Liverpool FC Forum

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

How I fell back in love with Liverpool FC - by Anne Todd (nee Cummings), the first woman ECHO sports writer
Feb 7 2011

Anne Cummings was the Liverpool ECHO's first female sports reporter back in the 1960s and 70s

Something amazing happened on Sunday night: I fell in love with Liverpool FC all over again , after I dumped them years ago for not turning me on any more.

My love affair with the Reds began when Shankly ran the show and there were players like Hansen and Yeats, Tommy the ‘Flying Pig’ Lawrence, hunky Roger Hunt, twinkle toed winger Peter Thompson, sweet little Cally, and the Anfield Iron Tommy Smith, who would today make John Terry look like Graham Norton in a tu-tu.

Then there was the loveable scally Terry McDermott, and boyish Joey Jones, who never stopped being amazed and grateful at playing for such a club, and the little cherub Sammy Lee, who had his own Kop song: “He’s small, he’s round, he bounces on the ground, Sammy Lee, Sammy Lee…”

And then, of course, came the sublime Kenny Dalglish, a magician on the ball who scored all those mouth-watering goals that lit everything up and made you glad to be alive and at a football match in Liverpool.


By this time I was the Liverpool Echo’s first woman sports writer, and watched games from the Press box and went to press conferences afterwards. I’ve never known such a modest hero as Kenny.

When you could coax him to say anything - and you could make out what he reluctantly mumbled in that Glaswegian accent - it would be totally lacking in self- glorification. It was like pulling teeth. It went along the lines of; “It’s a team game, not about me” and “The ball came across and I just hit it.” That’s what he said after I’d just seen him score a brilliant hat-trick.

But the point is, he meant it. And when he scored ,he didn’t do that slidey thing along the ground, kiss his shirt badge, or wedding ring, make funny gestures to someone unseen, fall in a girly heap with his team mates, take off his shirt ,or run into the crowd. Can you imagine it? Kenny? No, he just wanted to get on with the game.

And can you see him having a wax, or a facial, carrying a big toilet bag to games, wearing poncey clothes, like a snood, encouraging WAGS, being photographed in Daniel Craig Speedos in Dubai on a beach? Nah. No way, Jose. Not Kenny.
Now he’s back at Anfield again as the boss, and it’s like the good times are back. Liverpool, on the evidence of that glorious win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, are like the team I first fell in love with all those years ago.

Why? Because they always gave 100 per-cent throughout the game. They pulled on that famous red shirt and it meant something.

They worked for each other. They were a TEAM. The word Kenny always stressed when a player. And I was proud of them.

I had got fed up with pouting, posing prima donnas who only turned it on when they felt like it. Torres, whose gifts I obviously appreciated immensely, ended up annoying the hell out of me with his sulky, selfish behaviour, while Kuyt worked his socks off, running around non-stop like a Duracell bunny on speed, doing all the donkey work for him.


I love Dirk Kuyt. |To me he represents the never-say-die spirit of Liverpool, like Gerrard and Carragher. And young Kelly! What a gem he is. And how wonderful to have such a home-grown talent in the team.

I know you can’t live in the past and times change. I suppose waxing and bling and private jets and mansions and mega bucks for wages are here to stay.

But if Liverpool can reproduce that winning formula based on team work, with everyone working for each other, with pride, and commitment, can it be wrong to enjoy that formula from the good old days?

So welcome back King Kenny. The best of luck in all you are doing. And welcome back the Liverpool of my youth. I hope it’s here to stay. If so, I’ll be a supporter again.

[Kukilon]

How I fell back in love with Liverpool FC - by Anne Todd (nee Cummings), the first woman ECHO sports writer
Feb 7 2011

Anne Cummings was the Liverpool ECHO's first female sports reporter back in the 1960s and 70s

Something amazing happened on Sunday night: I fell in love with Liverpool FC all over again , after I dumped them years ago for not turning me on any more.

My love affair with the Reds began when Shankly ran the show and there were players like Hansen and Yeats, Tommy the ‘Flying Pig’ Lawrence, hunky Roger Hunt, twinkle toed winger Peter Thompson, sweet little Cally, and the Anfield Iron Tommy Smith, who would today make John Terry look like Graham Norton in a tu-tu.

Then there was the loveable scally Terry McDermott, and boyish Joey Jones, who never stopped being amazed and grateful at playing for such a club, and the little cherub Sammy Lee, who had his own Kop song: “He’s small, he’s round, he bounces on the ground, Sammy Lee, Sammy Lee…”

And then, of course, came the sublime Kenny Dalglish, a magician on the ball who scored all those mouth-watering goals that lit everything up and made you glad to be alive and at a football match in Liverpool.


By this time I was the Liverpool Echo’s first woman sports writer, and watched games from the Press box and went to press conferences afterwards. I’ve never known such a modest hero as Kenny.

When you could coax him to say anything - and you could make out what he reluctantly mumbled in that Glaswegian accent - it would be totally lacking in self- glorification. It was like pulling teeth. It went along the lines of; “It’s a team game, not about me” and “The ball came across and I just hit it.” That’s what he said after I’d just seen him score a brilliant hat-trick.

But the point is, he meant it. And when he scored ,he didn’t do that slidey thing along the ground, kiss his shirt badge, or wedding ring, make funny gestures to someone unseen, fall in a girly heap with his team mates, take off his shirt ,or run into the crowd. Can you imagine it? Kenny? No, he just wanted to get on with the game.

And can you see him having a wax, or a facial, carrying a big toilet bag to games, wearing poncey clothes, like a snood, encouraging WAGS, being photographed in Daniel Craig Speedos in Dubai on a beach? Nah. No way, Jose. Not Kenny.
Now he’s back at Anfield again as the boss, and it’s like the good times are back. Liverpool, on the evidence of that glorious win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, are like the team I first fell in love with all those years ago.

Why? Because they always gave 100 per-cent throughout the game. They pulled on that famous red shirt and it meant something.

They worked for each other. They were a TEAM. The word Kenny always stressed when a player. And I was proud of them.

I had got fed up with pouting, posing prima donnas who only turned it on when they felt like it. Torres, whose gifts I obviously appreciated immensely, ended up annoying the hell out of me with his sulky, selfish behaviour, while Kuyt worked his socks off, running around non-stop like a Duracell bunny on speed, doing all the donkey work for him.


I love Dirk Kuyt. |To me he represents the never-say-die spirit of Liverpool, like Gerrard and Carragher. And young Kelly! What a gem he is. And how wonderful to have such a home-grown talent in the team.

I know you can’t live in the past and times change. I suppose waxing and bling and private jets and mansions and mega bucks for wages are here to stay.

But if Liverpool can reproduce that winning formula based on team work, with everyone working for each other, with pride, and commitment, can it be wrong to enjoy that formula from the good old days?

So welcome back King Kenny. The best of luck in all you are doing. And welcome back the Liverpool of my youth. I hope it’s here to stay. If so, I’ll be a supporter again.

That's exactly how I feel. Where I live women doesn't seem to feel that way about sports. 

[red till i die!!]

For years we have had managers putting us down, crushing expectation, they all did it, Houllier, Benitez and Hodgson but now the curse is gone and we can breathe again. Dalglish has given us back what we had lost, that these guys took from us, and thats the beleif that Liverpool can compete and are still very important. Weve been dumbed down for way too long and to a degree bought right into it thinking these guys where right, but they where wrong, and Daggers returned our self esteem. Liverpool are back mentally, we are all awake again and ready to build roads back to the top.

def harsh on ged and raf,they were good managers at the time and both had delivered success to lfc,just not the league.
i for one had very happy memories of both their tenures and both have delivered trophies and deserve their place in our history books.

[shabelle50]

I have worries as to whether Dalglish will actually want to take on the role permanently for too long. The fact he's already talking about not wanting to discuss beyond May would indicate it's far from a done deal. Sure he's mellowed from 91 and can deal with the situation better now but will he want to take the role on again with a committed contract and all the pressures that come with it? I also suspect that while the owners will remain keen for him to take the job Comolli probably has eyes on other potential targets. I don't want to put a dampener on things but I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny says in May there are better managers around and that his work is done.

[zarababe]

I wil be emailing Mr John W Henry - telling him how much Liverpool have turned me on.. I'm doing me chores with a smile on me face, staying up till 2am to watch us crush teams - on work nights - the heart of Liverpool Beats again thanks to his ownership and Kenny, but most of all thanks to Kenny instillng the life back in to the club... and in to me as a Liverpool supporter.. my heart beats faster ..

[roberto green]

I have worries as to whether Dalglish will actually want to take on the role permanently for too long. The fact he's already talking about not wanting to discuss beyond May would indicate it's far from a done deal. Sure he's mellowed from 91 and can deal with the situation better now but will he want to take the role on again with a committed contract and all the pressures that come with it? I also suspect that while the owners will remain keen for him to take the job Comolli probably has eyes on other potential targets. I don't want to put a dampener on things but I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny says in May there are better managers around and that his work is done.

Don't be soft mate of course Kenny wants the job, he is only saying he doesn't want to think beyond May because he is talking the famous 1 game at a time line and in doing so is taking the pressure off himself.

There is no one that wants the job more believe me and he has some unfinished business to complete

[roberto green]

I can't remember what Kenny was referring to the other day but it was a nice little dig at whiskey nose, Kenny said "well it's worked for the two greatest manager that have ever lived" referring to Shankly and Paisley.

God it's good to have him back!!!

[Scottbot]

I have worries as to whether Dalglish will actually want to take on the role permanently for too long. The fact he's already talking about not wanting to discuss beyond May would indicate it's far from a done deal. Sure he's mellowed from 91 and can deal with the situation better now but will he want to take the role on again with a committed contract and all the pressures that come with it? I also suspect that while the owners will remain keen for him to take the job Comolli probably has eyes on other potential targets. I don't want to put a dampener on things but I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny says in May there are better managers around and that his work is done.

Don't be soft mate of course Kenny wants the job, he is only saying he doesn't want to think beyond May because he is talking the famous 1 game at a time line and in doing so is taking the pressure off himself.

There is no one that wants the job more believe me and he has some unfinished business to complete

I think it's more a case of not wanting to put the owners under any undue pressure or cooking up a storm in the press by making  any comments they can jump on to get a story going. Just keeping it all in-house the Liverpool way. I thinkit's a given he wants the job on a permanent basis, I think his son said as much back in the summer.

You can feel the clamour building for them to announce it as permanent but I'd like to see things continue as they are, just focus on the game ahead, no distractions, no media fuss and sort Kenny's new and permanent future in the summer. I love the idea that the players are playing for him to get the job full-time and if they are, then use that to our advantage.

[Fowler_E7]

I think Dalglish is a shoe in for the job full time, hes a God to the supporters and the owners would be insane to remove the good feeling around the club right now. However i think what scottbot says is correct, we should save the announcement until the summer,let the players ride the crest of a wave.

[Sean]

I remember as a seven year old watching the 1981 league cup semi final replay against West Ham when Kenny scored a cracking goal to win the cup for Liverpool.  For the next ten years I idolised him and in a weird sort of way last Sunday against Chelsea I felt I was reliving my childhood as Kenny worked his magic again for Liverpool.

[alwayslfc]

Been a born again Kopite recently after all the false dawns of the Houllier and Rafa tenures. (Let's forget the nightmare of RH's era and the ownership issues late last year).

We all know what is the Liverpool Way of playing football but the style of play and success of any club still solely depends on who is in the hot seat. We can talk and boast about the Liverpool Way all year long but if the manager esp. a foreign one has his own ideas like defensive football or play to win of Houllier's and squad rotation of Rafa's, then the Lvp Way is thrown out of the window.

KK and perhaps Roy Evans are unfortunately the only survivors and who can get the team to play the Lvp way. If this Lvp Way (which I love) is not passed on, it will be extinct.

The question now is, which one is more important, the continue the legacy of Lvp Way OR make sure whoever is in charge after May can get us winning the EPL on a consistent basis?

I would love to see KK remain in charge for a few more seasons and winning the EPL  before he retires and hopefully there will be a smooth transition from KK to the new guy unlike what happened 20 yrs ago when he shocked us all with his bomb shell resignation.

For me, personally, I'd love to see the Lvp Way of football perpetuates on BUT what's more important is be a frequent EPL champion with or without Lvp Way.

[alwayslfc]

I think KK himself in his heart would want to continue on after May.

Just think, if you spend tens of millions of pounds of the club's money on Suarez and Carroll and the club on its way up the ladder(hopefully) and at the end of the day you raised both your hands and say "Okay, I've done my part as a 911 manager to get Lvp out of the mess and I want to get back to my previous life of playing golf and charity work".  It just doesn't make sense if that happens.

But then, I'm not KK but this is my belief.

[Sean]

Just a thought.....but maybe bringing Steve Clarke in was partly motivated by preparing for Jose Mourinho to take over in the summer.  I'm sure if Mourinho returns to the premiership he'll want to reunite with Clarke given the partnerships previous success.

[Ciggy]

Just a thought.....but maybe bringing Steve Clarke in was partly motivated by preparing for Jose Mourinho to take over in the summer.  I'm sure if Mourinho returns to the premiership he'll want to reunite with Clarke given the partnerships previous success.

Dont be daft.

[Ben Patrick]

Just a thought.....but maybe bringing Steve Clarke in was partly motivated by preparing for Jose Mourinho to take over in the summer.  I'm sure if Mourinho returns to the premiership he'll want to reunite with Clarke given the partnerships previous success.

Dont be daft.

i have heard this a few times, at the end of the day if Mourinho wanted to be still with Clarke wouldnt he have took him to Inter and then Madrid ?
Clarke has been brought in by Kenny because he is a top coach.
Simple as that.