Liverpool FC Forum

by **Dalglish** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:50 am

Don't you ever get that feeling before watching football that's it's just going to be one of those days ? You leave home full of optimism and verve running through your veins. You allow yourself the odd fleeting prophesy of what is about to occur and in that moment your utterly convinced that it's going to happen. No ? well it must be just me then ! So it was on Saturday as we drove over Billinge "lump" and descended on the town immortalised by George Orwell. Wigan is indeed a strange place and often derided for it's cloth cap and pies image but the people are genuine enough even if they do eat their own young !

For those who know me better and have heard my accent I'm actually from much nearer Wigan than Liverpool . When I was younger (much younger) and my Parents wouldn't let me travel to Liverpool I'd often go to watch Wigan Athletic in their old "Springfield Park" ground when they first entered the Football League in 1978. I watched then dump there mighty Norwich City out of the FA Cup in the early 80's and then saw them trashed 5-0 at home by Chelsea in the next round ! Kerry Dixon got 4 in the first half but they were lucky ! Springfield Park was to be a kind .............a dump ! It boasted one of the few away ends without shelter or toilets, although to be fair it was the only away end I've ever seen where the supporters coach was actually parked in the away end ! I kid you not What better way to avoid trouble en route to and from a game than to exit the coach and actually be in the ground !

Times have moved on and Wigan now find themselves in the Premier League and in more plush surroundings amidst the obligatory retail park that so many clubs seem to base themselves around these days. Look at Everton's plans to relocate outside of the city to Tesco-land in Kirkby after a "unanimous" 60/40 split in supporters votes and you have to agree that "every little helps" !

However you can change the surroundings and the location but you can't it would seem, change the people as the hooligan charts will tell you. Wigan share an unenviable reputation with Cardiff, Stoke and strangely Portsmouth as the leading lights when it comes to football related violence. No more was this in evidence than immediately after Liverpool's solitary goal when it really did "kick off " in a section of the home support where a few Liverpool fans had acquired tickets. I go quite a fair few away games in recent seasons and there is rarely trouble. I'm sure there are a few skirmishes outside the ground but it's rare to see it go off inside grounds. It was a mixed section of the ground with a fair proportion of families and it was sad to see young kids in tears being shepherded away by concerned parents. I'm trying not to show bias but who is more likely to start trouble when a goal is scored, the opposition fans who have just conceded or a handful of Liverpool fans celebrating ?

The game was predictable and flat with little to comment upon. Liverpool started well enough as did Wigan but the game stagnated and after shut outs against Pompey and Birmingham you could be forgiven for believing that this game was heading the same way until the introduction of Benyoun and a lovely piece of individual brilliance on his part.

Torres brought a wry smile when his name was announced in the starting line up. I alluded to this in my last blog but IMO Benitez is a stubborn so and so and I was half expecting him to leave Torres out today if only to send a message about who is really the boss at Liverpool Football Club.

Yes he's pig headed, stubborn and single minded and he happens to share these qualities with a certain Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish. And your problem is ?

Some wit on the forum replied when I wrote that and said "Yes, so was Gerard Houllier and look where it got him!" I suppose he's got a point but I'd argue that Benitez has already entered the Hall Of Fame in terms of LFC Managers when he won the European Cup in 2005 and can be counted among the managerial greats.

Whenever I'm going to watch Liverpool Football Club I'd like to think I'll see the best 11 LFC have to offer I won't demand it as a right. I support the team , I don't pick it ! Thats Rafa's job and he'll stand and fall on the results he achieves. Today you could argue we played poorly yet picked up 3 points but we are still unbeaten in the League , haven't conceded a goal from open play and are the third highest goalscorers in the Premiership after Portsmouth went mad and scored 7 in one game !

Walk On .................

by **The Grudge** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:05 am

Very true but ...if we picked the best available like most teams do we would be winning it...not 3rd!

Maybe im wrong but i just believe in doing what you can with the resources you have now..not waiting to later and stepping in when teams are tired!

Will Rooney,Ronaldo etc be tired come April/May??

No..Will Torres?Yes ...Tired of getting rotated or tired from playing?

by **red37** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:50 am

Well written mate and a good read. Much appreciated, these personal 'reports'.

Didn't expect the game to be that much of a walk in the park..and by most accounts, it wasn't. However, three points will be very welcome indeed. Especially in light of results elsewhere.

Wigan, what else is there really to say.... 'The land that time forgot' maybe.

by **112-1077774096** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:56 am

Dalglish wrote:Some wit on the forum replied when I wrote that and said "Yes, so was Gerard Houllier and look where it got him!" I suppose he's got a point

ah so i am a wit now am i

good read mate, as you know i know wigan very well as my parents live there now and i also used to go to springfield park on occassion, i went when they played man city in the league cup and there was mayhem and city's black goalie got dogs abuse.

but you are right mate, they are a strange breed and i totally agree about the trouble, started because people celebrated the goal, although the liverpool fans being led out where quite happy to give some abuse. and why was the steward spinning his arm round like a propeller, maybe he was hoping to fly away

by **account deleted by request** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:17 am

Great post Dalglish. I too live not far from Wigan, but I was brought up to hate all things Wigan, by my mates not my parents I hasten to add. A couple of odd things about Wigan and Wigganers, legend has it that you can always tell a true Wigganer by the way he will always break his pie before eating it. This is because some unlucky Wigganer once found a mouses head in his pie, and then spent an unhappy few moments contemplating where the rest of the mouse had gone. The other legend again strangely enough is pie related, the word slapper originated in Wigan, deriving its name from the slappie, which is a pie between two slices of bread, or if you're posh two halves of a balm cake.

by **red37** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:49 am

The Latics supporters have this bizarre envious rivalry going on with the Warriors fans. Almost an inferiority complex, to the point where they refuse to accept the historical significance of the town being predominantly, a Rugby hotbed. Which, in reality is becoming ever more a level share of the populace disposition. Whelan, the simpering tiresome buffoon hasn't the faintest clue where to set down his allegiances next...such is the whim of all things 'Wiggin' - the place rankles of old, sepia tinted nostalgia one minute - Plastic Pomposity and delusions of grandeur in the modern age the next. A place where almost every backside touches the floor, not to mention the front bits and the discarded wrappings of pastry products litter the pavements like giant, grease stained confetti. Oh, a terrible harriden of a Town. And the traffic system? - Laughable at best. Even Rhyl has its charms set against the decidedly drab, panoramic vistas of Wigan and its woeful attempt to lighten the mood of its inhabitants with the odd waft coming out the chimneys of Santus Toffee factory and the unmistakeable aroma of an 'Uncle Joe's'....(Do they still call it that?) In a word. Avoid.

by **woof woof !** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:02 am

We've had some great times in Wigan

by **Owzat** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:40 am

According to a quick search we've only ever conceded two goals in the league cup to Wigan back in 1989/90.

P7 W7 D0 L0 F19 A2

They've provided maximum points in the Premiership and that's the main thing, I want Torres to start and us to pick up three points so I don't care how but both happened

by **Sabre** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:11 pm

Great read once again. I was worried for you when I read there were fights.

About the points you make about Rafa, I think that a sentence you say somewhere else says it all Ian "We support the team, we don't pick it". That sentence says a lot of things.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:13 pm

The Grudge wrote:Very true but ...if we picked the best available like most teams do we would be winning it...not 3rd!

Maybe im wrong but i just believe in doing what you can with the resources you have now..not waiting to later and stepping in when teams are tired!

Will Rooney,Ronaldo etc be tired come April/May??

No..Will Torres?Yes ...Tired of getting rotated or tired from playing?

The Grudge relaxing at home.

I never realised you could see into the future...

by **112-1077774096** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:57 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:
The Grudge wrote:Very true but ...if we picked the best available like most teams do we would be winning it...not 3rd!

Maybe im wrong but i just believe in doing what you can with the resources you have now..not waiting to later and stepping in when teams are tired!

Will Rooney,Ronaldo etc be tired come April/May??

No..Will Torres?Yes ...Tired of getting rotated or tired from playing?

The Grudge relaxing at home.

I never realised you could see into the future...

but i assume rafa can

by **Lando_Griffin** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:23 pm

peewee wrote:
Lando_Griffin wrote:
The Grudge wrote:Very true but ...if we picked the best available like most teams do we would be winning it...not 3rd!

Maybe im wrong but i just believe in doing what you can with the resources you have now..not waiting to later and stepping in when teams are tired!

Will Rooney,Ronaldo etc be tired come April/May??

No..Will Torres?Yes ...Tired of getting rotated or tired from playing?

The Grudge relaxing at home.

I never realised you could see into the future...

but i assume rafa can

You can assume what you like, precious. :eyebrow

by **112-1077774096** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:26 pm

and i do assume, thank you very much sweetheart :;):

by **red37** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:46 pm

Lads.....

by **Igor Zidane** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:47 pm

red37 wrote:Lads.....

It's alright red , it's a love thang

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