From now on in, please visit http://greatrednorth.wordpress.com/ as the new site for great red north. All the best, Dara
Great Red North @ 8:34 pm
Monday, November 27, 2006
NO MAINSTREAM TELLY FOR POMPEY
Wed Nov 29 11:55AM Pacific Wed Nov 29 12:55PM Mountain Wed Nov 29 01:55PM Central Wed Nov 29 02:55PM Eastern Length: 2 hr 5 min LIVE Setanta Xtra (DirecTV Channel 670) English Premier League Liverpool vs Portsmouth
Wed Nov 29 02:00PM Pacific Wed Nov 29 03:00PM Mountain Wed Nov 29 04:00PM Central Wed Nov 29 05:00PM Eastern Length: 2 hr SDD Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Liverpool vs Portsmouth
... OR WIGAN FOR THAT MATTER
Sat Dec 02 06:45AM Pacific Sat Dec 02 07:45AM Mountain Sat Dec 02 08:45AM Central Sat Dec 02 09:45AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Wigan Athletic vs Liverpool
Great Red North @ 8:03 am
Friday, November 24, 2006
NEW TALENT
Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal with Boca Juniors to sign their highly promising 17yr old left back, Emiliano Insua.
Insua was part of the Argentina under 20's side that won the recent World Championships and is said to be one of the brightest prospects in South American football.
Liverpool will take Insua on loan for almost £100,000 initially, after which they will pay a further £1million to make the move permanent in the summer.
Great Red North @ 8:05 am
Thursday, November 23, 2006
BOOZER OR BUST... No domstic terrestrial, cable or satellite feed!
Sat Nov 25 06:45AM Pacific Sat Nov 25 07:45AM Mountain Sat Nov 25 08:45AM Central Sat Nov 25 09:45AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Liverpool vs Manchester City
Great Red North @ 8:39 pm
POSSIBLE MUCH-NEEDED WONGA EN ROUTE!?
Liverpool chairman David Moores and his chief executive Rick Parry are entertaining George Gillett Jr today.
The wealthy American businessman is on Merseyside to try and conclude a deal with the Reds that would see him pump millions of pounds into the club.
Gillett and his advisors have been in talks with club officials at Anfield all day which is why today's scheduled board meeting was cancelled at short notice.
After he was shown around the stadium, Gillett was then personally taken on a tour of the Melwood training facilities by the Liverpool chairman and this has been confirmed by our source at the complex.
Great Red North @ 8:38 pm
Friday, November 17, 2006
SECOND FIDDLE AGAIN!
Wed Nov 22 06:00PM Pacific Wed Nov 22 07:00PM Mountain Wed Nov 22 08:00PM Central Wed Nov 22 09:00PM Eastern Length: 2 hr R Setanta Sports USA UEFA Champions League - Match Day 5 Liverpool (England) vs PSV (Netherlands) Setanta Broadband
Wed Nov 22 10:30PM
Great Red North @ 9:11 pm
SAME DAY DELAY FEED
Sat Nov 18 09:30AM Pacific Sat Nov 18 10:30AM Mountain Sat Nov 18 11:30AM Central Sat Nov 18 12:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr SDD Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada English Premier League Middlesbrough vs Liverpool
Sat Nov 18 11:15AM Pacific
Great Red North @ 9:09 pm
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Paisley is the greatest
Mark Lawrenson believes Bob Paisley is the greatest British manager of all time. Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson is earning plenty of plaudits on his 20th anniversary in charge of the Old Trafford outfit and while BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson was quick to praise Ferguson's achievements he said Bob Paisley was still the greatest manager this country has ever produced.
"If Sir Alex Ferguson did take time to reflect on his 20th anniversary as manager of Manchester United yesterday I bet one regret was at the forefront of his mind. Because personally, I don't think he has won enough European Cups - and I think he knows that too," said the former Liverpool defender.
"Of course, you can't argue with his record or deny his greatness, but what's the greatest honour in club football? It's being champions of Europe and I think Fergie will be disappointed that he hasn't taken those chances to add to the one success in 1999.
"This is why, in terms of who the greatest manager in English football history is, I go for Bob Paisley. I know everyone has their favourites in this debate - Clough, Busby, Stein, etc - and I know I'm biased because Bob signed me for Liverpool.
"But the fact is he won the European Cup three times and is the only manager in history to have done it. It's the most difficult test and it's a great achievement to do it once, which Ferguson deserves credit for.
"But then Rafael Benitez has done it once. And Jose Mourinho. And Jock Stein and Matt Busby. And Brian Clough broke up Paisley's monopoly of the trophy by taking it twice.
"But out of all these great managers, the man who won three in just five years is my personal number one and I have a feeling that even if Ferguson goes on for another 20 years , he'll never match what Paisley did on the continent."
Great Red North @ 8:09 am
Monday, November 06, 2006
LEAGUE CUP ACTION
Wed Nov 08 11:30AM Pacific Wed Nov 08 12:30PM Mountain Wed Nov 08 01:30PM Central Wed Nov 08 02:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr 30 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English League Cup 4th Round Birmingham City vs Liverpool
Great Red North @ 5:10 pm
GONZO CAR CRASH - MOMO PUNCHES BLUENOSE?
Momo is boss.
A bit of tittle-tattle from off the field this Monday evening.
Firstly reports from several LFC forums indicate Mark Gonzalez was involved in a collision near to Liverpool's training ground this evening (the winger is believed to be unhurt), and secondly Momo Sissoko has been accused of decking an Evertonian in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Momo was alleged to be in a take-away in the Smithdown Road area of Liverpool at about 3am in the morning of Sunday (why is beyond us too!). It is believed an argument developed and an 18 year old from Wavertree (allegedly) took a punch off big Momo. The 18 year old is believed to be an Everton fan.
Liverpool FC spokesman Ian Cotton was unable to comment on the incident.
A spokesman for Merseyside Police said last night: "We can confirm that officers are investigating a claim from a man in relation to an assault that is alleged to have occurred at 3.30am at a takeaway on Smithdown Road."
We do not condone violence.
Momo is Boss.
Great Red North @ 5:09 pm
Thursday, October 26, 2006
We're on Again !!!
Sat Oct 28 07:00AM Pacific Sat Oct 28 08:00AM Mountain Sat Oct 28 09:00AM Central Sat Oct 28 10:00AM Eastern Length: 2 hr LIVE Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada English Premier League Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Great Red North @ 11:13 pm
Reds Survive Late Reading Fightback
Robbie Fowler was named Liverpool skipper and then kick-started a thrilling 4-3 victory at Anfield over Reading in the Carling Cup.
Reds boss Rafael Benitez had talked about handing responsibility to the veteran before the third-round clash and the Kop favourite responded by chipping in the first goal.
John Arne Riise added another with a fierce strike in first-half injury time and Gabriel Paletta headed in a third.
Andre Bikey and Leroy Lita pulled goals back for the visitors but their strikes were sandwiched by a cool Peter Crouch finish.
Shane Long then headed another in for Reading, but they could not find the leveller and Liverpool made it through to the last 16 of the competition.
As expected, Rafael Benitez made radical changes to his line-up, although the 2003 winners of the competition were still strong, with Fowler and Crouch offering a threat in attack.
Several of Benitez's fringe players were effective - with Jermaine Pennant impressing with a busy display - and could give the boss a selection headache as they look to get their Premiership title bid on track.
Reading boss Steve Coppell did the same, saving some of his first-choice players for Premiership deeds in their first season in the top flight.
However, familiarity between the two sides led to a disappointing start, despite Pennant and Riise both looking to be positive from the flanks.
The first opportunity fell to Mohamed Sissoko in the 12th minute when Pennant found the midfielder, but his shot from 12 yards had to be parried away by Graham Stack in the Royals goal.
Reading won three corners in quick succession but saw Stephen Hunt's deliveries cleared by Pennant, Fowler and then Sissoko.
However the visitors were settling into the match and Ulises De la Cruz had a 30-yard shot saved by Jose Reina, who shortly afterwards intercepted a Stephen Hunt cross.
Crouch and Fowler both went close from corners midway through the first half but there was little to choose between the teams until Fowler's classic finish after 44 minutes.
Pennant played the veteran striker through and he chipped over the advancing Stack for his second goal of the season and his first since the opening day of the campaign.
Riise doubled the lead in injury-time of the first half, Stack failing to hold his fierce drive before crashing in the rebound from the edge of the area.
Neither side made changes at the break, with Pennant the first to go close when he drilled a shot at Stack two minutes after the re-start.
Liverpool looked to have settled the tie five minutes into the second period when Pennant's corner from the left found Paletta, who glanced a header into the far corner.
Encouraged by their glut of goals either side of the break, Liverpool seemed likely to add to their lead and Fowler volleyed just wide when he was afforded room from a throw.
Boudewijn Zenden had an effort deflected just wide of Fowler, who was prowling in the area looking for his second, and the striker fizzed a shot just wide after an hour.
Sissoko was then taken off for Danny Guthrie, and Bikey gave Reading hope with a header from a free-kick after Paletta had fouled Hunt and earned a yellow card.
Crouch then played a one-two with Fowler with 13 minutes left and walked the ball into the net, and Liverpool held on for victory despite Lita and Long scoring late on.
Great Red North @ 11:12 pm
Kewell hopes new boots will end injury nightmare
Harry Kewell has revealed he will not be back in action until March at the earliest.
The Liverpool winger has yet to kick a ball this season due to a combination of foot and groin injuries which have sidelined him since this summer's World Cup.
'It's going to be a while,' he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on a visit to a school in Sydney.
'We're looking past February.'
The 28-year-old has been undergoing treatment in his native Australia for seven weeks and is hoping a new boot will help solve his foot problems and prolong his career.
The boot is produced by a little-known company in Brisbane and Kewell has been so impressed, he says he has ended his contract with current suppliers Adidas.
'It was close to the end of last season and obviously I had been having problems with my feet,' he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
'The first time I put them (the boots) on I thought they felt like a pair of slippers.
'Obviously, there were some things to sort out with Adidas which took some time but I've since decided to stick with the new boots.
'I have been involved with Adidas for around 10 years and have always had a great relationship with them,' Kewell said.
'But it's just time to think about my feet.'
Great Red North @ 8:09 am
Saturday, October 21, 2006
In Memory
Jason Michael George, owner of the Georgetown Sports Pub on Bank Street, died in a tragic car accident early Sunday, October 15th, 2006. Mike lived life to the full in his 26 years. He spent his childhood partly in Australia, and worked in film, art and hospitality in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. He really began living his dream 2 years ago while creating what became the Georgetown. Mike is deeply missed by sister Damera, parents Karen and Dan (ex Foreign Service), Granny Flo, Grampa Jim, aunts Dolphi, Maureen, Amy, and Michele, uncle Chris, cousins Elena, Simon, Dylan and Sami—and also by many, many loyal friends and coworkers. One of such promise, taken so soon, he will live in our hearts forever.
From all of us.... our deepest sympathy.
Great Red North @ 5:41 pm
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Michael Shields to return to England
Liverpool fan Michael Shields is to return home to Britain after his family raised £90,000 to pay off his fine.
The money is due to be paid to the Home office next Monday and then wired to the Bulgarian government for his release to a British prison.
Shields is serving 10 years for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter, which he has always denied.
Great Red North @ 11:27 am
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
NO TERRESTRIAL OR DOMESTIC TELLY FOR OUR NEXT 2 MATCHES
Wed Oct 18 11:00AM Pacific Wed Oct 18 12:00PM Mountain Wed Oct 18 01:00PM Central Wed Oct 18 02:00PM Eastern Length: 3 hr LIVE Setanta Sports USA UEFA Champions League - Match Day 3 Bordeaux (France) vs Liverpool (England) Setanta Broadband
Wed Oct 18 02:00PM Pacific Wed Oct 18 03:00PM Mountain Wed Oct 18 04:00PM Central Wed Oct 18 05:00PM Eastern Length: 2 hr SDD ESPN Classic (US) UEFA Champions League - Match Day 3 Bordeaux (France) vs Liverpool (England)
Wed Oct 18 04:00PM Pacific Wed Oct 18 05:00PM Mountain Wed Oct 18 06:00PM Central Wed Oct 18 07:00PM Eastern Length: 2 hr SDD ESPN Deportes UEFA Champions League - Match Day 3 Bordeaux (France) vs Liverpool (England)
Wed Oct 18 05:30PM Pacific Wed Oct 18 06:30PM Mountain Wed Oct 18 07:30PM Central Wed Oct 18 08:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr R Setanta Sports USA UEFA Champions League - Match Day 3 Bordeaux (France) vs Liverpool (England) Setanta Broadband
Sun Oct 22 04:55AM Pacific Sun Oct 22 05:55AM Mountain Sun Oct 22 06:55AM Central Sun Oct 22 07:55AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 5 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Manchester United vs Liverpool
Tue Oct 24 01:00PM Pacific Tue Oct 24 02:00PM Mountain Tue Oct 24 03:00PM Central Tue Oct 24 04:00PM Eastern Length: 3 hr D GolTV Canada Liverpool TV - English Premier League Manchester United vs Liverpool UEFA Champions League - Match Day 3 - Bordeaux (France) vs Liverpool
Great Red North @ 9:21 pm
Friday, October 13, 2006
No conventional Telly Coverage... Local Boozer Setanta only !!!
Sat Oct 14 06:45AM Pacific Sat Oct 14 07:45AM Mountain Sat Oct 14 08:45AM Central Sat Oct 14 09:45AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers
Great Red North @ 10:30 pm
Thursday, October 05, 2006
With the hours ticking down to tomorrow's 100 Players Who Shook The Kop grand final, we ask members of staff from Liverpool FC and Liverpoolfc.tv to select who they would choose in their top five. 100 players that shook the Kop
Rafael Benitez Liverpool FC Manager
The internet is a good thing because it enables supporters from all over the world to follow the club and take part in polls like this.
From my point of view, it’s not easy to select five because I’m young and haven’t seen all of the club’s former players. Maybe there are some I haven’t thought about.
I would select Kenny Dalglish as my first choice because he was a great player with a lot of qualities and then after that, without putting them in order, I’d go for Kevin Keegan, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush.
Rick Parry LFC Chief Executive
Without wanting to list them in any order, these are the names which would make up my top five LFC players.
Kenny Dalglish
Kenny was a magnificent player by any analysis and one of the all-time greats. He was playing in my era as well so he'd have to be in the list.
Ian Callaghan
He was, and still is, a fantastic ambassador for Liverpool Football Club and, for me, epitomised the real values of the club.
Steven Gerrard
I'd usually hesitate to list any current players but Steven has to be in there. He's a great player, he's Liverpool through and through and hopefully he'll be here for many years to come.
Ray Clemence
As an aspiring goalkeeper myself, he was an inspiration to me as a youngster. He was somebody I really looked up to and really admired.
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce was a different character to Ray but he was still a great goalkeeper. He needed a big personality to take over from Ray in the Liverpool goal but he did it his own way and made a big impression.
Brian Hall LFC Public Relations Manager
1. Kenny Dalglish
As a former professional footballer very little ever took me by surprise when watching football matches from the stand. Kenny Dalglish could see a pass, could see a shot that I couldn't see from the stand. Kenny Dalglish was undoubtedly the most amazing footballer I have ever seen at Anfield.
2. Ian Callaghan
Anyone who can play 800 games with a top class club like Liverpool has to be one of the most outstanding players in any list of greats. Not only did Cally play so many games but most of them were outstanding as well. Ian's contribution to the successes of this great club will never be underestimated.
3. Ron Yeats
Bill Shankly's first signing became the cornerstone for all the ambitions that Shanks had for our great club. Ron's contribution was colossul from those wonderful days in the 60's when the club came from the second division to the powerful force in Europe we became. Shanks described Ron as the 'Colossus', few would argue.
4. Ray Clemence
A good pal of mine but also the best goalkeeper that I have ever seen play at Anfield. His contribution to the successes of the club were immense, but as a goalkeeper his contributions were sometimes never properly recognised.
5. Billy Liddell
I never saw him play but the man was a legend and he played an integral part in me becoming a Liverpool player. I can never thank him enough.
Stephen Done LFC Museum Curator
May I say sincere apologies to the huge numbers of other players who could have - in all honesty - been in this list but these are my top-five Kop shakers.
1. Billy Liddell
For his loyalty, integrity and modesty.
2. Gordon Hodgson
Just a brilliant goalscorer and one of the last of the great, romantic 'all rounders' in sport.
3. Kenny Dalglish
He was just a genius.
4. Matt McQueen
He literally played in all 11 positions and did just about every job within the football club. Truly unique.
5. Elisha Scott
21 years and 52 days in goal! Now that is consistency! Steve Hunter Liverpoolfc.tv
1. Kenny Dalglish
Quite simply there will never be another 'King Kenny' for me. A genius on a football pitch and for me the best player the game has ever seen. He saw things on a field other players couldn't see and some of his goals were just out of this world. People say you should never meet your heroes because they fail to live up to your high expectations. Well they are wrong, Kenny is an absolute legend and a great guy. I remember the last day of the standing Kop in 1994 when Kenny's name was announced as he was just about to walk out on the pitch the noise levels shook the Kop to its foundations. The sound barrier was definitely broken that day!
2. Robbie Fowler
I loved Rushie but the shining light in a dark period for the club on the pitch in the 90's was the Toxteth predator Robbie Fowler. Here was a local lad living everyone's dream on the field and scoring goals for fun. A particular favourite goal of mine was when Robbie nutmegged Gary Neville to score at Old Trafford - mind you he's done that a few times since as well! He was a pleasure to watch and his goals deserved to win a title in the Roy Evans era. I can remember being in the Liverpoolfc.tv office devastated when Gerard Houllier sold him to Leeds so it was great to see him return. Fowler's goals have definitely shaken the Kop.
3. Steve McMahon
I just loved watching Steve McMahon and he is definitely one of my favourite Liverpool players of all time. He was so competitive and made some ferocious but fair tackles. Some of the goals he scored from long range were amazing. I remember one against Aston Villa in 1987 at Anfield, one against Manchester United in a 3-3 draw at Anfield and two goals in derby games at Anfield spring to mind. 'Macca' was the rock behind which that wonderful team of 1987-88 was built. The word passion was invented for Macca. People said Vinnie Jones was a hard man. Well, sorry, but he was a pussycat compared to Steve McMahon.
4. Steven Gerrard
A fantastic player and in the dark days of not so long ago he carried the team almost single handedly. His performance in Istanbul was awe-inspiring and the 2006 FA Cup Final will always be now known as the Gerrard Final. A player who has everything in his game, he could go on to achieve anything he wants. Hopefully leading Liverpool to the Premiership title won't be too far away in the not too distant future.
5. Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy, purely for Istanbul. A nice bloke as well and after his well publicised mistakes against Manchester United in league games this was the game where all thought of those Forlan goals in the past were totally obliterated from the memory banks. Dudek was a man possessed in Istanbul. People also tend to forget the save from Schevchenko's free-kick early in the second half when we were still 3-0 down. That was a great save and I remember .tv editor Paul Rogers turning around in the press box and saying to me and my colleague Mark Platt 'We will win this now!" Dudek's performance in the penalty shoot-out was just amazing and I'll never forget that final decisive moment. It had always been my dream to commentate on a major event like the European Cup final and I realised it that night. Thanks Jerzy.
Great Red North @ 4:06 pm
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Sat Oct 14 06:45AM Pacific Sat Oct 14 07:45AM Mountain Sat Oct 14 08:45AM Central Sat Oct 14 09:45AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA English Premier League Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers
Great Red North @ 8:08 am
Friday, September 29, 2006
Spectacular goals lighting up Anfield
We’re not even into October yet but already Liverpool have five goals worthy of winning any goal of the month, or even goal of the season, vote.
John Arne Riise set the tone with his run and finish in the 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium in the curtain raiser to the season. The Norweigan then followed that up with an arguably more impressive goal from all of 30 yards last weekend in the 3-0 win over Spurs. His shot from the centre glided through the air, seemingly not changing course and arrowing into England number 1 Paul Robinson’s goal.
The first home game of the season saw Daniel Agger claim his first goal for the club as the centre back marched forward against West Ham and hit an unstoppable swerving shot into the top corner of the Kop goal with his left foot.
Then we had Xabi Alonso and his annual unique entry for goal of the season - from inside his own half! The Spaniard’s 70 yard lob of Steve Harper against Newcastle, albeit with the keeper slipping as he ran back, will live long in the memory of Reds fans and the technique and vision cannot be questioned.
And this week Peter Crouch put himself into the frame with a mighty impressive and acrobatic goal in the win over Gala - an overhead kick from 14 yards direct from a Steve Finnan cross went back upon itself and into the bottom corner.
Added to them five ‘blockbusters’ are Dirk Kuyt’s thunderous finish against Spurs and Crouch’s well worked goal against West Ham. It’s certainly shaping up to be an entertaining season for the Reds!
Great Red North @ 9:43 pm
Kuyt proves valuable catch for Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt was born and bred in Katwijk aan Zee, a seaside resort on the west coast of Holland, known at one time for its herring fishing fleet. Growing up, young Dirk would play football on the beach with all his mates, hoping he could avoid going the way of his father, who was forced to spend long stretches away from home.
"He started fishing when he was 14," the son says now with a great deal of pride. "My grandparents needed the money so he left school. He'd be gone for one or two weeks and then come back for about three days.
''Where I come from that is normal. I liked the sea but I liked football even more. When I was offered a fisherman's apprenticeship I had to make a choice."
That choice turned into a very smart move. From the tender age of five, Kuyt (pronounced Kowt) had been honing his skills at Quick Boys, a local amateur team, before moving into the professional game with FC Utrecht and Feyenoord.
And now this. It says something for the striker's impact after only a few weeks at Liverpool that Rafael Benitez, when it comes to his new signing at least, seems to have abandoned that much-loved rotation policy.
Unlike Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler or even Peter Crouch, Kuyt has managed to stay in the team over the last five games and justified his inclusion with some terrific displays, two smartly taken goals being only the half of it.
"I like to move around, to work, to go left and right. I'm not someone who just likes to wait for the ball up front. Sometimes it's important to try and make space for the other striker."
This isn't just waffle. First impressions suggest these words contain substance. The Dutchman would appear to be a proper all-rounder, capable of linking up profitably with any style of partner thanks to an intelligent brain, sound technique and prodigious work ethic.
If the boy carries on like this, you never know, Benitez might just be tempted to play him every week.
That won't bother Kuyt. He is used to it in fact. As Holland's answer to Frank Lampard, he played 179 games on the trot over a five-year period.
"I like to play every match and I did everything possible in Holland to be fit for every game," he says. "I try to do the same here but it's up to the boss if he wants to pick me. In Holland we were used to playing no more than 50 games in a season but over here it could be 65 if we do well. Maybe it's asking too much to play in them all."
As a worrying backdrop to this transfer, Kuyt's father has been far from well. Having developed lung cancer, Dirk senior actually delayed an operation in order to see his son's debut, a very lively substitute appearance in the win over West Ham.
Two days later, the two were reunited again, this time on stage as Kuyt was voted Holland's leading player and received the prestigious Golden Shoe award, from his sick dad.
"It was very emotional. It meant a lot to me, to him and to my whole family for him to be standing up there. When I first asked him to do it he wasn't keen. He said he didn't like things like that, in front of all those important people and on television. But he thought more about it and when the organisers asked him again he agreed. He enjoyed it in the end. It was something to remember forever."
The player's move across the North Sea, in fact, seems to have given Kuyt's dad a real lift. The thrill of watching him play can only help.
"He is one of my biggest supporters and he loves the Premiership. Every Saturday he sits in front of the television watching all the games.
"It was a dream for him to see me playing in the Premiership. He has had his operation now and is recovering at home so I hope he can watch a few more of our games."
Continuing today with Liverpool's lunchtime trip to Bolton, a meaty challenge if ever there was one that might introduce the new boy to one or two fresh aspects of England's top flight. Yet with each passing game, Kuyt learns more and more.
"The biggest difference is that in Holland all the teams play man-to-man but here the defenders play zonally. They are much better defenders as well."
Straightaway on his debut, he noticed the difference.
"I am used to a defender being close to me but against West Ham I was getting more space. It is still harder, though, because the defences here play more as a unit. They are more organised.
''But that's what I like. I want to prove myself, do the same job against these better players."
One thing's for certain: it's been a good start. The Liverpool fans recognise a trier when they see one.
More importantly, they can spot genuine quality in a flash. Lucky for them, then, that the 26-year-old blond with Shirley Temple curls chose Merseyside in preference to several other interested parties, Newcastle among them.
"Liverpool gave me the best feeling," he says. "Once they let me know they wanted me I was able to leave the other clubs behind and thank them for their interest."
So what made him such a popular target?
Well, over three seasons at Feyenoord, he notched up 83 goals. But it wasn't merely his goals that fans at the De Kuip worshipped so much. Their captain became a cult figure, a genuine hero, through a selfless attitude centred on the team cause. That's why they recently voted to leave a giant-sized image of Kuyt up at the ground, even though he had left to try to better himself.
Now it's happening again. A strong rapport has been forged with the Anfield crowd. Witness Kuyt coming off the pitch last at the final whistle, making sure he applauds every side of the ground.
As big money signings go (around £10 million they say), it's already beginning to look something of a bargain.
Great Red North @ 9:42 pm
Remembering Bill Shankly
The legend on Bill Shankly's statue at Anfield reads: "He made the people happy."
This simple epitaph explains why so many people will be commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Scotsman's death this weekend.
On Friday, his beloved Liverpool are holding a tribute evening at Anfield, on Saturday a play about his life will be performed at Bootle Town Hall, and a book about his life, written by his granddaughter, has just been published.
It is not difficult to understand why the former Liverpool manager is held in such high regard by the club's fans.
When he took over at Anfield in December 1959, Liverpool were languishing in the Second Division.
Shankly turned them into the pre-eminent force in English football. Under the Scot Liverpool won the Second Division in 1962 before going on to claim the Championship in 1964, 1966 and 1973, and the FA Cup in 1965 and 1974.
His successor, Bob Paisley, built on these foundations to win an unprecedented six league titles and three European Cups in nine seasons.
Shankly's triumphs were built on hard work, an eye for a player and, above all, his remarkable strength of personality and man-management skills.
Ron Yeats, who captained Liverpool from 1961 to 1971, says he became aware of Shankly's brilliant psychological skills after just one day at the club.
SHANKLY IN HIS OWN WORDS In my time at Anfield we always said we had the best two teams on Merseyside - Liverpool and Liverpool reserves
If you are first you are first, if you are second you are nothing
At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters
I would like to be remembered as a man who built up a family of people who could hold their heads up high and say 'We are Liverpool'
"I took a bath after my first training session at Melwood, and when I came out, there must have been 20 reporters there," he told BBC Sport.
"Shanks was stood in front of them and pointed at me, saying, 'Look at the size of him, he's a colossus'. I had nothing on and thought 'what's he talking about?'
"But that was Shanks. He used to tell everyone I was seven foot tall. I'd say 'but boss, I'm only 6ft 3', and he'd reply 'that's near enough 7ft for me'.
"He'd make you feel like a colossus and a great player and you'd go out on the pitch and perform like one."
Shankly, one of 10 children of an Ayrshire coalminer, was a fitness fanatic who believed in the virtues of determination and hard work.
Yeats said: "We were a very fit side and used to score a lot of goals in the final five minutes of matches. Everybody in the team knew their jobs."
Yet Shankly's appeal extends beyond fans of Liverpool to supporters of other clubs and even non-football supporters.
John Keith, who has written the Bill Shankly Tribute Story, which will be performed at Bootle Town Hall on Saturday evening, says: "I still think Bob Paisley was the greatest manager English football has seen, but Shanks transcended football.
"He was an outrageously extrovert character who touched people in the street."
Shankly realised that fans were intrinsic to the success of any club and spoke of a "holy trinity" of manager, players and supporters.
Keith, who first met Shankly when he was a national newspaper reporter in the 1960s, says: "Shanks recognised the fans as the most important element in football.
Ron Yeats and Ian St John show off the FA Cup on the train from Euston to Liverpool Ron Yeats and Ian St John show off the 1965 FA Cup from their train "I remember being in Brugge with him in 1976 for the second leg of the Uefa Cup final, a couple of years after he'd stepped down as Liverpool boss.
"A fan came over and said he didn't have a ticket, so Shanks went and bought him one."
It seems a million miles away from the modern Premiership, whose millionaire managers and players seem so detached from supporters.
Yeats says Shankly allowed fans into Melwood to watch training and, once there, they would share a story and joke with the manager.
Shankly was also well aware of the power football had to galvanise an entire city. After his retirement he said: "I was only in the game for the love of football - and I wanted to bring back happiness to the people of Liverpool."
The club's success during the 1960s, 70s and 80s undoubtedly gave Liverpool a sense of pride and identity.
When news of Shankly's resignation first emerged in 1974, distraught fans jammed the club's switchboard and local factory workers threatened to go on strike unless their hero returned.
Shankly's wit and humour also captivated football fans throughout the country, and there are several websites devoted to his quotations.
At the funeral of Everton legend Dixie Dean, he said: "I know this is a sad occasion, but I think Dixie would be amazed to know that even in death he could draw a bigger crowd than Everton can on a Saturday afternoon".
Once rival manager Tommy Docherty told him about one of his best players. "£100,000 wouldn't buy him", he told Shankly, to which the Liverpool manager replied, "Yeah, I'm one of the 100,000".
Shankly resigned as Liverpool manager in July 1974 to spend more time with his wife and daughter, and Yeats says he was never the same man again.
He said: "I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. I don't think Bill gave the job up, I think the directors gave him up.
"He used to go down to Melwood to watch the lads train after that and you could tell he desperately wanted to get involved. Football had been his life and suddenly it had been taken away."
Shankly died from a heart attack just seven years after leaving his beloved Liverpool, at the age of 68.
Yet he is a figure who still looms large at Liverpool Football Club and over the whole of English football.
Great Red North @ 8:08 am
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sat Sep 30 04:30AM Pacific Sat Sep 30 05:30AM Mountain Sat Sep 30 06:30AM Central Sat Sep 30 07:30AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 30 min LIVE Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada English Premier League Bolton Wanderers vs Liverpool
Great Red North @ 8:21 am
Crouch's touch of magic lifts Liverpool Liverpool 3 Galatasaray 2
Peter Crouch scored the goal of his life but could not prevent Liverpool suffering the fright of their lives as Rafa Benitez's Champions League script almost went awry at Anfield last night.
The Liverpool manager's contentious rotation policy for once looked to be vindicated as four of the five players who earned a recall played a pivotal role in firing their side into a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead early in the second half.
No one more so than Crouch, who threw down the gauntlet to his fellow strikers by opening the scoring in only the ninth minute and following up with a wonder goal in the 52nd minute.
Yet from a position of apparent comfort, Benitez's side were left hanging on by their fingernails as half-time substitute Umit Karan rocked them with close-range headers in the 59th and 65th minutes.
The Turkish champions sensed the unlikeliest of opportunities and should have exploited it as first Sasa Ilic then master marksman of yesteryear Hakan Sukur spurned clear chances to leave Liverpool Group C qualification hopes in jeopardy.
Liverpool hung on and Benitez may well argue that his side's sudden defensive vulnerability should not be allowed to overshadow the positive aspects of an attacking masterclass that threatened to turn their first Champions League win in six attempts into a landslide.
The call was for a high tempo and it could hardly have been heeded more emphatically as Liverpool poured forward and did little for the theory that constantly changing the starting line-up can have a disruptive effect on overall fluency.
Benitez had been pilloried for his selection policy in Eindhoven a fortnight previously, but there could be no faulting his changes this time as those who missed out against Tottenham on Saturday made up for lost time in telling fashion.
Goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon had already been extended by Luis Garcia when Fabio Aurelio looked up from the left touchline in the ninth minute and curled a cross towards the edge of the six-yard area, where Crouch's outstretched boot provided the surest of finishes.
It was the 200th goal of Benitez's two-and-a-quarter year reign and Liverpool's first in the competition for 460 minutes. There was more to follow five minutes later as Jermaine Pennant pounced on defensive uncertainty to cross for Garcia to head in at the far post.
Benitez seldom betrays any sign of emotion, but, if he was struggling to suppress a smile, it may not have been unconnected to Crouch,
Garcia, Pennant and Aurelio being among the players he recalled.
Jamie Carragher was the other, and the gradual realisation that he needed to be on his mettle alongside Daniel Agger, as Galatasaray showed little inclination for accepting their fate, soon put the familiar frown back on Benitez's face.
Jose Reina, under fire on the terraces and under scrutiny from his manager after a series of high-profile lapses, had to react sharply to turn away a low drive from Cihan Haspolatli, while Sabri Sarioglu's searing pace down the right was a constant source of anxiety.
Any lingering unease should have evaporated, though, once Crouch extended Liverpool's lead with an exceptional goal in the 52nd minute.
The £7million signing from Southampton has been forced to change his priorities since Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy arrived on the scene during the summer.
From weighing up his prospects of automatic selection for England, he has been forced to concentrate on holding down a place at club level following the clearest of indications that Kuyt and Bellamy are Benitez's favoured pairing up front.
Few can match Benitez for having the courage of his convictions, but he may have to think again after Crouch rounded off a two-goal contribution with a piece of finishing that has seldom been bettered, even in the long, illustrious history of accomplished Liverpool marksmen.
As Steve Finnan again made his way diligently down the right and hoisted a cross towards the penalty spot, Crouch steadied himself for its arrival before launching a bicycle kick that hit the back of the net before Mondragon had the chance to move.
The robotic dance routine was nowhere to be seen, but the giant striker still milked the moment for all it was worth as he blew kisses to an adoring Kop before being submerged beneath celebrating team-mates.
There had been a swiftness and purpose to Liverpool's passing that had at times been irresistible and they came agonisingly close to a fourth goal in the 58th minute when Kuyt drilled a shot against the post and Gerrard — outstanding on his return to central midfield — struck Mondragon with the follow-up.
Within a minute, the mood changed perceptibly as Karan headed in a cross by Arda Turan to give Galatasaray a glimmer of hope.
It became more than a glimmer six minutes later as Karan's aerial expertise embarrassed Liverpool's defence once more, Sarioglu's cross from the right being finished off by another unchallenged header.
Liverpool were on the rack and could have been heading for the most uncomfortable of inquests but for Ilic volleying wide in the 81st minute and Sukur, a match-winner for Galatasaray on so many occasions, swinging his trusted left boot at an injury-time cross and connecting with nothing more than thin air.
Match facts LIVERPOOL (4-4-2) Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio; Pennant (Sissoko 78min), Gerrard, Alonso, Garcia; Kuyt (Gonzalez 66), Crouch (Bellamy 90). Booked: Alonso, Finnan. Scorers: Crouch 9, 52, Garcia 14. GALATASARAY (4-2-3-1) Mondragon; Haspolatli (Karan 46), Song, Tomas, Orhan Ak; Ayhan Akman, Topal (Hasan Sas 46); Sarioglu, Ilic, Turan (Carrusca 86); Sukur. Booked: Ayhan Akman, Hasan Sas. Scorer: Karan 59, 65. Man of the match: Steven Gerrard. Referee: Luis Medina (Spain).
Great Red North @ 8:20 am
Peter's Wonder Goal
Two-goal Peter Crouch believes his stunning winner in the 3-2 win over Galatasaray was one of the best of his career.
The England international capitalised on his return to the starting XI by firing The Reds into the lead on nine minutes, before Luis Garcia doubled the score.
Crouch's second put Liverpool into an unassailable 3-0 lead and was a truly spectacular scissor kick, which he recognised as a rare strike.
"It was great. It's nice to get a goal like that. It was obviously a special one," Crouch told Sky Sports 2.
"You don't get too many of those. Most of the time they go over the stand and thankfully that one went in the corner and it's got us the win, so it's great."
The frontman was quick to praise the supply line that set up his twin strikes too, with Fabio Aurelio laying on his first and Steve Finnan assisting the second.
"I think everyone knows I thrive on that," Crouch explained.
"It was a superb cross from Fabio."
Galatasaray substitute Umit Karan came on to get the nerves jangling at Anfield with his double strike around the hour mark.
Though The Reds did manage to hang on in the UEFA Champions League Group C encounter, Crouch admits it was an unnecessarily tough last half hour.
"It shouldn't have been that nervy," he said.
"It was a confident 3-0 and we just wanted to see the game out.
"They're dangerous sides in the Champions League if you step back and allow teams to come on to you.
"We worked so hard in the first half maybe it caused a lapse in the second half."
Crouch will now hope to retain his starting place for the trip to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Great Red North @ 8:17 am
Monday, September 25, 2006
Secret Anfield meeting as new stadium deadline looms
DIRECTORS of Liverpool FC met behind closed doors yesterday as a deadline loomed for European funding for the new Stanley Park stadium.
Chairman David Moores and members of the Anfield board turned up for an afternoon meeting at the ground, but a spokesman for chief executive Rick Parry said it was not anticipated any statement would be issued.
The Daily Post revealed earlier this week that two or three potential bidders are eagerly awaiting to buy a major and possibly controlling stake of the famous club as it tries to put together a £180m package for the new 60,000 seater stadium.
Millionaire housebuilder Steve Morgan is among those thought to have placed an offer before the Anfield board, his fifth attempt to buy the club.
Liverpool city councillor Flo Clucas, who chairs a crucial European Objective 1 projects committee, said the people of Anfield deserved to know more about the club's intentions.
Great Red North @ 6:34 pm
Wed Sep 27 11:30AM Pacific Wed Sep 27 12:30PM Mountain Wed Sep 27 01:30PM Central Wed Sep 27 02:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr 30 min LIVE Setanta Sports USA UEFA Champions League - Match Day 2 Liverpool (England) vs Galatasaray (Turkey) Setanta Broadband
Great Red North @ 2:56 pm
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Rafa: New stadium will give us more money to compete
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says he hopes he can lead the Reds into a new stadium, especially because of the financial benefits that will follow.
Rafa hopes a new 60,000-capacity stadium will go ahead so that he can have more funds to build an even stronger side.
He said: "It would be a dream to be manager when the move to the new stadium happens. It's still a while off but to lead this club into a new era excites me.
"If I stay for another three or four years then I would be happy to lead Liverpool into their new home. The atmosphere at Anfield is amazing but if we can create the same atmosphere in a bigger stadium it will be great because we need to make money to be able to compete with the top sides.
"If we can create investment without changing stadiums, fine - but we need more money to compete."
Great Red North @ 12:45 pm
Friday, September 22, 2006
Slip shunts Harper back into limelight
In Steve Harper's own mind he was forever linked with Anfield anyway. Xabi Alonso's 60-yard goal on Wednesday, and Harper's sliding part in it, merely cemented the connection for everyone else. It is an image for a generation, not just for this week or this season, a unique goal that sits prominently in what can fairly be described as a unique career. Harper has been with Newcastle United for 13 years and yet Liverpool was only his 35th league appearance for the club. And as he said: "It won't be forgotten."
It has been some week for the 31-year-old from the former mining village of Easington. As another season threatened to turn into a weekly regime of shadow preparation, Shay Given was injured at West Ham and Harper was then undermined by a slip that will be mentioned whenever his or Alonso's name is.
After what he said was a bad night's sleep, Harper talked about his new fame. "I was really looking forward to the game - what a great game to come into. I was a Liverpool fan as a kid so to play there was very special. It went well for 70-odd minutes, I didn't feel rusty, felt like I handled the ball well, couple of decent saves. Unfortunately it won't be remembered for that.
"Because of Craig Bellamy's pace I said to the defenders that I'd play quite high up, [the] sweeper-keeper role is a big part of the game now. Hundreds of times in training playing against Craig Bellamy I've had that scenario, he's given me verbals for getting balls he thought he should have got.
"So I was around the penalty spot. I had a full look at the ball, I saw him hit it, I back-pedalled and I could have chested it down. But I just lost my footing and I couldn't recover. If it's a technical error you feel you can work on it.
"The hardest part is not being able to explain it. The pitch was like a carpet, a few of the lads said it was the best surface they've ever played on and to play at Anfield was a dream come true. But that certainly spoiled it.
"It was the first ground I ever went to, the first game of the 82-83 season, Liverpool won 2-0. Bruce Grobbelaar was my hero. I remember being in the club shop, my dad had bought me the full strip and I was the happiest little boy in the world. Wednesday was good for 89 minutes and however many seconds. But I'm glad the Ryder Cup's on TV for the next few days."
Blanket golf coverage may temporarily obliterate Harper's pain, but his moment will live on film. Fortunately football's calendar brings Everton to St James' Park tomorrow, there is a Uefa Cup tie on Thursday and, with Given still in hospital in Essex, the prospect of a rare run of games for Harper.
Wednesday was, after all, his first league start for 15 months and he has not played consecutive Premiership matches since the new year of 2001. What perplexes many is that Harper has endured this existence. In the north-east it has long been felt that Harper would play for England if only he could play for Newcastle. For first-team football he would have to move and that has never happened, though it has been close.
A good salary will be mentioned as a reason for staying, and it cannot be ignored, but that does not quite encapsulate the motivation of a man who, the day after Newcastle lost at Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-final of the Uefa Cup two seasons ago, sat at the airport reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
"I'm a reader, I read about everything: yoga, meditation, I've just finished Bill Clinton's autobiography - that took me a while, it's about 970 pages. I read Johnny Cash's autobiography before that, John Daly's, John McEnroe's.
"We have a lot of spare time and I like a game of golf but I'm not a gambler or a big drinker. Given the time I would like to further myself, educate myself a little bit more."
Harper is a different type of goalkeeper. He gained a place at university - in Liverpool - before football and he foresees a possible future as a professional referee. Already part-qualified, he recently spoke to the Northumberland FA again about that. Despite a career largely spent waiting, he has played in an FA Cup final and kept a clean sheet against Juventus in the Champions League. That was his best night.
"I hadn't played for a while, the same scenario as Anfield, and you're walking along shaking hands and you're thinking 'That's Pavel Nedved and that's Del Piero' and there's the Champions League music blaring. We won 1-0.
"It wasn't a busy night for me but it was an important night for the club. I played in the next game against Dynamo Kiev, also at St James'."
Back home tomorrow, Everton is an important game for Harper. "I've got a chance to get it [Wednesday] forgotten. If the game wasn't there then it can fester. On Sunday I have something to prove to myself. When you're out for so long, self-doubt does creep in. But I can't go into Sunday thinking about slipping over."
Great Red North @ 8:35 pm
Henry - I love Liverpool supporters
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has spoken of his admiration for Liverpool and their supporters and admits that the Reds are his second favourite English club.
The French international says that while he could not play for another English club having become such a legend in North London, he admits that he holds a soft spot for Liverpool.
He said: "I could never play for another English club after spending so long at Arsenal but, maybe, if there could ever have been another team, it would be Liverpool."
"I say them because I would have loved to play with Steven Gerrard and then also I love their fans. There is something special about Anfield which is amazing and, when I see The Kop with their scarves in the air, singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone', that is awesome."
Great Red North @ 12:37 pm
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BELLAMY AND McDERMOTT "KICK OFF" IN TUNNEL
The very day Terry McDermott returned to Newcastle under the leadership of Graeme Souness, he made a blistering attack on the departed Craig Bellamy who had just gone to Celtic on loan. A personal attack that shocked us all: "I've never met Bellamy, but from what I've heard, he is not a nice person. Newcastle don't need him and I hope he never plays for Newcastle again."
An "interesting" comment, to say the least from McDermott, especially as their paths had never crossed previous. But the ex-Reds player - and the new Reds player - clashed in the tunnel at Anfield after the game on Wednesday. Bellamy had said previous he wanted to meet the Newcastle coach, and that certainly happened out of view of the TV cameras.
Both managers played down suggestions of the incident in the tunnel.
Benitez: "I heard some shouting but it was only two or three seconds. It was nothing more than that."
Roeder: "I'm not aware of anything. Terry McDermott is an experienced coach and that would be way below him to get involved in anything like that when he represents a club like ours."
Great Red North @ 8:25 am
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Millionaires battle to takeover Liverpool FC
DIRECTORS of Liverpool Football Club have been summoned to an urgent meeting tomorrow to debate three potential bids to take over the club.
The meeting at Anfield comes just 24 hours before the club must deliver details of its package to fund the new £180m 60,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park.
The Daily Post believes three bids will be put to the board that could see the ownership of Liverpool FC changing hands if shareholders, including majority controller David Moores, agree to sell or reduce their stakes.
Steve Morgan, the lifelong Liverpool fan who made a fortune by founding housebuilding company Redrow, is understood once again to be one of the bidders to buy the club.
Great Red North @ 8:15 pm
Wanderers (away) on the telly!
Sat Sep 30 04:30AM Pacific Sat Sep 30 05:30AM Mountain Sat Sep 30 06:30AM Central Sat Sep 30 07:30AM Eastern Length: 2 hr 30 min LIVE Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada English Premier League Bolton Wanderers vs Liverpool
Great Red North @ 8:36 am
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