impware

Our tickets from Sportops have now arrived. Out Liverpool 01.40 tuesday morning, staying in Loutraki, back Liverpool 19.00 Thursday. Looks like I'll miss the victory parade!

Don't be too sure, we're flying monday but they said they were posting ours today. Nothing arrived yet anyway.

They said they'd be posted out today. The lad who booked for our lot lives down south and drove to their office to make the original booking as we couldn't get through on the phone. He wanted to drive back today to collect the tickets but they wouldn't let him. All we've got is a receipt with our names, no resort detail or anything! My paranoia is starting to kick in now...

Also on the 2 night sportops deal. 7 of us, out monday night, back thursday afternoon. Also all still ticketless...

Signed it aswell. Ironic that there was a google ad alongside for some damned ticket touts selling final tickets for 1250 quid.

5 Season Tickets, 0 Tickets. All of us been going for years, never miss any (home) games. Loyalty? The t*** Parry couldn't spell the word. Fuming.

Mascherano Pennant Gerrard

I'm not sure if this is better here or in the 'productivity' thread but anyway... Euro VI, Act III scene 1 Anfield. Before Barcelona. Alarum. Enter RAFA, CARRAGHER, GERRARD, and Players Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our central defence. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of Graham Souness; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise Fairclough nature with hard-favour'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; Let pry through the portage of the head Like a last gasp Gerrard shot; let the brow o'erwhelm it As fearfully as doth a galled Ron Yeats O'erhang and jutty his confounded opponent, Swill'd with the wild red tide. Now set the teeth and like Fowler stretch the nostril wide, Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit To his full Crouch like height. On, on, you noblest team. Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof! Fathers, so many like Dalglish, Liddell, Have in these parts from morn till even fought And sheathed their footballs for lack of argument: Dishonour not your supporters; now attest That those whom played here before did beget you. Be copy now to footballers of grosser blood, And teach them how to win. And you, good players, Whose team was made in Liverpool, show us here The mettle of Anfield's pasture; let us swear That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; For there is none of you so mean and base, That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the whistle. The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Fowler, Shankly, and St. John!' (With apologies to Wm. Shakespeare)

Here's one that's 95% the same. I've used it for a couple of framed presents. Got it from a post from someone on here or rawk but can't remember who to credit them.

Two more here

Yep sorry, I meant that one. It's become a bit of a ghost town up those streets. Dead easy to park now though!

I thought that had closed? I've been going to the Waverley for years, but they've just been told they're getting a compulsory purchase order and will be gone at the end of the season.

My brother claims to have met Shankly in Tranmere's Trophy room. Shanks came up to him as he was wandering about and said, "This is nice here but if you ever wanna see a truly great trophy room you should go to Goodison. It's got a fine marble floor, beautiful chestnut cabinets, always wonderfully polished, and magnificent paintings on the walls... " "Nay trophies mind".

Well that clears up the mystery of why Mark Gonzalez has M. Gonzalez on the back of his shirt. Rafa must have been planning on going for this I. Gonzalez for a long time.

What's the big deal? Rafa was only repeating what we were singing; "You're just a small team from Kirkby"

Saw this on newsnow, never heard of the site though and not seen it elsewhere. Another Momo style hijack? link Liverpool to beat rivals for Fernandes Liverpool have entered the race for Benfica's Manuel Fernandes after a possible move to Everton looks to have fallen through. Fernandes was set to join the blue half of Merseyside after he passed a medical at their Bellefield training ground but the fee remains to be a stumbling block for Bill Kenwright. Benitez has been alerted that he could persuade Fernandes to join Liverpool with the lure of Champions League football. This will come as a huge blow to Everton who have lost James McFadden and Andy Johnson through long term injuries whilst selling David Weir and Simon Davies in the meantime.

I know what you mean about unsettling the team and I worried at the start of the season it might take us a couple of months to integrate the new players. What's interesting is that while it looks like we might only bring in 1 first teamer (Mascherano - Fifa permitting) the Rafalution of the youngsters is proceeding quickly. The title of the post got me thinking of the number of youngsters coming in and it's adding up quickly to 5 or 6; Insua, Leto, Brouwer, Ajdarevic, Padelli, with possibly Andras Simon too. Trying to integrate that lot, our reserves will have no chance of winning a game between now and summer

I wonder if anyone in favour of RTK read this and got the irony?

This matches my experience from the 70s on. Some great atmospheres but many more where little could be heard after the initial YNWA unless we scored. Oddly enough, growing up in Pinehurst Av in the late 60s and early 70s before I was old enough to go to the game, I always remember listing to the matches sound from my back garden and (as I picture it now) it sounded like that old BBC panorama programme about the kop where they're all singing Beatles songs - a constant wall of noise. I remember thinking when I started going regularly in the mid 70s that it wasn't as regularly noisy as I'd grown up thinking it would be. I can see where the ideals behind RTK come from, for example, there were 4 people left on my row at the final whistle against Bolton and that winds me up no end. The ones who had left were mostly (as far as I could tell) regular ST holders not day trippers. Interestingly, I'd heard one of them mutter 'f**k off back to London' at someone with a southern accent at one point. However, the southern day tripper was still there supporting the team at the final whistle unlike the mutterer. Therein lies the problem of interpreting what it means to be a fan and the RTK name alone is enough to confuse the more cerebrally challenged amongst us into thinking its about oot'ers etc. Fans have to decide for themselves what being a fan is all about, that always worked for us in the past and other clubs (or their fans) trying to organise an atmosphere has always seemed laughable. We should just get on with it and continue being the best. We don't need an unelected politburo handing down directives as to what we can or cannot do. It is patronising and divisive.

What's the weather like in Liverpool at the moment? I'm in Ellesmere Port and the visibility (fog) is about 20 - 30 yards. If it's like this tonight and the game still goes ahead we've got to start Alonso

No, because "Jesus Saves"...

That's the one question I keep thinking to myself. I've (admittedly) seen little of him in action but from that I've got the impression of someone ace coming forward but only reasonable in defence. Also, bearing in mind its a small sample the few times I've watched him, Alves's attacking instincts seems to leave him often out of position leaving a hole behind (oo'er) to be attacked. I'm always wary of players who shine individually but leave less obvious problems for teammates to cover.

It is time to close the ground share idea for once and all. We should take the funds we are raising for the new stadium and use them instead to set up an offshore company, with it's links to us well hidden. Like Roman does with his other club interests round the world. This front company then puts a magnificent offer in to buy Everton, lock stock and wooden barrel. Once the purchase goes through we liquidate EFC. Sell Goodison to Tesco. Sell everything. The sale of land and assets would probably get us most of our money back. Then tell the council to do one and build a 90k seat stadium in Kirby for about the cost of the proposed New Anfield. With only one premiership club in Merseyside our average attendances would rise slowly but surely over the years making us financially secure and forever removing the blue stain from our city. That'd give them something to be bitter about!

Too late, Arsenal have already moved there. They reckoned on feeling at home due to a lack of atmosphere.

The Liverbird with ball at it's feet is only used by the LFC Academy. Funnily enough I went there tonight for the first time.