The fighting philosophy of Bill Shankly

The fighting philosophy of Bill Shankly
In the first of our series of extracts from the Guardian book of football, Eric Todd talks to the legendary Liverpool manager - a players' man who has always been 'daft about fitba'

* Eric Todd
* The Guardian, Monday July 28 2008

Liverpool legend Bill Shankly celebrates in front of the club's fans. Photograph: PA

Like the state of holy matrimony, an interview with Bill Shankly, manager of Liverpool, is not to be entered lightly. There is an element of chance about them both; in neither is the course of events predictable. Shankly has to be heard to be appreciated. Like Jim Sims, that much-loved slow bowler for Middlesex in years gone by, he expresses himself through the corner of his mouth. There the comparison ends. Sims favoured the confidential drawl, Shankly fires his words as if with a Gatling gun. And he does not often miss.

Thirty years have passed since my first sight of Shankly playing at Deepdale in the company of the Beatties (not related), the O'Donnells (brothers), Jimmy Milne, Jimmy Dougal and Harry Holdcroft, that most handsome of goalkeepers. Even in those days Shankly was a busy, fussy character who always played with his palms turned outwards, creating the remote illusion of a sailing ship striving for that little extra help from the wind.

"Now, now," protested Shankly, when I suggested that analogy. "It gave me strength. Did you notice too that I played on my toes all the time? Like a ballet dancer? That gave me strength in my calves, and I’ve still got it. Preston was only a small place - Jim Taylor, the North End chairman, called us a village team - but it was a fine club who believed in modern methods. I learned a great deal with Preston and I’ve always tried to pass on some of those lessons.

"I was always daft about football. I went to Carlisle when I was 17 and a half, moved to Preston in 1933, and finished playing in 1949 when I went to Carlisle as their manager. They were a useful side but they haven’t had a great deal of ambition. But I had. So when I had the offer to take over at Grimsby because they ware struggling, I went and took less wages. From Grimsby I went to Workington, who were facing extermination. They offered me a bonus if I could save them. I got my bonus. Then I went as assistant to Andy Beattie at Huddersfield and, when he left, I took his place. I was made manager of Liverpool in 1959 and the rest you know. And by the by, I was never sacked in the whole of my life."

Shankly sipped his tea, long since cold, before he set off on a new theme. "People often ask me if I ever made a mistake. Well, to my mind 'mistake' is a misused word, especially in football. For example, you might say it was a mistake for a club to buy such and such a player but that is not necessarily true. The player might not be able to settle down or to fit in. He might not suit his environment. Just bad luck. A footballer’s not like a hat or a coat that you can leave at a shop if it does not fit or suit you."

"Mind you, there are some managers I’ve known who have gone about things the wrong way. The manager above all things should be solely responsible for the playing and training staffs and all tactics. He must be able to coach and to explain such basic things as how to kick a ball and how to pass it and control it. In other words, he must know what he's talking about. What good is it to go to a golf professional for lessons if he doesn’t know the game? The same with a football manager.

"Mind you, I would not say the best players make the best managers, although I think that's been more the case in recent years - but a manager makes things so much harder for himself if he can't explain the game to his players. And even that's only half the battle. To get the best out of his men, the manager has to work to a tactical plan they understand which need not necessarily be the one he'd like himself. For instance, at Liverpool we have Ian Callaghan and Peter Thompson, two of the best wingers in the game. They are as near to the old orthodox wingers as there are, so why should they be used in any other way? It would not be fair for one thing. Natural ability is far too precious to be messed about with."

"Before I forget I must just tell you about Denis Law. When I went to Huddersfield, I had charge of the reserves, and this wee boy of 15 was one of them. You would not have thought so to look at him but he had everything. He was fiery and he was talented and he was earmarked to be a star. He was to become one of the greatest players I ever set eyes on. Aye, he was that."

After this diversion Shankly picked up his management thread as if he had never left it. "As for me, if they're not satisfied with me, they'll get rid of me. We have a responsibility to the people of Liverpool. There was a great potential at Anfield when I went there and I like to think I have helped to realise that potential. We have got to try and maintain the high standard we have set, keeping in line with other teams with ambition, and maybe winning the League Championship again. That would give us a record haul of eight league titles, one more than Manchester United and Arsenal."

Shankly is young enough to have expectations of seeing that day, successful enough to withstand those tribulations to which so many of his kind have succumbed, patient enough to go on making a living until he can retire and take Nessie, his long-suffering wife, on their first real holiday in 25 years. When they went to a football match during their honeymoon, Nessie had a hint of what was in store in the years ahead. "A wonderful, understanding woman," said Shankly, whose present idea of a holiday is to stay in bed until mid-morning.

He neither smokes nor drinks but sees no reason why others should not do so - in moderation - and he has a lively sense of humour, although he is not conscious of it. If he were asked to think of something funny, he would be a slow starter. He is, however, master of the "off the cuff" type of humour and frequently reduces his players and press conference to hysterics with asides he had meant to be taken seriously. The sayings of Shankly are as forthright and weighty as the sayings of Mao. In the streets around Anfield they are also much more respected.

Shankly is not impressed easily nor is he a willing subject for embarrassment. When he put through his own goal in Tom Finney's testimonial, he was no more remorseful than a lad caught pinching jam from the larder. Only once, perhaps, did he go close to blushing. He played in a game alongside Frank Soo of Stoke City and afterwards a Scottish selector among the crowd went up and put his arm round Shankly's shoulder. "Well done, Soo," he said. "You played a blinder." "He thought I was the Chinese because of the way my hair was cut," explains Shankly, and his chuckle is that of a corncrake in search of a mate.

I think it would be an exaggeration to say that Shankly is regarded generally as a "popular" manager - except at Anfield, where the Kop acknowledges him to be omnipotent. He is not as aloof as he used to be but he is not easy to know, not easy to draw out. His conversation, like the man himself, is fitful. He speaks in Morse, as it were. But for all that he is, and always has been, among the genuinely dedicated managers and his success as a player and as a manager has been achieved the hard way. He has in his time made mistakes over transfers - that is my view, not his - but he covered them up effectively. Above all, Shankly is a players' man who knows that if he fights for them, they will fight for him. It seems a sound philosophy.

The Duke of Wellington is reported to have made sure personally that his troops - who did most of the work - had comfortable billets. Shankly subscribes to the same principles and now squeezes the duties of accommodation inspector into his already congested schedule.

Before I left him, Shankly summoned the manager of a hotel and gave him his instructions. "There'll be, eh, 17, in the party," he said. "So, eh, that'll be 17 fillet steaks – I’ll let you know how we want them done when we arrive - with chips. For afterwards, eh, there'll be 17 fresh fruit salads and fresh cream. Right? Then for breakfast, eh ..." A players' man indeed.

** Part of the interview was editted by MyRAWK for the purposed of easy reading. To read the entire article in it's original uneditted form, kindly click on the The Guardian link on top.

Sir Bob Paisley: Humble man who never walked alone

Humble man who never walked alone
In an article originally published on 22/02/1996, Frank Keating reflects on Bob Paisley's funeral

* Frank Keating
* The Guardian, Monday July 28 2008

Good Bob Paisley was laid to rest in his parish churchyard yesterday as Liverpool supporters respected his family's request for privacy, and there were fewer than 100 gathered outside when the simple coffin, adorned with red and white roses, was carried into St Peter's, Woolton. There will be a more acclaiming memorial service in the city in the spring.

His widow Jessie, their three children and seven grand-children led the mourners, who included a number of players from Paisley's record-breaking teams as well as the four managers who succeeded him - Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Roy Evans.

Two of those, Fagan and Evans, would have been ruminating through moist eyes on the days when all the blazing red fires that were too hot for Europe were lit in the Anfield bootroom, which, legend has it, was instituted by the late Bill Shankly after he arrived to manage the dingy Second Division club at Christmas 1959 and kept on the two backroom boys from the previous regime, Fagan and Paisley.

By touching fluke this very day is published a biography, Shankly by Stephen F Kelly, which celebrates the founder of the feast. Kelly writes: "If there was any magic, it came from that small group who gathered within its four walls... all that came out of that bootroom was plain common sense."

And you can just picture it: a pot of tea on the hob, Shankly in his woolly cardie, Paisley in his slippers, Fagan and Ronnie Moran still in their tracksuits. "Young so-and-so didn't look too bright this morning," Paisley would mutter in his north-east vernacular. "Probably out too late last night," someone else would suggest. "Better have a word," Shankly would add. "Or give him a run in the reserve..."

Cosy little natters at elevenses which, in their way, girdled the globe - as pictures of yesterday's funeral will have. The Geordie adopted - and how! - by the Scousers knew he would be buried at St Peter's, which he and Jessie attended each Sunday for years. St Peter's! To the end he would tell of the finest night of his career, after Liverpool had won the first of their European Cups, soundly thrashing Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome. The party afterwards was at the Holiday Inn, just down from St Peter's itself. It was the last of its type. It was still (just) the age of soccer's innocence then. The press were invited and the world and his wife were allowed to gatecrash so long as they were decked in red.

A number of the obits to Paisley mentioned that, however much the champagne bubbled, the beaming manager bursting out of his ill-fitting Burton's blue suit refused to take a drink, so he could "drink in the atmosphere and the achievement".

Well, true in fact but not in theory. Halfway through the do a big mitt gripped my arm fondly. "A Keating's a boy who should know," said Bob. "D'you think there's any chance of getting a bottle of Guinness round here?" I searched every nook. The St Peter's Holiday Inn did not stock Guinness. "Ah me," said Bob, "that means only me and the Pope up the road and Horace [Yates, the teetotal sports editor of the Liverpool Daily Post] over there are the only three sober men in Rome tonight."

By then the joint was dancing. Lo and behold, they struck up the Gay Gordons. Paisley joined in one set with us, grin on full beam, then went to bed, a happy man, the very happiest of men. Before he pattered off to the lift to get into those favourite slippers he had said something passingly matter-of-fact and prophetic. No football club in those days was sponsored but the spivs were talking such revolution. "Sponsors?" Bob winced as we walked to the lift. "Sign up with them and they'll be picking the team for you inside a fortnight." And so it has come to pass. RIP.

Jason Dasey interviews Craig Johnston

Most of the newer generation of REDs might not remember the name of Craig Johnston. He was THE creator and designer that came out with the Adidas Predator boots that adorned the feet of Gerrard, Zidane and countless other fotalling superstars through the years.

To those who absolutely idolised the all conqering team of the 80's, he'll always be affectionately know as the mop-haired Aussie and the one responsible for the "Anfield Rap" song. Retired at age 27 still at his peak, he will always be associated with LFC.

Checkout the interview conducted by ESPN Stars' Jason Dasey by clicking on the links below.

Part 1: 'It was 20 years ago today...'

Part 2: The other side of the lens

Liverpool Echo: David Moores Opening His Heart

David Moores: I'm shell-shocked at the damage being done to Liverpool Football Club
Apr 12 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

A HEARTBROKEN David Moores today called on Liverpool's warring co-owners to sort out their differences for the good of the club – or else stand aside and let someone else take over.

In his first interview since selling the club to Tom Hicks and George Gillett in February 2007, Moores told the ECHO how:

* He was left disgusted by the treatment of chief executive Rick Parry by Tom Hicks

* He believes Hicks and Gillett must either find common ground or walk away

* He feels let down by the “unacceptable” way the club has been run since he relinquished ownership

l He will do everything he can to get the club back on an even keel after so much turmoil.
Moores, who continues to act as honorary life president at Anfield and who maintains a place on the Liverpool board, said: “It's heartbreaking. I'm almost lost for words about the damage that's being done to the club at the present time.

“As a fan, and as someone who loves the club, it is totally unacceptable to see this being played out in the public arena.

“This is most certainly not what the club is about. In fact, I can't ever remember, even going back to when I was a supporter as a kid, stuff being played out in public like we have seen in the last six months.

“It is embarrassing and it is not an acceptable way of doing things.

“I've never known anything like it and I'm just absolutely shell-shocked.”

As far as Moores is concerned, one of the most upsetting things of all is the way the success Liverpool enjoyed on the pitch in beating Arsenal to make it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League has been almost forgotten amidst the off-field turmoil which has erupted since Hicks called on Parry to resign.

“The most heartbreaking thing about all of this is that we were on such a high after the Arsenal game on Tuesday night and then this comes along and completely takes over the great things the players and the manager did,” he said.

“The wonderful success they had that night has been completely diminished, it is completely gone, because of all of this being brought out into the open.

“All I can say is I feel very sorry that it has come to this, that how great it was on the night has been taken over by something which should have been dealt with in a far more delicate way and certainly not in public.

“It certainly doesn't help the team, because they're not getting all the praise they should be getting because of other things are taking priority.

“Everyone should be going on about how well they performed and how brilliant Rafa's tactics were. I mean, for goodness sake, three Champions League semi-finals in just four years is an unbelievable achievement.

“But the gloss has been taken off it and you should never do that.”
When Moores stepped down as owner, he welcomed Hicks and Gillett to the club but has become increasingly concerned at their apparent inability to act as “custodians” as they had promised and also their seeming lack of willingness to put the club ahead of their own personal interests.
And he today called on them to resolve their differences or leave the way clear for someone else to own the club who can provide the unity and stability it needs.

He said: “I didn't know Hicks very well, I knew George a lot better.

“George came across as a bubbly, enthusiastic man who loves his sport and is knowledgeable about it.

“But he didn't have the money to do the deal without bringing someone else on board.

“It was really right at the end that I met Tom Hicks so I didn't really get a chance to get to know him but I took George's word for it.

“It was in total good faith. I believed these fellas, I believed everything they said to me and they said it all again to the fans via the media and you can judge for yourselves whether they kept their promises.

“I am surprised because I thought that the pair of them, from what they said to me and to the fans through the media, that they appreciated the heritage and the values of the club.

“They talked about putting the money in and the new stadium and having no debt on the club. At the time I think we all felt it would be a good deal but it's not all materialised.

“I do feel let down. With everything that's going on, I have to feel let down.

“This is not how I foresaw it and I'm sure it's not how the fans foresaw it.

“If I could have afforded to take the club forward I would have done, but I couldn't. I didn't have the sort of money you need for a new stadium and £30-40m a year for new players.

“So I had no option. I would love to still be in charge but I would have held the club back.

“That's why I am asking these two gentlemen to think of the club, not their own kudos.

“The fans, the manager and the team all deserve better than this.

“We should now be focusing on continuity, stability and working our socks off towards enjoying what will hopefully be a super night in Moscow.

“But when things are played out like they are at present it virtually makes the club a laughing stock and that's not acceptable.

“How can they be acting as custodians when they are split down the middle?”

He added: “It needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. The two owners don't agree on a way forward and unity is essential.

“They have got to stop thinking of themselves and start thinking of the club, its values, its traditions and its heritage.

“They have to do what is best for the club and get it sorted as quickly as possible because what is happening at the moment is not doing it any good.

“I think the damage can be repaired but those two gentlemen have got to come to a quick agreement about the way forward.

“You would have to say if they can't do it then they will have to stand aside and let someone else do it.

“I can't say what these two gentlemen will do. Will they sell? I don't know.”

Having seen Liverpool suffer greatly in recent weeks as the battle between the two owners continues to rage, Moores today committed himself to doing everything in his power to get the club back on an even keel.

“We have got to keep the ship going and I will try my best, and I'm sure Rick will, that we will go on and try to get success at the end of the season, try to get off the politics and concentrate on what's happening on then pitch.

“You look at the fans and as everyone keeps saying they are like a 12th man.

“They were unbelievable again the other night and they deserve better than what's going on at present.

“All I can promise them is that I will do my damnedest to make certain that the club comes through this and we get back to concentrating on what happens on the pitch not off it.

“It is not my club anymore but I will do everything I can and I would like to give a huge vote of thanks to the fans for the wonderful support they have given the manager and the team.

“European nights at Anfield are something you wouldn't see anywhere else. They are unique, unbelievable and the fans make it that way.”

More backroom shenanigans - Parry to be sack?

After the monumental achievement in reaching our 3rd semi-finals in 4 years, Hicks decided it was high time for Parry to go. Most of us would happily see the back of him, but the manner of how this was conducted was of utter shame: imagine learning you'll be ask to resign through the ticker on SkySports.

What ever happen to the "Liverpool Way" of conducting our business behing close door? It's as if it theres not enough dirty linens already being washed in public the past couple of months. Congrats Hicks! You've self-signed your death warrant.

Liverpool Echo will run an exclusive story where David Moores will open his heart on the current shameful situation in Anfield. We will post excerpts and links to the article once its up later today. Be sure to check back.

Check out Tony Barrett's article on the situation below. It's taken from the Liverpool Echo , click on the link to acces the article directly:


Liverpool FC crisis: Tony Barrett on the boardroom war that's split Anfield in two
Apr 11 2008 By Tony Barrett Liverpool Echo

IT WAS only a little over 12 months ago when Rick Parry told Liverpool's outgoing shareholders that the club would be in safe hands with Tom Hicks and George Gillett. at the helm.

Today, Parry will no doubt be regretting his ringing endorsement of Hicks, who has plunged the knife deep into the back of Liverpool's chief executive by telling him to quit.

The shock demand was delivered to Anfield by letter yesterday afternoon, while Parry was at FA headquarters in London. making an unsuccessful attempt to have Javier Mascherano's extra one game ban overturned Parry was blissfully unaware of the letter. The first he knew of it was via text messages from family members asking if the story breaking on TV was accurate.

There had been no board meeting to discuss his position as protocol demands, nor had there been any verbal communication from Hicks.to suggest that his position was under threat.
Despite this, Parry was not shocked by the dramatic turn of events, mainly because members of the Hicks clan have made no secret of their desire to see the 53-year-old ousted from the club during recent visits to Anfield.

The timing was also unsurprising, coming two days after Parry had accompanied Gillett on a visit to the city centre office of Liverpool's commercial director Ian Ayre, who is viewed by the pair as Hicks's ally on Merseyside.

The ECHO understands Gillett gave Ayre only 15 minutes’ warning that he wanted to meet him, and on arrival launched into a tirade, reminding Ayre he answers to Gillett as well as Hicks.

It was now Gillett and Parry against Hicks and Ayre.

As soon as he learned of Ayre's dressing- down by Gillett, Hicks hit the roof, and hearinghat Parry was also present only served to hardened his desire to see Parry removed.
Sources in the Hicks camp insist this meeting was not the catalyst for yesterday's developments, and that the Dallas-based businessman had simply been waiting for the three matches against Arsenal to end before making his move. They also say Hicks could not afford to wait until the end of the season to make his move because a new chief executive would have to be found in readiness for the busy pre-season period.

The ECHO understands that Tom Hicks junior has been informing friends in Liverpool for the past six weeks that they want Parry out. so there was no need to wait until the Arsenal games to be out of the way – yesterday's dramatic move could have been made at any point before then

On February 26, the ECHO was made aware of Hicks's desire to sack Parry and sent him an email asking if he was planning on firing him. But Hicks refused to answerthe question, saying: "I won't comment on management."

The boardroom battle has been going on for some time but much of the fighting has taken place behind closed doors. Now it’s on open show.

The fact that the internecine battle for Liverpool was played out on a satellite news channel yesterday will greatly upset Anfield traditionalists and those who continue to cherish the much fabled "Liverpool Way".

As will the revealing of private discussions between Rafa Benitez and Hicks about misgivings the manager has over Parry's ability in the transfer market.

Benitez has been privately critical of Parry for some time, and was particularly irked over the loss of long-time target Florent Malouda to Chelsea, but Benitez has never made his concerns public. Yesterday, Benitez was no doubt as shocked as Parry to see such detail laid bare. Similarly, Liverpool’s players will be at least disappointed and at worst disgusted that their magnificent achievement of reaching the Champions League semi-finals in such glorious circumstances three days ago will now be overshadowed by yet more unseemly events off the field.

Hicks’s decision to go public with his call for Parry to quit could simply come down to the fact that he does not have the power or the authority to sack him.
It would take a majority vote by the Liverpool board to sanction a dismissal of such a high ranking employee and the current make-up of the board means Parry's position is safe.
With Gillett, his son Foster and life president David Moores all supporting Parry, Hicks and son Tom junior would be out-voted, and with Parry having no intention of quitting there is an impasse.

It is the most bitter of power struggles, one with no immediate sign of resolution
That is the reason why Dubai International Capital's chief executive Sameer Al-Ansari produced a bombshell of his own yesterday, announcing DIC were shelving their bid to buy Liverpool.
DIC's desire to buy the club has not lessened but they believe a deal remains impossible while the boardroom rows continue.

Hicks remains unwilling to sell to DIC while Gillett has previously indicated his willingness to do a deal. But in recent weeks both men have attempted to put in place the finance to buy the other out.

In the current credit crunch the possibility of that happening remains slim. as even the world's biggest financial organisations are unwilling to lend out the kind of capital required to fund such a venture and It seems likely that Unless either party can attract a second party as an investor, Hicks and Gillett seem stuck with each other for the time being. at least.
The ECHO understands a "first refusal" agreement between the Americans, in which one must offer his slice of the club to the other before selling to a third party, does not come to an end until the end of May.

That is an unpalatable thought for everyone at Liverpool, as one senior Anfield figure put it today: "We simply cannot go on like this, one of them has to go.

"We've got a European Cup semi-final coming up and maybe even a final, all this is doing is damaging the team's chances.

"How can owners act like this?"

If rapid change does not occur then the position of manager Benitez will inevitably be brought into question.

The Reds boss has been a patient figure as civil war has raged around him, and has managed to keep his players focused despite the obvious distractions.

But basic common sense tells us that the position he is in, with two bosses at loggerheads and the club's entire decision process now so complex and fraught, is not one which any manager would enjoy, never mind one with the kind of CV which would inevitably be attractive to Europe's top clubs.

Up to now, Benitez has avoided taking sides in the battle but yesterday he found himself dragged into it by Hicks.

It is a similar situation for the Liverpool fans who are now taking sides and worryingly for Hicks, it seems that many of them are backing Parry against him.

Parry is not a particularly popular figure among Liverpool's fan base and many have not forgiven him for the role he played in the tickets fiasco ahead of last year's European Cup Final.
But there is something about the way Hicks is currently conducting club business which means the American’s every move has the potential to backfire.

It is all so different to a year ago when Hicks was given the seal of approval by Parry in that fateful letter of his own to shareholders.

At the time he said of Hicks and Gillett "To them, our virtues, heritage and culture are precious assets that will help to inspire everyone connected with us to continue to strive for further success – both on and off the field."

Having now been told to depart so abruptly, Parry's opinion of Hicks will today be quite different.

News from Anfield & LFC

DIC 'still intent' on Liverpool takeover
by Duncan Castles Sunday January 27, 2008 The Observer
Dubai International Capital remain intent on a takeover of Liverpool, regardless of their disappointment with the nature of the £350million refinancing deal with which the club's American owners have secured their immediate tenure there.
For more info go to: source from http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2247768,00.html


Latest News from Liverpool FC South Africa supporters club website:
Exclusive by Chris Bascombe, News of the World
LIVERPOOL are praying a form of Merseyside GBH will come to their rescue — Gillett Backstabbing Hicks.Anfield co-owner George Gillett brought his feud with partner Tom Hicks to the fore by refusing to publicly back a £350million refinancing deal.Gillett signed up to the agreement before the February 5 deadline to protect his own investment — but privately he does not believe holding on to Liverpool is in the Americans' or the club's best interest.His son, Foster, left his office at Melwood two weeks ago and there are no plans for his return.It appeared Hicks had seen off the latest challenge from Dubai International Capital (DIC) by signing a debt-ridden agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia.But takeover talks are continuing, with DIC not walking away as they sense the split between the owners leaves the door open for a £250m bid for the whole club — beginning with a fresh move to buy Hicks' share. For more information go to: http://liverpoolfc.co.za/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1126051643/m/3071021974


BENITEZ WEIGHS UP AIMAR SWOOP
Jan 26 2008 by David Jones, Liverpool Echo
RAFA BENITEZ is weighing up a swoop for Argentinian playmaker Pablo Aimar.
The Liverpool boss is looking into the possibility of signing Aimar from Real Zaragoza after being alerted to his availability.
Benitez has managed Aimar previously when the pair worked together at Valencia – a time which Aimar openly admits was his most productive as a player.
For more information go to: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2008/01/26/benitez-weighs-up-aimar-swoop-100252-20397224/

Benitez - Masch will stay
Reds boss expects permanent deal
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 25th January 2008 Sky Sports UK
I don't know the exact position now but I talked to Mascherano and he wants to stay.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes the sale of Mohamed Sissoko will ensure Javier Mascherano remains at Anfield.
Mascherano is currently on loan on Merseyside and Benitez is desperate to secure the midfielder on a permanent deal during the January transfer window.
The Argentine's temporary deal expires at the end of the season and he could then leave Liverpool with a number of European clubs circling.
However, both Benitez and Mascherano have expressed a desire to extend the 23-year-old's stay and the Reds boss is confident Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will broker a deal.
For more information go to: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_3078150,00.html

Latest Images of Liverpool FC's new stadium
Jan 25 2008 Liverpool Daily Post
Liverpool have announced that Dallas-based architects HKS have been appointed to build their new Stanley Park stadium.
Pictures are at : http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2008/01/25/picture-gallery-images-of-liverpool-fc-s-new-stadium-64375-20394924/

KOP COMPLETES FINANCING PACKAGE
Paul Eaton 25 January 2008
Kop Football (Holdings) Limited ("Kop"), the owner of Liverpool Football Club (the "Club"), is pleased to announce the successful completion of a £350 million financing package.
In addition it is pleased to announce confirmation of the selection of the architectural firm HKS, Inc. as designer of the Club's new stadium at Stanley Park. The Financing Package Kop has secured a £350 million financing package, led by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia Bank NA, which replaces previous financing that had been due in February 2008. The new financing will meet all of the Club's current financial needs and includes facilities to support the commencement of construction for the new stadium at Stanley Park and to provide working capital for the Club and future player transfers.
For more information go to: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158586080125-1442.htm

We want to know what you think (source taken from Liverpool Daily Post)

Help us tell our readers what Liverpool FC fans think of the current situation at Anfield - take part in our short survey - Click on the Liverpool Daily Post Link

Newsmedia from Anfield

BBC UK News Report

With Rafael Benitez's future under the spotlight and reports of financial problems, all is not well at Liverpool - Football Focus's Ivan Gaskell reports.

Jump to Media Player

Crisis at Anfield and News Stories from the KOP

LFC fans in fear as future of Liverpool is on knife edge

by Tony Barrett from the Liverpool Daily Post Jan 17 2008 sourced from

DURING an exhaustive search for investment in Liverpool Football Club Reds chief executive Rick Parry spoke of the need for any deal to be absolutely right.
“You can only sell the family silver once,” he famously remarked.

Today Liverpool are facing up to the previously unimaginable possibility of half of the family silver being sold for the second time in less than a year – if Tom Hicks is willing to sell.

DIC loom large on the Anfield horizon again.

After missing out to Hicks and George Gillett last time around Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum is understood to be ready to do everything in his power to ensure it does not happen again.

But despite being one of the richest men in the world Sheikh Mohammed does not use his immense wealth to pay over the odds for any business.

When he was beaten to the punch by Hicks and Gillett last February one of his most trusted aides told the world bluntly “we won’t overpay for assets”.
So, if a deal is to be struck, it must suit all parties.

DIC chief executive and self-confessed Liverpool fan Sameer Al Ansari intimated the investment vehicle’s interest in the club ended when Hicks and Gillett took control.

But in reality their interest has never really gone away.
In the autumn they entered into talks with Hicks and Gillett with a view to snapping up a minority share of between 10-20% - only for any potential deal to founder on the Americans’ £1bn valuation of the club.

Now they are looking at setting up a deal in which they would buy, at the very least, a 50% share in Liverpool.

A firm bid could be forthcoming within days.

It is undoubtedly decision time for Hicks and Gillett who thought they had seen off DIC’s interest once and for all when they paid £218.9m for Liverpool last February.

But since then plans to refinance their initial purchase and pay for the long-awaited new Anfield with a new loan running into hundreds of millions of pounds have been slowed down by the American credit crunch making borrowing money much more difficult than it was 12 months ago.

There has also been a reticence from honorary life president and former chairman David Moores and Parry to sign up to a refinancing package which will plunge the club into hundreds of millions of pounds of debt.

As progress has stalled DIC has stepped up its long-standing interest and it is now ready to pounce.

Their desire is understood to have been fuelled by speculation Moores is becoming increasingly minded he should have gone with DIC rather than Hicks and Gillett when both parties put forward rival bids last year.

The fact Liverpool fans displayed their displeasure with the way the club is being run by the American pair at Anfield on Tuesday night did not go unnoticed in Dubai.

Banners unfurled on the Kop during the FA Cup tie against Luton Town sent an SOS to DIC and there were several negative chants directed at Hicks and Gillett.

It could be that, like his fellow countryman, Man United owner Malcolm Glazer, Hicks is prepared to ride out any storm of controversy whipped up by unsettled fans.

But as a businessman of international repute, he will also be aware such naked negativity from his customers is not sustainable in the long term.
Liverpool’s very future is today on a knife edge.

The family silver could be up for grabs again.

Although it is still too early to tell whether it will eventually change hands, DIC are certainly ready to test the water.

more news stories from here:

1.Dubai International to make bid for Liverpool FC

2.Arabs refuse to play down talk of buying into Liverpool FC

3.Jamie Carragher: Off-field antics can't distract us in games

4.Liverpool ponder move to buy out Hicks

5.Owners insist Liverpool are not for sale

6.Power struggle rocks Anfield

7.Riise backing Rafa

News Update from Anfield: Gillett vs Hicks

Owners' dispute eclipses Liverpool's new deal

By David Bond at the Daily Telegraph Last Updated: 1:59am GMT 17/01/2008

Liverpool's American owners are edging closer to clinching a breakthrough refinancing deal with banks despite growing tensions between the club's joint chairmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

According to City sources, a £350 million deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland and American investment bank Wachovia could be announced early next week. It is understood lawyers for both sides are now working through the fine print of the funding package which, if confirmed, will come six weeks before an existing one-year loan used to finance the American takeover expires. Once concluded the Americans hope the deal will restore a sense of calm to Anfield after a period of extraordinary instability.

But the Daily Telegraph has learned that there remains deep uncertainty about the relationship between Hicks and Gillett, the two US sports entrepreneurs who bought Liverpool in a £220 million deal last February. And even if the refinancing deal is confirmed, insiders are worried about how much longer the partnership will last.

Gillett is deeply unhappy with his joint owner following his explosive remarks in which he confirmed that the pair had approached former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann about taking over from Rafa Benitez. Gillett has been seriously unsettled by the reaction.

He is understood to be all the more irritated as the Hicks gaffe came despite assurances from the Texan billionaire that he would stay silent until the club's future was more secure.

Gillett has also been reluctant to press ahead with the refinancing plans, fearing that the new structure will load too much debt on to the club's balance sheet. It is also known that Gillett, the less wealthy of the two men, has been struggling to meet the banks' demands to put up £75 million each of cash and personal guarantees.

At one stage the growing split threatened to plunge the club into a new takeover battle, just 12 months after the Americans squeezed out Dubai International Capital, the investment company of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.

That remains a possibility, but any hopes DIC had of doing a deal with Gillett to buy out Hicks' 50 per cent holding appeared to be fading last night.

DIC are understood to be prepared to bide their time, believing that the relationship between Hicks and Gillett could be beyond repair and that the refinancing will only be a short-term measure.

Under the terms of the deal, around half of the £350 million of debt is to be placed on to Liverpool's books, partly to finance the start of work on the new £400 million stadium at Stanley Park and to refinance £20 million of loans for new players. The move is a reversal of the vow the Americans gave when they took control not to copy the approach taken by the Glazer family at Manchester United.

The rest is to be secured against Liverpool's parent company Kop Holdings. Having blocked attempts to load all the debt on to the club last year, former chairman David Moores, who remains a director, and chief executive Rick Parry, are uneasy about how the borrowing will be serviced, with interest payments of £30 million a year.

Questions unanswered

How sound is the Hicks/Gillett relationship?
The Jurgen Klinsmann gaffe has placed extra strain on a partnership already cracking over the £350m refinancing.

How much of the £350m debt will be placed on the club?
About half, with the rest on parent company Kop Football - with interest of £30m a year.

What happens if Gillett decides to pull out of the bank deal?
He could look to bring in Dubai International Capital and try to force out Hicks.

Will DIC give up on their plans to own Liverpool?
No. They will bide their time but a quick deal is unlikely if Hicks strengthens his grip.

What does the bank deal mean for Rafa Benitez?
It looks like a question of when, not if, the Spaniard leaves.

News from Anfield

Angry fans swamp web after LFC revelations by David Bartlett,
Liverpool Daily Post

FANS reacted angrily last night after Liverpool FC owner Tom Hicks confirmed he and George Gillett had secretly held a meeting with Jurgen Klinsmann to line the German up as the next manager of the club.

Internet forums were awash with comments from furious fans, many demanding the pair end their involvement with the club.

Hicks yesterday insisted the talks with Klinsmann would not have resulted in the sacking of Rafael Benitez, and that it was just “an insurance” policy in case Benitez switched his allegiances or failed to deliver the club into the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

But fans said the admission of the meeting, held at Hicks’s second home in California, had critically undermined the Spaniard. It also emerged a deal was almost reached with Dubai International Capital, who were rival bidders at the time Hicks and Gillett bought the club.

The talks in the autumn had been over DIC acquiring a minority share of 15%, but broke down over the valuation of the club, with the Americans understood to be hoping for £150m for that stake. Yesterday, the Daily Post reported how DIC may be poised to make a new offer for the club as the American owners try to refinance the debt they took on when buying Liverpool.

Last night, the LFC official supporters club called on the owners to offer the Spaniard a five-year contract and agree to sign Javier Mascherano as a symbol of their commitment to the manager.

Les Lawson, secretary of the Merseyside branch, said: “I just can’t believe what’s going on.

“The only way to win the trust of the fans back is to offer Rafa a five-year contract and give him the money to hire Javier Mascherano.”

On a forum, one typical fan wrote: “They're obviously trying to force Rafa out. They swept into Liverpool with a lot of Razz-a-Mattaz but haven't delivered on anything they promised.”

Yesterday, the club’s website had a statement from Hicks in which he admitted that himself and co-owner Gillett had sounded out the German, unveiled last week as the new manger at Bayern Munich, about taking over at Anfield if Benitez left the club.
Mr Hicks said: “In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren’t playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Jurgen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football.

“He is a very impressive man. We attempted to negotiate an option, as an insurance policy, to have him become our manager in the event Rafa decided to leave our club for Real Madrid or other clubs that were rumoured in the UK press, or in case our communication spiralled out of control for some reason.

“After George and I had our long and productive meeting with Rafa following the Man United match, we put all of our issues behind us and received Rafa’s commitment that he wanted to stay with Liverpool.

“We never reached agreement on an option with Jurgen, and we are both pleased for him that he has a great opportunity to return to Germany and coach a great club team. Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved.”
He said Foster Gillett, chief executive Rick Parry and Rafa were now having regular meetings at Melwood on Monday mornings to prevent any future problems.

Please feel free to air your views on the comments space.

For more stories on this, view other dailies from the UK at these sites:

1) Public discord not the Liverpool way- Liverpool Daily Post

2) Rafael Benitez on borrowed time at Liverpool – Daily Telegraph

3) Rush: We will become a laughing stock - Lancashire Evening Post

4) Rafa Benitez vows to stay and fight for future at Liverpool- Liverpool Daily Post

5) Benitez on the brink- Daily Mirror

6) Benitez happy at Liverpool – Sky Sports

7) MARK LAWRENSON: Owners’ doubts on Benitez could unsettle star players - Liverpool Daily Post

Remember tomorrow's game on ESPN 812 @ 3:55AM, Wed Jan 16 FA CUP 3rd Round Replay: LFC VS Luton

News from Anfield: DIC back in the fray for LFC

Arabs back in frame for Liverpool FC move

Jan 14 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

FRESH rumours were circulating last night that an Arab investment group is poised to swoop on Liverpool FC if the club’s American owners continue to experience difficulties in refinancing £350m of debt.

MyRAWK Admin : Hopefully for the good of Anfield of tomorrow if this is true. And maybe this time, the club will be with someone who genuinely loves the club!


It is understood Dubai Inter- national Capital (DIC) are close to lodging an offer to buy out Tom Hicks and George Gillett, probably for about £500m.

If correct, it would be a remarkable turnaround for DIC, owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed, who were bid rivals at the time Hicks and Gillett bought the club a year ago, and shows they have not given up hope of taking control at Anfield.

But the rumours – which could see Liverpool FC changing hands for the second time in a year – were strongly denied by sources at the club.

It is understood the US pair have been attempting to trans-fer the debt used to buy the club, for which they are per- sonally liable and which is due to be repaid at the end of February, on to the club itself but have encountered difficul- ties because of the current global credit squeeze.

If DIC is successful, it is claimed, the outfit led by Liverpool supporter Sameer Al Ansari would invest heavily in the new stadium at Stanley Park and the playing squad.
DIC were extremely close to buying Liverpool last February, only to lose when Hicks and Gillett joined forces.

The latter paid £174.1m for a 100% shareholding, also agreeing to take on the club’s then debt of £44.8m. The purchase, however, was funded solely with borrowed money. Hicks and Gillett’s loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland swelled to £350m as it was used to fund several high-profile summer transfers, development work and architect’s plans for the 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park.

Hicks and Gillett declined to comment last night.

A meeting in New York last week saw architects HKS and AFL present new competing stadium designs, seen as vital for the club to increase revenue to allow it to compete with Man Utd and Arsenal.

But an expected decision at the end of last week has been delayed for around two weeks.

Middle East sources say DIC remain keenly interested in buying Liverpool.

Liverpool FC stars pay their respects to Sheila Walsh

Jan 10 2008 Liverpool Echo
Sheila Walsh

LIVERPOOL FC stars past and present have paid their respects to Sheila Walsh, who had worked as a secretary in the club for 26 years.

Among the mourners were past Liverpool FC managers Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and Gerrard Houllier.

Rafa Benitez led his team into the church of St Mary's the Virgin in Waterloo, on Thursday for the service.

Sheila Walsh died on New Year's day, after she lost a battle with cancer.

For a special news in pictures feature, click here

*YNWA & RIP Sheila, from MyRAWK*

The Interview: King Kenny & "El Nino"

Liverpool legends past and future with striking similarities
By: Gabriele Marcotti and Guillem Balague

No comparisons. The Kid makes it very clear. He does not want to be compared to the King. “As of right now, I haven’t done anything,” Fernando Torres says. “To tell the truth, I’m almost embarrassed to be here. Please, no comparisons.”

And what about “King Kenny”? How does it feel when, for half your life, people have called you a legend and treated you as a footballing deity? And what do you do when you come face to face with your supposed heir apparent?

“You’re only a legend in someone else’s mind,” Kenny Dalglish says. “As long as you’re not a legend in your own mind, there’s no problem. As for Fernando, people like to put you in pigeonholes, to categorise you, to compare you. But the most important thing is to be yourself.”

That is easier said than done because you cannot help but draw comparisons. To appreciate something you need a context, a frame of reference. And as you sit and share a table with these two talented men, you cannot help but notice the common ground.

It is not only that both are strikers, both have the star sign Pisces, both were Liverpool’s record signings, both have the ability to turn the Kop into a frenzied hive of humanity. Or even that, less than 24 hours earlier, against Bolton Wanderers, Torres had delivered a finish that was uncannily similar to Dalglish’s famous match-winner against FC Bruges in the 1978 European Cup final: the same timed run, the same right-foot caress, the same gentle bounce just before crossing the goalline, the same helpless goalkeeper.

There is an obvious red thread connecting these two men – and that is what a club is about. Players come and go, but the shirt and the continuity remain. Torres plays with Jamie Carragher, who played with Robbie Fowler, who played with John Barnes, who played with Ian Rush, who played with Dalglish. And Dalglish played with Emlyn Hughes, who played with Ian St John, who played with Roger Hunt, who played with Ronnie Moran, who played with . . . Well, you can keep it going all the way back to Malcolm McVean, the man who scored the first goal in Liverpool’s history in 1892.

In that sense, Torres and Dalglish are torchbearers for the same 115-year-old tradition. They may bristle at comparisons – whether through modesty or good manners – but they understand the responsibility. “We are the ones who carry out the dream,” Dalglish says. “The dream that the supporters will never achieve because they can’t play. So they live through us.

“But we have dreams we can’t realise too,” he adds, after a quick glance at Torres’s wide eyes. “I always wanted to stand on the Kop. But I could never go there. I could only go there when it was empty. It’s funny, my son got to stand on the Kop. I left him with someone who took him in, looked after him and he got to stand there during a game. He got to achieve a dream that I never could.”

The words wash over you. You think about how a man such as Dalglish could miss something as mundane as a Saturday afternoon in the stands supporting his team. And then Torres pipes up, almost wistfully: “I’ve stood on the Kop. But also only when it was empty. And I would love it if, by the time I retire, I, too, will also be unable to go stand on the Kop.”

His grin is sheepish, but with a touch of mischief. The “no comparison” rule? It has gone. But then he knows all too well why he was asked to come here today.

Both men share the fact that they were supporters who got to live the dream. Torres’s was perhaps more complete. He got to play for Atlético Madrid, the club he supported as a boy, but Dalglish never played for his childhood idols, Rangers. In fact, as the story goes, on the day Jock Stein’s assistant came to his door to take him to Celtic, Dalglish frantically ripped all his Rangers posters off his bedroom wall.

When football becomes your profession, club loyalty goes out of the window. “When you play, it’s hard to be a supporter,” Dalglish says. “The exception is your country. That’s why I really enjoy Scotland games, because I can be the same as everybody else. I can be a fan.”

Your eyes flick to Torres’s face and you try to guess what he is thinking. The national team. Everyone pulling for their country. And how things in his country are different.

“In Spain, the clubs are far more important,” he says. “When I was at Atlético, whenever I’d go to the Bernabéu [the home of Real Madrid] with the national team, the fans would boo me because I was from Atlético. It’s a big problem. We’re all wearing the same shirt, but when you trained with the national team you would see the Real Madrid guys together, the Valencia guys together, the Barcelona guys together. And they’d go in hard in training, as if they were still wearing their club shirt.”

Torres’s voice trails away. Then Dalglish chimes in: “You know, there has never been a successful team that’s not had a good dressing-room. I mean, they don’t have to go drinking together, but the dressing-room is very important.”

“Vestuário!” Dalglish repeats the word in Spanish, for emphasis.

“We had a great dressing-room here [at Liverpool], we were real close. Even now there’s six of us who remain close. We play golf, we go out with the wives, we’re still very close. It’s special. That’s not a modern thing, is it? In 20 years’ time there won’t be six of you sticking around Liverpool, will there?” The words hang in the air. It is not an accusation. It is a statement of fact. Football has changed. Eight of Liverpool’s starting XI hail from outside Britain. Some things can exist only at a certain point in time. The world moves on.

Back to football. What happens when a superstar is having a stinker? What happens when nothing goes right? Perhaps you expect them to trot out some cliché, like “going back to basics”, or that they will defer to more inform teammates. But no, they respond with the same disdain. It is the indignation of those who are used to carrying the weight of responsibility. “I always want the ball, no matter how badly I’m playing,” Torres says. “Even if I’ve missed ten chances in a row I will want the ball. That’s what I’m there for. I’m not going to hide.”

Dalglish says: “Of course you keep looking and wanting the ball. You have to continue. Look, in the position Fernando plays, he’ll miss more than he scores. But it’s not the goals that are important, it’s the ones you miss. The more you miss, the closer you are to the next one. You have to think that way. And if you don’t have the courage to have that mentality, you’re not going to be playing at this level.”

You search for more common ground. And you find it. “I’ll watch Atlético because it’s my team,” Torres says. “But apart from that, I don’t like watching a lot of football. Although I do watch a lot, I don’t watch for enjoyment. I do it because I need to know the players and the opposing teams, I need to study and prepare for them.”

Dalglish’s face lights up. “I was much like Fernando,” he says. “I used to watch to see who I was playing against, to see the habits of the goalkeepers, the characteristics of defenders, see if I could learn something.

Later, I would watch if there was a player I wanted to sign, things like that. But now, well, it doesn’t grab me the way it did when I was a boy. I’m not really concentrating when I watch football.”

Having studied the game for 50-odd years – as a fan, player and manager – Dalglish is content to sit back and let the game be just that: a game. And maybe that is why he seems to be enjoying his time with Torres. The Spaniard’s disarming humility and confidence has brought him some joy. And, maybe seven years after leaving the sport for good, it feels good to reconnect, even for just a few hours.

As for Torres, there is more than a little of the student facing up to the master in his demeanour. He may have been embarrassed before arriving, but he is glowing at the connection that has been made.

“I learnt many things today,” Torres says when it is time to go. “I like the way Kenny is so accessible, he’s a normal person. He says he doesn’t feel like a legend, but the fact is that he is and that’s why his ‘normality’ is so shocking to me. You guys brought me here even though I told you that I’m not anywhere near his level. But I’m very proud that I’ve been able to spend time with him. And I’m honoured that he took the time to talk to me. Seeing someone like him makes me even more hungry to continue to work hard and, perhaps, some day, reach his level.”

Their eyes lock. Dalglish knows that it is his turn to impart some wisdom. “Today, footballers are criticised for the money they earn and for their lifestyles,” he says. “But Fernando seems to appreciate everything he gets.

“Fernando, this is a special club with special fans.” Dalglish is now talking directly to the young man. They may as well be alone in the room. “They love people who love to wear their shirt. But they’re not daft, they know when it’s real and when it’s just for show, kissing the badge and all that. They love to identify with people on the pitch. And I think they will identify with you very, very easily.”

*Taken from The Times Online, click link to access the web page of the article and to download the audio podcast of the interview in mp3 format. Torres spoke in good English!*

"Pride In Our Past: Faith In Our Future"

The Scousers and LFC Supporters Have Spoken!

Thousands march in support of Rafa Benitez


THOUSANDS of Liverpool fans thronged the streets ahead of their team’s impressive Champions League win over FC Porto to voice their support for manager Rafael Benitez.

Amid chants of “Rafa is a Scouser” and “Rafa’s going nowhere”, the short march before kick-off was organised to show solidarity for the popular manager who is currently in dispute with the club’s new owners, leading to speculation he could be forced out.

Professionally-made banners and rudimentary homemade signs illustrated the strong sense of feeling towards the Spaniard.

“Rafa is God’s gift 2 Liverpool”, read one, while another likened a portrait of Benitez to Che Guevara.

The “Rafatollah” – a large framed picture of Benitez which supporters treat with reverence – also appeared.

Organiser John Mackin said: “We did this to display to Rafa, and to anyone else, that getting rid of him would be disastrous.

“The man is held in such high esteem by supporters.

“We were hoping for a couple of thousand people to turn up, obviously if it had been a Saturday afternoon we could have expected much more.”

Benitez has been involved in middle of a public row with LFC’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the club’s transfer policy.

There have been reports that his days as manager could be numbered.

However, the large crowds on Walton Breck Road outside the Kop stand last night were united in their admiration.

Holding a giant banner declaring “humility makes a great man twice honoured”, Norwegian supporter Howard Andresson said: “We made the banner because Benitez is Mr Humility and we don’t want him to go anywhere, we need him.”

Fan Paul Smart of Fairfield said: “Rafa’s got an unbelievable record and we just want to let the Americans know he can’t be sacked.”

Friend Mike Morris from Woolton added: “Benitez deserves our support for what he’s done.

“For Gillett and Hicks to get involved in Liverpool is great, but I think this should bring them to realise football in Liverpool has a whole different attitude to what they’re used to, and it’s not just about them negotiating with Rafa, but also about negotiating with us.”

Sean Taggart from Omagh said: “He has to stay.”

A banner unfurled inside the stadium at half-time read: “As always, we are focusing on supporting our manager”, a reference to comments recently made by Hicks declaring that Benitez should “quit talking” and focus on coaching the team – which prompted the Span- iard to repeat “as always, I am focused on training and coaching my team” at a recent press conference.

Liverpool’s dreams of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League were back on track last night after a spectacular 4-1 victory over FC Porto.

Benitez had said beforehand that Liverpool “must not lose” the vital group match.

*Taken from the pages of Liverpool Echo, link to the article.*

Life and times of legend Bob Paisley by Nick Peet, Liverpool Echo

Taken from the Life and times of legend Bob Paisley Nov 15 2007 by Nick Peet, Liverpool Echo - link

EVEN the most nonchalant of football fans knows the name Bob Paisley.

The former Liverpool boss transcends the terraces as the most successful manager in British football history.

(MyRAWK: How many UEFA Champions League Cup you got, Ferguson?)

His association with the Reds spanned nearly half a century from player to physiotherapist and coach and finally to manager.

In his nine years in the Anfield hot seat, from 1974 to 1983,he collected six league titles, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup and three league cups, five Charity Shields and a European Super Cup.

A record 19 pieces of silverware in just nine years.

But very few know that as a teenage bricklayer in the North East, Paisley would regularly feast on fish and chips served by a woman who would later give birth to one of his most successful signings, Alan Kennedy.

Few know he spent his first seven years as a Liverpool player fighting in the Second World War, or that weeks after winning the European Cup in 1977 he rejected a lucrative offer from Real Madrid.

Even fewer know that Liverpool’s successes during his tenure were partly down to a Danish troll!

All these private tales, and many more are revealed in a fascinating new book released this week by Trinity Mirror Sport Media. ‘The Real Bob Paisley’ lifts the lid on the amazing inside story of Paisleythrough the eyes of those closest to him – his family.

Wife Jessie, sons Graham and Robert, daughter Christine, brother Hughie and Paisley’s grandchildren all recount their unique memories of the man who led the Reds to an unprecedented haul of silverware.

From his early days down the pit in Durham, through his years serving as a ‘Desert Rat’ in the Second World War and then his career on Merseyside, the book maps the life of an Anfield icon.
From tough tackling days as a full-back, signed from Bishop Aukland to his days as a pioneering touchline physio and then reluctant first team manager, like Shankly before him Paisley gave his heart and soul to Liverpool Football Club.

The book kicks off with Reds legend Kenny Dalglish and his memories of the man who smashed the then club transfer record to bring him to Anfield from Glasgow Celtic.

“He is without doubt the most successful English manager ever,” says Dalglish, who also reveals his disappointment at Paisley being overlooked for a posthumous knighthood.

“Bob was an unassuming man, he wasn’t interested in self-promotion or media attention. He was at his happiest getting on with the job.

“I believe that he must have made more than a million decisions over the course of his career and I’ll wager now that 99.9 per cent of the decisions he took he got spot on.

“He wasn’t ever interested in publicity or fame, he wanted those things for his teams and he wanted it through success. He had a simple outlook on life.

“My abiding memory of him away from the pitch is of a quiet, gentle man in a knitted cardigan, studying the racing form.

“If his family were healthy, his team was successful and he could get a wee bet on the horses then he was happy. He loved the simple life.

“People forget sometimes because of the size of Bill Shankly’s personality that Bob was there in the background in the beginning along with Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran. Without that four who knows where this club would be now.”

Coupled with hundreds of previously unseen photographs and clippings and interviews from the Liverpool ECHO archives, the book is set to be a must-have addition to collecttions with Reds fans the world over.

Here’s another wonderful extract revealing the real Bob Paisley . . .
On May 11 1978, the ECHO reported: “The rather surly Ernst Happel, the Bruges coach and manager of the Dutch national team, earned £80,000 a year at Bruges, who have never won a European trophy. He gets that incredible salary just for keeping them as the top club in Belgium.

“Such a record pales by comparison with the Liverpool manager’s successes.

“A man very close to Liverpool said: ‘If Bob were a mercenary, he could get a £100,000 a year job in Europe just for the asking. His record speaks for itself.’

“Putting that point to the man himself, he smiled and said: ‘Not interested.’

“For that, believe me, everyone associated with Liverpool - official, player and supporter - should be grateful.”

That fact was evident the previous summer, when after winning his first of three European Cups, Paisley rejected an offer from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Brother Hughie explains: “Our Bob had the chance to go to Real Madrid to manage in 1977 and he turned them down. He said: ‘I’m happy where I am.’ He wasn’t leaving Liverpool for now.

“He was a real, true fella. He was. If he made a promise he wouldn’t break that promise for anybody.”

But it wasn’t all just about football, Anfield and winning trophies. Paisley was a loving family man who loved the simple life away from the game and doted on his children and grandchildren.

Whenever the Reds played abroad Paisley would bring plenty of gifts back to his home in Woolton.

Jessie always received a plaque with the name of the town or city and sometimes a blouse or scarf, while he would always bring back a doll with the national dress for daughter Christine.

Jessie, who also describes herself as one of the original WAG’s, explains: “His family life was very important to him and he loved his children and grandchildren.

“He lived for his job. He loved Liverpool FC and I am so proud that he will never be forgotten.”

The book also reveals the family’s heartbreak as Paisley was struck down by Alzheimer’s, and opens their family album to reveal the last ever pictures taken of him.

Jessie recalls how in the early stages he started to forget the way home from Anfield, then a couple of years later, the summer before his passing, he delighted them all by kicking around a ball.

She says: “Eventually we had to face up to the fact in retirement that Bob was starting to become unwell.

“When he finally went into the nursing home, that was the worst time for me. It was just as bad as when he died. He had reached the stage when he couldn’t understand things.

“I remember the first time that happened. We were coming home from the Liverpool football ground and reached the top of our road.

“Bob turned to me and said: ‘Where do we go now?’ I said: ‘Don’t be daft, Bob. You know we live down there” But the truth was, he didn’t know.”

But she adds: “The one thing he never forgot was his football. I remember the last time he was in one of our houses in Woolton.

“We had brought him home for the day from the nursing home. We sat outside in the garden. His grandchild Rachael was there and she started kicking a ball to him.

“All the other senses had gone but he was kicking it back properly. That was amazing.”

What he said "Mind you, I've been here during the bad times too - one year we came second." "This is the second time I've beaten the Germans here... the first time was in 1944. I drove into Rome on a tank when the city was liberated." - after Liverpool won the European Cup in Rome in 1977.

"I’ve made a promise and I never break a promise. I’m going to Liverpool." - teenage Paisley to his beloved Sunderland who after rejecting him as being ‘too small’ tried to pinch him from the Reds.

The Real Bob Paisley is on sale in all good bookshops now priced £20. Or to order a copy call +44845 143 0001 or visit: http://www.merseyshop.com/

MyRAWK boys - BL & Jonno, in the theSun!

Taken from page 34 from today's theSun - Sports section, Reds look good after figure of 8: Rush.
URL - http://203.115.192.117/Wednesday/wed_page34.html

Click on the picture to get a bigger view of the article.

RUSH SCORES IT FOR MALAYSIAN LIVERPOOL FC FANS

excerpts taken from Liverpool Echo by Ian Rush, Nov 13 2007 (Benitez timing was perfect over Torres by Ian Rush)

Eastern Promise
I WATCHED the Fulham game in Malaysia where I was doing some TV work for ESPN Star Channel, which broadcasts the Premier League games around Asia.

The passion for Liverpool in Malaysia itself is absolutely incredible – it appears that around 70 per cent of the population there are Liverpool supporters.

It’s just another reminder why Liverpool are now so keen to finally tap into that support base commercially and embrace the Far East as much as possible.

It could certainly be lucrative for them.

MyRAWK ADMIN: This pic is for all the MyRAWKites and for all the MyREDS, who came for the Ian Rush Genting Highland event and for all LFC fans in Malaysia: You'll Never Walk Alone! LIVERPOOL FC!

RUSH SCORED 1

RUSH SCORED 2

RUSH SCORED 3 AND RUSH SCORED 4

LA....LA...LA...LA...LA...

RUSH IS ALL YOU NEED!

and many big thanks to the organisers of the event, you guys know who you are! Muchas Gracias!