And yes, you rattle my old brain...
I don't recall the last time I was so nervous. Probably just last season if I'm honest but I don't remember the level of tension seeming so high. It no doubt stems from the fact that it's out of our hands today, and to their credit, some are using that as a means to be sanguine about what happens. Not me.
I had a day out at Coney Island during the summer where I threw myself out there amongst the waves as I usually do. But pretty quickly it hit me that this time was different and whether I made it back into shore was not going to be completely up to me. Now obviously I did (as I wouldn't be writing this otherwise), but I'll confess that it did pull me right up. And now as a result, when something's out of my hands, it makes the control freak in me even more anxious.
It's not that I'm particularly upset over the possibility of the Europa League. Why not play to win it if we're in it? But it will wreak more than a little havoc on our weekend league and FA cup fixtures...and, let's be honest here, Monday hangovers are not fun. But as has been noted, Dortmund was one of the best nights (or afternoon, here in NY) in recent history. Who wouldn't want to relive that?
But it's more that you know it just kills our Rafa. Even if we run out with the best laid and executed plan tonight, he can't plan or control what happens in Florence.
In any event, let's hang on for the ride. It's gonna be one hell of 'un.
COME ON YOU REDS.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Liar, liar.....
Pants on fire...
Ok, now that I've gotten the post-Manc jubilation post out of the way, back to business. :-)
Didn't I say I'd post more regularly? Smack my head. I worry that I let you down but then remember you good folks (those that do actually read this stuff) already know where to look for regular updates, match reports and the like. If you had to wait for me for those things, well...we'll have a new stadium before then!
But I'm well-intentioned at least - we all know the difference between a white lie (where the truth is in there but is maybe covered with a little padding to avoid hurt feelings), and the outright baldy-faced, sh*t-stirring lies.
It's really been a miserable couple of weeks. Before Sunday, four losses on the bounce, an(other) international break that's done the usual job of returning our players to us in physical/mental pieces, George Gillett talking sh*te and fans even talking more so about what's Rafa really accomplished, are we really any better than when he took over, etc. etc.
I'm not quite sure why people were surprised there'd be some growing pains as players got used to slightly different roles. I'm not quite sure why people don't think players flying halfway across the world with no/little time to train with their teammates is *not* going to have impact on form and fitness (assuming they're even able to play at all). We've had a central defender who came through a serious injury last season and just recently recovered from a hamstring injury this preseason get clocked by a teammate in the opening game against Spurs. A distracted national team captain whose squad - once (and still likely) favorites to win next year's World Cup - were on the brink of missing out on the tournament altogether.
When things go wrong, it becomes far too easy for people to start hyperventilating and wanting to rip apart everything that gotten us where we are, especially if they were skeptical of players or methods to begin with. Was last May really that long ago? You know, when we finished 2nd, having conceded fewer goals than anyone and scoring more than anyone? Did it really all turn to sh*t just because Xabi Alonso left? Come on. But no, the poor start was all down to Xabi's absence, to zonal marking being useless, to becoming a team that's got no creativity and no goal scorers besides Nando and Steve, and blah blah blah, blah blah and blah.
Out came the fans who openly dismissed Benitez's achievements and crucified him over transfers, tactics, global warming. And out came those same fans with proclamations that now consecrated St. Gerard Houllier. If nothing else, it was a stark reminder of just how short attention spans are these days. (And trust me, this is not meant as a GH-bashing rant either. He took us forward from the Evans era, just as Rafa has done from those last bad years of Houllier's, and yes people - they were bad).
If the argument was that Benitez has taken us as far as he can, that'd be one thing. But that isn't the argument (and I'd disagree, if it needs to be said). It's that we're no better off, which is a porky of Pink Floyd dirigible-sized proportions.
The pundits tell lies on a regular basis. Some - in total, wilful ignorance of the Laws of the Game, came out with complete crap during the Sunderland game. "It's Reina's responsibility - no one to blame but himself for not clearing his area", some said. Making it sound like the rules that govern when the ball (the actual football, I mean) plays off the referee should also extend to a f*cking beachball thrown onto the pitch.
Mr. Ferguson was at it, too - how much Benitez has spent since his time at Liverpool: "ooh more than us, so I dinnae what Benitez is complaining aboot." Well, thanks very much for weighing in, you redfaced sot, but no one asked you, did they?
Can we get this straight, please? Having to rebuild the squad, the infrastructure of the club, will obviously cost a lot of cash. But Mr. Ferguson has routinely dropped upwards of £18-19mm on each purchase over the last few years, some costing double that. People seem to have forgotten that purchases on that scale are still a huge struggle for us and that we've still only spent that much on only 5 players in our history?
You expect lies from some of these quarters as there are still loads of people with axes to grind against Liverpool the team, Liverpool the city and Liverpool its people. But we've also had to put up with lies from within - from our so-called "custodians". These two hits on the 2009 "Lies about our Club" hitlist cannot be ignored as they come from those who are charged with our future:
But in the midst of all the lies are those who diligently try to get the truth out, despite usually being slapped down over and over again for their trouble.
Lies are so easy to start and spread simply because they require NO substance behind them to get them going; just open your mouth or sit at a keyboard and go. Getting the truth out and fighting to make it heard above the din takes a hell of a lot more work. You have to research, you have to double-check and you have to be diligent as you'll constantly be questioned if not shouted down. You have to lay yourself on the line as you'll be the target of indifference at minimum, abuse and ridicule at the opposite end. But you keep fighting the good fight as you hope - you *know* - truth will win out.
All I want is some.
Ok, now that I've gotten the post-Manc jubilation post out of the way, back to business. :-)
Didn't I say I'd post more regularly? Smack my head. I worry that I let you down but then remember you good folks (those that do actually read this stuff) already know where to look for regular updates, match reports and the like. If you had to wait for me for those things, well...we'll have a new stadium before then!
But I'm well-intentioned at least - we all know the difference between a white lie (where the truth is in there but is maybe covered with a little padding to avoid hurt feelings), and the outright baldy-faced, sh*t-stirring lies.
It's really been a miserable couple of weeks. Before Sunday, four losses on the bounce, an(other) international break that's done the usual job of returning our players to us in physical/mental pieces, George Gillett talking sh*te and fans even talking more so about what's Rafa really accomplished, are we really any better than when he took over, etc. etc.
I'm not quite sure why people were surprised there'd be some growing pains as players got used to slightly different roles. I'm not quite sure why people don't think players flying halfway across the world with no/little time to train with their teammates is *not* going to have impact on form and fitness (assuming they're even able to play at all). We've had a central defender who came through a serious injury last season and just recently recovered from a hamstring injury this preseason get clocked by a teammate in the opening game against Spurs. A distracted national team captain whose squad - once (and still likely) favorites to win next year's World Cup - were on the brink of missing out on the tournament altogether.
When things go wrong, it becomes far too easy for people to start hyperventilating and wanting to rip apart everything that gotten us where we are, especially if they were skeptical of players or methods to begin with. Was last May really that long ago? You know, when we finished 2nd, having conceded fewer goals than anyone and scoring more than anyone? Did it really all turn to sh*t just because Xabi Alonso left? Come on. But no, the poor start was all down to Xabi's absence, to zonal marking being useless, to becoming a team that's got no creativity and no goal scorers besides Nando and Steve, and blah blah blah, blah blah and blah.
Out came the fans who openly dismissed Benitez's achievements and crucified him over transfers, tactics, global warming. And out came those same fans with proclamations that now consecrated St. Gerard Houllier. If nothing else, it was a stark reminder of just how short attention spans are these days. (And trust me, this is not meant as a GH-bashing rant either. He took us forward from the Evans era, just as Rafa has done from those last bad years of Houllier's, and yes people - they were bad).
If the argument was that Benitez has taken us as far as he can, that'd be one thing. But that isn't the argument (and I'd disagree, if it needs to be said). It's that we're no better off, which is a porky of Pink Floyd dirigible-sized proportions.
The pundits tell lies on a regular basis. Some - in total, wilful ignorance of the Laws of the Game, came out with complete crap during the Sunderland game. "It's Reina's responsibility - no one to blame but himself for not clearing his area", some said. Making it sound like the rules that govern when the ball (the actual football, I mean) plays off the referee should also extend to a f*cking beachball thrown onto the pitch.
Mr. Ferguson was at it, too - how much Benitez has spent since his time at Liverpool: "ooh more than us, so I dinnae what Benitez is complaining aboot." Well, thanks very much for weighing in, you redfaced sot, but no one asked you, did they?
Can we get this straight, please? Having to rebuild the squad, the infrastructure of the club, will obviously cost a lot of cash. But Mr. Ferguson has routinely dropped upwards of £18-19mm on each purchase over the last few years, some costing double that. People seem to have forgotten that purchases on that scale are still a huge struggle for us and that we've still only spent that much on only 5 players in our history?
You expect lies from some of these quarters as there are still loads of people with axes to grind against Liverpool the team, Liverpool the city and Liverpool its people. But we've also had to put up with lies from within - from our so-called "custodians". These two hits on the 2009 "Lies about our Club" hitlist cannot be ignored as they come from those who are charged with our future:
- Christian Purslow with the easy listening MOR tune, "Rafa Had £20mm to Spend This Summer"; and
- George Gillett with the "in yo' face" defiant thrash rocker "We've Invested £120mm Out of Our Own Pockets (So Stop Blamin' Us)"
But in the midst of all the lies are those who diligently try to get the truth out, despite usually being slapped down over and over again for their trouble.
- Paul Tomkins with the brilliant writeup on his meeting with Rafa, laying bare some worn out myths
- Brian Reade and Tony Barrett exposing the seriousness of our current situation in their newspaper columns
- SOS with their 3-part "George is Telling Lies" video series on their website
Lies are so easy to start and spread simply because they require NO substance behind them to get them going; just open your mouth or sit at a keyboard and go. Getting the truth out and fighting to make it heard above the din takes a hell of a lot more work. You have to research, you have to double-check and you have to be diligent as you'll constantly be questioned if not shouted down. You have to lay yourself on the line as you'll be the target of indifference at minimum, abuse and ridicule at the opposite end. But you keep fighting the good fight as you hope - you *know* - truth will win out.
All I want is some.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Chasing rainbows...
Chasing internet streams is more accurate...god, I hate this! Yeah, they're illegal but of course you want to see the match when it's on. And while I do try to keep my nose clean and firmly believe in the principle of rights holders getting paid, $9.95 for a stream off the UEFA website is a f****** joke.
I've many things to write about - the whole "charm offensive" (or "offensive charm" as a friend aptly pegged it) being laid on by Messrs. Purslow, Hicks and Gillett very much at the top of the list. While I get as excited as the next person about the match - the paragraph above demonstrating my desperation! - the future of LFC is more important and it's hard not to get wound up, especially as you feel the owners just take the whole affair as a big joke.
How can they be vested in it when they've got none of their g.d. money in it? I've probably put more of my own cash into the club over the last two years than they have.
Anyway, onto happier topics and notching up two wins on the trot in the league and this without Torres being anywhere near his best. (Nora proving too much for him at the moment?) In any event, we're scoring and creating chances, so I'm happy. And would you believe we just scored before halftime in tonight's match - I at least got to see a piece of it before the stream died. Thank heavens for small favors.
Back in a bit.
I've many things to write about - the whole "charm offensive" (or "offensive charm" as a friend aptly pegged it) being laid on by Messrs. Purslow, Hicks and Gillett very much at the top of the list. While I get as excited as the next person about the match - the paragraph above demonstrating my desperation! - the future of LFC is more important and it's hard not to get wound up, especially as you feel the owners just take the whole affair as a big joke.
How can they be vested in it when they've got none of their g.d. money in it? I've probably put more of my own cash into the club over the last two years than they have.
Anyway, onto happier topics and notching up two wins on the trot in the league and this without Torres being anywhere near his best. (Nora proving too much for him at the moment?) In any event, we're scoring and creating chances, so I'm happy. And would you believe we just scored before halftime in tonight's match - I at least got to see a piece of it before the stream died. Thank heavens for small favors.
Back in a bit.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Can we breathe now?!
What a difference three days makes, huh?
I wonder - well, I don't really - if the first chapter in the '09/10 edition of "RAFA'S OFF" was true. Perhaps we should want more of these: I mean, two 4-0s as a result of the reported discord? Tempting, but I'll take a 1-0 and less stress any day.
In my opinion, everyone's looking a bit shaky bar Spurs (and do we really expect them to keep going like this?). I just know with all the hand-wringing about on-the-pitch affairs the last couple of days, I know who's probably feeling the more upset between us and Manc fans right now. The champeens (with 80m in the coffers that Fergie was supposedly free to spend before anyone forgets) couldn't muster a goal from its far-from-bargain basement strike force, and "the best central midfielder in England" [or is it Europe? Sorry, I forget] missed a penalty. You have to laugh - mainly because it is funny but also because you know we'd never hear the end of it.
I mean, Whiskynose should just resign right now as clearly their season's over as ours was Sunday night ... right? Uh huh.
Anyway, outstanding team performance today - as good as Sunday's was lackluster. Ayala did well in his first senior start (though it sounds like that might be it for him with Kyrgiakos on his way) and we kept the clean sheet. Tons of movement - tons of short crisp passes and some cheeky clever ones as well (Masch's to Gerrard for the 3rd was fab) - and we generally played like the title challengers we were last season. Oh except that we *beat* Stoke this time...
And Glen, you are definitely winning me over.... But I am a sucker for a man with dreads who does a mad Peter Crouch imitation.
Bring on the Villains.
I wonder - well, I don't really - if the first chapter in the '09/10 edition of "RAFA'S OFF" was true. Perhaps we should want more of these: I mean, two 4-0s as a result of the reported discord? Tempting, but I'll take a 1-0 and less stress any day.
In my opinion, everyone's looking a bit shaky bar Spurs (and do we really expect them to keep going like this?). I just know with all the hand-wringing about on-the-pitch affairs the last couple of days, I know who's probably feeling the more upset between us and Manc fans right now. The champeens (with 80m in the coffers that Fergie was supposedly free to spend before anyone forgets) couldn't muster a goal from its far-from-bargain basement strike force, and "the best central midfielder in England" [or is it Europe? Sorry, I forget] missed a penalty. You have to laugh - mainly because it is funny but also because you know we'd never hear the end of it.
I mean, Whiskynose should just resign right now as clearly their season's over as ours was Sunday night ... right? Uh huh.
Anyway, outstanding team performance today - as good as Sunday's was lackluster. Ayala did well in his first senior start (though it sounds like that might be it for him with Kyrgiakos on his way) and we kept the clean sheet. Tons of movement - tons of short crisp passes and some cheeky clever ones as well (Masch's to Gerrard for the 3rd was fab) - and we generally played like the title challengers we were last season. Oh except that we *beat* Stoke this time...
And Glen, you are definitely winning me over.... But I am a sucker for a man with dreads who does a mad Peter Crouch imitation.
Bring on the Villains.
Friday, August 14, 2009
And so it begins again...
With a bunch of Saturday matches to get through in the meantime...oh well. I can wait another 24 hours.
I've no idea what to expect on Sunday - I've done no post-mortems on Xabi's and Big Al's departures but obviously both will require some adjustments. I'm certainly not comparing Arbeloa to Alonso in terms of overall quality - I'm not that crazy - but a solid defender who got forward as often as possible (with a decent cross no less) who could also play anywhere along the back if needed is nothing to take lightly. (And don't think it didn't cross my mind once or twice when both Martin and Danny got crocked - chances would've been pretty good I think that we'd have seen AA partnering Jamie this weekend.)
I wish them both well and thank them for their service - particularly Passmaster Xabi - while hoping Real win absolutely NOTHING this season.
I look forward to a big season from "Number 21, Lucas Leiva" (a RAWKite-penned song that hopefully makes its debut at WHL this weekend) - no, he's not Xabi. (The fact he's shorter and blonder should be a giveaway for most.) His inclusion makes us a different team and I am frankly chomping at the bit to see how the interplay between him, Kuyt, Benny and of course Steven, develops over the season. Yes, I know the other AA is waiting in the wings but imo, Aquilani's signing does *not* signal the end of Lucas - it will just open up "more possibilities", no?
Head is telling me draw against the Spurs but I'm going to say 1-2 anyway with Kuyt and Torres opening their accounts. I expect some defensive nerve-jangling but if we get through this and Villa next week without shipping goals, I think we can start feeling very good about our chances, especially as we'll soon be welcoming some of our injured players back into the fold.
I didn't really think I was ready - a few more weeks of responsible behavior would've been nice and greatly appreciated by those nearest and dearest - but now that it's here, bring it on.
COME ON YOU REDMEN!!
I've no idea what to expect on Sunday - I've done no post-mortems on Xabi's and Big Al's departures but obviously both will require some adjustments. I'm certainly not comparing Arbeloa to Alonso in terms of overall quality - I'm not that crazy - but a solid defender who got forward as often as possible (with a decent cross no less) who could also play anywhere along the back if needed is nothing to take lightly. (And don't think it didn't cross my mind once or twice when both Martin and Danny got crocked - chances would've been pretty good I think that we'd have seen AA partnering Jamie this weekend.)
I wish them both well and thank them for their service - particularly Passmaster Xabi - while hoping Real win absolutely NOTHING this season.
I look forward to a big season from "Number 21, Lucas Leiva" (a RAWKite-penned song that hopefully makes its debut at WHL this weekend) - no, he's not Xabi. (The fact he's shorter and blonder should be a giveaway for most.) His inclusion makes us a different team and I am frankly chomping at the bit to see how the interplay between him, Kuyt, Benny and of course Steven, develops over the season. Yes, I know the other AA is waiting in the wings but imo, Aquilani's signing does *not* signal the end of Lucas - it will just open up "more possibilities", no?
Head is telling me draw against the Spurs but I'm going to say 1-2 anyway with Kuyt and Torres opening their accounts. I expect some defensive nerve-jangling but if we get through this and Villa next week without shipping goals, I think we can start feeling very good about our chances, especially as we'll soon be welcoming some of our injured players back into the fold.
I didn't really think I was ready - a few more weeks of responsible behavior would've been nice and greatly appreciated by those nearest and dearest - but now that it's here, bring it on.
COME ON YOU REDMEN!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Conversation with Paul Rice, SOS Chairman
On his visit to New York last month, Paul Rice, chairman of Spirit of Shankly/Liverpool Supporters' Union, was kind enough to sit with me over dinner and drinks to engage in an informal discussion about what's going on with the organization and what we can look forward to over the next year.
Due to the length of this material (and even this was a pared-down version), it's taken a bit longer than I would've ideally liked to get it posted. But turns out that may have been a blessing in disguise as some of what Paul touches on here has been brought to the fore due to developments at LFC over the past few days (cancellation of the PTS, alarming news on the state of the club's finances). It does seem that things work out for a reason.
In any event, I hope this will be of interest to those who are already members of the group, those who've had lingering questions and even to the doubters. To be proper, I will just post the disclaimer that no inference should be made that this is any sort of SOS "policy paper" - the opinions expressed here are Paul's and may or may not reflect that of the SOS management committee and/or the union's membership at large.
So with that out of the way, here we go.... My questions are in italics; Paul's responses are in normal text.
The first thing I did want to mention was the fact that SOS is backing the Steven Cohen boycott. I just wanted to know how that came about.
Obviously we picked it up via the various websites, including LFCNY. And also people on Red and White Kop and RAOTL had mentioned it. I think, as indeed I posted on the New York website, my immediate reaction was, “Don’t give him the oxygen or publicity.” But when you actually sit down and look at what he said, and you analyze the audience that he’s saying it to, you realize that you can’t let him get away with it. It’s people who are new to the sport, don’t know the history – and if that’s the only view they’re getting, then that becomes history. And clearly we couldn’t allow him to do that.
And I think that was also spurred by the fact that the hypocrisy of somebody who supports a club like Chelsea, whose fans ... their own chairman threatened to put them behind electric fences, so bad was their behavior at the time of the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters. Talk about pots and kettles.
So I would like to talk about SOS. I just wanted to get a sense of where you think things stand now... do you think the organization has gone through any “sophomore slump”, i.e., the initial buzz and excitement around the organization maybe tapered off a little bit? That because the protests have died down and you’re not as much in the public eye…how do you get the word out that yes, we are still here and yes, it’s still as important as ever to get involved?
The thing is I think there’s a model with any organization of this style that in that rush of euphoria and novelty, you take off and go up a very steep curve and you reach a point where you’re on a plateau. And it’s where you go from that plateau really. I think that’s been exacerbated by two things.
First of all, the impass with the owners ... they blame the credit crunch for all that. I’m sure it’s partially responsible but I think fundamentally they just haven’t got enough money to do what they said they were going to do. It was all about leverage and what have you.
The second thing is the fact that the team is doing relatively well has conspired to ... people are like, well, do we really want to rock the boat? And unfortunately, for a lot of people, it’s all about the here and now. Which is very indicative of modern society.
Well, since you mentioned the owners: one of the foremost aims [of SOS] was to rid the club of the owners. Has that changed at all? Or is there a sort of “wait and see” policy at this point?
That hasn’t changed one iota. We are firmly of the opinion that with the lies that they have told, they cannot be trusted. And I think that overwhelmingly – not just our members but overwhelmingly – Liverpool fans do not trust them. And I think that they’ve gone over a line that they can’t come back from no matter what they do.
Do you feel like the organization has had any impact in terms of not just perception but how future events unfold with the club being sold to new owners? Which new owners they might be versus some other set of owners that may not want to deal with some of the things that...?
I think so. I think anybody with two brain cells to rub together would look at what’s happened with the fans and go, well we’ve got to make sure we avoid those obstacles. And certainly we’ve had overtures from certain people who have claimed to be interested in buying the club to sound us out and see if we’d be interested in representation at various levels. I think they were being surprised by our answers! That we weren’t prepared to just be the dog in the corner getting our head patted; that we wanted considerably more than that. But yes, certainly – we’ve definitely had an impact in that respect.
You are here ostensibly to sign up new members to SOS; to spread the word about the organization. There’s been criticism leveled at the organization that maybe it’s not just about removing the two American owners but removing the influence of Americans, even as supporters. I would like to give you the floor to debunk that right now.
Nothing can be further from the truth! I think there are two elements to that.
First of all, history tells us that people from Liverpool have spread all over the globe over the last 200-300 years. And to say that people can’t be Liverpool fans because they don’t have an L4 postcode or don’t have the purple garbage bin is a bit silly. We also have to accept that we have now attracted a whole raft of new supporters, at least as a result of Istanbul and the popularity, particularly in the United States over the last five or ten years, of football.
So we’ve got two alternatives. We either pretend these people don’t exist ... poo poo them ... or we say, okay: if you want to support Liverpool, there are certain standards that go with that; that set us apart. And we would hope that they’re the reasons you support Liverpool. Not because we win lots of trophies but because we have a certain attitude to things and we go about things in a different way. And there’s lots of lighthearted stuff about wearing [replica] shirts and whatever, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about having a bit more class and culture, and understanding where Liverpool Football Club has come from. And where it is and how it got there, and the values that are instilled in the club.
So not just embracing everybody but teaching them along the way.
I think in terms of New York, in general terms, there’s undoubtedly a bond that exists between the two cities that goes very deeply into I suppose the whole socio-economic history of the world over the last 150 years. So I’d say to fans that the two cities were intrinsically linked; where people started the journeys and made it the end of their journeys. And of course, New York is massively larger than Liverpool but I think there’s a strain of non-conformism and ....
Both considering themselves separate from the rest of the country; like we’re our own being.
Yes. So I think, particularly in New York, there’s a bond there.
How does an American benefit from joining SOS? Many people will say, “well, I’m on board with what you’re doing but in terms of what I get out of it ... I see the coaches to the games, I see the protests but I’m over here and can’t actively participate.” Not exactly a “what’s in it for me?” question, but it’s sort of distant from them. What does an American derive from joining?
I think there are several levels as to what can be done. First of all, we would obviously love to communicate with people and give people information, because we’ve gone beyond the stage now where we just tell everybody where we’ve gone and what we’ve done with things. I mean there are certain things we only tell our members. Likewise, it’ll only be our members that we consult with.
And I would like to think that now that we’ve got a duly democratically-elected committee, we now have an overseas liaison officer, we’re looking to him – or the overall management committee – to get a network in place, across the world, of supporters/members who can feed into the organization.
But also I think in terms directly of what’s in it for them, if they come to the UK ... first of all, we are negotiating with Thomas Cook. The existing packages could be more attractive than they currently are for home games. On tickets, we’re looking to a more equitable share of tickets, particularly when the allocation goes up with the new stadium. If and when we get a new stadium! And talking to Ian Ayre, he clearly is not happy with the current structure.
So I think there’s a whole host of ways there and clearly we’ve established a position with the club where we can speak on behalf of our members, and we’ve gotten a number of tangible results for our members.
As you mentioned it, one of the criticisms was we’re not hearing enough of what’s going on, getting emails every couple of months, membership packets being slow to get out.... Are you saying that what you have in mind is maybe satellites of SOS to deal with some of these issues?
Clearly we need to step our game up – you have to remember we’re all volunteers doing this in our spare time. But that is what we have to do: if we raise people’s expectations, we have to meet those expectations. And clearly, I think we cannot run a global organization as fifteen people in Liverpool. It has to be something we can grow organically across the globe.
The whole concept of unions - they’re not really looked on that favorably over here anymore. I know it’s changed in the UK as well, but I know people hear the word “union” and sort of say, “why?” And for something like this, as opposed to something around work issues, people would say, alright - is there a hidden agenda here? For those who look upon the whole concept of why this organization exists with skepticism, why – in your own words – would you say SOS is needed?
I think there’s been a fundamental swing away, but I think the pendulum is about to swing back. Some of the things that are happening – I mean, we’ve all bought into this “corporate good”, “corporate responsibility”, “big firms aren’t bad” … just the way people are being treated in this global economy, people are starting to turn and say, “Well, hang on ... maybe the unions weren’t wrong after all!” So, in one respect, I think it’s starting to swing back again.
We looked long and hard at this idea of a union. First of all, Liverpool remains a strong working-class community. I think we still aspire to those basic social democrat / social justice principles that lay behind unions. We’re not talking about big bosh unions here, like we’ve all seen the excesses of both in the United States and in the UK in different forms. We’re talking about the more pure form of a union, which is about the good of all rather than the few.
And I think people actually, if they look beyond the politics and the brainwashing people have had about unions over the last generation, it’s actually something where they think, “That’s not a bad thing; I can get something out of that.”
That actually leads perfectly into my next question, which is the club obviously has a fan base that’s worldwide now: people of different languages, different cultures, different ethnicities, races, different social classes, certainly politics … it’s all across the board. Unions usually existed within a small framework or at least a common shared purpose. How do you get such a disparate population on board with a shared sense of ideals when it’s all across the map?
With a great deal of difficulty is the answer to that!
Again, two things. One is that broader idea: buying into the values and “the Liverpool way.” Actually, I think in some ways “the Liverpool way” is a bit of an albatross around the club’s neck in one respect. But those values – that’s what people are buying into, whether that’s Istanbul, whether that’s the Kop, whatever it is ... unique atmosphere ... whatever. That’s what it is. That we can get people to buy into and understand.
But it’s a process and you also have to break out of this parochial .... Liverpool was the “Capital of Culture” last year; Liverpool to me has always been the “Capital of Contrariness”! You know, Liverpool’s a port, it’s an outward-facing place. You don’t go anywhere without meeting a Scouser. They’re very gregarious people. But, put them back in their own habitat and they can be the most parochial people you could ever meet. As can anybody, of course! But you need to break out of that and expand people’s horizons. I mean, we make the mickey out of Evertonians about them all being from County Road: you don’t have to be from L4 to be part of that broader family.
There can be people who’ve had no connection with Liverpool; there can be people who came over here three generations ago ... whatever! It doesn’t matter. As long as they’ve made a connection, that’s all that matters. And we’ll grow with that.
Oh I agree. But it’s almost more a matter of economics. I mean, how do you get people who probably will never set foot in Anfield, who may never get to make the trip over ... whose only experience seeing Liverpool play will be watching them on the television ... to relate to issues around match tickets, issues around ticket allocation, travel and issues that supporters who go to away games encounter? The fan experience is obviously very different for people all around the world, so some of the issues that SOS is addressing ... they may feel like, “I’m with you in spirit but boycotting merchandise?” Or saying, “I’m not going to the match when it’s maybe my once in a lifetime opportunity to go?”
Well, I actually agree with that. I certainly was one that was particularly keen to see the boycott ended. Not least for the reasons that you’ve just said. And similarly, it’s why I’ve been opposed to boycotting matches, at least at this stage; I would never say never. Because if you boycott a match, there will be 45,000 other people who will turn up because it may be their one and only chance to do so. And we have to understand the real politics of that. So that’s fine; I understand that.
I think what we need to do – it goes back to what I said before. It’s not about join us because we’ll get you 10 quid off coach travel. As important as those things are, it is also about understanding those people watching matches, like Ian Ayre did in Malaysia before he came to this job. It came in for a lot of stick but the whole membership scheme – the “Belong” thing – what a great concept that is! “Belong!” To somebody in Manhattan, somebody in Malaysia, somebody in Malta – they can “belong”. They’ve got that bit of plastic. But it has to be more than that piece of plastic. That plastic has to have value.
We spoke before about the “brand”. The brand is only a real brand if it’s got values. And the Liverbird to me has always had values. Why should somebody like you from Chicago, now living in New York, attach any values to that bird? You know? But that’s what it’s about really. It’s about getting those people to – well not getting them to, but making it a compelling proposition for those people to have and buy into.
So are there plans from the SOS standpoint to sort of reach out and educate as you’ve talked about? Bringing them on board with “those values”? To not just press the issues but also about why the issues are important and why you should care?
Definitely. But the thing you have to be very careful about here is because one of the mistakes I think that the RTK made – and obviously a lot of the RTK are [SOS] members now – is it came across that they were preaching at people not to people. At people. I think that was a fundamental mistake, as well-intentioned as it was. They realized it sounded like they were dictating to people if you’re going to come to Liverpool, you’ve got to wear Adidas trainees and don’t wear colours, and that wasn’t what it was meant to be. And that was a shame and I think it alienated a lot of people. And I think we’ve tried our best to avoid doing that.
Interestingly, 30% of our membership is from Ireland, which is fantastic because it shows that we have got beyond that über-Scouser thing. Which is great.
Are there any big projects in the future?
We’ve got a massive one ... but I can’t tell you!
That’s good – give everyone a teaser!
An absolutely massive one. I would love to be able to tell people tomorrow. And if it comes off will blow out of the water the way English football is run.
I won’t ask for details but can you tell us what the timetable is at least on this? Before the end of the season? Summer?
The end of July.
I think one last question would be that for anyone who’s going to sign up tomorrow or within the near future, if they want to get more involved, what can they do?
What I’d like to see over here is ... I’d love to think that what’s happened with Steve Cohen would galvanize people to realize that action can make a difference. And to me, I’d like to think having had the success you’ve had over Cohen, that you’d be prepared to be enthused. To talk about unions, the old line is classic: “Unity is strength”. Proves what you can do if you all mobilize and work together. It’s dead easy to say “I don’t like him, I don’t like her” ... well, let’s just get on with it and concentrate on the bits that we can actually agree on.
For become a member or for more information, please visit http://www.spiritofshankly.com.
Due to the length of this material (and even this was a pared-down version), it's taken a bit longer than I would've ideally liked to get it posted. But turns out that may have been a blessing in disguise as some of what Paul touches on here has been brought to the fore due to developments at LFC over the past few days (cancellation of the PTS, alarming news on the state of the club's finances). It does seem that things work out for a reason.
In any event, I hope this will be of interest to those who are already members of the group, those who've had lingering questions and even to the doubters. To be proper, I will just post the disclaimer that no inference should be made that this is any sort of SOS "policy paper" - the opinions expressed here are Paul's and may or may not reflect that of the SOS management committee and/or the union's membership at large.
So with that out of the way, here we go.... My questions are in italics; Paul's responses are in normal text.
* * * * *
The first thing I did want to mention was the fact that SOS is backing the Steven Cohen boycott. I just wanted to know how that came about.
Obviously we picked it up via the various websites, including LFCNY. And also people on Red and White Kop and RAOTL had mentioned it. I think, as indeed I posted on the New York website, my immediate reaction was, “Don’t give him the oxygen or publicity.” But when you actually sit down and look at what he said, and you analyze the audience that he’s saying it to, you realize that you can’t let him get away with it. It’s people who are new to the sport, don’t know the history – and if that’s the only view they’re getting, then that becomes history. And clearly we couldn’t allow him to do that.
And I think that was also spurred by the fact that the hypocrisy of somebody who supports a club like Chelsea, whose fans ... their own chairman threatened to put them behind electric fences, so bad was their behavior at the time of the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters. Talk about pots and kettles.
So I would like to talk about SOS. I just wanted to get a sense of where you think things stand now... do you think the organization has gone through any “sophomore slump”, i.e., the initial buzz and excitement around the organization maybe tapered off a little bit? That because the protests have died down and you’re not as much in the public eye…how do you get the word out that yes, we are still here and yes, it’s still as important as ever to get involved?
The thing is I think there’s a model with any organization of this style that in that rush of euphoria and novelty, you take off and go up a very steep curve and you reach a point where you’re on a plateau. And it’s where you go from that plateau really. I think that’s been exacerbated by two things.
First of all, the impass with the owners ... they blame the credit crunch for all that. I’m sure it’s partially responsible but I think fundamentally they just haven’t got enough money to do what they said they were going to do. It was all about leverage and what have you.
The second thing is the fact that the team is doing relatively well has conspired to ... people are like, well, do we really want to rock the boat? And unfortunately, for a lot of people, it’s all about the here and now. Which is very indicative of modern society.
Well, since you mentioned the owners: one of the foremost aims [of SOS] was to rid the club of the owners. Has that changed at all? Or is there a sort of “wait and see” policy at this point?
That hasn’t changed one iota. We are firmly of the opinion that with the lies that they have told, they cannot be trusted. And I think that overwhelmingly – not just our members but overwhelmingly – Liverpool fans do not trust them. And I think that they’ve gone over a line that they can’t come back from no matter what they do.
Do you feel like the organization has had any impact in terms of not just perception but how future events unfold with the club being sold to new owners? Which new owners they might be versus some other set of owners that may not want to deal with some of the things that...?
I think so. I think anybody with two brain cells to rub together would look at what’s happened with the fans and go, well we’ve got to make sure we avoid those obstacles. And certainly we’ve had overtures from certain people who have claimed to be interested in buying the club to sound us out and see if we’d be interested in representation at various levels. I think they were being surprised by our answers! That we weren’t prepared to just be the dog in the corner getting our head patted; that we wanted considerably more than that. But yes, certainly – we’ve definitely had an impact in that respect.
You are here ostensibly to sign up new members to SOS; to spread the word about the organization. There’s been criticism leveled at the organization that maybe it’s not just about removing the two American owners but removing the influence of Americans, even as supporters. I would like to give you the floor to debunk that right now.
Nothing can be further from the truth! I think there are two elements to that.
First of all, history tells us that people from Liverpool have spread all over the globe over the last 200-300 years. And to say that people can’t be Liverpool fans because they don’t have an L4 postcode or don’t have the purple garbage bin is a bit silly. We also have to accept that we have now attracted a whole raft of new supporters, at least as a result of Istanbul and the popularity, particularly in the United States over the last five or ten years, of football.
So we’ve got two alternatives. We either pretend these people don’t exist ... poo poo them ... or we say, okay: if you want to support Liverpool, there are certain standards that go with that; that set us apart. And we would hope that they’re the reasons you support Liverpool. Not because we win lots of trophies but because we have a certain attitude to things and we go about things in a different way. And there’s lots of lighthearted stuff about wearing [replica] shirts and whatever, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about having a bit more class and culture, and understanding where Liverpool Football Club has come from. And where it is and how it got there, and the values that are instilled in the club.
So not just embracing everybody but teaching them along the way.
I think in terms of New York, in general terms, there’s undoubtedly a bond that exists between the two cities that goes very deeply into I suppose the whole socio-economic history of the world over the last 150 years. So I’d say to fans that the two cities were intrinsically linked; where people started the journeys and made it the end of their journeys. And of course, New York is massively larger than Liverpool but I think there’s a strain of non-conformism and ....
Both considering themselves separate from the rest of the country; like we’re our own being.
Yes. So I think, particularly in New York, there’s a bond there.
How does an American benefit from joining SOS? Many people will say, “well, I’m on board with what you’re doing but in terms of what I get out of it ... I see the coaches to the games, I see the protests but I’m over here and can’t actively participate.” Not exactly a “what’s in it for me?” question, but it’s sort of distant from them. What does an American derive from joining?
I think there are several levels as to what can be done. First of all, we would obviously love to communicate with people and give people information, because we’ve gone beyond the stage now where we just tell everybody where we’ve gone and what we’ve done with things. I mean there are certain things we only tell our members. Likewise, it’ll only be our members that we consult with.
And I would like to think that now that we’ve got a duly democratically-elected committee, we now have an overseas liaison officer, we’re looking to him – or the overall management committee – to get a network in place, across the world, of supporters/members who can feed into the organization.
But also I think in terms directly of what’s in it for them, if they come to the UK ... first of all, we are negotiating with Thomas Cook. The existing packages could be more attractive than they currently are for home games. On tickets, we’re looking to a more equitable share of tickets, particularly when the allocation goes up with the new stadium. If and when we get a new stadium! And talking to Ian Ayre, he clearly is not happy with the current structure.
So I think there’s a whole host of ways there and clearly we’ve established a position with the club where we can speak on behalf of our members, and we’ve gotten a number of tangible results for our members.
As you mentioned it, one of the criticisms was we’re not hearing enough of what’s going on, getting emails every couple of months, membership packets being slow to get out.... Are you saying that what you have in mind is maybe satellites of SOS to deal with some of these issues?
Clearly we need to step our game up – you have to remember we’re all volunteers doing this in our spare time. But that is what we have to do: if we raise people’s expectations, we have to meet those expectations. And clearly, I think we cannot run a global organization as fifteen people in Liverpool. It has to be something we can grow organically across the globe.
The whole concept of unions - they’re not really looked on that favorably over here anymore. I know it’s changed in the UK as well, but I know people hear the word “union” and sort of say, “why?” And for something like this, as opposed to something around work issues, people would say, alright - is there a hidden agenda here? For those who look upon the whole concept of why this organization exists with skepticism, why – in your own words – would you say SOS is needed?
I think there’s been a fundamental swing away, but I think the pendulum is about to swing back. Some of the things that are happening – I mean, we’ve all bought into this “corporate good”, “corporate responsibility”, “big firms aren’t bad” … just the way people are being treated in this global economy, people are starting to turn and say, “Well, hang on ... maybe the unions weren’t wrong after all!” So, in one respect, I think it’s starting to swing back again.
We looked long and hard at this idea of a union. First of all, Liverpool remains a strong working-class community. I think we still aspire to those basic social democrat / social justice principles that lay behind unions. We’re not talking about big bosh unions here, like we’ve all seen the excesses of both in the United States and in the UK in different forms. We’re talking about the more pure form of a union, which is about the good of all rather than the few.
And I think people actually, if they look beyond the politics and the brainwashing people have had about unions over the last generation, it’s actually something where they think, “That’s not a bad thing; I can get something out of that.”
That actually leads perfectly into my next question, which is the club obviously has a fan base that’s worldwide now: people of different languages, different cultures, different ethnicities, races, different social classes, certainly politics … it’s all across the board. Unions usually existed within a small framework or at least a common shared purpose. How do you get such a disparate population on board with a shared sense of ideals when it’s all across the map?
With a great deal of difficulty is the answer to that!
Again, two things. One is that broader idea: buying into the values and “the Liverpool way.” Actually, I think in some ways “the Liverpool way” is a bit of an albatross around the club’s neck in one respect. But those values – that’s what people are buying into, whether that’s Istanbul, whether that’s the Kop, whatever it is ... unique atmosphere ... whatever. That’s what it is. That we can get people to buy into and understand.
But it’s a process and you also have to break out of this parochial .... Liverpool was the “Capital of Culture” last year; Liverpool to me has always been the “Capital of Contrariness”! You know, Liverpool’s a port, it’s an outward-facing place. You don’t go anywhere without meeting a Scouser. They’re very gregarious people. But, put them back in their own habitat and they can be the most parochial people you could ever meet. As can anybody, of course! But you need to break out of that and expand people’s horizons. I mean, we make the mickey out of Evertonians about them all being from County Road: you don’t have to be from L4 to be part of that broader family.
There can be people who’ve had no connection with Liverpool; there can be people who came over here three generations ago ... whatever! It doesn’t matter. As long as they’ve made a connection, that’s all that matters. And we’ll grow with that.
Oh I agree. But it’s almost more a matter of economics. I mean, how do you get people who probably will never set foot in Anfield, who may never get to make the trip over ... whose only experience seeing Liverpool play will be watching them on the television ... to relate to issues around match tickets, issues around ticket allocation, travel and issues that supporters who go to away games encounter? The fan experience is obviously very different for people all around the world, so some of the issues that SOS is addressing ... they may feel like, “I’m with you in spirit but boycotting merchandise?” Or saying, “I’m not going to the match when it’s maybe my once in a lifetime opportunity to go?”
Well, I actually agree with that. I certainly was one that was particularly keen to see the boycott ended. Not least for the reasons that you’ve just said. And similarly, it’s why I’ve been opposed to boycotting matches, at least at this stage; I would never say never. Because if you boycott a match, there will be 45,000 other people who will turn up because it may be their one and only chance to do so. And we have to understand the real politics of that. So that’s fine; I understand that.
I think what we need to do – it goes back to what I said before. It’s not about join us because we’ll get you 10 quid off coach travel. As important as those things are, it is also about understanding those people watching matches, like Ian Ayre did in Malaysia before he came to this job. It came in for a lot of stick but the whole membership scheme – the “Belong” thing – what a great concept that is! “Belong!” To somebody in Manhattan, somebody in Malaysia, somebody in Malta – they can “belong”. They’ve got that bit of plastic. But it has to be more than that piece of plastic. That plastic has to have value.
We spoke before about the “brand”. The brand is only a real brand if it’s got values. And the Liverbird to me has always had values. Why should somebody like you from Chicago, now living in New York, attach any values to that bird? You know? But that’s what it’s about really. It’s about getting those people to – well not getting them to, but making it a compelling proposition for those people to have and buy into.
So are there plans from the SOS standpoint to sort of reach out and educate as you’ve talked about? Bringing them on board with “those values”? To not just press the issues but also about why the issues are important and why you should care?
Definitely. But the thing you have to be very careful about here is because one of the mistakes I think that the RTK made – and obviously a lot of the RTK are [SOS] members now – is it came across that they were preaching at people not to people. At people. I think that was a fundamental mistake, as well-intentioned as it was. They realized it sounded like they were dictating to people if you’re going to come to Liverpool, you’ve got to wear Adidas trainees and don’t wear colours, and that wasn’t what it was meant to be. And that was a shame and I think it alienated a lot of people. And I think we’ve tried our best to avoid doing that.
Interestingly, 30% of our membership is from Ireland, which is fantastic because it shows that we have got beyond that über-Scouser thing. Which is great.
Are there any big projects in the future?
We’ve got a massive one ... but I can’t tell you!
That’s good – give everyone a teaser!
An absolutely massive one. I would love to be able to tell people tomorrow. And if it comes off will blow out of the water the way English football is run.
I won’t ask for details but can you tell us what the timetable is at least on this? Before the end of the season? Summer?
The end of July.
I think one last question would be that for anyone who’s going to sign up tomorrow or within the near future, if they want to get more involved, what can they do?
What I’d like to see over here is ... I’d love to think that what’s happened with Steve Cohen would galvanize people to realize that action can make a difference. And to me, I’d like to think having had the success you’ve had over Cohen, that you’d be prepared to be enthused. To talk about unions, the old line is classic: “Unity is strength”. Proves what you can do if you all mobilize and work together. It’s dead easy to say “I don’t like him, I don’t like her” ... well, let’s just get on with it and concentrate on the bits that we can actually agree on.
* * * * *
For become a member or for more information, please visit http://www.spiritofshankly.com.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Ha ha ha ha and feckin' ha!!
Is there anything else that needs to be said? I think not!!
Thank you - thank you - thank you.
Thank you - thank you - thank you.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The memory of all that...
Well, the season didn't end quite the way we'd hoped. I'd meant to do a little tying up last weekend but I was too upset. We all knew it was out of our hands but it hurt not to be able trade jabs until the end - we had to sit back and just watch as three capitulations unfolded. I'm not sure how I'll feel today if Hull win and we end up a point behind the Mancs in the final league table....yes, it'll be a somewhat false position but it'll be the one in the record books and that'll kind of blow, no question about it because it will ensure the impossibility of not wondering about what could've been.
I know I'm in the rose-tinted specs camp but Boro away is the only game this season where we stunk out the joint. Subpar results? Sure - we had a bunch. But I felt at least the work was going in and the chances being created. I know that doesn't mean much if you don't walk away with three points but it felt like an oasis in the desert after a lot of what's been on offer the last 10+ years.
Yes, there were too many draws. Some bus parking from other sides for sure, which was not helped by our "big two" being out for fair stretches of the season. But more to the point I think, we were uncharacteristically sloppy at times, conceding some pretty silly goals as a result. We've upped the tempo considerably with our paasing and movement, players committed further up than ever before - it's been an absolute joy to behold. But unfortunely a soft goal can be the price you pay when things break down. We had an out-of-form Mascherano for the first 5 months of the season, disruptions all along our back line and even Xabi - many people's player of the season - came in and out of our midfield due to injury, fatigue and/or indifferent play (rarely but still was the case nonetheless). That's a lot to overcome and I think we did remarkably well considering.
But for some reason the draws that eat at me the most are not Hull, Stoke or Wigan - it's those two against Arsenal. I used to have time for them and yes, they can be exciting to watch. But we've overtaken them on that last front and they deserve nothing but laughter and pure derision after one absolutely horrific and two toothless displays against Manchester United and humiliation by Chelsea for good measure. We measured up against "the big boys" by doing the league double over both, scored more goals than them and had a better goal difference. And all we could manage against an understrength, can't defend to save their lives Arsenal is two draws?? First game we had a man advantage and took our foot off the gas - second, well, the less said the better gifting them the ball the way we did. Pissed off - I won't lie.
Anyway - I'll wrap up the season in a post to come. Looking forward to today despite the powers that be deciding our match v Spurs wasn't worth showing (but somehow Blackburn v West Brom is?). A last chance for a bit to see friends and spend part of a (so far) lovely three day weekend with them. But not to sound too cliched, my heart and head will be in Liverpool today for a number of reasons:
I know I'm in the rose-tinted specs camp but Boro away is the only game this season where we stunk out the joint. Subpar results? Sure - we had a bunch. But I felt at least the work was going in and the chances being created. I know that doesn't mean much if you don't walk away with three points but it felt like an oasis in the desert after a lot of what's been on offer the last 10+ years.
Yes, there were too many draws. Some bus parking from other sides for sure, which was not helped by our "big two" being out for fair stretches of the season. But more to the point I think, we were uncharacteristically sloppy at times, conceding some pretty silly goals as a result. We've upped the tempo considerably with our paasing and movement, players committed further up than ever before - it's been an absolute joy to behold. But unfortunely a soft goal can be the price you pay when things break down. We had an out-of-form Mascherano for the first 5 months of the season, disruptions all along our back line and even Xabi - many people's player of the season - came in and out of our midfield due to injury, fatigue and/or indifferent play (rarely but still was the case nonetheless). That's a lot to overcome and I think we did remarkably well considering.
But for some reason the draws that eat at me the most are not Hull, Stoke or Wigan - it's those two against Arsenal. I used to have time for them and yes, they can be exciting to watch. But we've overtaken them on that last front and they deserve nothing but laughter and pure derision after one absolutely horrific and two toothless displays against Manchester United and humiliation by Chelsea for good measure. We measured up against "the big boys" by doing the league double over both, scored more goals than them and had a better goal difference. And all we could manage against an understrength, can't defend to save their lives Arsenal is two draws?? First game we had a man advantage and took our foot off the gas - second, well, the less said the better gifting them the ball the way we did. Pissed off - I won't lie.
Anyway - I'll wrap up the season in a post to come. Looking forward to today despite the powers that be deciding our match v Spurs wasn't worth showing (but somehow Blackburn v West Brom is?). A last chance for a bit to see friends and spend part of a (so far) lovely three day weekend with them. But not to sound too cliched, my heart and head will be in Liverpool today for a number of reasons:
- revenge on Spurs for being one of only four teams in all competitions to register a win against us this season (let that sink in if you need to!);
- knocking them out of European contention because of the way they treated the latter rounds of this year's UEFA Cup with such total disdain;
- the tribute at the end of the game - I confess I adobre seeing the players and staff out there with their kids (lots of girls in the mini-Red ranks! All good but where's our next generation of players?);
- the legend that is Sami Hyypia getting the sendoff he so richly deserves - don't expect too many dry eyes to be honest, grown men or no; and
- what should be an even better end-of-season bash thrown by the Spirit of Shankly folks. Last year's would take some doing to beat but from the advance buzz, it seems well on its way. Have fun, kids!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Yeah, yeah...
...I know...where the hell have I been?
Busy busy but will be back to regale you with some goings-on shortly. In the meantime, I have a very stream-of-consciousness entry for you to cover what I've missed. Let's see:
Chelsea ... proud ... Ashavin ... mistakes! so unlike us - could that be the title? ... Boston ... Chilean liquor until 2am ... Brighton Pete! ... Sara & the gang at the Phoenix ... Martin Atkinson & fuckin' Jon Champion commenting ... bye bye Folan ... 3 points all that matters come on you Spurs ... FUCKING HOWARD WEBB! ... pub crawl then back to hotel - good times ... Agger re-signs! Sami "resigns"...Newcastle - no Mikey? no Jonas? Joey Barton?? Why bother? Shearer must be mad ... comical defending as only the Barcodes can do ... flippin' crossbar! ... Yossi and Dirk do it again ... Barton off! as I said, why bother ... Champions League and fuckin' useless Arsenal ... back where I began with Chelsea ... INIESTA!!!!! and lovely Barca.
I'm sure I forgot a few things but that's the size of it. So, I may fill in some gaps with posts - I still owe you Liverpool stories - but tomorrow it's on to West Ham and the visit of Scouse Paul to The 11th Street...assuming he doesn't get me too wrecked tonight. :-)
Have a good one folks - back soon.
Busy busy but will be back to regale you with some goings-on shortly. In the meantime, I have a very stream-of-consciousness entry for you to cover what I've missed. Let's see:
Chelsea ... proud ... Ashavin ... mistakes! so unlike us - could that be the title? ... Boston ... Chilean liquor until 2am ... Brighton Pete! ... Sara & the gang at the Phoenix ... Martin Atkinson & fuckin' Jon Champion commenting ... bye bye Folan ... 3 points all that matters come on you Spurs ... FUCKING HOWARD WEBB! ... pub crawl then back to hotel - good times ... Agger re-signs! Sami "resigns"...Newcastle - no Mikey? no Jonas? Joey Barton?? Why bother? Shearer must be mad ... comical defending as only the Barcodes can do ... flippin' crossbar! ... Yossi and Dirk do it again ... Barton off! as I said, why bother ... Champions League and fuckin' useless Arsenal ... back where I began with Chelsea ... INIESTA!!!!! and lovely Barca.
I'm sure I forgot a few things but that's the size of it. So, I may fill in some gaps with posts - I still owe you Liverpool stories - but tomorrow it's on to West Ham and the visit of Scouse Paul to The 11th Street...assuming he doesn't get me too wrecked tonight. :-)
Have a good one folks - back soon.
Friday, April 17, 2009
We're playing those mind games together....
With Fergie throwing in a fair bit of that "mind guerilla" for good measure...
I mean seriously, what the hell? Fat Sam and The Big Sot ganging up on poor Rafa today - it's almost enough to make you sad, if you weren't already laughing too hard. The two bullies of the Premiership - but like most spineless cowards, they move in when they sense weakness and when it's they who feel most threatened. So Ferguson's lashing out is no surprise in the least as far as the latter bit is concerned...think if the former is part of his calculations, he's a bit offbase. I mean, does he really think Rafa's at home crying into his pillow over Tuesday's result?
Allardyce's stake in all this is is a bit less obvious, though my brain (paranoid New Yorker I am) is always eager to come up with theories. Is this just payback to Ferguson of some kind for that bottle of Langavulin at Christmas? Has some secret deal been reached so that Fergie will use his influence to ensure Blackburn stay up? (I'll definitely be on the lookout for some dodgy calls in their six-pointer v Stoke tomorrow.) If it's just as simple as Rafa getting under his skin, all I have to say to that is good. Serves you right, you graceless horrible thug. And who knew he knew semaphore, sign language or whatever the hell means of communication he thought Rafa was using to say "job done"!
If anything, Fat Sam should be more upset with our players - clearly none of them were paying attention to Benitez and went on to score two more goals despite Rafa's instructions. *They* didn't disrespect Blackburn and say "it's in the bag" - come to think of it, maybe Allardyce should be sending them flowers.
And to think I actually felt bad when Newcastle sacked him ... Blackburn fans don't deserve going down but then again, if their board appoint a tactically-clueless blowhard like that, what can you do. Hopefully they'll make a speedy return to the Premiership with a new manager.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
20 years on...
For the 96
For their families and loved ones
For the survivors
For those whose lives changed forever on that day
Our thoughts are with you - today and always.
RIP.
YNWA.
For their families and loved ones
For the survivors
For those whose lives changed forever on that day
Our thoughts are with you - today and always.
RIP.
YNWA.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Yossi...
He darts, he spins
He gave the Reds the win
Benayoun!
Benayoun!
I love Yossi: our own little Mighty Mouse. He just keeps popping up with those goals, doesn't he? It used to be said he couldn't score when it really matters or against big clubs (and whether you put Fulham in that latter category is up to you) but that accusation was surely put to bed against Madrid and in terms of importance? Saturday had to have been one of the most important goals scored all season.
Here's to Yossi and him being shown the respect he deserves. Well done, little guy!
He gave the Reds the win
Benayoun!
Benayoun!
I love Yossi: our own little Mighty Mouse. He just keeps popping up with those goals, doesn't he? It used to be said he couldn't score when it really matters or against big clubs (and whether you put Fulham in that latter category is up to you) but that accusation was surely put to bed against Madrid and in terms of importance? Saturday had to have been one of the most important goals scored all season.
Here's to Yossi and him being shown the respect he deserves. Well done, little guy!
Friday, April 3, 2009
It's a new dawn, a new day....
A new contract for Rafa, new ones for his staff, and now today, contract extensions for Steven and Dirk. If that's not even more reason to be excited, I don't know what is.
They know and believe something special is happening. Are there still doubters out there?
Does it mean it'll all go our way now? Of course not. Does it guarantee we'll win the league? Of course not - but it certainly goes a hell of a lot further in taking us in that direction than abandoning or walking away from things now does.
The future is bright - the future is Red. Cliche or not - let's hang on and see where it leads us.
They know and believe something special is happening. Are there still doubters out there?
Does it mean it'll all go our way now? Of course not. Does it guarantee we'll win the league? Of course not - but it certainly goes a hell of a lot further in taking us in that direction than abandoning or walking away from things now does.
The future is bright - the future is Red. Cliche or not - let's hang on and see where it leads us.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Goin' down to Liverpool...Saturday
Two weeks ago already...so sorry, kids! Better later than never though, right?
* * *
The plan: to take in as much football as possible in a four-day jaunt to Liverpool. Aston Villa had been in my particular sights since New Year's as the fixture I most wanted to attend. They were flying - so were we - and once Sky moved it for its Sunday showpiece match, it was settled. Only three days needed off work and good news hopefully from the Manc fixture the weekend before to get us in the right frame of mind. My partner in this adventure would be fellow LFCNYer Chris, who thankfully is as much of nut as I am with respect to this sort of stuff and was just as eager to get in the games.
So the schedule was this - AFC Liverpool on the Saturday afternoon we arrive, Villa at Anfield on the Sunday, finished off with LFC Reserves facing Southport away in the semifinal of the Senior Cup on Tuesday night. Heaven! Didn't forsee being able to do this again anytime soon so might as well go for it, exhaustion be damned. Right? Right!
We touched down in Manchester on Saturday the 21st around 9:45am local time, about 40 minutes behind schedule. Chris, as a committee member, was responsible for picking up the match tickets for all us LFCNYers who came over that weekend (new rule for all supporters' clubs apparently) so we figured get them Saturday, and meetup with everyone at The Grapes pub on Mathew Street Sunday before the game. Despite the delay, we were still on schedule for the 10:40am train, which would get us to Lime Street right before noon. Hopefully there'd be no real line at the ticket office to worry about as we needed to get back to the hotel, drop our bags then catch the bus to Prescot for the AFC Liverpool match at 3pm.
(Just a passing note - my 4th trip in three seasons and no lie - raining in Mancland upon touchdown every single time! And just as big a no lie, it was sunny - or certainly not raining - by the time I stepped out of Lime Street station. You try telling me that's just coincidence...the man upstairs clearly knows the score!)
So we get to Lime Street, catch a cab - off to Anfield with everything ticking along on schedule. Well, typical "best laid plans" 'n' all - got over to the ground to find the ticket office closed?! What did we know - seems it's common knowledge that as the match had been switched to the Sunday, the ticket office will close on the Saturday to allow staff one day of the weekend off. Well, not the worse thing but it did mean that we'd now have to come back over Sunday morning at 9am to get the tickets. And *really* pray too many other people wouldn't be doing the same as we needed to be all the way back at Kings Dock by 10am to do our Beatles tour.....
Ah, well - with our schedule freed up a bit now, we took a taxi to our home for the next few days. Expedia had a really good deal running for the Atlantic Tower - 4 nights for under $400 including full breakfast each day - so that's where we were staying. That is most definitely a deal considering the few places you can find in the city for under $100 a night book up pretty much as soon as the fixture list comes out in June. Smack in the middle of the city centre is convenient but I personally love being by the docks. What a view to look forward to every day - couldn't have asked for better.
So after unpacking and a quick freshening-up after the long trip, the real fun begins...off to Prescot to watch AFC Liverpool take on Norton United in the first leg of the Vodkat 1st Division Trophy semifinal. Had a quick listen to FiveLive before heading off for the bus though and was greeted with the first good football news of the day - Portsmouth leading Everton 1-0. Yes!
We caught the 10A bus from James Street and off we went. I was really looking forward to this as I'd been in touch with AFC Liverpool's marketing director Paul Manning through the LFCNY forums. He was very helpful with info and I was hoping to have the chance to say hello while out there. The club has also done an incredible job for such a nascent organiztion - average turnout is good, their website is impressive and they've been brilliant about getting the word out about themselves, and they look certain for promotion (fingers crossed) first time out. Lastly, if nothing else, you have to take your hat off to them for the brilliant Hillsborough commemorative shirt they've issued for sale and that players have been wearing this half of the season. A classy mark of respect, and with proceeds going to the HFSG, HJC and Anne Williams' Hope for Hillsborough campaigns, it's something that "big brother" LFC would've done well to emulate, to be honest.
The bus let us off in front of the Crown & Anchor pub just as promised on the website - which, once you take a right at its corner, the ground practically smacks you in the eye being less than 50 yards away. Still 20 minutes to kickoff so we had a quick pint in the C&A - of course we did! - then made our way down.
There were about 200 people in the ground, clearly 98% AFCL supporters with banners flapping and songs in the air. "AFC ... LI-VER-POOL ... AFC ... LI-VER-POOL" - fabulous. We took up a spot in the main stand - and it was all standing thanks! - near the halfway line and right down front. I will tell you right now as it's been too long since I've seen a match from this sort of vantage point - I was in a state of bliss. Cold - but in bliss!
Why you may ask? Well, personally speaking, I think we sometimes forget how sanitized the experience of watching the game has become. I bow down to very few in my love for the Mighty Reds and am always grateful to have the opportunity to watch them play period - even if it's just on the box, much less watch them in person. It's special for so many reasons and it's a buzz like few others. But I'll be honest, there is nothing like being right on top of the action; you hear it all and feel it all. Of course the standard of play is not as high but I could care less - you'll never feel that same level of immediacy and adrenaline in the most thumping one-sided Liverpool win. Not saying I'd trade that - or anything - for my Reds, but you can certainly understand the appeal.
Their manifesto is well worth a read - and they've won me over for sure.
I won't really give too much of a match report - you can read all the details here. But suffice it to say the non-league Redmen came from behind to take a 2-1 scoreline into the away tie. And a brilliant winger wearing #7 and a imperious centrehalf with a blond shock of hair wearing the #4 shirt - deja vu or what?
Had a great chat with many in the stands and it was there over the tannoy that the next bit of great news for the weekend filtered in - Fulham 2 - Manchester United 0. Murphy with the first - Scholes and Rooney sent off. And Chelsea go down to Spurs.
Waaaaaaa-heyyyy!!
It was a brilliant day and a brilliant way to begin the trip. Pretty much the best that could possibly have been hoped for. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the city centre, smiles on our faces and anticipation for the evening - and the next day - to come. By the way, the second leg of the semifinal is tomorrow (Mar. 4) at 10am our time; right before the Fulham match. I'll definitely keep my ears/eyes open for the result.
More to come - part two up as soon as I can manage!
* * *
The plan: to take in as much football as possible in a four-day jaunt to Liverpool. Aston Villa had been in my particular sights since New Year's as the fixture I most wanted to attend. They were flying - so were we - and once Sky moved it for its Sunday showpiece match, it was settled. Only three days needed off work and good news hopefully from the Manc fixture the weekend before to get us in the right frame of mind. My partner in this adventure would be fellow LFCNYer Chris, who thankfully is as much of nut as I am with respect to this sort of stuff and was just as eager to get in the games.
So the schedule was this - AFC Liverpool on the Saturday afternoon we arrive, Villa at Anfield on the Sunday, finished off with LFC Reserves facing Southport away in the semifinal of the Senior Cup on Tuesday night. Heaven! Didn't forsee being able to do this again anytime soon so might as well go for it, exhaustion be damned. Right? Right!
We touched down in Manchester on Saturday the 21st around 9:45am local time, about 40 minutes behind schedule. Chris, as a committee member, was responsible for picking up the match tickets for all us LFCNYers who came over that weekend (new rule for all supporters' clubs apparently) so we figured get them Saturday, and meetup with everyone at The Grapes pub on Mathew Street Sunday before the game. Despite the delay, we were still on schedule for the 10:40am train, which would get us to Lime Street right before noon. Hopefully there'd be no real line at the ticket office to worry about as we needed to get back to the hotel, drop our bags then catch the bus to Prescot for the AFC Liverpool match at 3pm.
(Just a passing note - my 4th trip in three seasons and no lie - raining in Mancland upon touchdown every single time! And just as big a no lie, it was sunny - or certainly not raining - by the time I stepped out of Lime Street station. You try telling me that's just coincidence...the man upstairs clearly knows the score!)
So we get to Lime Street, catch a cab - off to Anfield with everything ticking along on schedule. Well, typical "best laid plans" 'n' all - got over to the ground to find the ticket office closed?! What did we know - seems it's common knowledge that as the match had been switched to the Sunday, the ticket office will close on the Saturday to allow staff one day of the weekend off. Well, not the worse thing but it did mean that we'd now have to come back over Sunday morning at 9am to get the tickets. And *really* pray too many other people wouldn't be doing the same as we needed to be all the way back at Kings Dock by 10am to do our Beatles tour.....
Ah, well - with our schedule freed up a bit now, we took a taxi to our home for the next few days. Expedia had a really good deal running for the Atlantic Tower - 4 nights for under $400 including full breakfast each day - so that's where we were staying. That is most definitely a deal considering the few places you can find in the city for under $100 a night book up pretty much as soon as the fixture list comes out in June. Smack in the middle of the city centre is convenient but I personally love being by the docks. What a view to look forward to every day - couldn't have asked for better.So after unpacking and a quick freshening-up after the long trip, the real fun begins...off to Prescot to watch AFC Liverpool take on Norton United in the first leg of the Vodkat 1st Division Trophy semifinal. Had a quick listen to FiveLive before heading off for the bus though and was greeted with the first good football news of the day - Portsmouth leading Everton 1-0. Yes!
We caught the 10A bus from James Street and off we went. I was really looking forward to this as I'd been in touch with AFC Liverpool's marketing director Paul Manning through the LFCNY forums. He was very helpful with info and I was hoping to have the chance to say hello while out there. The club has also done an incredible job for such a nascent organiztion - average turnout is good, their website is impressive and they've been brilliant about getting the word out about themselves, and they look certain for promotion (fingers crossed) first time out. Lastly, if nothing else, you have to take your hat off to them for the brilliant Hillsborough commemorative shirt they've issued for sale and that players have been wearing this half of the season. A classy mark of respect, and with proceeds going to the HFSG, HJC and Anne Williams' Hope for Hillsborough campaigns, it's something that "big brother" LFC would've done well to emulate, to be honest.
The bus let us off in front of the Crown & Anchor pub just as promised on the website - which, once you take a right at its corner, the ground practically smacks you in the eye being less than 50 yards away. Still 20 minutes to kickoff so we had a quick pint in the C&A - of course we did! - then made our way down.
There were about 200 people in the ground, clearly 98% AFCL supporters with banners flapping and songs in the air. "AFC ... LI-VER-POOL ... AFC ... LI-VER-POOL" - fabulous. We took up a spot in the main stand - and it was all standing thanks! - near the halfway line and right down front. I will tell you right now as it's been too long since I've seen a match from this sort of vantage point - I was in a state of bliss. Cold - but in bliss!
Why you may ask? Well, personally speaking, I think we sometimes forget how sanitized the experience of watching the game has become. I bow down to very few in my love for the Mighty Reds and am always grateful to have the opportunity to watch them play period - even if it's just on the box, much less watch them in person. It's special for so many reasons and it's a buzz like few others. But I'll be honest, there is nothing like being right on top of the action; you hear it all and feel it all. Of course the standard of play is not as high but I could care less - you'll never feel that same level of immediacy and adrenaline in the most thumping one-sided Liverpool win. Not saying I'd trade that - or anything - for my Reds, but you can certainly understand the appeal.
Their manifesto is well worth a read - and they've won me over for sure.
I won't really give too much of a match report - you can read all the details here. But suffice it to say the non-league Redmen came from behind to take a 2-1 scoreline into the away tie. And a brilliant winger wearing #7 and a imperious centrehalf with a blond shock of hair wearing the #4 shirt - deja vu or what?
Had a great chat with many in the stands and it was there over the tannoy that the next bit of great news for the weekend filtered in - Fulham 2 - Manchester United 0. Murphy with the first - Scholes and Rooney sent off. And Chelsea go down to Spurs.
Waaaaaaa-heyyyy!!
It was a brilliant day and a brilliant way to begin the trip. Pretty much the best that could possibly have been hoped for. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the city centre, smiles on our faces and anticipation for the evening - and the next day - to come. By the way, the second leg of the semifinal is tomorrow (Mar. 4) at 10am our time; right before the Fulham match. I'll definitely keep my ears/eyes open for the result.
More to come - part two up as soon as I can manage!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Anne Williams - knocked back again...
Details of last weekend and the trip are coming - don't worry. But I couldn't wait until those posts are up (as they'll be lengthy) to post something about this.
Anne Williams - mother of Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams - has had her case refused by the European Court of Human Rights today. She apparently was "out of time" to present the case. Was this supposed deadline known? To anyone? One would imagine not as Ms. Williams herself has - with all that's going on - quite publicly kept people up to date with the details of her travails.
Or just arbitrarily decided upon spur of the moment? Dropped out of the blue after three years of fighting to get this heard? And for being "out of time" no less - as many have already noted today, more than a bit horribly reminiscent of the notorious 3:15pm deadline imposed by the police on April 15, 1989.
Denied justice in the UK and now in the European courts, who were supposed to be more forward-thinking and unencumbered by the political baggage that has subverted Anne's case at home. Almost 20 years to the day after her son died from the wilful negligence of those "in charge", the denial of treatment that could've saved his life and the countless cover-ups of both afterwards. So now, she must start again, going back to appeal to those who've denied her her say before. What a fucking joke - sorry - and it's impossible to conceive of what she's been through and a punch in the gut this must've been after it seeming like she might finally get what she'd been fighting for all these years.
YNWA, Anne - and as hollow a sentiment that sounds on a stupid blog, it is nonetheless heartfelt. JUSTICE.
Anne Williams - mother of Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams - has had her case refused by the European Court of Human Rights today. She apparently was "out of time" to present the case. Was this supposed deadline known? To anyone? One would imagine not as Ms. Williams herself has - with all that's going on - quite publicly kept people up to date with the details of her travails.
Or just arbitrarily decided upon spur of the moment? Dropped out of the blue after three years of fighting to get this heard? And for being "out of time" no less - as many have already noted today, more than a bit horribly reminiscent of the notorious 3:15pm deadline imposed by the police on April 15, 1989.
Denied justice in the UK and now in the European courts, who were supposed to be more forward-thinking and unencumbered by the political baggage that has subverted Anne's case at home. Almost 20 years to the day after her son died from the wilful negligence of those "in charge", the denial of treatment that could've saved his life and the countless cover-ups of both afterwards. So now, she must start again, going back to appeal to those who've denied her her say before. What a fucking joke - sorry - and it's impossible to conceive of what she's been through and a punch in the gut this must've been after it seeming like she might finally get what she'd been fighting for all these years.
YNWA, Anne - and as hollow a sentiment that sounds on a stupid blog, it is nonetheless heartfelt. JUSTICE.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Alright, alright....
I know you're probably saying, "What the hell, Connie - you expect anyone to keep reading this blog if you don't bother posting to it but every few weeks?"
Well, my personal life lately has been a bit hellacious, which is part of what's kept me away. But my refuge from that - *this* (i.e., our Redmen) - have certainly given a lot of joy, haven't they? And with joy comes even more distraction.
And what a wonderful two weeks full of distraction!
I won't bother recapping too much because if you don't know, you've far more important things to be doing than reading this (like coming out from under that rock?!).
But in summary:
I've let you - and myself - down as everytime I'd had a few minutes to start a post, something's come along to put me off. And I can't even do much for you today as I'm trying to wrap things up before catching a flight to Manchester this evening.
But I promise (!) when I return I'll have some stories to share. Big ups to The 11th Street Kopites - will miss you Sunday but will make my own noise from the Main Stand (albeit way the hell in the back of it).
Well, my personal life lately has been a bit hellacious, which is part of what's kept me away. But my refuge from that - *this* (i.e., our Redmen) - have certainly given a lot of joy, haven't they? And with joy comes even more distraction.
And what a wonderful two weeks full of distraction!
I won't bother recapping too much because if you don't know, you've far more important things to be doing than reading this (like coming out from under that rock?!).
But in summary:
- Twatted Real Madrid
- Said goodbye to Coco
- Twatted Manchester United (and made Fergie look like a raving lunatic in the process)
- Signed Rafa to a new five-year deal
- Drew the oh-so-familar-by-now Southern Bluesh*te in the Champions League
- Saw the kids through to the FA Youth Cup semifinal (again!)
I've let you - and myself - down as everytime I'd had a few minutes to start a post, something's come along to put me off. And I can't even do much for you today as I'm trying to wrap things up before catching a flight to Manchester this evening.
But I promise (!) when I return I'll have some stories to share. Big ups to The 11th Street Kopites - will miss you Sunday but will make my own noise from the Main Stand (albeit way the hell in the back of it).
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Feel like running and dancing for joy...
I'm in love with 11 (alright 14) wonderful boys!! (And their manager!)
What a great night - up there with some of the best this club has had, and we've had more than our fair share. Made up beyond belief and if nothing else happens between now and May, I refuse to let any moaning, complaining, "why can't Rafa do this in the league" saying tw*t ruin it.
Tonight was oh so special - enjoy it, people.
More soon.
What a great night - up there with some of the best this club has had, and we've had more than our fair share. Made up beyond belief and if nothing else happens between now and May, I refuse to let any moaning, complaining, "why can't Rafa do this in the league" saying tw*t ruin it.
Tonight was oh so special - enjoy it, people.
More soon.
****** on a bike...
Can we not have one big match - and it always seems to be before a Champions League match - without some supposed drama going on behind the scenes? Do people really feel the need to stir things up - are they that afraid of us?
They'd better be.
COME ON YOU REDMEN!!! The Bernabeu awaits.
They'd better be.
COME ON YOU REDMEN!!! The Bernabeu awaits.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Harrumph...
So Chelsea beat Villa and it's all "they're not out of it yet" now from the pundits...?
...Meanwhile we are still closer to the top and it's all "unconvincing, no threats except Torres and Gerrard" (nevermind we've been without one or the other for most of the season), blah de feckin blah. We've been pretty much written off all over.
Where is the love, people? I ask you, where is the love? That's fine - it will make that hoisted V-sign/middle finger that much sweeter when the league is finally won, be it this year or whenever. Go right tf.
* * * * *
I hung out with my buddy Lee from the supporters' club last night - much fun at B.B. King's on 42nd Street as Wings (yes, Wings!) soundalike band Band on the Run performed a great set and there was much fist-pumping from me, I will tell you what. By all means check them out if they're back around these parts and you're a Macca fanatic like myself. I was in heaven and didn't care how much of a [your expletive here] I looked.
The opener was a dude named Dave Jay who does an act called "johnpaulgeorgeringo" where he does schtick impersonating each of the Fabs, performs some of his own Beatlesque songs (as well as covers) and answers questions from the audience in character. Not something I'd necessarily see again and as Lee joked, it would be great to see him rehearse his act. A pyschologist's wet dream.
Anyway, the act went down ok - some were concerned that he was in fact the promised band and freaked. Others like myself were bemused and said ok, let's see where this goes. There was a last group of - oh, for lack of a better word - wankers! Clearly wanted to pull Dave up publicly for doing something they thought was just too weird or just didn't approve of really. Well, I have to say that while Dave's act was not something I'd make a point of catching again, he jumped up in my estimation by leaps and bounds in the way he dealt with his hecklers. This was worthy of the Fabs themselves:
Prat: "Hey Ringo - what'd you do with all the money your mother gave you for singing lessons?"
Dave as Ringo: "I spent it on your mother."
Feminist that I am, I should probably say tsk tsk to that but ahhhh.....I loved it. And a big "right on" for Dave. Even if it's not your bag, you've got to give someone credit for having the stones to do an act like that, so while I was thinking "ooh this seems well dodgy" when he first started, I felt major respect when his act was over. Especially if you're quick-witted enough to verbally slap down obnoxious Noo Yawkers that deftly...what's not to love?! Reminds me of someone else I've a whole lot of respect for that I've already written about on these pages. Rock on, Dave Jay.
Too much beer, tequila and god knows consumed by the time the evening was over but a great night in what - I have to remind myself often as I curse it out - really is a great city. Useless fecker today as a result but got the laundry done, made a lovely gumbo for dinner and have written this bit of nonsense. Not a bad day despite the hangover. Oh except for the bloody Mancs ...
Roll on tomorrow - come on you Reds.
...Meanwhile we are still closer to the top and it's all "unconvincing, no threats except Torres and Gerrard" (nevermind we've been without one or the other for most of the season), blah de feckin blah. We've been pretty much written off all over.
Where is the love, people? I ask you, where is the love? That's fine - it will make that hoisted V-sign/middle finger that much sweeter when the league is finally won, be it this year or whenever. Go right tf.
* * * * *
I hung out with my buddy Lee from the supporters' club last night - much fun at B.B. King's on 42nd Street as Wings (yes, Wings!) soundalike band Band on the Run performed a great set and there was much fist-pumping from me, I will tell you what. By all means check them out if they're back around these parts and you're a Macca fanatic like myself. I was in heaven and didn't care how much of a [your expletive here] I looked.
The opener was a dude named Dave Jay who does an act called "johnpaulgeorgeringo" where he does schtick impersonating each of the Fabs, performs some of his own Beatlesque songs (as well as covers) and answers questions from the audience in character. Not something I'd necessarily see again and as Lee joked, it would be great to see him rehearse his act. A pyschologist's wet dream.
Anyway, the act went down ok - some were concerned that he was in fact the promised band and freaked. Others like myself were bemused and said ok, let's see where this goes. There was a last group of - oh, for lack of a better word - wankers! Clearly wanted to pull Dave up publicly for doing something they thought was just too weird or just didn't approve of really. Well, I have to say that while Dave's act was not something I'd make a point of catching again, he jumped up in my estimation by leaps and bounds in the way he dealt with his hecklers. This was worthy of the Fabs themselves:
Prat: "Hey Ringo - what'd you do with all the money your mother gave you for singing lessons?"
Dave as Ringo: "I spent it on your mother."
Feminist that I am, I should probably say tsk tsk to that but ahhhh.....I loved it. And a big "right on" for Dave. Even if it's not your bag, you've got to give someone credit for having the stones to do an act like that, so while I was thinking "ooh this seems well dodgy" when he first started, I felt major respect when his act was over. Especially if you're quick-witted enough to verbally slap down obnoxious Noo Yawkers that deftly...what's not to love?! Reminds me of someone else I've a whole lot of respect for that I've already written about on these pages. Rock on, Dave Jay.
Too much beer, tequila and god knows consumed by the time the evening was over but a great night in what - I have to remind myself often as I curse it out - really is a great city. Useless fecker today as a result but got the laundry done, made a lovely gumbo for dinner and have written this bit of nonsense. Not a bad day despite the hangover. Oh except for the bloody Mancs ...
Roll on tomorrow - come on you Reds.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A wee break...
Yes, I know let way too much time go by since my last post but I tell you what - I was so annoyed after that last minute loss to the Blueshite and the most excellent (I don't give a f*** what anyone says) Portsmouth game, I didn't know what to say. And you know how I feel about this "international friendly" nonsense. I think I needed the break and with the three-day weekend with no Liverpool football - as much as that drove me crazy - to calm down. Gain a little perspective, give the liver a reprieve (cough) and regroup for Act III.
'Cause that's where we are, folks! A third of the season remains - we are at "the business end of things" as they say. 13 games to go, 39 points up for grabs. Five points behind the Mancs can seem daunting but that's a hell of a lot of points still available for *me* to say it's over. Not my way and won't do it until the numbers say otherwise.
Now is the time to see what the team is made of - what we as supporters are made of. Now more than ever is when all hands must be on deck, rowing in the same direction - never mind if you disagree with where we're going or how we're getting there. Plenty of time for those discussions after May 24th (and hopefully, if things go the way we'd like, we'll have those talks/arguments with the biggest hangover ever).
I can't wait - though I sense a run coming on Tums and Pepto-Bismol over the next three months.
'Cause that's where we are, folks! A third of the season remains - we are at "the business end of things" as they say. 13 games to go, 39 points up for grabs. Five points behind the Mancs can seem daunting but that's a hell of a lot of points still available for *me* to say it's over. Not my way and won't do it until the numbers say otherwise.
Now is the time to see what the team is made of - what we as supporters are made of. Now more than ever is when all hands must be on deck, rowing in the same direction - never mind if you disagree with where we're going or how we're getting there. Plenty of time for those discussions after May 24th (and hopefully, if things go the way we'd like, we'll have those talks/arguments with the biggest hangover ever).
I can't wait - though I sense a run coming on Tums and Pepto-Bismol over the next three months.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Oooooooh baby!!!!
Nothing else to say right now ... more tomorrow (if I can be arsed).
Thank you, lovelies!
Thank you, lovelies!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Control....
This is a story about control, my controlControl of what I say, control of what I do
And this time I'm gonna do it my way
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do
I'm in control, I'm in control
Don't make me lose it
"Oh no, she di'n't", I hear you saying. But yes, I most surely did - I really am quoting lyrics from a Janet Jackson song on an LFC blog...
Control - possession of which is a stimulant like no other, the lack of (and desire for) which can drive one to madness. To wit - this quote from our manager after yesterday's draw against Wigan:
"The second half was crazy and when it is crazy you cannot control things."
People have been questioning Benitez's sanity - who and what is he raving at now? What on earth was he doing regarding those substitutions? And what was Lucas doing out there at all? Doesn't Benitez care - doesn't he know we're finally SOOOOOOOO close after sooooo many years ... DAMN HIM!!
It's been quite the recurring theme over the last few weeks, don't you think? And the multiple facets of it encapsulated in my previous not-so-subtly-pisstaking paragraph. Starting with Rafa's "rant" at the red-faced sot down the East Lancs (over Fergie's seemingly unquestioned control over refs and the FA), rejection of his new contract a week later (over lack of control in the transfer market), fans pulling their hair out ready to sack the man (over lack of control over results/subs because of course we all know better than he does), fans ready to stick Lucas up on a pitchfork (more of same but also because the soft lad couldn't control himself after harrying back 60+ yards and made the unmistakeable sin of conceding a penalty - how dare he? Liverpool's never ever ever conceded a penalty - ever)....
Oh and there was also that little matter of Steven's bit of hot water - which kicked this all off in a way as Benitez was trying divert attention away from the player's troubles - for allegedly being near/involved in a ruckus because the group wanted control over the venue's music collection.
I've been sitting on this a few days - I too would like more control; over my time to write these posts, over my job future, over Liverpool winning the league. But unfortunately, some of those things are out of my hands. And when things get away from you - or you have no say in them at all, particularly when you feel like you should - it's impossible not to feel frustrated and want to have a pop at someone. (Anyone spending more than five minutes on the streets of New York or in the subway must know what that feels like.)
We cannot control everything though it never stops us from wanting to. Do people *really* think no time was devoted in training to dealing with Everton's set pieces (and / or Cahill in particular)? Surely no one missed how thrilled Benitez looked after Lescott scored last Sunday...especially with Xabi standing right beside little Timmy waving hi. Of course the manager is responsible for getting his message through to the lads but he has no control over whether those teachings are excuted properly in every instance and that's just got to kill him. Same as it killed the team when Lucas conceded the penalty for a stupid challenge, same as it killed Lucas when Skrtel lost the ball in the midfield and he busted a gut to cover as there wasn't a teammate around.We supporters then drive ourselves and everyone else crazy because we of course are completely powerless to do anything about any of this. We yell, we swear, some kick the cat/dog/car/etc. because of our frustration when things don't go the way we think they should (however that's determined). Some take it to extremes and think every game should be like Pro Evo Soccer - we always win and no mistakes are ever made (at least not in any way that's actually punished - how nice is that?).
Where am I going with all this? Well there's no tidy summary this time really. Just that while there's nothing wrong in and of itself with wanting control; there is in fact a need for it as we'd otherwise have complete anarchy. It breeds confidence, it makes for success. However, if we don't recognize that it's not possible in every situation to obtain or maintain - that we cannot control each and every facet of evey single thing as much as we'd like to try - one is doomed to fail. The ones who succeed are the ones who just pick themselves up and keep plugging along, hopefully minimizing the pain/damage caused the next time things don't go to plan. You continue looking to improve; you continue to support - you certainly don't throw in the towel or give up because you can't have it your way.
Because it will most certainly always - at some point - not go to plan once again.
Just have a drink (or joint, if you prefer!), chill for a minute and repeat those wise words:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference
And let's just beat the Laaandaaan Bluesh*te on Sunday.
Friday, January 9, 2009
¡Cojones de acera!
In case I wasn't already in love with our manager, I will drop my normally calm, cool exterior to pronounce that Rafael Benitez has officially pushed me to the point of Beatlesque frenzy...It's been a very long time that I've felt so giddy over something that had nothing to do with a Liverpool result or some bit of music in my earcans.
"Rant"? Please. "Tirade"? Gimme a break. All our gaffer has done is publicly state the exact sentiments supporters, players, other managers and even referees have said in private. Are there still people out there who doubt how much this man is the embodiment of one Bill Shankly writ large for the 21st century? I know there are. And you know what?
Fuck 'em.
While I've read people worrying about playing Everton twice within the span of a week, wringing their hands over Steven's legal troubles (important as he no doubt is, I thought we resented that "one/two-man team" tag?), and always wondering when the shoe is going to drop, thank god we've got someone in charge who is seemingly made of sterner stuff than most of the rest of us.
We've asked him to show some guts and now that he has, some people are complaining?? All of a sudden we're too cocky, too cavalier, not thinking about the consequences...what the heck has happened?
All I know is that Rafa went into the hospital to have kidney stones removed - and he came out with a bigger set of stones on display. And by god I wish some supporters would get a pair themselves.
* * * * *
Two points dropped, one point gained...hard to say as we were poor today against Stoke. Can't excuse it and the timing couldn't have been worse with some tough games against Everton and Chelsea to come, as well as once again we fail to take maximum points on a weekend our rivals face off against each other - I have honestly lost track of when we've made it count. Keane not coming off the bench when we still had a sub available is a headscratcher no doubt. One could say we weren't creating enough (and looking suspect defensively) so why bother but that route one pass that Torres deftly flicked on for Gerrard might have been enough indication that Robbie deserved a go, out of sorts or not. I mean if Babel could get a run...
Ah well, time to regroup and get ready for a killer couple of weeks. Would I prefer an easier, less stressful path to the title - who wouldn't? But it is about the ride as much as the finish. Shake it off and let's get back on track.
And though it really shouldn't need saying (but some seem to continually forget): let's support our boys and our manager. Between Rafa's comments yesterday, the performance today and (heaven forbid) a win by either spawny side tomorrow, you just know the knives are sharpened and ready to go for our jugular. Time to stand tall and stand firm - long way to go yet.
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