Three LFC 'Star' players that never really connected with the Kop

[Guest Phil C]

Sadly, Michael Owen never received the adulation from the Kop he deserved and the reception we gave him when he visited with Newcastle was nothing short of disgraceful.

 

Although puzzling, it's nothing new. My list of 3 other players who, IMHO, didn't connect with the Kop are:

 

 

1. 1960's - Alun Evans - blond £100k 'superkid' - scored on his debut but wasn't accepted as 'one of us';

 

2. 1970's - Kevin Keegan - England star and that was his problem, I guess. Like Mikey, the Kop never took to him.

 

3. 1990's - Paul Ince - ex ManU captain, didn't have a chance really.

 

 

Can't think of anybody in the 80's - Paul Walsh maybe?

[Bootle Buck]

The Kop took to Keegan for most of his time at Anfield. I remember shouting "Kevin Keegan walks on Water", as a kid until I was hoarse.

[Gunga Din]

Ronnie whelan for long periods of his time here was never really a Kop favourite

[Guest Phil C]

The talk in the bars at the time was that he was a money-grabbing get who thought he was bigger than the club.

 

Too focused on his England career and media image etc etc ...still, unlike today's fans, we were overtly loyal to him.

 

But, there again, you could accuse us of being two faced I suppose.

[Mike]

the kop never took to kevin keegan?first i've heard.

[Guest Phil C]

the kop never took to kevin keegan?first i've heard.

 

 

Being a sad old get, I remember it well. Some liked him though its true. But compared to Roger Hunt, Robbie Fowler, and even John Alridge he was never accepted as one of us, if you know what I mean. Yes, whilst he was here, we supported him but he was soon forgotten after he went to Hamburg and King Kenny arrived.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

Sadly, Michael Owen never received the adulation from the Kop he deserved and the reception we gave him when he visited with Newcastle was nothing short of disgraceful.

 

The way he treated the fans and conned the club was nothing short of disgraceful.

[Bootle Buck]

Being a sad old get, I remember it well. Some liked him though its true. But compared to Roger Hunt, Robbie Fowler, and even John Alridge he was never accepted as one of us, if you know what I mean. Yes, whilst he was here, we supported him but he was soon forgotten after he went to Hamburg and King Kenny arrived.

 

That happens to many who go to other clubs and become managers. He was treated well and liked by the fans while he was here. Like Owen he was polished, professional and liked by the media. However, that shouldn't be held against either of them.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Bootle Buck

[jfogarty]

The way he treated the fans and conned the club was nothing short of disgraceful.

 

[Mike]

Being a sad old get, I remember it well. Some liked him though its true. But compared to Roger Hunt, Robbie Fowler, and even John Alridge he was never accepted as one of us, if you know what I mean. Yes, whilst he was here, we supported him but he was soon forgotten after he went to Hamburg and King Kenny arrived.

 

 

ahh - now you're talking about levels of connection!

[Scally Bob]

1. Ronnie Whelan was never fully appreciated, especially by people who didn't do aways

2. Craig Johnston

3. Michael Owen for all the reasons everyone says

 

Kevin Keegan was appreciated but he was quickly forgotten because of who it was that replaced him. Leaving Liverpool in those days wasn't a decision players made! I also think that since leaving he's never been that warm towards LFC and he's abit of a distant joke figure nowadays.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Scally Bob

[Ombudsam]

I reserve the right not to like Owen that much. i don't hate him and wouldn't have booed him when he came back with Newcastle. You can't make me love him though. I know what he did for the club but I just don't feel overly bothered by him.

 

Everyone always knew he intended to leave one day and he didn't see Liverpool as his beginning and end. That's cool, it really is and you can't begrudge him for it but by the same token i don't have to adorn him with affection

Edited April 3, 2006 by sammya

[Gunga Din]

I reserve the right not to like Owen that much. i don't hate him and wouldn't have booed him when he came back with Newcastle. You can't make me love him though. I know what he did for the club but I just don't feel overly bothered by him.

 

Everyone always knew he intended to leave one day and he didn't see Liverpool as his beginning and end. That's cool, it really is and you can't begrudge him for it but by the same token i don't have to adorn him with affection

 

 

TBH thats exactly how i feel about him too. i always felt that Owen never really had Liverpool in his heart, that he always felt his future lay elsewhere, that we were a stepping stone for him. i dont begrudge him any of that, but like Sammy says, i dont feel teh need to shower him with praise. good luck to the lad, i wish him well.

[Guest Kev]

Phil Neal - can't even remember his song.

 

Ray Houghton

 

Steve Staunton

[Gunga Din]

Phil Neal - can't even remember his song.

 

Ray Houghton

 

Steve Staunton

 

 

to be fair, i dont think you could really class Steve staunton as a "Star" player, the same, although perhaps a tad harsh, could be applied to Houghton. Neal is one i thought about, but i think he was more taken for granted than not loved, a bit like Steve Finnan today. one i was gonna mention, but is another strange one, was Jimmy Case. he always seemed to get a very "mixed" reaction, any tiem he came back to anfield as a player with another club

[Spike]

jimmy carter. To prove it he travelled back in time and became a president of the USA in some sad show of 'i'm dead popular me'

[Paddy 66]

Could never understand the lack of feeling towards Owen, particularly given the amount of goals he scored for us.

[Guest Kev]

Could never understand the lack of feeling towards Owen, particularly given the amount of goals he scored for us.

 

Owen had two songs, one for the locals and the other for the England supporting OOT'rs

[Bao]

Can't think of anybody in the 80's - Paul Walsh maybe?

Walsh was most definitely appreciated by the Kop - name was often the first to be sung and if he was on the bench the Kop would be calling for him to get on at some point.

Edited April 4, 2006 by Bao

[fyds]

The talk in the bars at the time was that he was a money-grabbing get who thought he was bigger than the club.

 

Too focused on his England career and media image etc etc ...still, unlike today's fans, we were overtly loyal to him.

 

But, there again, you could accuse us of being two faced I suppose.

I would totally disagree with that. As a kopite of that era I can tell you we worshipped him and were shatting bricks when he went until Bob spent £440,000 on some bloke or other called 'Kenny' I think...

 

Keegan only became 'not one of us' some time after he left.

[smithdown]

 

Can't think of anybody in the 80's - Paul Walsh maybe?

 

 

Walsh? Nah. His only problem was that Kenny was still able to get about so he couldn't get in the team. As Bao said, any game we went behind or were drawing in the second half you'd hear everyone singing for Walshie to come on.

 

In a way maybe Walsh brought the best out of Kenny in the last year or two. This young flash cockney kid with all his flicks and backheels and dribbles seemed to give Kenny something to compete with again and, of course, he wiped the floor with him.

 

Phil Neal - can't even remember his song.

 

 

 

Ziiiiiiiiiiico!

[fred milne]

As a kopite of that era I can tell you we worshipped him and were shatting bricks when he went until Bob spent £440,000 on some bloke or other called 'Kenny' I think...

 

Keegan only became 'not one of us' some time after he left.

I largely agree with this.

 

Keegan was the idol of the Kop until he announced at the start of 76-7 season that he was leaving at the end of the year. Only then did attitudes towards him start to change.

[Guest Phil C]

I would totally disagree with that. As a kopite of that era I can tell you we worshipped him and were shatting bricks when he went until Bob spent £440,000 on some bloke or other called 'Kenny' I think...

 

Keegan only became 'not one of us' some time after he left.

 

 

You obviously drank in the posh pubs like the Arkle...

[timbos goals]

Don't underestimate the 'sixth sense' of the Kop. You know that all new players are given the benefit of the doubt but the one thing that will p*ss us off quickly is a perceived lack of commitment to the 'cause'. The Kop sensed it well before his comments about playing abroad. Maybe it was because he was our first media star and we resented that...e.g. that lad's getting too big for his boots. I dunno but the fact is, although the love affair existed for a time, it was fragile and mostly illusionary.

 

As for us not connecting with the dour Yorkshireman, well, all I say is that we still have in our hearts the King of Dourness, albeit the Glasweigan version, so that can't be the case, can it?

 

Bloodyhell Phil - you do invite pedantry. From where I stood I'd say Kenny had the comfortably finest sense of humour ever in a player at anfield - fitted ours like a glove. KK simply never had one.

 

Re the Kop's sixth sense - let's just say the area to the left of the goal around us never had it re KK. Or else maybe it was just the area around you?

 

Actually this is a bit like that natter I had with Rushian about how people's views are informed by their own match experience. I think we worked out that taking a half mile radius there's something like 85 pubs round Anfield. Allowing an average of 50 fans per pub, which is probably generous, it means that something like 4500 fans go bevvying before the game. Yet many of those 4500 would swear blind that everyone who attends Anfield goes the ale house. There's a point I'm making here but I'm b ugggered if I can remember what it is.

 

[Guest Phil C]

Bloodyhell Phil - you do invite pedantry. From where I stood I'd say Kenny had the comfortably finest sense of humour ever in a player at anfield - fitted ours like a glove. KK simply never had one.

 

Re the Kop's sixth sense - let's just say the area to the left of the goal around us never had it re KK. Or else maybe it was just the area around you?

 

Actually this is a bit like that natter I had with Rushian about how people's views are informed by their own match experience. I think we worked out that taking a half mile radius there's something like 85 pubs round Anfield. Allowing an average of 50 fans per pub, which is probably generous, it means that something like 4500 fans go bevvying before the game. Yet many of those 4500 would swear blind that everyone who attends Anfield goes the ale house. There's a point I'm making here but I'm b ugggered if I can remember what it is.

 

 

Blooody hell, you must be that bloke! The one who was always shouting for Keegan - we put you down to being either a relative, groupie or slightly demented but came to the conclusion that you were all three! (Do you still wear that pink velvet jacket - very nice love!)

 

I think sense of humour is the key, a very important characteristic in the eyes of all scousers. If the player could crack a joke, he was well in with the fans.

 

By the way, next time you and Rushian tour the pubs of Anfield, any chance of an invite?