The Fields of Anfield Road

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, April 14th, 2014 - 38 comments
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Another great day at the Goose, watching Liverpool come back to beat Manchester City in one of the crucial derby matches that will decide the Premier League winner.  The thing I like most at the minute about Liverpool is their purpose-driven directness – no pusillanimous reliance on permutation for the Reds.

It came on the day the tragedy at Hillsbrook was commemorated, and there could be no greater tribute to that than the spirit of the present team and their coach Brendan Rogers. It has set Anfield Road alight and that in turn drives the team on at crucial moments as it did today.

In complete contrast I went yesterday to the FA Cup semi-final and watched another red team with 82,000 others at Wembley, in the midst of Arsenal supporters chanting about “the greatest team the world has ever seen” and harking back to 1949 when they went undefeated. The football was rubbish, their main distributor was the centre-back who passed everything across the field, and the outcome was decided by the penalty lottery. I’m picking Everton will overtake them for the European League place.

I wasn’t alone in my assessment of that game Arsenal was described here as “sluggish and unimaginative.”

But unlike at Athenry there was no loneliness at Anfield Road today. YNWA.

38 comments on “The Fields of Anfield Road ”

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  1. Kevin Welsh 1
    14 April 2014 at 8:53 am

    The Hillsborough disaster was on April 15th 1989, Mike. The commemorations are on Tuesday UK time.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1
      14 April 2014 at 11:18 am

      …What a moment it was for this club, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough, when Philippe Coutinho drew back his right foot…

      The Guardian, seven hours ago.

    • Enough is Enough 1.2
      14 April 2014 at 12:18 pm

      Kevin, Commeroarations were held at every Premier League game over the weekend just gone. They all began six minutes late with one minutes silenece before kick off.

      • Kevin Welsh 1.2.1
        15 April 2014 at 12:19 am

        Not trying to be pedantic, but the OFFICIAL comemorations are being held on Tuesday UK time, on the anniversary. Teams quite often signify events by wearing black armbands (eg: the Munich Disaster), but no-one would confuse them with the OFFICIAL comemorations.

        The issue I have here is that this post is so full of errors it is laughable, and ANYONE who follows The EPL would agree, eg: the undefeated Arsenal team was in 2003-2004.

        And then to sign off a post, so full of errors, with YNWA, just makes my fucking blood boil to be honest.

        • Enough is Enough 1.2.1.1
          17 April 2014 at 11:55 am

          Well I will be pedantic and point out that he never said anything about the commeorations that took place across the UK during the weekend being OFFICIAL. But if you went to any game you would have picked that the tragedy was being comemorated at every game over the weekend. So he was correct

          For both of you the reference to 49 which the fans make is to the streak. 49 games undefeated in 2003-2004. So just a misintepretation.

          But he was absolutley correct in that he referred to Arseanl being sluggish. That semi final was torture to watch and it was really terrible that Arsenal relied on the loterry of a penalty shoot out to put away a Championship side.

  2. Ennui 2
    14 April 2014 at 9:23 am

    English Premiership football is, as a competition crap. The reason for this is that the big clubs get enormous amounts of cash playing in the European competitions, with which they buy players of such skill and ability that the rest of the Premiership cant compete.

    Man City…..have a look at their squad, is there a local English player? Is there a non high end international player? If so he is in a minority. Ditto Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, United, Spurs.

    Next tier down, Saints, Newcastle, Villa etc, good teams but they will never have the cash to compete because “European” football has entrenched the divide. Could you imagine a Leeds United, Derby County or Notts Forest, with a Brian Clough type ever thrilling us again?

    Having said that, well done the Scousers!

  3. Tracey 3
    14 April 2014 at 10:14 am

    anyone but the arse and chelsea.

    the other semi was a cracker

  4. Papa Tuanuku 4
    14 April 2014 at 11:20 am

    who cares? if i wanted soccor updates, id move to england.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1
      14 April 2014 at 11:21 am

      😆 +1

    • Paul 4.2
      14 April 2014 at 11:22 am

      Just proof of how people get distracted by sport and forget the important stuff.
      In NZ it’s rugby that’s used to divert…..

      • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1
        14 April 2014 at 11:27 am

        Soccer is the dullest spectator sport imaginable, it’s worth remembering Hillsborough though, which still reverberates as a deeply political tragedy.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1.1.1
            14 April 2014 at 11:34 am

            I always figured it was the “Lampard passes to Dullard, Dullard passes to Lampard, Lampard passes to Dullard, Dullard passes to Lampard…” ad nauseam “playing” “style” that renders it unwatchable, but I may have missed the finer points because I stopped watching about five minutes after I started and that was last century.

            • Tracey 4.2.1.1.1.1
              14 April 2014 at 1:41 pm

              monty pyhtons world cup of philosophers… pits germany against greece… comedy and philisophical gold.

            • Morrissey 4.2.1.1.1.2
              14 April 2014 at 4:34 pm

              ….ad nauseam “playing” “style” that renders it unwatchable,

              Bullshit. Your comments lack substance as well as finesse and wit.

              …. but I may have missed the finer points

              Well, you got THAT right, at least. At least you’re dimly aware you know nothing.

              …. because I stopped watching

              What DO you watch, then? If you find sports so boring, what DOES tickle your imagination?

        • Morrissey 4.2.1.2
          14 April 2014 at 4:29 pm

          Soccer is the dullest spectator sport imaginable…

          Rubbish. Have you ever watched American football? (Clearly you haven’t watched any soccer matches.)

    • Populuxe1 4.3
      14 April 2014 at 1:22 pm

      +1 and even then I wouldn’t want soccer updates

    • Tracey 4.4
      14 April 2014 at 1:38 pm

      so dont click on the thread.

    • logie97 4.5
      14 April 2014 at 4:19 pm

      Must be sad to live with such negativity. Care to share which sport created or popularised by the colonial fathers you watch or participate in?

  5. The Al1en 5
    14 April 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Haven’t really followed the EPL for a few years (not wanting sky), but Sommet on freeview 14 now show LFC TV and CFC TV, so have watched a few games this season.
    Not wanting to wait for title decider part 1 delayed broadcast 7pm tonight, I found a live stream on the net and sat through this one, and it was well worth it too.
    I don’t know if it’s always the case, but if anyone’s interested in sitting up through the small hours watching footie, try http://www.tsmplug.com/football/ for free to net action.

  6. Craig Glen Eden 6
    14 April 2014 at 1:22 pm

    As a Man U supporter I have enjoyed watching Liverpool this season they certainly have played some beautiful Football and I think they probably deserve to be the Champions this year, just remember though Mike it aint over till its over! Should they win I will be happy for you Mike and all my mates and family members who have had to wait so long for the title of Champions.Its been great getting some cheek from Liverpool supporters when I have been out and about in my ManU shirts Ive missed that from the Scouser’s.Lets hope we have some other Reds winning latter on this year oh and some Green to of coarse.

  7. kiwigunner 7
    14 April 2014 at 1:28 pm

    Obviously I have no time for Liverpool, but in this case I want them to be champions for Steven Gerrard. A one club man in a time of mercenaries (van Persie? Nasri?). Hillsborough is totally political now because the police were not very honest and the newspapers acted terribly. But mostly because the rich in football happily herded thousands of poor fans like cattle until it just proved too much. Add in Maggie Thatchers England as the backdrop of the tension and upheaval in the UK at the time and you have an ugly seething mess, a terrible tragedy and inevitable outcome.

  8. joe90 8
    14 April 2014 at 2:13 pm

    I have a confession to make. Chelsea had lost 1-0 to Southampton so off I went with my halfwit mates and a few locals I worked with to witness history. at the Stamford Bridge re-match a few days later.

    Chelsea lost 3-0 so the result of first and only game I’ve ever been to was a little disappointing but everything else was absolutely fabulous. The tube ride to the game, the atmosphere, the people, the crowd and the goings on during the after-match commiserations seemed beyond surreal and today when I see coverage of an EPL game the whole experience seems just like yesterday. And that’s why I’m a Chelsea supporter.

    • logie97 8.1
      14 April 2014 at 3:10 pm

      …so Everton to beat City, and Chelsea win their remaining games and it will be the only time this year that a team (sporting or political) wearing blue will be celebrated here – though either Auckland or Otago would be okay as well .

      • joe90 8.1.1
        14 April 2014 at 3:47 pm

        With my kiss of death expertise I’m almost too scared to image what may be…..

    • Ennui 8.2
      14 April 2014 at 5:02 pm

      Joe you great noodle…Chelsea fan erggghhhh!!!!!!!! I am proudly a Saints man, paternal home town. That is probably the last time we beat Chelsea twice in a season, the legendary Mick Channon scored in both games. Have a look at the team lists, solidly local. Nowadays Southampton could not afford a Channon.

      • logie97 8.2.1
        14 April 2014 at 5:46 pm

        … may be wrong but I seem to recall that Channon was as much a gold-digger as any in the topflight. Have a feeling he changed clubs regularly. Of course Lawrie McMenemy was a very popular coach and television regular – footballs answer to Reginald Bousenquet.

        Of course Chelsea had that brilliant winger who caused fullbacks nightmares – Charlie Cooke – here’s a reminder
        http://pesstatsdatabase.com/viewtopic.php?f=183&t=7562

        • kiwigunner 8.2.1.1
          14 April 2014 at 8:02 pm

          Logie is a great name in Arsenal history though of the 50’s vintage rather than 97. He played in the 1950 FA Cup final versus Liverpool setting up a goal with a quickly taken free kick to Reg Lewis who scored again in the 2-0 win. Trainspotter – you bet!

  9. Marksman33 9
    14 April 2014 at 7:50 pm

    YNWA,YNWA,Go on you REDS.

  10. Corokia 10
    14 April 2014 at 7:57 pm

    BTW Arsenal is in the FA cup final :-).

  11. georgecom 11
    15 April 2014 at 10:14 pm

    Mike. A few comments to make.

    Firstly, I feel sorry for the EPL trophy. At the end of the season it is going to be removed from it’s home at Old Trafford and relocated to a foster home with either light blue or red parents. That will be devastating for the poor trophy, ripped from its parents and sent to live in probably the 2 worst households in the entire Premiership.

    In terms of who you would want to win the league, those 2 would come last. It’s really a nightmare scenario. The scariest thing perhaps, Liverpool may destroy a quarter century of history. Maybe roughly 30-40% of the worlds population were born AFTER Liverpool last won the English first/premier division. 16 years and counting…17 years and counting…23 years and counting…has such a nice ring to it.

    Regards Hillsborough. I mused on that today and thought about the loss of life of football fans, mums and dads, kids, decent folk killed in a tragedy when all they wanted to enjoy football.

    It’ll be 30 years of the Heysel tragedy next year as well. Some irony I guess, again, some decent football fans killed amidst the rumbling of scum Liverpool ‘fans’ and some scum Juventus ‘fans’.

    Liverpool fans lost loved ones in the first. Scum supporters of Liverpool caused others to lose loved ones in the second.

    2 tragedies connected through one football club, decent human being with a love of football lost on both occasions.

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