Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

I've been a Liverpool fan for many years, and although the internet has allowed me to learn a lot of facts about Liverpool, there are questions that are not well covered, or are more properly answered by fans in a forum.

There are many things that you know about Liverpool that I don't, and you don't discuss them because they're granted.

I wanted to open a discussion of good and bad relationships with other clubs. John Toshack wrote the other day in my local newspaper, that when he left Cardiff to reach Liverpool, he was going with his wife. He reached Liverpool by train, and Bill Shankly was waiting for them in the station. John Toshack said he was shivering and nervous just because he saw Bill Shankly. The first words of Shankly, were "John, welcome to Liverpool, but tell your wife to remove that coat, it's the enemy colour" (she wore a blue coat).

That reading made me wonder how are and were traditionally the relationships with other clubs. It seems that in Shankly years the rivalry with Everton was greater than it is now, where as Manchester seems to be the most hated club now. Everybody knows we don't like Chelsea too.

But what about the others. For instance, what do you think and what were the relationships like with Nottimgham Forest, a club with a lot of history? are there any team that has a special friendship with Liverpool? (In Spain for instance, we get along well with Osasuna, and Madrid gets along well with Barcelona's Espanyol).

Please write your rants about this, just for my pleasure of learning, and to make time before the world cup starts.

Talk about Everton, Liverpool, the hammers, whatever you like.

Thanks!!

[tubby]

Well they have a good relationship with Wrexham as they have a training ground (or used to) there. They should play another friendly this year aswell.

[bigxchris]

Didnt we have a youth agreement with Crewe years ago?

[yckatbjywtbiastkamb]

traditionally our rivals have been everton and man u but we`ve also had some big rivalries with other clubs.
in the 70`s when united were rubbish our biggest rivals were leeds and leeds-liverpool games were massive events.
you mention forest well they entered the scene around the late 70`s early 80`s.
celtic and liverpool tend to get on well but if your talking about other english clubs that we`ve some sort of affinity too then i wouldnt say any i suppose.
but i would go as far as to say there`s definately a healthy respect from liverpool fans towards clubs who have historically played the game in the right way and west ham definatley falls into that category.

[EddieC]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I hold a big grudge against Blackburn, simply for all the LFC players they've injured in the past few years. Apart from that, there's the obvious Neverton & Manure, and of course sh!tski, but thats not just us, I think the whole country feels the same about them.

[greenred]

Millwall are universally hated by Liverpool supporters.The sole reason being their vile obnoxious fans.

[spion]

Leeds became friendly with the pool when Houllier had his heart thingy. So much so that when the frenchman left, O'Leary was mooted as a possible replacement. The other one in my lifetime was with Juventus. The old lady & Liverpool are intrinsiclly linked because of Hysel, now even though the fans dont see eye to eye the clubs speak of a "special bond" ever since the incident.

[Pedro O'Maradona]

juventus and celtic....wrexham as well

[teamleader1]

Sabre

In the Shankley era it was always Leeds Utd, a very healthy rivalry and a  great mutual respect exsited between the clubs.

Obviously Everton, who also had some great sides back then,

Celtic is another club who we have always had a good rapore with, when Daggers moved down, his Dad and his mates would run a coach down for all the games when Celtic were away, Daggers was just as big a god up there as he was with us.

West Ham have always been given great respect because of their never ending commitment to play the game as it should be played, and still do.

[Feeney]

Enemies at home....

Everton, more so these days because of some of the sh!te that gets said between fans rather than actually playing football.

Man U, obvious really.

On a personal level, I can't stand Newcastle as they have huge pretences of a big club because they challenged for a couple of years. I also hate 'family' clubs such as Middlesborough, Blackburn and Leicester - the type that play music when they score (where the f*ck are we, in the NH f*cking L?). 

Enemies Abroad...

Juve - again, obvious and some of thier fans last year were, IMO, out of order.

Roma - we've always tended to have a few ding-dongs over the years with Roma and we've always done well against them.

Personally, I HATE real Madrid. They are constantly shafting us when it comes to players and more recently our manager. Although, I was pleased when I seen Balague on SSN today talking about the Presidential Cadidates and none have Rafa as thier preferred manager to come in.

Friends at home...

Crewe as we always play friendlies with them and used thier pitch for a long time for our reserves.

I personally liked Coventry as it was always a decent game against them and we have the Gary Mac connection.

Friends abroad...

Celtic - again, always play our testimonials against them and we have the obvious connection that we share a couple of our best known songs with them!

Strangely enough, I reckon Valencia are friends. More originally, when we played them, we saw an awesome team and it was a sight to behold. We also played a decent friendly against them at Anfield as well. And obviously, we have Rafa. 

[Scouser4life]

yckatbjywtbiastkamb> (Quote me on this) Leeds games were never big games in the past???

It was Forest and Ipswich were the two teams too challenge us in the 80s with Everton too the title more than anyone........... and weve always had a rivalry with Man Utd as long as well back in the 60s and Everton for Obvious reasons

[ivor_the_injun]

Celtic came down for a friendly in the aftermath of Hillsborough in 1989. I must admit I hadn't been aware of any kind of kinship between the two clubs before that game, but ever since I've had so much respect for them. They got utterly tonked that day (I think we put 5 past them), but they and their fans were an absolute joy. Diouf did his best to undo the healthy relationship with one of his camel impressions a few years back, but thankfully the bond is still there.

Special mention has to go to Tranmere. I know a lot of people that used to follow them at their games after work in the week and then would be on the Anfield terraces on the weekend. We very rarely get to play them, and the FA Cup tie at Prenton Park in the 2001 treble season was a game I'd have loved to have been at. I and others would really love there to be some kind of official link between the two clubs - they've been in a bit of a rut since Aldridge packed in playing, and it's a real shame we don't make use of the good ties between the clubs by loaning them some of our younger players that need competitive action.

In the Prem, to be honest there's not a lot of love there. I have a massive amount of respect for Newcastle's fans, and we have had some classic games with them in the Premiership era, but at the moment their hierachy really get on my nerves.

I have a lot of time for Stuart Pearce, and Man City are a team I think many here have a bit of a soft spot for. They've taken on a fair few ex-Reds over the years, and it's good to see guys with LFC ties do well (although McManaman's probably an exception for many people!). Particularly given the ease with which we were allowed to bring in Fowler, plus the fact that they probably hate Man U just as much if not more than we do, I'll always have a kind word to say about them.

[Reg]

Truth be known and come on, lets be honest, we've all read his wonderful quotes from his razor sharp tongue, but Shanks was probably seen then as as obnoxious then as Mourinho is today.

Jeez the truth hurts but it doesnt stop us loving him. Do Chelsea fans like Mourinho?

[account deleted by request]

I live outside Liverpool so Everton have never been that big a deal for me . Manu was the team I used to hate the most (Probably Manu/Chelsea since Maureen took over) Strangely Leeds especialy during late 60's early 70's seemed to have a mutual respect thing going with Liverpool (even though Leeds were a cheating set of b'stards)probably because Leeds hated Manu as much as we did. Forest are another team were the manager helped stir up the hatred ,that and the fact their central defenders were dirty b'stards. Celtic we have always seemed to get along with (no idea why). Blackburn and Bolton I cant stand (dont know if that just me though) Spurs and West Ham I have always liked because they play good football. A special mention must also be made for Arsenal who I have had a steady burning dislike of since the 70's. Sheff United are another team whos manager I hate with a vengence, even seeing him gets me annoyed. Hope this helps.

[anti-hero]

I think we are developing a rather healthy relationship with Real Sociedad as of late.