beat Robbie and Cardiff :

Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff

Steven Gerrard spoiled former team-mate Robbie Fowler's Anfield homecoming with Liverpool's winner to end Cardiff City's Carling Cup hopes.

Nabil El Zhar gave Liverpool the lead in this fourth-round tie with a long-range thunderbolt on 48 minutes.

Cardiff captain Darren Purse equalised, heading home Paul Parry's free-kick.

But within 46 seconds Liverpool retook the lead as Yossi Benayoun raced clear on the left and laid the ball into Gerrard's path to strike home.

Fowler, still a favourite with the Liverpool fans, returned to Anfield in the blue of Cardiff after leaving for the second time last summer.

The 32-year-old's name echoed around the stadium before the start, and four minutes into the match Fowler had a great chance to score.

Fabio Aurelio tripped the striker just outside the box in front of the Kop and Fowler, with a two pace angled run-up, sent a curling free-kick towards the top corner.

But French goalkeeper Charles Itandje flung himself to his left to claw the ball away to deny Fowler a dream return.

Liverpool responded with a Ryan Babel effort - clipped over the bar as he fell - before a clever, nimble turn from Peter Crouch ended with a low drive which fizzed wide.

Aurelio was next to try his luck with a bending drive that Bluebirds goalkeeper Michael Oakes comfortably turned round a post.

Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto also both went close for the home side, while at the other end Itandje turned away a dangerous Parry header, but the match remained goalless at the break.

Three minutes after the restart El Zhar remedied that, with a wonderful 30-yard strike to record his first Liverpool goal.

Gerrard made the early inroads with a typical driving run, before picking out El Zhar in space.

The 21-year-old Moroccan international,

bought from St Etienne, came inside onto his right foot and unleashed a pile-driver that fizzed past Oakes and went in off the inside of the post.

Joe Ledley, who had been bright all night, almost pulled Cardiff level but the Wales international saw his goal-bound shot picked off by Itandje.

On 65 minutes Parry then sent across a fine bending free-kick that Cardiff skipper Purse honoured with an equally good header to level the score.

But Liverpool restored their lead within a minute as Gerrard swapped passes with Benayoun before burying the ball in the net from 15 yards.

Crouch nearly gave the Reds the comfort of a cushion but Oakes was again alert to palm the towering striker's header away.

Fowler nearly wrote himself a story-book ending with a vintage turn and snap-shot, only for the ball to ricochet off a Liverpool defender.

Then in the last minute Parry found space for a goal-bound effort, but again desperate defending saw the shot blocked and with it went Cardiff's last chance of forcing extra time.

Liverpool could even have finished with a flourish as Harry Kewell broke away on a swift counter-attack in injury time, only for Benayoun to blaze wide.

Liverpool: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio, El Zhar (Kewell 71), Lucas (Mascherano 87), Gerrard, Leto (Benayoun 63), Crouch, Babel.

Subs Not Used: Martin, Riise.

Booked: Lucas, Babel.

Goals: El Zhar 48, Gerrard 66.

Cardiff: Oakes, McNaughton (Gunter 84), Purse, Johnson, Capaldi, Ledley, Rae, McPhail (Whittingham 89), Parry, Fowler, Hasselbaink (Thompson 75).

Subs Not Used: Magennis, Loovens. Booked: McNaughton.

[kopite]

From Times Online

October 31, 2007

The soul of Liverpool in 50 moments

Tony Evans

It's impossible to do a definitive list of what makes a football club and its fans what they are. Millions of small events - and some big ones - come together to build up a sense of culture. Everyone's list will be different and some will give more value to certain events. If you're a Liverpool fan, though, you should know about these things. And maybe it will hint at the joy and pain supporting Liverpool has brought me over the years.

50 hel_l’s angels, February 26, 2002

There was plenty of apprehension for any British fans going to Istanbul in the early years of this decade. After all, two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in 2000 before playing Galatasaray and the locals’ ‘Welcome to hel_l’ banners had sent shivers down Manchester United spines. However, Liverpool’s visit to Gala in the second Champions League group was different. The visiting fans’ approach was summed up with a banner; “Welcome to hel_l my arse. If you think this is hel_l, try the Grafton on a Friday night.”

The Grafton is a nightclub, famous for ‘grab-a-granny’ nights, where innocent young scallies find themselves at the mercy of predatory Liverpool divorcees. But the attitude was perfect: no fear, no aggressive confrontation and a slice of humour. It sums up the best attributes of the modern Liverpool fan. And, since then, every time the Reds have played in Istanbul, the local supporters have joined their party. And this is the essence of this list. The culture of football is about more than players and managers – in ten years, most of them will have moved on. It exists and grows through the supporters as much as the team.

49 John Houlding creates an alehouse team, March 15, 1892

The strict Methodists who formed St Domingo FC – later Everton - were never going to get on with the brewer who ran the club from the Sandon pub. Houlding owned Anfield and argued with his colleagues over the rent and their refusal to sell his sparkling ale at the ground. When the schism occurred, Everton decamped from Anfield as reigning champions, Houlding formed a new club, Liverpool. Without Houlding, we might all support a little club and have serious thirsts…

48 Red all over, November 1, 1964

Bill Shankly had a brainwave – to discard the team’s white shorts and wear all red. He chose Ron Yeats for his experiment. After training, Big Ron was sent to put on new shorts. Shankly liked what he saw: “Christ son, you look about seven foot tall, we’re going to play in all-red from now on.” Every player grew a few inches when they listened to Shankly and dressed in red. Another small step on the path to greatness.

47 First post war champions, 1947

If ever a city need a boost after the Second World War, it was Liverpool. Bombed heavily, the city was in ruins and short of supplies. The team wasn’t though. Billy Liddell provided Jackie Balmer and Albert Stubbins with the ammunition to shoot the Reds to the top with a team fit for heroes.

46 Red Stars and falling stars, autumn 1973

Fresh from winning the Uefa Cup and the title, Shankly went into the 1973-74 European Cup campaign with high hopes. Red Star Belgrade showed Liverpool how far they had to go to be successful, however. The side from what was then Yugoslavia snuffed the Anfield challenge out at the first hurdle, winning both legs 2-1. It was time for more creative thinking from Shankly. He realised that a traditional British centre half like Larry Lloyd, who played in both legs, was a liability in Europe. Lloyd was soon on his way out of Anfield, replaced by the more ball-literate Phil Thompson and Liverpool were back on the path to glory. The hapless Lloyd would eventually get his consolation – two European Cup medals with Nottingham Forest

45 Howard Gayle in Munich, 1981

Bayern had come to Anfield, got a 0-0 draw in the semi-final of the European Cup and headed home to plan the trip to the final in Paris. Things got worse in the second leg of the Bavarian capital when Kenny Dalglish was injured in the first 10 minutes. On came Gayle, the club’s first black player of the modern age, bringing some Liverpool 8 attitude with him. Bayern kicked him, he kicked back – harder - and, when his heroic performance was finished and he was substituted, the German side were in trouble. Ray Kennedy scored late to finish them off and though the home side levelled the score, Liverpool were through.

44 Watford 1 Liverpool 0, FA Cup sixth round, February 21, 1970

The 1960s had been good to Merseyside. The Beatles ruled the world and Liverpool were on the rise. By 1970, the Fab Four were gone and it looked the same fate for Shankly’s team when they were humiliated by Watford, who were struggling a division below Liverpool. But Shanks knew how to change his tune: out went Ian St John, Ron Yeats, Roger Hunt and Tommy Lawrence – the old stagers. In came Kevin Keegan, Steve Heighway, Larry Lloyd and Ray Clemence. The 70s were looking up, suddenly.

43 Robbie Fowler’s protest, Liverpool v Brann, Cup-Winners’ Cup quarter-final, March 20,1997

“It may seem strange and even unfair..." Too bloody right. Even Uefa knew in its statement that it was wrong to fine Fowler £900 after he displayed a shirt supporting sacked Liverpool dockers while celebrating his second goal in a 3-0 win. Through the dark days of the 1990s, as football players lost their link with the fan on the terraces, Fowler remained one of us. Would Shankly have done it? Yes. It is not only goals we remember. Incidentally, Fowler was also banned for a goal celebration that mimicked drug-taking. Paul Merson was lauded for admitting taking real drugs. Strange. Unfair.

42 Kop takes shape, 1906

A mound of earth on Walton Breck Road was created for the growing numbers of fans to watch the team. It was called the ‘Spion Kop’ after a battle in the Boer War six years earlier. It was not the only Kop – low hill in Afrikaans – nor the first. But it would become the greatest.

41 Wimbledon 1 Liverpool 0, FA Cup Final, May 14, 1988

The pinnacle of Wimbledon’s climb from non-League to Cup winners will be remembered as long as football is played. And yet the victory would have had less resonance had the opposition been any other side. Liverpool were arguable the best team in Europe and played like it until Peter Beardsley had a goal disallowed by the referee, Brian Hill, who awarded the subsequent foul against Wimbledon. Still, funny how we’re there for the historic moments.

40 Take it as red we’re Liverpool, 1899

After the break with Everton, the new club in the city wore blue-and-white halved shirts. Then, just as the 19th century came to an end, Liverpool adoped red shirts – Everton switched from pink to blue. Shortly after, the Reds took the Liver Bird, the symbol of the city, as part of the badge. The die was cast and there would never be a need for a ‘People’s Club’ style rebranding of the team associated with the city.

39 The American take over at Anfield, March 28, 2007

After months of uncertainty, George Gillett and Tom Hicks confirmed their takeover of the club. Those who expected Glazer-style protests were confounded. The fans are welcoming, if cautious – as long as the new boys don’t mess with the traditions of the club.

38 Dalglish resigns, February 22, 1991

Sir Alex Ferguson, with characteristic obscenity, says his greatest achievement is “knocking Liverpool off their f****** perch”. When Kenny Dalglish resigned as manager after Liverpool threw away a quartet of leads in the 4-4 draw with Everton in the FA Cup, the team were top of the league. Dalglish left, emotionally in tatters, another victim of Hillsborough. Manchester United filled the vacuum created by tragedy, that’s all. But expecting humility from Ferguson is too much. Grim years loomed ahead.

37 Panorama, 1964

The Kop had been making a big noise for some time, but it came to the nation’s attention with the BBC’s Panorama featured the crowd singing on a programme called ‘The Other Mersey Sound’. Afterwards, the whole nation wanted to be like the Kop. Why wouldn’t they? After all, any terrace that could sing ‘Anyone who ever had a heart’ and ‘She loves you’ like that... The Kop rocks.

36 Liverpool 1 AC Milan 2, Champions League final, Athens, May 23, 2007

Mass bunk-ins and ticket snatching hit the headlines in the aftermath of defeat but, while the glare of publicity focused on the minority of wrongdoers, the massed body of Liverpool support stood, almost to a man, and applauded Milan on their lap of honour with the Cup. William Gaillard had obviously nipped back inside to get the prawn sandwiches while this was going on.

35 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 0, Uefa Cup final, first leg, May 10, 1973

The game kicked off on May 9 and, with the German side looking comfortable after 27 minutes, the match was abandoned after a torrential rain storm. The next night it was 10p at the gate on the terraces and Shankly had noticed the opposition’s weakness in the air. John Toshack, who had been left out 24 hours previously, was selected and caused havoc. Liverpool took a three-goal lead to Germany – just as well, as Mönchengladbach won 2-0 in the second leg.

34 The end of an era, July 12, 1974

The unthinkable news shocked the city. Shankly had resigned. People wept on the streets while the great man gave a strangely composed press conference to announce his departure. A sad day but Shankly’s spirit would never leave the club.

33 1978-79

Where do you start with a season like this? The 7-0 rout of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield? The 3-0 victory at Old Trafford? One of the finest teams ever to play in England cruised to the title with crushing dominance. Four defeats, 85 goals scored and a mere 16 against. Ah, but Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles went a season unbeaten in 2003-04, you say. But did they have the European champions in the division? A stunning year in more competitive times.

32 Liverpool 1 FC Bruges 0, European Cup final, May 10, 1978

Not much of a spectacle but doubling the tally of European Cups meant a great deal to fans of the Reds. And it made a point to Kevin Keegan, who had left Anfield the previous summer “for the challenge” and joined SV Hamburg. “What greater challenge,” Kenny Dalglish, who arrived from Celtic to take over Keegan’s No7 shirt, asked, “is there than to retain the European Cup?” By the time Kenny jumped the advertising hoardings to celebrate his winning goal, Keegan was long forgotten.

31 John Barnes signs, July 19, 1987

There was some resentment among Liverpool fans when the club was linked with Barnes. The knee-jerk reaction was to assume it was a matter of race. It wasn’t. Barnes had flirted with Arsenal when Dalglish’s interest was clear and there was a general feeling that the Watford winger did not want to come to Anfield. All doubts disappeared when the Kop saw him play. Part of a team – alongside Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge up front - that rivalled the great Liverpool sides.

30 Liverpool 5 Alaves 4, Uefa Cup final, Dortmund, May 16, 2001

After such a long time off the big European stage, it was only fitting that Liverpool should renew their trophy-winning ways in such dramatic style. On the perfect stage, Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion, Markus Babbel’s golden goal in a see-sawing match to add the Uefa Cup to a knockout treble of the FA Cup and League Cup. The travelling Kop were back in Europe in big numbers. The way “You’ll never walk alone” resonated around the best football stadium in the world created one of the game’s great sounds.

29 Shankly’s first title, 1964

Promoted in 1962, Shankly was never one to sit around mid-table, especially with Everton winning the league in the Reds’ first year back in the top flight. His ambition was to create a ‘bastion of invincibility’ at Anfield and the plan was coming to fruition. Manchester United, the main challengers, were beaten 3-0 on Merseyside in March and Arsenal were walloped 5-0 to seal the trophy. Five years after arriving at the club, Shankly was ready to take on Europe.

28 How to handle defeat, 1971

On the train back from London after losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, Shankly asked Brian Hall, a university graduate: “Who’s that chairman with the red book.” Hall was bemused. “You know, in China.”

“Mao,” Hall said and Shankly changes the subject. When they arrived in Liverpool, Shankly addressed the crowds waiting outside the Town Hall. After praising their support and behaviour at Wembley, he surveyed the crowd with pride. “Even Chairman Mao has never seen such a display of Red strength,” he crowed. You still wonder why we’d follow him anywhere?

27 Athens ticket fiasco

Nothing could shake Liverpool supporters’ loyalty. At least that was the theory until the club allocated tickets for the Champions League final this year. Thousands of season-ticket holders were left disappointed by the bizarre distribution method and fewer tickets than expected appeared to reach the fans. Rick Parry, the chief executive, exacerbated the problem by refusing “to play the numbers game”. The mess prompted a protest march and anger. Banners complaining about the allocation have since been suppressed at Anfield. So much for the 12th man.

26 Liverpool 0 Everton 0, League Cup final, March 25, 1984

During the dark days of Thatcherism, a match in London was as much a political statement as a football trip. Thousands of ski-hatted Scousers, Blue and Red, disgorged from trains into Euston station singing in support of the Miners and Liverpool’s Militant Council. Scouse power in action.

25 Liverpool 2 Leeds United 1, FA Cup Final, May 1, 1965

A year earlier, the Shankly revolution had delivered the title, but Liverpool were still the poor relations in the city. Everton, the Mersey Millionaires, still had notions of superiority. The stick that they used to beat their Kopite neighbours was that Liverpool had never won the FA Cup. On May Day the Cup came home to Anfield, courtesy of goals from Roger Hunt and Ian St John. The balance of power had shifted on Merseyside for ever.

24 Liverpool 1 Real Madrid 0, European Cup final, May 27, 1981, Paris

To really play with the big boys, you need at least three European Cups. After all, small clubs can win two – Nottingham Forest, FC Porto, Manchester United. This was the hat-trick in the Parc des Princes, against one of those big boys. Alan Kennedy completed the job with a late goal at a time when no team in Europe relished playing Liverpool.

23 Replacement on the cheap. Dalglish signs, August 10, 1977

Kevin Keegan leaves for £500,000. In comes Kenny Dalglish for £440,000. A player like that and money left over? Deal of the century. Genius from Bob Paisley in buying the greatest player to grace Anfield.

22 Celtic v Liverpool, April 30, 1989

The first game after Hillsborough was a friendly in the truest sense of the word. Instead of selling Liverpool fans tickets in a block, Celtic spead them all around Parkhead in small groups, without any segregation. Liverpool won 4-0 but nobody cared. When the whole ground sang You’ll Never Walk Alone at the end, everybody in the stadium cried. Those who lack faith in football fans should have been there that day.

21 The Kop fights back

The game is becoming increasingly globalised with foreign ownership and fans from all corners of the world but, worried about the dilution of Liverpool values, a group of supporters got together to create a movement devoted to protecting the soul of the club. Reclaim The Kop started on January 1 this year and aims to educate newcomers to supporting Liverpool in our ways and keep our culture distinctive. A force for the good in the 21st century and the first wave in a new fans’ movement.

20 Juventus 0 Liverpool 0, Champions League quarter-final, second leg, April 13, 2005

A flashpoint game. At Anfield the Juventus Ultras showed their contempt for Liverpool’s apologies for Heysel by turning the back on the conciliatory mosaic. There followed dark threats about vendettas in Italy. The second leg looked as if there was bound to be trouble. However, the Liverpool fans in Italy kept a low profile and behaved almost impeccably. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, which sent Liverpool through after their 2-1 victory at Anfield. But, more importantly, there was no violence. The best result.

19 Everton 0 Liverpool 5

“And we played the Toffees for a laugh and left them feeling blue, 5-0!” A glorious day at Goodison. The home side, with Glen Keeley on loan from Blackburn Rovers playing in defence, could not match a rampaging Liverpool side. Dalglish tormented Keeley for 20 minutes until he was sent off and then Ian Rush ran wild, scoring four. A day still celebrated in song whenever Reds get together.

18 Emlyn Hughes’ magic touch, May 1977

Back from Rome with the European Cup, the players, er, celebrated. When he rose to address the crowd Hughes appeared a touch unsteady on his feet. Carrying an injury, no doubt. “I want you to sing a song,” he said. “Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic.” It was, indeed, the soberest of notions and, recognising that, the red hordes sang it back. Meanwhile, Terry McDermott, more ahead of his time than Martin Peters – 30 years in fact – was answering the call of nature and splashing a group of nurses. The next time they ask for a day’s slice of a footballer’s salary, we’ll send Terry round.

17 Liverpool 3 FC Bruges 2, Uefa Cup final first leg, April 28, 1976

Another of the great comebacks. Two down in the first 12 minutes, Liverpool looked out of it for an hour as the Kop built up a head of steam. Then, in a wild five minutes, Liverpool shot into the lead with Ray Kennedy, Jimmy Case scored before a Kevin Keegan penalty sealed victory. The Reds were one down to an early goal in the second leg, too, before Keegan equalised from a free kick. Europe learnt early that you can’t relax when in front against Liverpool.

16 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0, Champions League semi-final, second leg, Anfield, May 1, 2007

They’d seen it all before. This time Chelsea would be ready. Surely. Er, no. The Anfield storm blew Jose Mourinho’s team away, again. They were lucky to take the match to penalties as the other three sides of the ground joined the Kop in creating a hurricane of noise.

15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Liverpool 3, May 4, 1976

The Black Country has seen nothing like it. Untold thousands of Liverpool supporters descended on Molineux in anticipation of seeing the victory that would secure the title. Wolves, fighting relegation, had other thoughts, and went ahead early on. But the relentless pressure wore the home side down and, just when safety looked in sight for Wolves, John Toshack equalised. Kevin Keegan got a second and Ray Kennedy provided the icing on the cake. Thousands of Scousers poured on to the pitch to celebrate. Soon they would be invading Europe in similar numbers.

14 Liverpool 1 AS Roma 1 (Liverpool win on penalties), European Cup final, May 30, 1984

A night of great tension and violence, remembered by the television audience for Bruce Grobbelaar’s crazy-legged bravado during the penalty shootout and by those who were in Rome for the sustained assault on Liverpool fans before and after the match, events barely reported in Britain. A day that showed how ugly European football could be. It would get worse.

13 Last day of the Kop, April 30, 1994

The terraces were about to become history at Anfield but the Kop had one last fling when Norwich City arrived for the final day of the season. Designated a ‘Flag Day,’ the old terrace rocked like on the great nights as the game went on barely noticed in front of a full house. An era was ending but, in the vibrancy of the flags and banners, a new age was starting. The ethos of the Kop could not be as easily demolished as those concrete steps

12 Liverpool 3 Everton 2, FA Cup Final, May 20, 1989

What should have been a festive occasion was overshadowed by events five weeks earlier. An exciting match but better remembered for the collective sadness of a city. 'Abide With Me' sung in a Scouse accent was a first – normally it was only our own communal songs - and the eeriness of the minute’s silence, broken only by the cackle of police radios, lives in the mind longer than the action on the pitch.

11 Liverpool 3 Everton 1, FA Cup Final, May 10, 1986

A year earlier, Kenny Dalglish had taken over as manager amid the debris of Heysel. Seven days before the first all-Merseyside Cup Final, the player-manager had scored the only goal against Chelsea to take the title from under Everton’s noses. Now, on a frenzied day in the old stadium, Everton took the lead and Liverpool looked about to disintegrate when Jim Beglin and Bruce Grobbelaar squared up. Then Jan Molby took over, Ian Rush scored twice and the Double was secured. And the trains, coaches, minibuses and cars rolled northwards still decked in red and blue with little hint of trouble. Sadly, it could not happen now.

10 Johnny Todd at Anfield, Liverpool v Toulouse, August 28, 2007

You know it as the Z-Cars theme. It is the song that Everton run out to at Goodison Park. It is anathema across Stanley Park. When 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot, the city was appalled. At Anfield, they showed their respect for the young Evertonian – and the anger at the killers – by playing his team’s song. Driven by Tony Barrett, a local journalist, the ensuing show of Scouse solidarity at once moved and inspired pride.

9 Heysel, May 29, 1985

Drunks, anger, charges, dead bodies. A sickening night, forever shrouded in a fog of tear gas and fear. Uefa’s choice of stadium set up a disaster, Liverpool fans did the rest. A night few can look back on with pride. A low point.

8 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0, Champions League semi-final, second leg, Anfield, May 3, 2005

After a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho brought his side north confident that they would reach Istanbul. That was until they met the wall of noise waiting at Anfield. After four minutes, Liverpool were up by a disputed Luis Garcia goal that Chelsea claimed did not cross the line. Did the crowd’s ferocity influence the referee and linesman? Only they know but anyone who was there as the six minutes of stoppage time ticked away knows the meaning of the word atmosphere.

7 Winning and losing, 1989

Seconds to go at Anfield and another double looming. Although the team are 1-0 down to Arsenal, unless the London club score a second, then the title is coming home. Then Michael Thomas gets the run of the ball, get clear through on goal and delivers the championship to Highbury in the final seconds of the season. Anfield is stunned into silence. Then, a voice says: “You know what? Worse things happen. We know.” Two months on from Hillsborough, thousands of voices said the same thing around the ground and no tears were shed for a losing team. Arsenal and their fans were visibly shocked by their reception.

6 Liverpool 3 St Etienne 1, European Cup quarter final, 1977

Things were going so well. Just 1-0 down from the away leg, Kevin Keegan evened the game up in the first minute. The place exploded – the gates had been locked more than an hour before kick-off and the anticipation had been building. Then things got tight and, after half-time, when Fabien Bathenay scored from distance, everything seemed to be going wrong. Ray Kennedy lifted hopes with a headed goal but, with 10 minutes left, Liverpool were out on away goals. Enter David Fairclough, supersub. With six minutes left, Kennedy knocked the ball long. It seemed that the rake-thin Fairclough could neither outrace the St Etienne defence, nor stay on his feet as the centre half bundled into him. Yet he did, and struck the ball towards the goal. It seemed to bobble yet it found the net. Chaos. The roof almost came off the Kop. The old ground would not shake like this until Chelsea arrived nearly three decades later.

5 Truth Day, Liverpool v Arsenal, FA Cup third round, January 6, 2007

Kelvin McKenzie, short of publicity, decided to recycle his Hillsborough lies. The BBC, mistaking bombast for opinion, decided to give the man an outlet on television. The Kop responded by spending the first six minutes of this BBC-televised tie standing up and displaying a mosaic saying: The Truth. During this time – the game at Hillsborough was six minutes old before it was stopped – the crowd chanted ‘Justice for the 96’. The teams, reduced to bit-part players, wandered around the pitch unnoticed. It was a protest the like of which has never been seen before at a football ground and, watching, I have never been prouder.

4 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 1, European Cup final, Rome, May 25, 1977

They came every way they could to the Eternal City, more that 20,000 fanatics, some taking a nightmare five-day train journey that would today provoke a human-rights lawsuit. What they saw was an immense performance from Kevin Keegan against a fine German side, stunning goals from local boys Terry McDermott and Tommy Smith to set up a victory that was sealed by a Phil Neal penalty. They danced in the streets and fountains and waved those red chequered flags with glee. European adventures come no better.

3 Half-time, Liverpool v AC Milan, European Cup final, Istanbul, May 25, 2005

“That’s it. Game over,” Andy Gray said, unable to keep the tone of satisfaction out of his voice. Of course, no one in the Ataturk could hear the television commentary but, at 3-0 down as the break loomed, Liverpool looked beaten. Then, with the players trooped down the tunnel, someone started singing You’ll Never Walk Alone. It started hesitantly, with an undertone of anger, but suddenly turned into the ultimate assertion of culture and belief. When it finished, the tension had lifted and the 40,000 Liverpool fans were no longer broken and defeated, even if the team was. Did this act of faith inspire the subsequent comeback from the team? If it didn’t, they don’t have a shred of soul between them.

2 Bill Shankly arrives, December 1, 1959

The man from Glenbuck came to Anfield, via Huddersfield Town, to find a club in almost terminal decline. Mired in the second tier for five years, Liverpool were going nowhere. “Quite a character,” the local paper mused. But it was a little bit more than that. This was year zero: nothing would ever be the same again. In the book Here We Go Gathering Cups in May, John Maguire, one of the writers, says: “Who knows what type of person I’d be now if that Scottish fella hadn’t walked into Anfield on a cold December day in 1959…” Maguire was not even born when Shankly left the club, but he understands his legacy. It would be a perfect ending if this was the most important moment to Liverpool fans. If only.

1 April 15, 1989. Hillsborough

First the objections. Why is this more important than Heysel? It is not a case of one set of dead being more valued than another. People were called to account for Heysel – not enough, sure, but an attempt was made to apportion responsibility. People were jailed, the Belgian government held an inquiry. Officials lost their jobs. There was justice of sorts. That disaster would not have happened without the dreadful behaviour of Liverpool fans. We accept that. It was a peculiar set of circumstances that, removing any one link in a causal chain, could have been avoided.

Hillsborough was different. It could have happened to anyone – ask Tottenham Hotspur fans, who had a lucky escape when they played Wolves in 1981.

But it happened to us and, instead of trying to get to the bottom of the problem and ensure the safety of fans, those charged with the protection of the public found it easier to blacken the name of innocent supporters – a libel that lingers on today. The consequences linger with the lies – the lack of standing, the prohibitive ticket prices. And knowing the sectarian nature of football support and its uncritical biases, it was easy to convince people that we stole from our own dead and urinated on the bodies and the police. Would you do it? Then why are you happy to believe I did. This was not just Liverpool’s disaster, it was all supporters’ disaster. And no game worth 96 bodies – or 39. The most important moment in our history. Let’s hope the 96 get justice one day, then maybe it will be knocked off the top.

great piece there from tony evans, and the highlighted bit sums it up for me

[scousemouse]

From Times Online

October 31, 2007

The soul of Liverpool in 50 moments

Tony Evans

It's impossible to do a definitive list of what makes a football club and its fans what they are. Millions of small events - and some big ones - come together to build up a sense of culture. Everyone's list will be different and some will give more value to certain events. If you're a Liverpool fan, though, you should know about these things. And maybe it will hint at the joy and pain supporting Liverpool has brought me over the years.

50 hel_l's angels, February 26, 2002

There was plenty of apprehension for any British fans going to Istanbul in the early years of this decade. After all, two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in 2000 before playing Galatasaray and the locals' 'Welcome to hel_l' banners had sent shivers down Manchester United spines. However, Liverpool's visit to Gala in the second Champions League group was different. The visiting fans' approach was summed up with a banner; "Welcome to hel_l my arse. If you think this is hel_l, try the Grafton on a Friday night."

The Grafton is a nightclub, famous for 'grab-a-granny' nights, where innocent young scallies find themselves at the mercy of predatory Liverpool divorcees. But the attitude was perfect: no fear, no aggressive confrontation and a slice of humour. It sums up the best attributes of the modern Liverpool fan. And, since then, every time the Reds have played in Istanbul, the local supporters have joined their party. And this is the essence of this list. The culture of football is about more than players and managers – in ten years, most of them will have moved on. It exists and grows through the supporters as much as the team.

49 John Houlding creates an alehouse team, March 15, 1892

The strict Methodists who formed St Domingo FC – later Everton - were never going to get on with the brewer who ran the club from the Sandon pub. Houlding owned Anfield and argued with his colleagues over the rent and their refusal to sell his sparkling ale at the ground. When the schism occurred, Everton decamped from Anfield as reigning champions, Houlding formed a new club, Liverpool. Without Houlding, we might all support a little club and have serious thirsts…

48 Red all over, November 1, 1964

Bill Shankly had a brainwave – to discard the team's white shorts and wear all red. He chose Ron Yeats for his experiment. After training, Big Ron was sent to put on new shorts. Shankly liked what he saw: "Christ son, you look about seven foot tall, we're going to play in all-red from now on." Every player grew a few inches when they listened to Shankly and dressed in red. Another small step on the path to greatness.

47 First post war champions, 1947

If ever a city need a boost after the Second World War, it was Liverpool. Bombed heavily, the city was in ruins and short of supplies. The team wasn't though. Billy Liddell provided Jackie Balmer and Albert Stubbins with the ammunition to shoot the Reds to the top with a team fit for heroes.

46 Red Stars and falling stars, autumn 1973

Fresh from winning the Uefa Cup and the title, Shankly went into the 1973-74 European Cup campaign with high hopes. Red Star Belgrade showed Liverpool how far they had to go to be successful, however. The side from what was then Yugoslavia snuffed the Anfield challenge out at the first hurdle, winning both legs 2-1. It was time for more creative thinking from Shankly. He realised that a traditional British centre half like Larry Lloyd, who played in both legs, was a liability in Europe. Lloyd was soon on his way out of Anfield, replaced by the more ball-literate Phil Thompson and Liverpool were back on the path to glory. The hapless Lloyd would eventually get his consolation – two European Cup medals with Nottingham Forest

45 Howard Gayle in Munich, 1981

Bayern had come to Anfield, got a 0-0 draw in the semi-final of the European Cup and headed home to plan the trip to the final in Paris. Things got worse in the second leg of the Bavarian capital when Kenny Dalglish was injured in the first 10 minutes. On came Gayle, the club's first black player of the modern age, bringing some Liverpool 8 attitude with him. Bayern kicked him, he kicked back – harder - and, when his heroic performance was finished and he was substituted, the German side were in trouble. Ray Kennedy scored late to finish them off and though the home side levelled the score, Liverpool were through.

44 Watford 1 Liverpool 0, FA Cup sixth round, February 21, 1970

The 1960s had been good to Merseyside. The Beatles ruled the world and Liverpool were on the rise. By 1970, the Fab Four were gone and it looked the same fate for Shankly's team when they were humiliated by Watford, who were struggling a division below Liverpool. But Shanks knew how to change his tune: out went Ian St John, Ron Yeats, Roger Hunt and Tommy Lawrence – the old stagers. In came Kevin Keegan, Steve Heighway, Larry Lloyd and Ray Clemence. The 70s were looking up, suddenly.

43 Robbie Fowler's protest, Liverpool v Brann, Cup-Winners' Cup quarter-final, March 20,1997

"It may seem strange and even unfair..." Too bloody right. Even Uefa knew in its statement that it was wrong to fine Fowler £900 after he displayed a shirt supporting sacked Liverpool dockers while celebrating his second goal in a 3-0 win. Through the dark days of the 1990s, as football players lost their link with the fan on the terraces, Fowler remained one of us. Would Shankly have done it? Yes. It is not only goals we remember. Incidentally, Fowler was also banned for a goal celebration that mimicked drug-taking. Paul Merson was lauded for admitting taking real drugs. Strange. Unfair.

42 Kop takes shape, 1906

A mound of earth on Walton Breck Road was created for the growing numbers of fans to watch the team. It was called the 'Spion Kop' after a battle in the Boer War six years earlier. It was not the only Kop – low hill in Afrikaans – nor the first. But it would become the greatest.

41 Wimbledon 1 Liverpool 0, FA Cup Final, May 14, 1988

The pinnacle of Wimbledon's climb from non-League to Cup winners will be remembered as long as football is played. And yet the victory would have had less resonance had the opposition been any other side. Liverpool were arguable the best team in Europe and played like it until Peter Beardsley had a goal disallowed by the referee, Brian Hill, who awarded the subsequent foul against Wimbledon. Still, funny how we're there for the historic moments.

40 Take it as red we're Liverpool, 1899

After the break with Everton, the new club in the city wore blue-and-white halved shirts. Then, just as the 19th century came to an end, Liverpool adoped red shirts – Everton switched from pink to blue. Shortly after, the Reds took the Liver Bird, the symbol of the city, as part of the badge. The die was cast and there would never be a need for a 'People's Club' style rebranding of the team associated with the city.

39 The American take over at Anfield, March 28, 2007

After months of uncertainty, George Gillett and Tom Hicks confirmed their takeover of the club. Those who expected Glazer-style protests were confounded. The fans are welcoming, if cautious – as long as the new boys don't mess with the traditions of the club.

38 Dalglish resigns, February 22, 1991

Sir Alex Ferguson, with characteristic obscenity, says his greatest achievement is "knocking Liverpool off their f****** perch". When Kenny Dalglish resigned as manager after Liverpool threw away a quartet of leads in the 4-4 draw with Everton in the FA Cup, the team were top of the league. Dalglish left, emotionally in tatters, another victim of Hillsborough. Manchester United filled the vacuum created by tragedy, that's all. But expecting humility from Ferguson is too much. Grim years loomed ahead.

37 Panorama, 1964

The Kop had been making a big noise for some time, but it came to the nation's attention with the BBC's Panorama featured the crowd singing on a programme called 'The Other Mersey Sound'. Afterwards, the whole nation wanted to be like the Kop. Why wouldn't they? After all, any terrace that could sing 'Anyone who ever had a heart' and 'She loves you' like that... The Kop rocks.

36 Liverpool 1 AC Milan 2, Champions League final, Athens, May 23, 2007

Mass bunk-ins and ticket snatching hit the headlines in the aftermath of defeat but, while the glare of publicity focused on the minority of wrongdoers, the massed body of Liverpool support stood, almost to a man, and applauded Milan on their lap of honour with the Cup. William Gaillard had obviously nipped back inside to get the prawn sandwiches while this was going on.

35 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 0, Uefa Cup final, first leg, May 10, 1973

The game kicked off on May 9 and, with the German side looking comfortable after 27 minutes, the match was abandoned after a torrential rain storm. The next night it was 10p at the gate on the terraces and Shankly had noticed the opposition's weakness in the air. John Toshack, who had been left out 24 hours previously, was selected and caused havoc. Liverpool took a three-goal lead to Germany – just as well, as Mönchengladbach won 2-0 in the second leg.

34 The end of an era, July 12, 1974

The unthinkable news shocked the city. Shankly had resigned. People wept on the streets while the great man gave a strangely composed press conference to announce his departure. A sad day but Shankly's spirit would never leave the club.

33 1978-79

Where do you start with a season like this? The 7-0 rout of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield? The 3-0 victory at Old Trafford? One of the finest teams ever to play in England cruised to the title with crushing dominance. Four defeats, 85 goals scored and a mere 16 against. Ah, but Arsene Wenger's Invincibles went a season unbeaten in 2003-04, you say. But did they have the European champions in the division? A stunning year in more competitive times.

32 Liverpool 1 FC Bruges 0, European Cup final, May 10, 1978

Not much of a spectacle but doubling the tally of European Cups meant a great deal to fans of the Reds. And it made a point to Kevin Keegan, who had left Anfield the previous summer "for the challenge" and joined SV Hamburg. "What greater challenge," Kenny Dalglish, who arrived from Celtic to take over Keegan's No7 shirt, asked, "is there than to retain the European Cup?" By the time Kenny jumped the advertising hoardings to celebrate his winning goal, Keegan was long forgotten.

31 John Barnes signs, July 19, 1987

There was some resentment among Liverpool fans when the club was linked with Barnes. The knee-jerk reaction was to assume it was a matter of race. It wasn't. Barnes had flirted with Arsenal when Dalglish's interest was clear and there was a general feeling that the Watford winger did not want to come to Anfield. All doubts disappeared when the Kop saw him play. Part of a team – alongside Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge up front - that rivalled the great Liverpool sides.

30 Liverpool 5 Alaves 4, Uefa Cup final, Dortmund, May 16, 2001

After such a long time off the big European stage, it was only fitting that Liverpool should renew their trophy-winning ways in such dramatic style. On the perfect stage, Dortmund's Westfalenstadion, Markus Babbel's golden goal in a see-sawing match to add the Uefa Cup to a knockout treble of the FA Cup and League Cup. The travelling Kop were back in Europe in big numbers. The way "You'll never walk alone" resonated around the best football stadium in the world created one of the game's great sounds.

29 Shankly's first title, 1964

Promoted in 1962, Shankly was never one to sit around mid-table, especially with Everton winning the league in the Reds' first year back in the top flight. His ambition was to create a 'bastion of invincibility' at Anfield and the plan was coming to fruition. Manchester United, the main challengers, were beaten 3-0 on Merseyside in March and Arsenal were walloped 5-0 to seal the trophy. Five years after arriving at the club, Shankly was ready to take on Europe.

28 How to handle defeat, 1971

On the train back from London after losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, Shankly asked Brian Hall, a university graduate: "Who's that chairman with the red book." Hall was bemused. "You know, in China."

"Mao," Hall said and Shankly changes the subject. When they arrived in Liverpool, Shankly addressed the crowds waiting outside the Town Hall. After praising their support and behaviour at Wembley, he surveyed the crowd with pride. "Even Chairman Mao has never seen such a display of Red strength," he crowed. You still wonder why we'd follow him anywhere?

27 Athens ticket fiasco

Nothing could shake Liverpool supporters' loyalty. At least that was the theory until the club allocated tickets for the Champions League final this year. Thousands of season-ticket holders were left disappointed by the bizarre distribution method and fewer tickets than expected appeared to reach the fans. Rick Parry, the chief executive, exacerbated the problem by refusing "to play the numbers game". The mess prompted a protest march and anger. Banners complaining about the allocation have since been suppressed at Anfield. So much for the 12th man.

26 Liverpool 0 Everton 0, League Cup final, March 25, 1984

During the dark days of Thatcherism, a match in London was as much a political statement as a football trip. Thousands of ski-hatted Scousers, Blue and Red, disgorged from trains into Euston station singing in support of the Miners and Liverpool's Militant Council. Scouse power in action.

25 Liverpool 2 Leeds United 1, FA Cup Final, May 1, 1965

A year earlier, the Shankly revolution had delivered the title, but Liverpool were still the poor relations in the city. Everton, the Mersey Millionaires, still had notions of superiority. The stick that they used to beat their Kopite neighbours was that Liverpool had never won the FA Cup. On May Day the Cup came home to Anfield, courtesy of goals from Roger Hunt and Ian St John. The balance of power had shifted on Merseyside for ever.

24 Liverpool 1 Real Madrid 0, European Cup final, May 27, 1981, Paris

To really play with the big boys, you need at least three European Cups. After all, small clubs can win two – Nottingham Forest, FC Porto, Manchester United. This was the hat-trick in the Parc des Princes, against one of those big boys. Alan Kennedy completed the job with a late goal at a time when no team in Europe relished playing Liverpool.

23 Replacement on the cheap. Dalglish signs, August 10, 1977

Kevin Keegan leaves for £500,000. In comes Kenny Dalglish for £440,000. A player like that and money left over? Deal of the century. Genius from Bob Paisley in buying the greatest player to grace Anfield.

22 Celtic v Liverpool, April 30, 1989

The first game after Hillsborough was a friendly in the truest sense of the word. Instead of selling Liverpool fans tickets in a block, Celtic spead them all around Parkhead in small groups, without any segregation. Liverpool won 4-0 but nobody cared. When the whole ground sang You'll Never Walk Alone at the end, everybody in the stadium cried. Those who lack faith in football fans should have been there that day.

21 The Kop fights back

The game is becoming increasingly globalised with foreign ownership and fans from all corners of the world but, worried about the dilution of Liverpool values, a group of supporters got together to create a movement devoted to protecting the soul of the club. Reclaim The Kop started on January 1 this year and aims to educate newcomers to supporting Liverpool in our ways and keep our culture distinctive. A force for the good in the 21st century and the first wave in a new fans' movement.

20 Juventus 0 Liverpool 0, Champions League quarter-final, second leg, April 13, 2005

A flashpoint game. At Anfield the Juventus Ultras showed their contempt for Liverpool's apologies for Heysel by turning the back on the conciliatory mosaic. There followed dark threats about vendettas in Italy. The second leg looked as if there was bound to be trouble. However, the Liverpool fans in Italy kept a low profile and behaved almost impeccably. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, which sent Liverpool through after their 2-1 victory at Anfield. But, more importantly, there was no violence. The best result.

19 Everton 0 Liverpool 5

"And we played the Toffees for a laugh and left them feeling blue, 5-0!" A glorious day at Goodison. The home side, with Glen Keeley on loan from Blackburn Rovers playing in defence, could not match a rampaging Liverpool side. Dalglish tormented Keeley for 20 minutes until he was sent off and then Ian Rush ran wild, scoring four. A day still celebrated in song whenever Reds get together.

18 Emlyn Hughes' magic touch, May 1977

Back from Rome with the European Cup, the players, er, celebrated. When he rose to address the crowd Hughes appeared a touch unsteady on his feet. Carrying an injury, no doubt. "I want you to sing a song," he said. "Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic." It was, indeed, the soberest of notions and, recognising that, the red hordes sang it back. Meanwhile, Terry McDermott, more ahead of his time than Martin Peters – 30 years in fact – was answering the call of nature and splashing a group of nurses. The next time they ask for a day's slice of a footballer's salary, we'll send Terry round.

17 Liverpool 3 FC Bruges 2, Uefa Cup final first leg, April 28, 1976

Another of the great comebacks. Two down in the first 12 minutes, Liverpool looked out of it for an hour as the Kop built up a head of steam. Then, in a wild five minutes, Liverpool shot into the lead with Ray Kennedy, Jimmy Case scored before a Kevin Keegan penalty sealed victory. The Reds were one down to an early goal in the second leg, too, before Keegan equalised from a free kick. Europe learnt early that you can't relax when in front against Liverpool.

16 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0, Champions League semi-final, second leg, Anfield, May 1, 2007

They'd seen it all before. This time Chelsea would be ready. Surely. Er, no. The Anfield storm blew Jose Mourinho's team away, again. They were lucky to take the match to penalties as the other three sides of the ground joined the Kop in creating a hurricane of noise.

15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Liverpool 3, May 4, 1976

The Black Country has seen nothing like it. Untold thousands of Liverpool supporters descended on Molineux in anticipation of seeing the victory that would secure the title. Wolves, fighting relegation, had other thoughts, and went ahead early on. But the relentless pressure wore the home side down and, just when safety looked in sight for Wolves, John Toshack equalised. Kevin Keegan got a second and Ray Kennedy provided the icing on the cake. Thousands of Scousers poured on to the pitch to celebrate. Soon they would be invading Europe in similar numbers.

14 Liverpool 1 AS Roma 1 (Liverpool win on penalties), European Cup final, May 30, 1984

A night of great tension and violence, remembered by the television audience for Bruce Grobbelaar's crazy-legged bravado during the penalty shootout and by those who were in Rome for the sustained assault on Liverpool fans before and after the match, events barely reported in Britain. A day that showed how ugly European football could be. It would get worse.

13 Last day of the Kop, April 30, 1994

The terraces were about to become history at Anfield but the Kop had one last fling when Norwich City arrived for the final day of the season. Designated a 'Flag Day,' the old terrace rocked like on the great nights as the game went on barely noticed in front of a full house. An era was ending but, in the vibrancy of the flags and banners, a new age was starting. The ethos of the Kop could not be as easily demolished as those concrete steps

12 Liverpool 3 Everton 2, FA Cup Final, May 20, 1989

What should have been a festive occasion was overshadowed by events five weeks earlier. An exciting match but better remembered for the collective sadness of a city. 'Abide With Me' sung in a Scouse accent was a first – normally it was only our own communal songs - and the eeriness of the minute's silence, broken only by the cackle of police radios, lives in the mind longer than the action on the pitch.

11 Liverpool 3 Everton 1, FA Cup Final, May 10, 1986

A year earlier, Kenny Dalglish had taken over as manager amid the debris of Heysel. Seven days before the first all-Merseyside Cup Final, the player-manager had scored the only goal against Chelsea to take the title from under Everton's noses. Now, on a frenzied day in the old stadium, Everton took the lead and Liverpool looked about to disintegrate when Jim Beglin and Bruce Grobbelaar squared up. Then Jan Molby took over, Ian Rush scored twice and the Double was secured. And the trains, coaches, minibuses and cars rolled northwards still decked in red and blue with little hint of trouble. Sadly, it could not happen now.

10 Johnny Todd at Anfield, Liverpool v Toulouse, August 28, 2007

You know it as the Z-Cars theme. It is the song that Everton run out to at Goodison Park. It is anathema across Stanley Park. When 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot, the city was appalled. At Anfield, they showed their respect for the young Evertonian – and the anger at the killers – by playing his team's song. Driven by Tony Barrett, a local journalist, the ensuing show of Scouse solidarity at once moved and inspired pride.

9 Heysel, May 29, 1985

Drunks, anger, charges, dead bodies. A sickening night, forever shrouded in a fog of tear gas and fear. Uefa's choice of stadium set up a disaster, Liverpool fans did the rest. A night few can look back on with pride. A low point.

8 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0, Champions League semi-final, second leg, Anfield, May 3, 2005

After a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho brought his side north confident that they would reach Istanbul. That was until they met the wall of noise waiting at Anfield. After four minutes, Liverpool were up by a disputed Luis Garcia goal that Chelsea claimed did not cross the line. Did the crowd's ferocity influence the referee and linesman? Only they know but anyone who was there as the six minutes of stoppage time ticked away knows the meaning of the word atmosphere.

7 Winning and losing, 1989

Seconds to go at Anfield and another double looming. Although the team are 1-0 down to Arsenal, unless the London club score a second, then the title is coming home. Then Michael Thomas gets the run of the ball, get clear through on goal and delivers the championship to Highbury in the final seconds of the season. Anfield is stunned into silence. Then, a voice says: "You know what? Worse things happen. We know." Two months on from Hillsborough, thousands of voices said the same thing around the ground and no tears were shed for a losing team. Arsenal and their fans were visibly shocked by their reception.

6 Liverpool 3 St Etienne 1, European Cup quarter final, 1977

Things were going so well. Just 1-0 down from the away leg, Kevin Keegan evened the game up in the first minute. The place exploded – the gates had been locked more than an hour before kick-off and the anticipation had been building. Then things got tight and, after half-time, when Fabien Bathenay scored from distance, everything seemed to be going wrong. Ray Kennedy lifted hopes with a headed goal but, with 10 minutes left, Liverpool were out on away goals. Enter David Fairclough, supersub. With six minutes left, Kennedy knocked the ball long. It seemed that the rake-thin Fairclough could neither outrace the St Etienne defence, nor stay on his feet as the centre half bundled into him. Yet he did, and struck the ball towards the goal. It seemed to bobble yet it found the net. Chaos. The roof almost came off the Kop. The old ground would not shake like this until Chelsea arrived nearly three decades later.

5 Truth Day, Liverpool v Arsenal, FA Cup third round, January 6, 2007

Kelvin McKenzie, short of publicity, decided to recycle his Hillsborough lies. The BBC, mistaking bombast for opinion, decided to give the man an outlet on television. The Kop responded by spending the first six minutes of this BBC-televised tie standing up and displaying a mosaic saying: The Truth. During this time – the game at Hillsborough was six minutes old before it was stopped – the crowd chanted 'Justice for the 96'. The teams, reduced to bit-part players, wandered around the pitch unnoticed. It was a protest the like of which has never been seen before at a football ground and, watching, I have never been prouder.

4 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 1, European Cup final, Rome, May 25, 1977

They came every way they could to the Eternal City, more that 20,000 fanatics, some taking a nightmare five-day train journey that would today provoke a human-rights lawsuit. What they saw was an immense performance from Kevin Keegan against a fine German side, stunning goals from local boys Terry McDermott and Tommy Smith to set up a victory that was sealed by a Phil Neal penalty. They danced in the streets and fountains and waved those red chequered flags with glee. European adventures come no better.

3 Half-time, Liverpool v AC Milan, European Cup final, Istanbul, May 25, 2005

"That's it. Game over," Andy Gray said, unable to keep the tone of satisfaction out of his voice. Of course, no one in the Ataturk could hear the television commentary but, at 3-0 down as the break loomed, Liverpool looked beaten. Then, with the players trooped down the tunnel, someone started singing You'll Never Walk Alone. It started hesitantly, with an undertone of anger, but suddenly turned into the ultimate assertion of culture and belief. When it finished, the tension had lifted and the 40,000 Liverpool fans were no longer broken and defeated, even if the team was. Did this act of faith inspire the subsequent comeback from the team? If it didn't, they don't have a shred of soul between them.

2 Bill Shankly arrives, December 1, 1959

The man from Glenbuck came to Anfield, via Huddersfield Town, to find a club in almost terminal decline. Mired in the second tier for five years, Liverpool were going nowhere. "Quite a character," the local paper mused. But it was a little bit more than that. This was year zero: nothing would ever be the same again. In the book Here We Go Gathering Cups in May, John Maguire, one of the writers, says: "Who knows what type of person I'd be now if that Scottish fella hadn't walked into Anfield on a cold December day in 1959…" Maguire was not even born when Shankly left the club, but he understands his legacy. It would be a perfect ending if this was the most important moment to Liverpool fans. If only.

1 April 15, 1989. Hillsborough

First the objections. Why is this more important than Heysel? It is not a case of one set of dead being more valued than another. People were called to account for Heysel – not enough, sure, but an attempt was made to apportion responsibility. People were jailed, the Belgian government held an inquiry. Officials lost their jobs. There was justice of sorts. That disaster would not have happened without the dreadful behaviour of Liverpool fans. We accept that. It was a peculiar set of circumstances that, removing any one link in a causal chain, could have been avoided.

Hillsborough was different. It could have happened to anyone – ask Tottenham Hotspur fans, who had a lucky escape when they played Wolves in 1981.

But it happened to us and, instead of trying to get to the bottom of the problem and ensure the safety of fans, those charged with the protection of the public found it easier to blacken the name of innocent supporters – a libel that lingers on today. The consequences linger with the lies – the lack of standing, the prohibitive ticket prices. And knowing the sectarian nature of football support and its uncritical biases, it was easy to convince people that we stole from our own dead and urinated on the bodies and the police. Would you do it? Then why are you happy to believe I did. This was not just Liverpool's disaster, it was all supporters' disaster. And no game worth 96 bodies – or 39. The most important moment in our history. Let's hope the 96 get justice one day, then maybe it will be knocked off the top.

great piece there from tony evans, and the highlighted bit sums it up for me

I enjoyed that read kopite mate , it brought back some some great and sad memories.

Thats why we support Liverpool eh , this article put's our current performances into perspective. I loved it ..... superb.

[scousemouse]

Team news ahead of tonights game against Blackburn.

The game is balanced on a knife's edge for me and is impossible to predict , let's just hope it's the right result and a 2-1 win for Liverpool :

Blackburn v Liverpool

Ewood Park

Saturday, 3 November

Kick-off: 1715 GMT

Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.

David Bentley (shin) and Aaron Mokoena (leg) are expected to be included in the Blackburn squad despite picking up injuries against Portsmouth in midweek.

Rovers will, however, be without Robbie Savage, Steven Reid and Jason Roberts.

Liverpool have Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa and Javier Mascherano back from injury for the trip to Ewood Park.

Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and Xabi Alonso are still three weeks away from consideration but Harry Kewell is in line to be drafted into the squad.

Blackburn (from): Friedel, Brown, Emerton, Nelsen, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Berner, Bentley, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Derbyshire, Tugay, Mokoena, Rigters, Khizanishvili, Treacy.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Aurelio, Benayoun, Babel, Gerrard, Sissoko, Mascherano, Lucas, Crouch, Kuyt, Voronin, Itandje, Kewell, Hobbs.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes:

"The same clubs always seem to be in the top four so the games against them are a marker.

"We want to make a statement against Liverpool as it is nice for a change to see one of our matches billed as one of the top games of the weekend. It is not often we are talked about in those terms.

"The way we are playing and approaching games we are looking forward to every one. That includes Liverpool and Manchester United.

"I am happy with the quality we have. We are a good team and enjoying a great run at the moment. I can just sense the group as a whole is really excited about what is happening."

<LI>Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:

"Blackburn will be equally as hard a match as our recent games with Everton and Arsenal.

"Blackburn have confidence, they now play some nice football with good players. They create chances and have really improved, it will be a tough test for us.

"When you spend two or three years close to the top four, close to the Champions League like they have, then you must give credit to the manager, Mark Hughes, for that achievement.

"It is clear they are progressing on the pitch, and after two years you can see the improvement. You need to be good in the transfer market as well as what you do every day, this is an example of a job well done."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Blackburn against fellow Carling Cup quarter-finalists Liverpool is a north-west derby in which both clubs are eyeing a place in the top three.

Rovers are bidding for a fifth straight Premier League victory; Liverpool are protecting an unbeaten league record and the best away form in the highest league.

Mark Hughes, who was 44 on Thursday, is looking for a 50th Premier League victory as Blackburn manager, on Rafael Benitez' 125th Premier League match in charge of Liverpool.

Blackburn are hoping to clinch back-to-back victories over Liverpool, having beaten them for the first time in 17 league meetings with the 1-0 triumph in this corresponding fixture on Boxing Day last year.

CLUB FORM

BLACKBURN ROVERS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...res/default.stm

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 3rd

Lowest could fall: 7th

1. Won the last seven in all competitions.

2. Pursuing a fifth consecutive victory and their longest winning sequence in the Premier League since registering seven on the spin under Kenny Dalglish on 10 December 1994, during the title-winning season.

3. Bagged 12 points out of 12 since their only defeat in this league campaign; 0-1, home to Portsmouth on 23 September.

4. The current tally of 21 points after 10 games is identical to the pace set during that 1994-95 title-winning campaign.

5. One of three clubs to have gained as many as seven points from losing positions; won two and drawn one in which they were trailing.

6. Lost one of the last 16 league fixtures.

7. Recorded more draws than any other club in the top half; five.

8. Fielded fewer players in Premier League competition this season than any other club; just 18.

9. The first of successive Premier League local derbies against "big four" clubs. A visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United is scheduled for next weekend. LIVERPOOL

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 3rd

Lowest could fall: 7th

1. One of two remaining unbeaten clubs in the Premier League. The other is Arsenal.

2. Unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches. Won five and drawn six since losing 1-0, away to Fulham on 5 May.

3. Completed 36 league games since a defeat by more than a single goal; that being 3-0, away to Arsenal on 12 November 2006.

4. One draw short of 150 all-time in the Premier League.

5. Allowed the opposition to open the scoring in only one match this season (Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison on 20 October) - the best record in the Premier League.

6. The current tally of 20 points after 10 games is their best return since 2002-03, when they had 24 points at this same stage and went on to finish fifth. But a higher placing has been attained in three of the four subsequent seasons, after inferior starts.

7. Their 10 Premier League games have produced 23 goals (17 for, six against). Only West Ham's matches have been less productive; 21 goals (12 for nine against).

8. The lowest placed of three clubs still holding an unbeaten away record in the Premier League.

9. Picked up six more points on the road, than at Anfield (seven at home, 13 away). Indeed they have only dropped two points out of a possible 15 away from home this season. Their most recent away league defeat was the last trip last term (to Craven Cottage on 5 May).

10. This match precedes the Champions League Group A fixture, home to Besiktas of Turkey on Tuesday.

KEY PLAYER NOTES

BLACKBURN ROVERS

Benni McCARTHY is Blackburn's top scorer with eight goals, including five in his last four games.

McCARTHY, who scored in both Premier League matches against Liverpool last season, is also the club's leading marksman in the Premier League with five - all scored in his last six league appearances.

Brad FRIEDEL has made 124 consecutive Premier League appearances for Blackburn, in a sequence that started at the beginning of the 2004-05 season.

David DUNN needs a hat-trick to total 50 career club goals (Blackburn and Birmingham).

Only FRIEDEL and David BENTLEY have played every minute of every one of Blackburn's league and cup matches this season.

If selected:-

Morten Gamst PEDERSEN will be making his 100th Premier League appearance - all for Blackburn.

FRIEDEL will be facing a former club. The 36 year old United States international keeper made 31 appearances (25 in the league) for Liverpool between December 1997 and his move to Ewood Park in November 2000.

Stephane HENCHOZ will also be facing former colleagues, although he has not made an appearance so far this season. The 33 year old Swiss international defender made 205 appearances (135 in the league) for the Reds between August 1999 and January 2005.

Stephen WARNOCK will be facing the club where he started his professional career. The 25 year old midfielder made 67 appearances (40 in the league) and scored one league goal, before signing for Blackburn in a £1.5m move in January this year.

LIVERPOOL

Fernando TORRES is Liverpool's top scorer with seven goals, and top Premier League marksman, with four.

Goalkeeper Jose REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Liverpool's Premier League matches this season.

Benitez has not named an unchanged starting 11 since 31 October last year (v Bordeaux), and has only done so once in the last 157 matches.

HEAD TO HEAD

Benni McCarthy's goal proved the difference between the clubs 10 months ago, when Rovers gained their first home victory in a decade over Liverpool.

Home and away

League (inc PL): Blackburn 34 wins, Liverpool 48, Draws 36

Prem: Blackburn 6 wins, Liverpool 11, Draws 9

at Blackburn only

League (inc PL): Blackburn 25 wins, Liverpool 14, Draws 20

Prem: Blackburn 5 wins, Liverpool 4, Draws 4

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Liverpool

26 December 2006 - Ref: Rob Styles

Blackburn scorer: McCarthy 49

REFEREE

Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)

[scousemouse]

Well the game ended up 0-0 .

It wasn't for the want of trying that we didn't score though. After a quiet first 70 minutes we sprung into life with the introduction of Kewell and Crouch and looked the most likely team to score , Dirk Kuyt being guilty of wasting 2 glorious chances.

Looking on the brightside , we didn't lose any ground on Arsenal or the mancs and were still unbeaten .

[scousemouse]

I thought the referee Martin Atkinson was the best man on the pitch , he had a great game.

Match report from the bbc :

Blackburn 0-0 Liverpool

Blackburn and Liverpool shared the points in a tightly-contested match.

Rovers should have been in front by the interval after twice hitting the woodwork through David Bentley's effort and David Dunn's wonderful shot.

The game was more even in the second half, and both Christopher Samba and Dirk Kuyt could have done better for the visitors in promising positions.

Late on Brad Friedel twice saved Steven Gerrard shots, Peter Crouch went close with a header and Kuyt missed badly.

Liverpool deployed Kuyt as a lone striker, though Gerrard tried to get forward in support as often as possible.

But with Ryan Nelsen and Samba getting the better of the Dutchman, who has failed to score a league goal in open play this season, Liverpool struggled once the ball reached the Blackburn area.

Liverpool's wide players, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel, also found the going tough - as did Blackburn's wingers Morten Gamst Pedersen and Bentley.

And with the play congested in midfield, both sides laboured to create scoring opportunities.

Finally after 34 minutes Blackburn did just that - and came desperately close to scoring - as Pedersen and Bentley came infield to link up well.

Bentley collected Pedersen's flicked header and his low shot grazed the foot of Jose Reina's post.

Four minutes later the game was treated to its first meaningful save when Friedel threw himself to his left to push away Babel's powerful shot.

Just before half-time Dunn was desperately unlucky not to score when his superbly executed shot crashed off the bar.

Dunn limped off at the end of first period and although he re-emerged for the second half he was soon to be replaced by Tugay.

The game was more open up after the interval and Samba might have done better when John Arne Riise failed to clear, but the Blackburn defender delayed his shot.

Just past the hour Kuyt failed to pick the right pass with Gerrard in wonderfully promising position.

Gerrard then drew two fine saves from Friedel, while substitute Crouch had a header cleared off the line by Bentley.

In the closing minutes Kuyt missed a glorious chance after good work by Harry Kewell and the Dutchman then went close with an angled shot.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes:

"It was a very good game. There were a number of chances for both teams. There were clear cut chances that on another day would have gone in.

"It was an evenly-matched game. But the last ten minutes were difficult for us.

"Liverpool had a number of chances and our keeper Brad Friedel did well for us when we were tired."

<LI>Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:

"I am disappointed. We deserved to win. We created very, very clear chances - and plenty of them.

"When the game became more open we had more control and went forward. We had more offensive players.

"We must think about the positives, we had a lot of possession and a lot of chances. In the second half, their goalkeeper was their best player."

Blackburn: Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Bentley, Dunn (Kerimoglu 56), Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy (Derbyshire 89).

Subs Not Used: Brown, Khizanishvili, Treacy.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun (Crouch 72), Sissoko, Mascherano, Babel (Kewell 63), Gerrard, Kuyt.

Subs Not Used: Martin, Arbeloa, Lucas.

Booked: Carragher.

Att: 30,033 Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

[scousemouse]

If this ever happens I'll show my hoop in MBK's window :

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is sensationally targeting old rival Rafa Benitez's Liverpool job for his big Premier League comeback. (various)

[scousemouse]

I've just heard we got defending champions Chelski away in the league cup quarter final , that should make things a bit more intresting .

[scousemouse]

Getting a bit nostalgic , here is arguably the greatest Liverpool side ever .

Bruce Grobbelaar is the only overseas player in the squad and I'm sure this lot would be doing a bit better than the current lot :

LIVERPOOL:GK1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgRay ClemenceRB2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgPhil NealCB23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgJamie CarragherCB5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Scotland.svgAlan HansenLB3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgEmlyn HughesRM7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Scotland.svgBilly LiddellCM17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgSteven GerrardCM8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Scotland.svgGraeme SounessLM11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgJohn BarnesCF10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Scotland.svgKenny DalglishCF9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Wales_2.svgIan RushSubstitutes:GK13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Zimbabwe.svgBruce GrobbelaarDF12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgTommy SmithMF14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgIan CallaghanCF15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgRobbie FowlerCF16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_England.svgKevin Keegan

[scousemouse]

LIVERPOOL:

GK1Ray Clemence

RB2

Phil Neal

CB23

Jamie CarragherCB5

Alan HansenLB3

Emlyn HughesRM7

Billy LiddellCM17

Steven GerrardCM8

Graeme SounessLM11

John BarnesCF10

Kenny DalglishCF9

Ian RushSubstitutes:

GK13

Bruce GrobbelaarDF12

Tommy SmithMF14

Ian CallaghanCF15

Robbie FowlerCF16

Kevin Keegan

[scousemouse]

Time to start building :

Liverpool's stadium move granted

Liverpool Football Club's plans for a new £400m stadium have been passed.

The 60,000 capacity ground at Stanley Park has been unanimously approved by Liverpool City Council planning committee after a five-hour meeting.

The Premier League club's new stadium will hold 15,000 more fans than the existing site, but that could increase to 75,000 in the future.

The plans were resubmitted because American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks were unhappy with the originals.

The new stadium will house 114 executive boxes, twice the number in the original design, and will regenerate public land which stands between Anfield and Everton's ground, Goodison Park.

Paul Hyett, chairman of HKS Architects in charge of the stadium project, said: "You don't often get one like this to deal with. Most people never get to work on one like this.

"It's a fantastic job to be involved with, a fantastic city and fantastic club."

A spokesman for Liverpool FC said work on the new stadium could begin almost immediately and was expected to be finished by August 2011.

Construction of the new ground means the Stanley Park area will benefit from £14m of Government funding.

'Monstrous sized'

Despite celebration over the approval, the club's application has been widely opposed by residents living near to the new development and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.

Local councillor Steve Radford called it a "monstrous sized development" that should not have been passed.

He said: "I believe the officers of the council have acted as agents of the club, not agents of the people."

The Reds' current home will be redeveloped as a car park, sports centre and hotel.

Talks are under way with families of Hillsborough victims about moving the 1989 memorial.

[scousemouse]

I expect Liverpool to give Fulham a 4-0 spanking , just like last year :

Liverpool v Fulham

Anfield

Saturday, 10 November

Kick-off: 1715 GMT

BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is pushing for a place in boss Rafael Benitez's line-up.

Harry Kewell is also in contention after another spell on the sidelines.

Fulham duo Paul Konchesky and Elliott Omozusi are banned but Carlos Bocanegra returns from a suspension. Shefki Kuqi could be handed his full debut.

Chris Baird is fit and will return to the starting line-up, but youngster Nathan Ashton has picked up a thigh injury and misses out.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:

"I was happy with the Champions League performance but I have not decided who plays in the next game.

"The situation does not worry me. I can chose from four strikers who I believe are all playing well but I can understand why people ask the question.

"I like to see all my players doing well and I prefer to have the problem of deciding which players will be in the team."

<LI>Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez:

"We have a lot of good forwards here and it's very hard to get into our front line.

"Shefki Kuqi was down the pecking order. As a loan player coming in from a Championship club, he was always going to be 'just in case'.

"But he came in last week and did an excellent job for half an hour. The test now will be if I start him, can he do it for 90 minutes?"

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Hobbs, Aurelio, Riise, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Sissoko, Kewell, Voronin, Kuyt, Crouch, Torres, Martin, Lucas.

Fulham (from): Niemi, Warner, Stefanovic, Hughes, Bocanegra, Baird, Leijer, Davis, Smertin, Murphy, Seol, Davies, Healy, Dempsey, Kamara, Kuqi.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Liverpool run out for Rafael Benitez' 200th game in charge, four days after thrashing Besiktas 8-0 - the biggest win in Champions League history.

The Merseysiders put their unbeaten Premier League record on the line, against a Fulham side yet to win away, but one who also enjoyed their biggest win of the season last time out (3-1, home to Reading).

This is a match between the draw specialists of the Premier League; six of Liverpool's 11 league games have finished all square, and 50% of Fulham's have also ended level (six of 12).

The Cottagers were the last club to beat Liverpool in the Premier League.

Fulham are chasing back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time in 46 outings; however defeat would take the Londoners' total of losses in this league to 100.

The Craven Cottage club have never won in any competition at Anfield.

CLUB FORM

LIVERPOOL

Club stats Fixtures

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 4th

Lowest could fall: 7th

1. One of two remaining unbeaten clubs in the Premier League, with Arsenal, and one of six still to be beaten at home in the highest league.

2. Undefeated in 12 league games; won five and drawn seven since losing 1-0, away to Fulham on 5 May.

3. Their Premier League games this season have produced the joint lowest aggregate, with West Ham of 23 goals; 17 for, six against. That's 2.06 goals per game.

4. One of only two teams to have conceded six Premier League goals, at one every 165 minutes (two hours 45 minutes). Manchester United are the other club to have shipped just six, at one every 180 minutes (three hours) on average.

5. An opposition player is still to open the scoring in a Liverpool Premier League match this season, although an own goal from Sami Hyypia did give Everton the lead in the Merseyside derby on 20 October.

6. Not conceded a Premier League goal earlier than the 38th minute, and only shipped two in the first half; fewer than any other club.

7. Recorded three goalless draws in the Premier League this season; more than any other club.

8. Five of Liverpool's 10 league defeats last season followed midweek Champions League ties.

9. Drawn their last four league games against London clubs.

10. Of their five league wins this season, only one has been at Anfield. Drawn four of their five home Premier League matches; more than any other club, and unbeaten in nine league outings at Anfield. Won four and drawn five since the 0-1 reverse to Manchester United on 3 March; their only defeat in 40 home league games since October 2005.

FULHAM

Club stats Fixtures

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 11th

Lowest could realistically fall: 14th

1. Not achieved successive league victories since beating Sheffield United (h) and Newcastle (a) on 26 August and 9 September 2006.

2. Averaging a point a game so far this season (12 in 12).

3. The 3-1 victory over Reading last Saturday ended a nine-match winless league sequence.

4. Picked up only two Premier League wins so far; home to Bolton and Reading.

5. Lost the lead seven times in league matches this season and beaten in an unequalled three games in which they held the lead. Dropped 15 Premier League points from winning positions, but this is now not the worst record this season; Spurs have failed to hang on to 16 points from matches in which they were winning.

6. Used more players in Premier League competition this season than any other club; fielded 26.

7. Been shown three red cards in Premier League matches this season; more than any other club.

8. Lost 12 of the last 15 Premier League journeys to the north-west, but gained two points from the last three trips. Their only maximum in the 15 league trips to the region was 1-2 v Manchester City on 29 April 2006.

9. One of eight clubs still searching for a first away win in the Premier League.

10. On the longest current streak of 22 matches without an away victory in the Premier League, picking up 11 points from a possible 66 since the 1-2 defeat of Newcastle at St James' Park on 9 September last year. Drawn the last three on the road; 1-1 at Wigan, 0-0 at Chelsea and 1-1 at Sunderland.

KEY PLAYER NOTES

LIVERPOOL

Fernando TORRES is Liverpool's top scorer with seven goals, and top Premier League marksman, with four.

Goalkeeper Jose REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Liverpool's Premier League matches this season.

Benitez has not named an unchanged starting 11 since 31 October last year (v Bordeaux), and has only done so once in the last 159 matches.

If selected:-

Mohamed SISSOKO will be making his 50th Premier League appearance in Liverpool colours.

Steve FINNAN will be facing a former club. The 31 year old Republic of Ireland international made 207 appearances (172 in the league) and scored seven goals (six league) between November 1998 and his £3.5m move to Liverpool in July 2003.

If on the field from the outset:-

Dirk KUYT will be making his 50th start in a Liverpool shirt.

FULHAM

Clint DEMPSEY and David HEALY are Fulham's joint top scorers with four goals each; only DEMPSEY'S are all Premier League goals.

Fulham boast five players to have figured in at least a part of every one of their Premier League games this season; that's more than any other club (Simon DAVIES, Steven DAVIS, DEMPSEY, HEALY and Diomansy KAMARA).

If selected:-

Shefki KUQI will be playing on his 31st birthday.

Danny MURPHY will be facing a former club. The 30 year old loanee made 249 appearances (170 in the league) and scored 44 goals (25 league) for Liverpool between July 1997 and his move to Charlton in August 2004.

Suspended:-

Paul KONCHESKY (one match)

Elliot OMOZUMI (one match)

HEAD TO HEAD

Liverpool have not been short of goals in winning the last three home Premier League fixtures with Fulham, netting three, five and four goals respectively. Ten different scorers netted 11 of those 12 goals, and one was an own goal.

The Cottagers lost 10-0 at Anfield in the League Cup 21 years ago.

Home and away

League (inc PL): Liverpool 22 wins, Fulham 7, Draws 11

Prem: Liverpool 7 wins, Fulham 3, Draws 2

at Liverpool only

League (inc PL): Liverpool 15 wins, Fulham 0, Draws 5

Prem: Liverpool 4 wins, Fulham 0, Draws 2

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

9 December 2006 - Ref: Uriah Rennie

Liverpool scorers: Gerrard 54, Carragher 61, Luis Garcia 66, Gonzalez 90

[kopite]

for the first time in weeks im looking forward to a game.

im with scousemouse on this, 3/4-0 tonight, hopefully crouch will start.

nine points going into the mancs game would be sound.

[scousemouse]

For the lads without UBC the Liverpool game is being shown live tonight on Thai t.v :

Liverpool v Fulham 12:15 am channel 3 ( thai tv )

truesports 63.

[scousemouse]

This move would be a shame if it happens :

Carson poised for permanent move

Scott Carson has revealed Aston Villa and Liverpool have agreed a deal for the England under-21 keeper to make a permanent move to Villa Park.

The 22-year-old has impressed at Villa having had previous loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton.

He said: "I think the clubs have agreed something where, if everyone is happy, my move could be made permanent and it is something I would welcome.

"I would prefer to establish myself as a number one at Villa."

Carson joined Liverpool from Leeds for £1m in January 2005 and is now valued at between £8m and £10m.

He said: "What I want now is to be settled for the next five to 10 years. I've been out on loan a lot over the last couple of seasons.

"It is not easy when you keep moving up and down the country. It would be nice to settle at a club that I like and where the fans like me.

"I've settled in well at Aston Villa over the past few months. Everyone at the club has welcomed me and that has been a big help.

"I don't feel I've done a great deal wrong so far and, if I feel I should have done better, I will be the first person to admit it. I'm not one for coming up with excuses."

Villa manager Martin O'Neill is delighted with the progress made by Carson, who has replaced Thomas Sorensen as his first choice keeper.

He said: "Scott he has done very well. I've been very pleased with him. He is improving as a keeper. "He is very young but he has got a terrific attitude and wants to improve."

[kopite]

get. f***ing. in

a hard game against a team that put 10 men behind the ball.

the points are what matter.

torres showed again why we need him, voronin was class (again) crouch also. things are looking up at anfield.

"super, super dan, super, super dan, super, super dan, super danny murphy"

im sure the mancs will agree

[scousemouse]

It was looking for a long time as though it was going to be another frustrating afternoon at Anfield , until Rafa brought on Torres .

He showed that touch of world class play that was lacking from our other forwards to break the deadlock , and he had only been on the pitch 10 minutes. Fulham will probably feel a little aggrieved about the second goal , the trip on Crouch looked outside the area , but som nam nar to Fulham .

With no premiership games now for a couple of weeks it was imperative we got the 3 points and we did in the end comfortably .

[scousemouse]

The moment of the match ( apart from the goals ) for me was Danny Murphy getting a yellow card for a crude foul on Gerrard !!!!. Good mates that they are though , they swapt shirts at the end of the game ... match report from bbc :

Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

</B>

Fernando Torres' superb individual goal and a Steven Gerrard penalty pushed Liverpool up to fourth as Fulham again imploded in the last 10 minutes.

Torres twisted and turned to get the better of Aaron Hughes, before beating goalkeeper Antti Niemi with a low shot.

Peter Crouch, who hit the bar with a first-half header, won the penalty when he was fouled by Carlos Bocanegra and Gerrard's spot-kick was unstoppable.

Niemi was superb for Fulham in goal, making a series of top-class saves.

During midweek Liverpool had thrashed Besiktas 8-0 in the Champions League, but Fulham proved less accommodating as Rafa Benitez named an unchanged side for the first time in over a year.

Prior to Saturday's game, Liverpool had drawn four home games and for 80 minutes Fulham looked they might be another side to come away from Anfield with a point.

But not for the first time this season Fulham, who now have conceded goals in the last 10 times seven times this season, failed to last the course.

Deploying David Healy and Shefki Kuqi in attack, Fulham tried to get their midfield players to support them as quickly as possible in the early stages of the game.

Kuqi's aerial presence caused Liverpool problems, while former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy tried his luck with a couple of long-range efforts.

Kuqi worked tirelessly for Fulham, tracking back to help out his defenders.

And Fulham's defensive organisation ensured Liverpool struggled to create clear chances in an even first half, ensuring Niemi had only one real save to make in the opening period from Sami Hyypia's shot.

Andriy Voronin briefly unsettled the Fuham defence when he emerged unmarked at the far post, but after controlling the ball on his chest he misplaced his pass.

Even so Liverpool were unlucky not to go in at the interval ahead when Crouch's looping header bounced off the bar.

Just after the restart Crouch headed the ball down to Voronin, but the Ukrainian forward's shot was comfortably gathered by Niemi.

On 55 minutes the Fulham keeper had an altogehter less comfortable moment when he was momentarily deceived by Fabio Aurelio's free-kick, before recovering to make the save.

Soon afterwards Niemi had to push the ball over the bar from Voronin's rising shot, though Voronin was to completely miss his kick when Liverpool's next chance arrived.

Niemi's best save of the game came from Yossi's Benayoun's chip which looked goalbound before the Finn got one hand to the ball and pushed it past the post.

Benayoun had an influential game for Liverpool and a clever pass released Voronin, but the Ukrainian's shot flashed past the post.

On came Ryan Babel and Torres and the Spanish striker's arrival proved decisive.

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina played a part in Torres' goal, his huge kick finding his Spanish compatriot deep in the Fulham half.

Torres' tricky bamboozled Hughes and having created space the former Atletico Madrid beat Niemi with a low shot inside the near post.

Crouch was then tripped by Bocanegra and Gerrard's powerful penalty gave Niemi no chance.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:

"Their keeper was really good but we were creating chances and at the end we could score a second goal because they were a little bit open.

"We knew Fulham would work hard till the end but we needed to keep going, passing the ball and trying to do our job.

"It's always important to win, but especially when you know that for 10-15 days you won't have another game, so our people will be happy for at least 10-15 days!"

<LI>Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez:

"I thought we pretty much contained them in the second half but the problem was we thought we had coped so well we could go on and nick it.

"We're not a bad side but we're not quite at the level where can live with a team like Liverpool for 90 minutes.

"But overall I'm pleased with the performance. When you come to a place like this you know they can go away from teams but we stayed with them until the end."

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurelio, Benayoun, Mascherano (Lucas 81), Gerrard, Riise (Babel 62), Voronin (Torres 70), Crouch.

Subs Not Used: Martin, Finnan.

Goals: Torres 81, Gerrard 85 pen.

Fulham: Niemi, Baird, Hughes, Stefanovic, Bocanegra, Davies, Davis, Murphy, Dempsey (Kamara 69), Kuqi, Healy (Bouazza 60).

Subs Not Used: Warner, Smertin, Leijer.

Booked: Murphy, Dempsey.

Att: 43,073 Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset

[scousemouse]

I hope we can sort Mascherano's future out soon . I think he is a world class player and has been showing some great form of late and I would like him to remain at the club for a long time yet.

I think he has a lot more to offer than Sissoko does and we should pay whatever transfer fee is being asked , after all we have had him playing for us for nothing for nearly a year :

<H1 align=center>Javier: Sort it or I'm off</H1>

JAVIER MASCHERANO has told Liverpool to sort out his future inside a month or he will move abroad.

The Argentine midfielder insists he will not join another English club despite interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Mascherano has set his heart on a long-term Anfield deal.

But Liverpool are unwilling to pay the £17million wanted by Media Sports Investment, whose representatives held talks on Merseyside this week. Rafa Benitez values Mascherano, 23, closer to £10m but the possibility of a quick deal is complicated by the manager's uncertainty about his transfer budget.

Mascherano, whose current deal ends in the summer, said: "I hope the situation will be sorted in the next month.

"If I could make the decision I'd stay at Liverpool because I'm really happy here.

Happy

"I don't want to keep moving every summer but if I don't play in Liverpool, I won't play for another club in England. Not even Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United. It would be impossible to play against Liverpool for another English team."

[Torv]

Happy

"I don't want to keep moving every summer but if I don't play in Liverpool, I won't play for another club in England. Not even Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United. It would be impossible to play against Liverpool for another English team."

AWWWWWWWWW

[scousemouse]

This is a shame for Yossu but looking on the brightside he should only miss the Newcastle game for Liverpool thanks to the international break :

Yossi Benayoun out for three weeks

LIVERPOOL midfielder Yossi Benayoun has been ruled out for three weeks in a setback for both club – and England.

A scan yesterday revealed that the Israel captain had suffered an adductor tear in the Premier League win over Fulham.

Benayoun will now miss Israel’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia on Saturday.

England’s hopes of qualifying – and those of Benayoun’s Liverpool team-mates Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch – rely on Israel taking something off Russia when they meet at the weekend.

If Russia win, England’s final game against Croatia next week will be academic.

Reflecting on the injury Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said: “Yossi has been playing really well but I don’t think he will be fit for Israel’s next game. He was limping for the last five minutes and has a problem. I was watching him and told him to stay in the middle and not to run but he was trying two or three times.

“The adductor is a muscle (that if you injure it) you can keep the ball and run if you go straight but you cannot turn.”

Meanwhile Javier Mascherano has re-affirmed his desire to stay at Liverpool.

"By staying here I will become a better player and that way I can help Liverpool to be more successful,” said the 23-year-old.

[scousemouse]

Grinding out wins key to title - Steven Gerrard

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard believes that grinding out these kind of victories against stubborn Anfield visitors like Fulham are just what his team needs if they’re to challenge for the Premier League title.

While much has been made in recent seasons of Liverpool’s disappointing record in head-to-heads against other members of the ‘big four’, the Anfield skipper reckons that making sure his team come through fixtures against the lesser lights of the top flight who defend resolutely is crucial if his club are to finish top of the table for the first time since 1990.

Gerrard said: “These are the wins that get you in the title race. A lot of people talk about when the big teams go head to head but the title has been won many times before by teams grinding results out like this.

“You look at Chelsea’s two title wins in recent years, they haven’t always played well against teams like this but they win 1-0.

“So that’s what we’ve got to get into the habit of, when we’re not playing to our maximum or to our level, we’ve got to get three points.”

Until the final eight minutes it looked like Liverpool were going to be denied the three points because of a terrific display by Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi.

However, the deadlock was broken by record signing Fernando Torres who had entered the fray as a 70th-minute substitute.

Gerrard, so often the match-winner himself for Liverpool, revealed that he was not surprised by the Spaniard’s impact and the display is what he and his team-mates are coming to expect from the £18million striker.

He said: “That’s the type of player that he is, that’s what we signed him for – to change games.

“We going to find that a lot of teams are going to come here well-organised and make things difficult for us but that’s the quality we’ve got in the squad to make a difference from the bench.

“Once you get to about the 70th minute and you still haven’t scored you start to worry that it’s going to end in a stalemate but to be fair to Fulham they were solid.”

Gerrard added: “It was nice to see Fernando back fit and with a little bit more sharpness I’m sure he’ll be back in from the start and will score a load of goals for us.

“Of course he lifts the crowd, you could see the ovation he got when he took his substitute’s coat off, he’s a big star for us and he works hard for the team.

“He’s a good lad. He’s settled in well and his English is improving all the time and he looks like he’s enjoying himself and that’s how we’ll get the best out of him.”

[scousemouse]

WHEN Fernando Torres joined Liverpool I must confess I didn’t quite know what to expect.

I’d seen him on TV for Spain and Athletico and he looked useful. My excitement though was tempered by reports of erratic finishing and a modest goal-scoring record.

The ghosts of Djibril Cisse and Stan Collymore lurked to remind me that a big price tag does not automatically translate into goals and championships. But, Torres is the real deal.

A genuine world-class striker fit to wear the same shirt as Dalglish, Rush, Keegan and Hunt. Without Torres this game was going to end goalless, Liverpool would have surrendered two points to a resolute but ordinary Fulham and tabloid hacks would have written off the team trying to unsettle Rafa.

However, a sublime piece of control and a great finish ensured Liverpool enter the international break unbeaten and with their second home win. With the season a third of the way through Reds fans should be mildly encouraged. Our away form is as good as any in the Premier League.

We now have a world-class spine in Carragher, Gerrard and Torres. Players such as Alonso, Agger, Finnan and Mascherano would walk into any Premier first 11. The key to the campaign will be Rafa’s ability to maximise home advantage and secure 35-plus points from the remaining 13 games at Anfield.

To do so will require our wide players raising their performance levels. I’m not a Pennant fan and for me the answer, this season will lie with Benayoun, Kewell and Babel – a player that reminds me of John Barnes. The way he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and drove at pace into the heart of the Fulham defence before delivering an inch-perfect pass for Crouch to earn the penalty was very reminiscent of the great number 10.

The Africa Nations Cup after all will hurt Liverpool far less than Arsenal and Chelsea.

[scousemouse]

Pace of Fernando Torres a vital weapon in title push says Rafa Benitez

RAFAEL BENITEZ has hailed Fernando Torres as the man who can help turn draws into wins as Liverpool go in search of the Premier League title.

Liverpool were heading for a fifth draw in six league games this season on Saturday until their £18million striker came off the bench to break a stubborn Fulham side’s resolve with a smart finish at Antti Niemi’s near post in front of the Kop.

Steven Gerrard added a second from the penalty spot three minutes later but it was the former Atletico Madrid man’s crucial opener that ensured Liverpool were on their way to their first three points at Anfield since the 6-0 crushing of Derby County nine weeks earlier.

Benitez said: “I think last year we were controlling a lot of games but we needed to score these goals.

“It is the difference between a draw and three points. When you bring in a player like Fernando it is with this idea.

“He can do it because he’s a player with pace. This ability when you have pace is an issue. I have ability but I don’t have pace so I can’t beat anyone! But Torres can do it.”

Benitez, who named an unchanged side from the team that started the 8-0 win over Besiktas, started with Andriy Voronin and Peter Crouch up front and insisted that while all of his strikers bring him varying attributes, the Spaniard’s speed sets him apart from his other forward options.

He said: “I don’t think that he is our most natural finisher. Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin are very good finishers also but if you can go with the pace that Torres has you have an advantage.

“When you have four good strikers, you need to manage with the quality and the conditions of each one.

“In this case we were playing with Voronin who was doing a fantastic job and had some chances and Crouch, who is good in the air but we needed a little bit more pace.

“Torres has this pace at the end of the game when the other team are tired and he used his ability.”

Benitez added: “I’m sure that Voronin, Crouch and Kuyt, plus Babel also, can score these goals for us.

“Okay it was Torres that scored but Voronin had two chances before and in the end the key for me is when you can use one or the other one – it depends on the defenders and it depends on your team.

“We were expecting to score but I didn’t know who would score. We kept trying to keep passing, moving the ball and creating chances and changing players.

“We brought on Ryan Babel and Torres with fresh legs and tried to do different things.”

Benitez also reserved praise for another fellow Spaniard, goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who set up Torres’s goal with a long kick downfield.

He said: “Reina is a player who has game intelligence, he can read the game, he can play these kind of balls for the strikers if the strikers run for the ball.

“You need the movement because sometimes he is looking for this pass and you don’t have the space, the defenders are deep and you cannot play these balls but he likes to do.

“You can save, save, save 100 balls but if you don’t do something more you will be a good goalkeeper but not a top class keeper.”

[scousemouse]

Could Sammy Lee be making a return back to Melwood :

Rafa Benitez and Sammy Lee

TONGUES were wagging at Warrington’s Halliwell-Jones Stadium last night, when Reds boss Rafa Benitez watched Liverpool Reserves’ 0-0 draw with Blackburn alongside former Anfield coach Sammy Lee.

Benitez has already ruled out a return to Anfield for Lee, who lost his job at Bolton recently, but the pair still clearly share the same footballing philosophy.

One to watch maybe