FOOTY FAIR

Missed Connections: Sides That Surprisingly Haven't Played Each Other More Often

2016-04-06T09:23:00.000-04:00

Some club and international sides just seem to be made to play one another as they dominate competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup or other "inter-nations" title. Nonetheless, as unlikely as it may seem, this list is about sides that you would swear have played one another a lot more often than they actually have.

Liverpool v Manchester United (European Competition)

Until their recent Europa League meeting, Liverpool and Manchester United have never met in Europe before. The two English football rivals have made it to the same UEFA competitions on numerous ocassions, but 2016 would mark their first ever showdown, with Liverpool knocking The Red Devils out of the tournament over a two-leg battle.

Brazil v Germany (World Cup)

With 9 FIFA World Cup titles between them and at least one of them qualifying to the semi-finals of the tournament in each of the World Cup editions since 1934 (2nd World Cup), it's hard to believe that the two have not played each other even once until 2002 when Brazil beat the Germans in that year's World Cup final match. Brazil did play an East German side in 1974, but West Germany is considered as modern Germany when football statistics are tallied.

Benfica v Real Madrid

Despite both clubs being extremely successful in their domestic leagues, Spanish side Real Madrid and Portuguese club Benfica haven't played a competitive match against one another since 1965. A bit hard to believe as it seems we see the two compete in the Champions League every single season. The last time the two met, Benfica knocked Real Madrid out of the 1964-65 European Cup competition with a 6-3 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.

England v Scotland

In 1870, the first international football match in history was one played between Scotland and England. The two rivals have played each other many times since, but in recent years the two have not been able to "lock horns" in any competitive match. Aside from a couple friendlies, England and Sctoland haven't played against each other in a competitive match since 1999; that's 17 years for those that lost track of time. That is all about to change however, as the two were drawn into the same group in the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (Champions League Final)

Real Madrid's first European Cup title came in 1952, FC Bayern's in 1974 and Barcelona's first Champions League trophy in 1992. But despite the incredible 20 titles and 11 runner-up achievements between the three clubs, they have never faced each other in the final. A little hard to believe, considering they seem like the only 3 sides we ever watch in the latter stages of the competition (at least in the last decade or so).

If you have more impressive missed connections you'd like to tell us about, comment below!

Throwback Thursdays: David "Rocky" Rocastle

2016-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

In the early hours of March 31, 2001 former Arsenal hero and England international David "Rocky" Rocastle lost his brave battle with cancer, succumbing to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at 33 years of age.

Although there have been more talented and decorated players for Arsenal, there have been few who were as beloved as Rocky.

Born in Lewisham, London to Caribbean parents, Rocastle started his youth career with Arsenal as a 15 year old in 1982. A smooth dribbling but hard working midfielder with an eye for goal, by 1984 he had debuted for the first team squad before eventually becoming a regular during the 1985-1986 season.

In 1987 he forever endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful by scoring a late winner against rivals Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the League Cup semi-final, a competition the Gunners would ultimately win. Believe it or not, Arsenal didn't have the best of records at the Lane during that period, so this was a massive result for the club.

In September of 1988, Rocky made his debut for England which little did he know at the time would kick off a memorable season.

Playing in every match for the Gunners during a memorable 1988-1989 campaign, he would be at the heart of a side involved in one of the greatest title races ever.

Fighting all season long for the league championship with the dominant team of the era, Liverpool, Rocastle and his Arsenal teammates went into a season ending crunch match at Anfield that the Gunners had to win to tie the Merseyside outfit on points at the top of the table.

But a win alone wouldn't be enough, as they had to do it by two clear goals to snatch the title by virtue of more goals scored, as they would also be tied on goals difference if Arsenal won by a two goal margin.

After a scoreless first half, Arsenal took the lead through Alan Smith seven minutes after the break to edge the Gunners close to the title. Liverpool dug in though, and it looked like Arsenal were going to fall agonizingly short before Michael Thomas scored a last gasp goal in injury time to send the title to Highbury for the first time in 18 years.

Rocky and his teammates that he emerged from the youth side with, like Paul Merson and Tony Adams, would lead the Gunners to another title in 1990-1991.

Departing for Leeds in 1992, he spent a lone season at Elland Road before stints with Manchester City and Chelsea. Injury hampered much of his later career, so these clubs never quite saw the best of him.

In total, Rocastle played 14 times for England over a career where he was as popular with fans for his warm personality off the pitch as he was for his skillful play on it.

Retiring at age 31 through injury, within two years he had lost a short but terrible battle with cancer leaving a wife, two young daughters and a son behind.

His passing came just before a North London derby, and despite fears that a moment of silence for Rocky would be interrupted, Spurs fans remained dignified as their tearful rivals paid tribute to one of their departed heroes.

Football's Greatest Sides - Part 3 of 5: Liverpool FC (1977 to 1984)

2016-03-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Despite not having won a domestic league title since 1990 and a European trophy since 2005, Liverpool Football Club was, at one point, one of the most feared club sides in all of Europe. The late 1970's and a good portion of the 80's solidified (at least for a long while) Liverpool's spot as the most successful club in England and a European club competition powerhouse.

The 1974 hiring of manager and former Liverpool footballer Bob Paisley would pave the way to 6 First Division titles (5 between 1977 and '84), 3 League Cup trophies, 3 European Cups, a UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

In his first season in charge, Paisley's side managed to capture the FA Charity Shield, but it wouldn't be until the 1976-77 season when Liverpool would put themselves on the map as true contenders for every competition they participated in.

The signings of Kenny Dalglish in 1977 from Scottish side Celtic and one Graeme Souness the following year proved crucial to Liverpool's success in the coming seasons. With the likes of Kevin Keegan and Phil Neal already in the squad Liverpool's teamwas exciting and very hard to defeat on any given match-day.

In 1976 and '77 Liverpool captured the league title, both seasons coming in just 1 point ahead of the runner-ups. But 1977 also brought silver-wear to Merseyside that The Reds have never laid hands on before; for the first time in the club's history Liverpool would make it all the way to the European Cup final, capturing the coveted title with a 3-1 win over German side Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The following year Liverpool missed out on the league title, coming second to Nottingham Forrest. But their European play did not suffer as a result, with the club capturing a second European Cup title in consecutive years. In the final against Belgian side Club Brugge played in front of a 92,000 strong crowd at Wembley Stadium in London, Kenny Dalglish's lone goal off of a pass from fellow Scotsman Graeme Souness was enough to crown Liverpool as Europe's best club once more.

The following two seasons The Reds were unable to capture the European Cup, as Forest surprised the footballing world by winning the cup two years in a row. But the impressive Liverpool side led by scoring leaders Kenny Dalglish and David Johnson would not let the first-round let downs in Europe discourage the side from other major achievement. The 1978-79 season saw Liverpool claim the league title once more, coming in an impressive 8 points ahead Nottingham Forest. The following year they successfully defended their place as England's best with a 2 point finish ahead of bitter rivals Manchester United.

Over the next three seasons, Paisley's last as the bench-boss for the side, Liverpool would go on to win an additional 2 league titles and their third European Cup, a tournament in which The Reds went undefeated and won the trophy with a 1-0 final win against Europe's most successful side, Spanish club Real Madrid.

It was immediately after Paisley's departure as manager however, that Liverpool would have their year to remember. Now under the management of Paisley's former assistant Joe Fagan, Liverpool could (almost) do no wrong during the 1983-84 football season. A fourth round defeat in the FA Cup would be the club's only blemish on the season, a tournament Liverpool could not win in the aforementioned years of glory.

But despite yet another FA Cup upset, Liverpool would complete the most successful season in the club's history. In March of 1984 Liverpool qualified to the League Cup Final and a date with city rivals Everton for the first trophy of the year. The initial final at Wembley finished with a 0-0 draw despite extra-time being played and the replay match was scheduled for three days later at Manchester City's former ground Maine Road. In Manchester extra-time would not be necessary as Graeme Souness' 21st minute goal would hand the League Cup to the red side of Merseyside.

As May of 1984 came around, Liverpool's history would change for ever. On May 12th, 1984, Liverpool would clinch their third consecutive First Division title with a match to spare, becoming only the 3rd club to accomplish this achievement. Eighteen days later The Reds would have to take on AS Roma in the European Cup final, at the Stadio Olimpico nonetheless. A win in Rome would engrave Liverpool FC's name as the first English club to win a "treble".

As was the case in the First Division, Liverpool's Welsh striker Ian Rush would also be the club's top scoring forward in this competition. Despite not scoring in Liverpool's first round of play against Danish side Odense Boldklub or in the final versus AS Roma, Rush would go on to score match-winning goals in all three rounds leading up to the final match. Brushing Athletic Bilbao, SL Benfica and Dinamo Bucharest aside, LFC were now one match away from recording English football history.

In Rome, where Liverpool have won the European Cup final once already in 1977, The Reds did not waste much time as fullback Phil Neal pounced on an odd bounce off of Roma's keeper Franco Tancredi's head to put the ball in the back of the net. Roma fought back however and were level just minutes before the half time as a header from Roberto Pruzzo was too much for Liverpool shot-stopper Bruce Grobbelaar to handle. Scoreless after the two initial goals, the match would be decided in the penalty-shootouts.

Liverpool's first shot from youngster Steve Nicol went over the bar and the "home" side had immediate advantage. But with Roma's legendary winger Bruno Conti and talented striker
Francesco Graziani both putting their shots over the goal as well, the calm and cool of Liverpool's stars Phil Neal, Graeme Souness, Ian Rush and Alan Kennedy would prove crucial as all four slotted their shot into the back of Franco Tancredi's net to become the first ever English side to win three major titles in one season and their 4th European Cup title in 7 years; success of proportions the club has yet to see since.

After the 1983-84 season Liverpool's success rate would plummet. The club would go on to win three more league titles, including their last to-date in 1990 and a UEFA Champions League title in 2005; with the side from the mid 1970's to mid 1980's still regarded not only as Liverpool's best, but also as one of the most impressive club eras in Europe.

Former Liverpool Keeper: "I Don't Do Porn Films, Just Insurance!"

2016-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Since retiring from football in 2005, a rumour had been going around that former Leicester City and Liverpool keeper Pegguy Arphexad had reinvented himself as a star in the world of adult entertainment.

After a miserable three seasons at Liverpool, the Frenchman was said to have become a porn star nicknamed "The Stopper" according to various internet sources.
Before I descend into outrageously filthy innuendos about Arphexad keeping it tight at the back or getting a good fist to it, the man in question this week said the following to the Leicester Mercury:

"Look, this is a bad rumour. It’s been going round a long time.
One English guy wrote on the internet years and years ago that I was doing this and now people say to me: ‘Hey, are you making porn films?’
I haven’t made any porn films, okay. I don’t do that. I work for a sports insurance company. That’s what I do.

Put it in your paper – I don’t do porn films, just insurance, okay?"

And that right there might be a contender for line of the year.

5 Interesting Manager Facts - Rafael Benítez

2016-03-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

With news of Spanish manager Rafael Benítez due to take over reigns at yet enother EPL club, this time relegation battling Newcastle United, here are a few interesting facts about "Rafa".

Real reserve

Benitez spent the first 7 years of his playing career with Real Madrid Castilla, which is essentially the reserve or 'B' side for Spanish giants Real Madrid. Although it is mostly for the benefit of developing young talent to become the future of the senior squad, Rafa managed to stay with the reserve squad from the age of 14 to 21 before leaving for AD Parla in the third division of Spanish football.

Rafa the champ

As a footballer Benitez did not enjoy a lot of glory and even split time between playing football and studying in University. But before he retired from professional playing at the age of 26, Rafa won one trophy in 1982, that the title for the Tercera División which is the fourth tier in Spain.

Last manager to...

Currently Rafa Benitez holds the recognition of being the last to win many different trophies with the various clubs he had coached. He is still the last manager to have club Extramadura promoted to LaLiga. He is the last to win the FA Cup, the UEFA SuperCup and the Champions League with Liverpool. Last to win the Italian SuperCopa with Inter Milan and the last manager to win LaLiga and UEFA Cup with Valencia.

Only Spaniard for Reds and Blues

Simple as that; Rafa Benitez has so far been the only Spanish coach to take charge of Liverpool or Chelsea. Neither club has hired a Spanish manager before or after Benitez.

Madrid in the blood

Born in Madrid, Rafa Benitez's father was a die-hard Real Madrid supporter. That is a bit surprising considering that Rafa's grandfather (the Father's father) was an Atletico Madrid fan.

El-Hadj Diouf Doesn't Rate Liverpool's Legends

2016-02-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

To say that El-Hadj Diouf had a difficult time at Liverpool following his glittering performances for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup is a huge understatement.

The temperamental forward, who landed himself in hot water for spitting at opposition fans and opponents several times throughout his career, underperformed badly at Anfield during his brief stint on Merseyside.

But that hasn't caused him to hold back on his criticism of two of the club's legends.

After Jamie Carragher wrote in his recent biography that Diouf is the worst player he played with at Liverpool, he responded with the following spectacular barbs against not only Carragher, but also the saintly Steven Gerrard during an interview late last year and then an explosive follow up this week.

Sit back and enjoy.

"Steven Gerrard is a great club player but an egotist. He didn’t care about Liverpool winning – all that mattered for him was getting on the scoresheet.
The person I would least want to spend Christmas with is Jamie Carragher. I hate him.
He was the biggest turkey I’ve seen on a pitch. I found him useless."

"The difference between Jamie [Carragher] and me is that I am a world-class player and he is shit. The type of shit that writes a book and mentions me all the time. Me, in my book, he does not warrant one phrase: he's a fucking loser.”

"I carried the national team for many years, 14 million fans on my shoulders. When we won, it was thanks to me, when we lost, it was my fault. What I represented for Senegal, he [Gerrard] never managed 100th of that for England. He has never done anything in the World Cup or the Euros.

When I arrived at Liverpool, seeing as I just did what I wanted, he thought that I did not respect the club. But he downright killed his team by slipping against Chelsea. If Liverpool has never won the Premier League, it's no accident. What goes around, comes around.”

Tell us how you really feel, El-Hadj.

The Case for Walking Out as a Form of Protest

2016-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

When Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the American owners of Liverpool FC announced their revamped pricing structure for next season's match tickets they probably expected a bit of grumbling, but likely weren't expecting such a robust backlash from the club's supporters.

More than 10,000 Liverpool fans walked out of the stadium in the 77th minute of the 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday, in a clear nod towards the £77 price tag attached to the most expensive seats in the new Main Stand next season.

Feeling ripped off and deciding that it was time to draw a line in the sand, supporters groups Spion Kop 1906 and the Spirit of Shankly had organized the walk out beforehand and are reportedly planning their next move.

In the meantime, FSG will have some thinking to about whether or not their proposed pricing increases should go ahead now that they know the level of the supporters frustrations.

Following the match debate raged on social media and football phone-in shows over whether or not this was the best way to take action against the club's owners. While there are those that are supportive of Liverpool's supporters who walked out, a sizeable number of people feel that this sort of collective action is detrimental to the players and that it would be more effective to hit the owners in the pocket book by not buying anything at the ground.

In 2009, the Toronto FC supporters group I belonged to staged a walkout after a laughable performance by the club away to Vancouver. That loss in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship was only the tipping point as we felt aggrieved at the second straight season of ticket price increases. On top of that we were annoyed by the horribly cynical moves by the club's owners MLSE, like forcing half season ticket holders to purchase Toronto Marlies minor league hockey tickets as well as their football tickets.

The fact that the hated, and clueless, Mo Johnston was still the club's general manager at that point didn't help matters either.

Initially all of the club's major supporters groups agreed to stage an organized walkout, but for a variety of reasons we were the only ones that went through with it. Because we didn't have a large number of people participating, the impact of our protest was lessened. Yet in spite of that, and the resulting backlash we got from some of our own fans, if I had to do it again I would without hesitation.

I've never been comfortable with the attitude of "just support the boys on the pitch", as I feel that sometimes ownership needs to be held accountable. Supporters being unified and organized against unfair treatment is the only weapon we have.

They may view us as customers, and I suppose technically we are, but we are really we are fans and football without fans is nothing.

If you're going to trumpet the atmosphere in the stands when marketing the club, have a thought for who creates that atmosphere.

If you were a season ticket holder at a club that was raising prices to unacceptable levels would you participate in a walkout?

Jurgen Klopp and Crappy Merchandise

2016-01-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

For the latest example of football merchandise gone mad, Liverpool aren't letting the uneven start to manager Jurgen Klopp stint at Anfield get in the way of making a bit of cash.

With "Kloppmania" all the rage on Merseyside, the club have put in an application to trademark his phrase "The Normal One" across Europe.

The goal is to slap it on t-shirts, scarves, hats, duvets and possibly condoms.

Alright I made up the last one, but who wouldn't want a wild eyed, crazy bearded German, yelling out his now famous catchphrase in a comic speech bubble on the side of their shaft?

Klopp came out with the phrase, when introduced to the British media, as a way of differentiating himself from Jose Mourinho.

The club have already started selling t-shirts with The Normal One emblazoned on them for £15.99 in their club shop.

Wonderful stuff, unless he gets sacked by Christmas.

What I'll Miss the Most About Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool Boss

2015-10-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

With Liverpool FC currently on a dismal run of only one win in nine matches, following their 1-1 draw in the Merseyside derby with Everton today, Fenway Sports Group decided to relieve Brendan Rodgers of his managerial duties immediately.

While some Liverpool fans seemed to think the club might have given him a little more time, the majority appeared to believe that the Northern Irishman had taken the club as far as he could and agreed with the move.

Meanwhile fans of Liverpool's greatest rival Manchester United took to Twitter and with a dash of black humour mourned the loss of a bitter opponent's manager who they viewed as utterly inept.

For the sake of humour we spoke to a United fan who asked to remain anonymous, so that he doesn't occur the wrath of angry Scousers, but suggested that we refer to him as Bruce Wayne.

We'll just go with anonymous, Bruce. Anyhow, here are the things this fella will miss about Rodgers being at the helm at Anfield:

Rodgers bright white veneers that glistened even at the lowest moments will prove a massive loss to the Anfield touchline. I'll miss those wonderful chompers and how they sparkled even when United were taking the lead.
Another thing I'll miss about his appearance is his glowing tan that made him look a Terry's Chocolate Orange wrapper or perhaps Tara Reid from Sharknado. Not seeing that "just come back from me holidays in Benidorm" glow is another cruel loss to English football.
Brendan's spectacularly shitty record in the transfer market is a devasting loss to United and Liverpool's other rivals. Since the summer of 2012 he's blown £292 million, while working with an equally crap transfer committee that could somehow field a flop eleven made up of: Bogdan, Cissokho, Sakho, Lovren, Manquillo, Assaidi, Luis Alberto, Markovic, Borini, Balotelli, and Aspas. Makes for grim reading, or perhaps brilliant reading dependent upon your perspective.
His inability to keep his key players won't be missed at Anfield I'm assuming. OK, Luis Suarez was probably always leaving for Barcelona, but to use the £75 million you received for him on utter garbage like Lovren and Balotelli, and then alienate your other key player Raheem Sterling, while shoving club legend Stephen Gerrard out the door is hilarious mismanagement.
On top of everything though, his ridiculous middle management sayings stemming for a delusional sense of self worth will be what I miss the most. You'd need David Brent from The Office to come up with things like the following:

“I’ve always said that you can live without water for many days, but you can’t live for a second without hope.”
"When you’ve got the ball 65-70% of the time, it’s a football death for the other team...It’s death by football.”
"My biggest mentor is myself because I’ve had to study, so that’s been my biggest influence.”
"I will leave no stone unturned in my quest - and that quest will be relentless"

Happy trails Brendan!

Raheem Sterling and the Power of Player Agents

2015-05-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of the more troubling aspects of modern football is the power wielded by player agents and the subsequent advice they give out to impressionable young players.

Take the storm clouds gathering around Liverpool's Raheem Sterling this week.
After a great 2013/2014 season for the Anfield club and being one of the only bright spots for England last summer in Brazil, Sterling was expected to kick on this season and help make up for the departure of a certain Luis Suarez.

But Sterling has struggled with form and fitness this season, and amidst the club trying to get him to agree to a new contract he's gone even more off the boil.

With Liverpool failing to achieve Champions League qualification for next season, Sterling through his agent are trying to force a move.

It appears that the player is dead set on joining one of the top clubs in Europe, with rumours abounding that he would prefer to stay in England, and command a high wage packet.

The fact that the player is only 20 and still has a lot of room to develop has not been lost on many observers.

The popular perception is that Sterling has got delusions of grandeur and an agent that's feeding him a steady diet of terrible advice.

It would appear that after one decent season he suddenly thinks he's good enough to force a move to a massive club.

It seems ridiculous that a player who still has some way to prove himself is forcing the hand of one of England's bigger clubs.

His agent, Aidy Ward hasn't so much as fanned the flames of the situation, but rather taken a blow torch to them.

Speaking to the Evening Standard this week, Ward had the following to say:

"I don’t care about the PR of the club and the club situation. I don’t care. He is definitely not signing. He’s not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing."

He also branded club legend Jamie Carragher, who had advised Sterling to keep his mouth shut, a knob.

It smacks of the entitled behaviour of a lot of young footballers in the Premier League, who get built up by the media and whispered sweet nothings by agents who are only really concerned with lining their own pockets when picking up a percentage of a signing fee.

Sterling is by no means the first player to pull a stunt like this and will be by no means the last. Clubs are continually being dragged over the coals by players and their agents now.

With the disrespect shown by Sterling and his representatives to the club, is it any wonder some Liverpool fans are hoping that he goes to Manchester City, for example, and rots on the bench like Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair?

It appears that Raheem has as much sense as his ridiculous haircuts suggest he does.

A Photographic Tribute for the Departing Steven Gerrard

2015-05-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

Love him or hate him Stevie G will always be remembered as a legend of the English Premier League and more specific Liverpool Football Club. With more than 500 appearances for his club and over 100 caps for England's national team, even the most dedicated rival club fan must surely recognize and respect this one-club man's achievement and dedication to his side. As he played his last match in front of the Anfield crowd yesterday, Gerrard is about to join his new employer, Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, but will surely always be remembered as a Liverpool man.

FFN: Steven Gerrard Joins Pokerstars

2015-04-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

Steven Gerrard is playing his last season in the Premier League before moving to MLS to reportedly represent the LA Galaxy.

The move to North America and MLS will allow Gerrard more free time than what he is used to have while playing for Liverpool. A shorter season, and without the demands of Champions League or Europa League football and League Cup or FA Cup, the soon to be former Liverpool captain, is on the brink of signing with Pokerstars and start a career as a professional poker player.

He has always wanted to try his luck and play the WPT and other high roller tournaments across the world. The move to MLS and Los Angeles will give him the ability to realize his dream and be the newest addition to the Pokerstars roster.

He is not expected to participate in this year’s main event in Las Vegas, but his goal is to be there in 2016 once he has gained more experience and feels comfortable enough to compete at that level.

During the season he will be playing mostly online, but his proximity to Vegas will allow him to be a regular at casinos. Friends tell us that Gerrard is a very good and intelligent poker player and that his move to Los Angeles was in part due to his desire to play poker professionally and full time, which he expects to do by 2017.

**********
Thank you for reading FootyFair’s Friday Fake News. Please note that none of the above is true.

The Remarkable Story of England's Fara Williams

2015-04-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

To say that England's most capped footballer at senior level for either the men's or women's sides came from the street isn't a hyperbolic comment on her honing her skills as a youth on asphalt, but rather that for seven years she was homeless.
Liverpool and England's Fara Williams story is one of the more remarkable ones heading into this summer's Women's World Cup in Canada.

The 30 year old midfielder, who has been capped a remarkable 130 times for England and 5 times for Great Britain, has not followed a traditional path to the top of the women's game by any means.

After a dispute with her family, she left home at age 17 and was living on the streets of London, just trying to survive. In an interview with the Guardian last year she spoke of learning to act as if she was suffering from mental problems so people wouldn't approach or harm her on the street.

Incredibly while all this was going on, and those around her were succumbing to the temporary escapism provided by drugs and alcohol, she continued to play football at a high level and even made her full debut for England.

Whereas men's football is awash with money, women's football in the UK particularly when Williams was making her breakthrough was largely amatuer, and the budding England international found herself living between social assistance cheques.

Keeping her difficult situation a secret from her teammates, it was only after being away for a under 19 meetup with England that former manager Hope Powell recognized that Williams had difficulties away from the pitch and helped her get into a homeless hostel, so at least she wasn't on the street.

After several years of living between hostels, while also plying her trade for Charlton Athletic Ladies, she made a move to Everton and it was on Merseyside that her life off of the pitch would turn around for the better.

Then Everton boss Mo Marley helped her get a paid position as a skills coach with the English Football Association and, after initially staying with a teammate after joining Everton, Williams was able to get her own place.

Success on the pitch followed as she was a part of the Everton side who captured the 2008 Women's FA Premier League Cup and the 2010 Women's FA Cup.

A midfield general, who is capable of playing in a holding role or in advanced positions, after moving across Stanley Park to rivals Liverpool in 2012, Williams helped the club break Arsenal Ladies domestic dominance by winning back to back FA Women's Super League titles.

This summer in Canada, Williams is expected to provide the lynchpin for the Three Lionesses as they hope to get past the Women's World Cup Quarter-Final stage for the first time.

No matter how her side does this summer though, Fara Williams provides a wonderful example of someone who survived the odds, and through hardwork and determination fulfilled their dreams.

When Football is Snuck into Music

2015-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

When people think of music and football they invariably think of football specific songs like New Order's "World in Motion", The Lightning Seeds' "Three Lions", or I suppose Shakira's "Waka Waka".

But sometimes the connection between music and football is a little more subtle, with obscure references in song lyrics or images of players appearing in the background of album covers.

In 1967 when The Beatles released their seminal work "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" one of the many interesting features of the album was in fact the cover. This iconic album cover, designed by artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth from an ink drawing by Paul McCartney, featured a collage of 57 photographs and 9 waxworks of celebrities and iconic figures behind the band.

It was meant to show the changing cultural landscape of the 1960's and the blurring of the lines between what had previously been viewed as high culture, with the inclusion of economists or even playwrights like George Bernard Shaw for example, and low culture in terms of athletes, musicians and film stars.

One of the figures depicted in that collage, amidst the likes of James Dean, Bob Dylan, Karl Marx and Marilyn Monroe, is former Liverpool FC centre forward Albert Stubbins. The Beatles were of course from Merseyside and it was only fitting that the only footballer to feature on the cover was a Liverpool player who had bagged 75 goals for the club, and helped them to a league title, when the "Fab Four" were youngsters.

This wouldn't be the only time The Beatles referenced football in their work, in their 51 second throwaway track 'Dig It' on the album "Let It Be" the band name-checks Manchester United's legendary Sir Matt Busby. Noting the intense rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool, one may wonder if Busby's name was included as a cheeky reference to the fact that he had actually played for the Anfield club in the 1930's before managing United.

Liverpool FC also found themselves featuring in Pink Floyd's song "Fearless", which opens and closes with a snippet of their fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone". The song also features the lyric, "New car, caviar, four-star daydream. Think I'll buy me a football team". Sounds like a plan to me.

Lifelike Celtic fan Shane McKowan of the Irish band The Pogues dropped this line into the song "Down All Days" about Irish writer Christy Brown, "I have often had to depend upon the kindness of strangers, but I've never been asked and I never replied, if I supported Glasgow Rangers." This lyric likely speaks to the religious and political divide between Protestant Rangers and Catholic Celtic more than it actually being about football though.

Although singer/songwriter, Steven Patrick Morrissey has said that he only "keeps a lazy eye on football", he has slipped a few nods towards the beautiful game into his work over the years. Most notably with The Smith’s "Frankly Mr. Shankly”, which is named after the legendary Liverpool boss Bill Shankly and his solo 1997 single, “Roy’s Keen", which is a play on the name of the former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

In the 'Mancunian Miserablists' autobiography, Morrissey described his father taking him to Old Trafford for the first time as an eight year old and being so overcome by the crowd and from seeing the legendary George Best in person that he fainted and had to be taken out of the ground. Football is not for the faint of heart is it?

Another former Manchester group, led by a pair of brothers who would likely never admit to fainting at football but would certainly make no bones about who they support are the Gallagher brothers from Oasis.

The two Manchester City fans managed to get a picture of Sky Blues legend Rodney Marsh onto the cover of their 1994 debut album "Definitely Maybe", but still allowed bassist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs to sneak in a picture of Manchester United's George Best onto the cover as well.

It's not a huge secret that American hiphop star and music mogul Jay-Z is a fan of English football and he even hinted a few years back that he was interested in investing in Arsenal, but it's not as well known that on the final track of 2007's American Gangster he dropped in a little football reference.

He ended the record by wishing us a "Freddy Adu".

Throwback Thursdays: Wonder of Istanbul

2015-03-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

Known as the “Wonder of Istanbul” the 2005 Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan will go down in history as not only one of the greatest matches of all time but the most epic Champions League final ever played.

Liverpool were the clear underdogs heading into this match, and when by halftime AC Milan had scored three unanswered goals, this looked to be one of the most lopsided games in the history of the tournament.

Maldini scored only after 57 seconds and Hernan Crespo added two more to give the Italian giants a comfortable lead in what looked to be an easy victory.

Nobody watching the game or perhaps even playing it believed that the trophy would be going anywhere else other than San Siro, with the exception of one man, Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool captain led the fight and got Liverpool on the board with a header shortly after the start of the second half.

Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, had made a critical move at halftime, by bringing in midfielder Didi Hamann to cover Kaka and stop the quality balls getting towards the Milan front line. This allowed for Xabi Alonso and Gerrard to have more room in midfield and assert themselves in a position to be able to recover the ball and launch quick attacks.

A minute after Gerrard scored, Vladimir Smicer took a tremendous shot that went low and through Dida’s hands. Only five minutes after that Liverpool had leveled the game. Xabi Alonso scored after Dida saved the initial penalty shot from Alonso. In the span of five or six minutes, Liverpool had done what most had thought to be the impossible, and tied the game at three apiece.

The game ended in a 3-3 draw and the extra time did nothing to change the score line with both teams playing on an empty tank and clearly waiting for penalties to decide their fate, but it was Liverpool’s keeper Jerzy Dudek that would end up being the hero of the game by making two incredible saves in the 117th minute, stopping Shevchenko from giving AC Milan the win.

His heroics continued to the penalty kicks where he saved a penalty kick from Pirlo and Shevchenko to give his team the 3-2 win on penalties and complete one of the most incredible comebacks in football history.

Sunday Trivia - 5 Faceless Players - Liverpool Edition (Revisited)

2015-02-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

This week we revisit a Liverpool faceless player trivia from last summer. Why you ask? Well, oddly enough this is the only trivia we have had in which not a single person had guessed all 5 players correctly. Can you?

1

2

3

4

5

Sunday Trivia - 5 Faceless Players - Liverpool Edition 2.0

2015-01-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

This week on Sunday Trivia we take a break from 'Spot the Ball' and we go back to our readers' favorite '5 Faceless Players' with the second installment of Liverpool FC.

1

2

3

4

5

Liverpool Wants Kit Sponsorship Record Deal

2015-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Liverpool is looking at setting a new club record for kit sponsorship deal, according to Bloomberg.

Currently Liverpool has a deal in place with London based bank Standard Chartered, that is worth around 20 million pounds a year and that comes to an end in 2016.

Spurred by some of the latest deals from Manchester United and Arsenal, Liverpool is looking at finding a new sponsor for their kits that would pay in the neighborhood of 30 million pounds a year. This deal would put Liverpool in 2nd place with Arsenal as far as the most lucrative kit sponsorship deals in the Premier League are concerned.

Arsenal is currently receiving that same amount from Emirates, trailing only Manchester United that is receiving 47 million pounds a year from Chevrolet. Chelsea will also be moving to a new sponsor, while letting go of Samsung. The new sponsorship deal is rumored to be with Turkish Airlines in the neighborhood of 25 million pounds a year.

When contacted by Bloomberg, Liverpool public relations had this to say:

"We are engaged in ongoing conversations with Standard Chartered regarding extending the partnership and continually delivering excellent commercial and community value,"

One of the companies approached by Liverpool to perhaps take over from their existing sponsor is Japanese firm, Nomura Holdings that also operates in the financial sector.

Their kit manufacture deal with New Balance/Warrior also comes to an end in 2016, so they will also be looking at upgrading their financial revenue when it comes to the manufacture of their kits and gear.

Losing Gerrard next season, after the loss of Suarez this season, will make things more difficult for them when it comes to the bargain power for more lucrative deals, but they are still one of the most recognizable products in world football, and I am sure someone will pay to have their name associated with Liverpool.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

With an array of exciting matches on the go this weekend, we will be watching action from Scotland, Italy, England and of course the FIFA Club World Cup finals.

Dundee United vs. Celtic (Scotland - Sunday)

A good one on display in the Scottish Premier League this coming Sunday as third place Dundee United hosts league leader Celtic. With The Terrors sitting just 7 points behind the Glasgow club, a home match with the leaders is just what the club needs if they are planning to catch up to the number one spot. Celtic on the other hand have the previous meeting to look at for motivation as The Bhoys ran riot over their opponents on the 16th of August with a 6-1 final win.

Roma vs. AC Milan (Italy - Saturday)

Perhaps Milan is not the same successful club it used to be in years past, but meetings between capital city club AS Roma and AC Milan are almost always entertaining. Milan is having a mediocre season by their standards so far, picking up 6 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses in their first 15 matches; occupying the 7th spot in the Serie A table. AS Roma on the other hand is experiencing a resurgence in the past few years, sitting in the second spot in the table 4 points behind league leaders Juventus (with a game in hand). Roma has yet to lose on home ground this year and tend to look like a much better outfit at the Stadio Olimpico.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal (England - Sunday)

Wenger in, Wenger out, what's the story with The Gunners' supporters this year? Whatever the case, Wenger seems to now be safe from the boo-birds as a couple of good recent results have now turned around the opinions of those who were asking for the sacking of the manager that has been at the club for 18 years. At Liverpool the story is quite a bit different. After finishing in second place last season Brendan Rodgers' side has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League competition in the group stages, and the club is currently sitting 11th in the EPL table. Last weekend's 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester United pretty much summed up Liverpool's season to date, and it doesn't get much easier when they host Arsenal. Liverpool can be hopeful however as The Gunners are nursing a few injuries and the fact that Arsenal suffered all but one of their four losses this year on the road. Liverpool on the other hand lost 7 times already this year, but only two of those defeats were on home soil at Anfield.

Newcastle United vs. Sunderland (England - Sunday)

The big derby of North-East London will be on display this Sunday and regardless of their record in the league when these two meet in the Tyne-Wear derby the competitive nature of this fixture almost always creates for entertaining football and atmosphere.This weekend's match is hosted in Newcastle's St. James' Park ground and the home team will surely look to bounce back after two heavy defeats in North London to Arsenal and Chelsea, where The Magpies conceded 8 goals between the two matches, scoring just once. Sunderland on the other hand are just two points clear of the relegation zone and will feel that a win against their arch rivals who sit fairly comfortable in the 8th spot would be a perfect way to turn their season around.

Real Madrid vs. San Lorenzo (FIFA Club World Cup - Saturday)

The debate is on whether the FIFA Club World Cup matters at all and whether fans around the world even care about this very oddly formatted competition. Nonetheless, as a football fan if they are going to crown the world's best club of the year, we will be watching. It seems like this year it's a no-brainer with Real Madrid very much looking unbeatable and with Argentinian side San Lorenzo's not so convincing semi-final extra-time win over New Zeland's Auckland City FC the competition seems to be quite a bit predictable. However, South American sides in this competition have surprised Europe's power-house clubs such as Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea on a number of occasions. On the other hand, those South American clubs were all from Brazil, while the two Argentinian sides that managed to reach the finals both lost.

Football Club Babes - Liverpool Edition (Gallery)

2014-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

We figured LFC supporters could use a little consolation after the big loss to bitter rivals Manchester United this weekend. So to start off your week on a bit of a high, here are some fine Liverpool fans of the female variety.

5 Matches to Watch this Weekend

2014-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

With some Champions League and Europa League matches behind us we look forward to the weekend which brings us some very juicy matches from England, Portugal and Italy. Here are the 5 we will be keeping a close eye on.

Arsenal vs. Newcastle United (England - Saturday)

If last weekend's Newcastle versus Chelsea match was any indication, another meeting for The Magpies with a London club should be a cracker. Newcastle is facing an injury crisis with many of their regulars including two goalkeepers out due to various knocks and some due to suspension. Nonetheless, the club from the North East managed to hand Chelsea their first loss of the season last weekend and will look to recreate what Stoke City did to The Gunners last week, as Arsenal went 3-2 down to The Potters. Nonetheless, Arsenal is favorite to win and the fixture should produce an excellent match-up for the neutral viewer.

Juventus vs. Sampdoria (Italy - Sunday)

Juventus now find themselves 3 points at the summit of Serie A but the challang this weekend comes in the form of 4th placed Sampdoria who has had a very good start to the season so far. Sitting 10 points behind the league leaders Sampdoria will surely look to this match to cut the lead to 7. Juve has lost just once this season in 14 matches, so Sampdoria's task won't be easy.

Genoa vs. Roma (Italy - Sunday)

Another enticing fixture in Serie A comes via a meeting between 2nd placed Roma travelling to surprise 3rd place Genoa. The Griffins are sitting just 6 points behind the club from the capital with a great start to the year thanks in large to the performances of goalkeeper Mattia Perin and on loan AC Milan forward Alessandro Matri. Roma on the other hand are having a great season themselves, sitting just 3 points back of league leaders Juventus Having suffered just two losses all year, a feat shared with this weekend's rivals Genoa.

FC Porto vs. Benfica (Portugal - Sunday)

It's that time again; the biggest derby in Portugal is set to take place this Sunday and as the case is during many of their meetings the two clubs are occupying the first two places in the league. League leaders SL Benfica are three points ahead of Porto, but unlike the hosts have lost once this year. Porto on the other hand are still holding on to an undefeated record this season and will look to go even with the leaders this weekend.

Manchester United vs. Liverpool (England - Sunday)

It doesn't really matter what place the two are in; hell, it wouldn't even matter if the two clubs were playing in -non-league football. Meetings between Manchester United and Liverpool are always something to look forward to. After a slow start to the year Manchester United are well on their way into a nice winning run, while Liverpool has been struggling since the get go. Brendan Rodgers will surely look to this rivalry meeting to change his side's season around, while van Gaal will not be content with anything but a victory on home ground.

Could Brendan Rodgers Be Sacked By January?

2014-12-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

What a difference a eight months has made for Liverpool and their under pressure manager Brendan Rodgers.
Lauded last season as a tactical genius and the man who looked to be guiding the Merseyside club to their first title in twenty four long years, Rodgers and his side have seen this season descend into chaos after narrowly missing out on the title last spring.

Sitting in ninth place in the Premier League, Liverpool had a chance to lift the gloom at Anfield on Tuesday with a home win over Basel that would have seen them through to the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League.

But after a turgid first half and a comeback that came far too late, Basel were able to hold Rodgers side to a 1-1 draw that dumped them out of the competition and into the poisoned chalice of Thursday night's in the Europa League.

On a night when Liverpool had to win there was a lack of urgency, until the last twenty minutes, but above all a lack of quality from the five times European Champions.

When all was said and done the Anfield side had taken only 5 points out of a possible 18 in the competition and won only one match, a last ditch win over lowly Ludogorets after a ludicrous penalty conceded in injury time by the Bulgarian champions.

It made a mockery of chief executive Ian Ayre’s bold comment that ‘this is our competition’ when Liverpool qualified for Europe's top competition last season after several years in the wilderness.

So where has it all gone wrong for Liverpool this season?

The obvious answer is that the brilliance of Luis Suarez last season seriously glossed over other issues with the squad, such as a porous defence, but his exit alone is not the only answer for their shocking form.

Daniel Sturridge's battle with injuries this season has also dealt the club a crushing blow, as their attack has lacked the sort of edge he would have surely provided for the majority of the season.

The biggest issue seems to have been Rodgers and those responsible for player recruitment at Liverpool, not appropriately planning for Suarez's exit nor adequately strengthening a defense that certainly cost them the title last season.

Instead they took the Tottenham Hotspur approach after the North London club's sale of Gareth Bale, but splashing out the Suarez cash and buying quantity instead of quality. With eight players signed over the summer, most of whom have flattered to deceive so far, Rodgers transfer policy has left a lot to be desired.

There has been a lot of focus on the perceived folly of signing Mario Balotelli, and yes the former Milan striker has been very poor, but it was obvious to anyone who has watched Liverpool play over the past few seasons, that he surely wasn't suited to their style. The signing of Balotelli smacked of a panic buy.

With the new signings failing to gel into the team, captain Steven Gerrard showing his age and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet suddenly becoming a bumbling disaster it's hard to see how Liverpool can turn this season around.

Even Rodgers, a man who seems quite confident in his own ability and philosophy, seems downbeat in recent weeks. With matches coming up against Manchester United and Arsenal, his future could well be on the line.

Longest Penalty Shootouts in Football

2014-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Penalty shootouts can be a very exciting and thrilling way to find a winner of a match, but sometimes that excitement can be replaced with anxiety, more so when the penalty decision drags out pass the usual 5 first takers.

Here are 5 of the longest penalty shootouts in football history.

Brockenhurst vs Andover Town

After the game ended in 0-0 it took 30 penalty takers before the winner was found. Andover Town missed the 30th penalty kick of the game and Brockenhurst won 15-14 on penalty kicks.

Liverpool vs Middlesbrough

The game ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and 2-2 draw after the extra time was played in this Capital One Cup game, so the only way to decide the winner was by having a penalty shootout. 30 penalties were taken before we had a winner, even the goalkeepers of both teams were asked to take a penalty and both converted. It was Albert Adomah from Middlesbrough that missed the 30th penalty giving Liverpool the 14-13 win and advancing to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

England U21 vs Holland U21

The game finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time. The only way to determine who would make it to the 2007 U21 UEFA Championship final was by going into a penalty shootout. 32 penalties were taken and in the end a miss by Anton Ferdinand of England was all the Dutch needed to get a ticket to the final.

Olympiakos vs AEK

At the end of extra time the scoreline was 4-4 in the 2009-09 Greek Cup final. The only way to find a winner was by going into penalty kicks. Olympiakos won the cup after 34 penalty kicks were taken with a final result of 15-14. What a marathon.

KK Palace vs Civics

It took 120 minutes and 48 penalty kicks for the 2005 Namibian Cup final to be awarded to KK Palace. The game was tied 2-2 at the end of the 120 minutes of regular time and extra time, and what followed was a record that perhaps will never be broken of 48 penalty kicks before a winner was found. The final scoreline was 17-16 in favor of KK Palace. This was a game for the ages.

New Balance 2015-16 Liverpool FC Kits Leaked

2014-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Liverpool’s kits for the 2015-16 season will be the first ever that New Balance will be making.

Warrior Football will be re-branded as New Balance and next year’s Liverpool kits will already have the New Balance logo on them.

Mock ups of the three kits have been leaked and as you can see from the picture below, red, white and black will be three colors that will be used for the home, away and third kit. The kits are expected to be released on July 2015.

Liverpool 2015-16 home kit will be red with red socks and red shorts as it has been traditionally done. White will be the color of the away kit; while black will be feature in the third kit. The third kit will have also black socks and shorts with it.

New Balance has now entered the football kit market, and they have done so by starting with one of the most popular clubs in the Premier League.

10 Things Balotelli May Have Done During International Break

2014-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Conte decided to leave Mario Balotelli out of the Italian squad for the last two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Malta. This has left Balotelli with plenty of time on his hands since the domestic leagues also take a break during the international break.

For a guy like Mario, free time is a dangerous tool to have, and the first step on the road to trouble.

Knowing his personality and his willingness to get involved in major shenanigans, here are my 10 things Balotelli may have done with his free time during this international break.

Shop for hats

Mario is a huge fan of eclectic hats, so what better time to walk around the streets of Liverpool looking for new hats to add to his growing collection. It does get cold in England and rain is part of your day to day life so keeping your head warm is a must.

Scoring

He has been struggling with scoring goals on the football field, but his ability to score outside the football grounds can never be questioned. This time of reflection can always be used for him to finally get a hat trick in Liverpool, something he has been working towards since he arrived back in England.

Practice the fine art of dressing himself

It has been well documented the struggles that Balotelli has had with his practice gear. He has been close to hire his own personal assistant to help him with putting the bibs on and off. A few days alone in his room in front of the mirror, maybe all he needs to finally get his technique down to perfection. Nothing is better than impressing Brendan Rodgers during Liverpool’s first full squad practice on Wednesday morning.

Playing with pussy

We all love to play with pussies but Mario seems to have a real soft side for pussies. He loves them, and how can you blame him. So why not kick back, watch Italy play Malta while having your hands stroking one of his favorite pussies.

Reading

By now he must have finished his latest book “I am Zlatan”, and perhaps it is time he picks up a new book. Roy Keane’s latest book could perhaps be a good choice for the “Italian Stallion”, something he can enjoy while taking on some of his house chores.

Hairstyle

Nothing is a bigger picker upper than going to your favorite hairstylist and giving yourself a new look. Mario could use a change perhaps that will help him change his fortunes at Liverpool. At this point he should be willing to try anything.

Spending quality time with his old friend

Mancini is unemployed and Mario has been pretty much useless for the last couple of weeks, perfect timing for the two to get together and discuss some career paths over a few drinks and a nice meal. Mancini could use the company, and Balotelli could use some words of comfort.

Join a survival group

The rapture is near, and everyone should be preparing for the end of the world as we know it. Balotelli should be no exception, and while building a bunker that would hold his ego and personality would be a difficult task to complete, getting everything he owns in camouflage paint is perhaps the wiser and simpler choice to take that first step towards joining a survival group.

Hanging out with the Pope

Perfect time to maybe take a few days off and visit the Pope, if not for nothing they could watch the Italy matches together or even play a game of FIFA 15 on Xbox and see who prevails. Team G.O.D. would have a huge advantage even against Super Mario.

Popping bottles

Screw Conte and Rodgers, He should get all his friends over and pop some bottles and make it rain bitches. Why always him? Because he is the man.