Editorial
By Steven Kelly
From Issue 57, Summer 2002
Must we? Oh well, if we must. I’ll plaster
a smile onto my face and plough through this shit
one more time………WELCOME! To
a brand new season of TTW&R. I haven’t
managed to get everything I was sent into this
issue, but I’m hoping to ‘hit the
ground running’ for the next one, so all
contributions would be appreciated - and could
you get them in to me by yesterday? Cheers. Everything
will be used (eventually). I apologise to those
who wrote in with their various Redknapp tributes
– they’ve been held back for 58, making
my ‘tribute’ in the diary seem even
nastier than usual! The diary is full to bursting
with more waffle than ever. I only managed to
get to June 7th. I’ll catch up next issue,
I promise. There may be more you want to say on
the World Cup, on 2001/02 and on B**y*r, but if
it’s not here in time for issue 58 we’ll
have to draw a line under those subjects and get
on with this exciting, action-packed new season.
I can hardly wait………
One topic that hasn’t been touched on
is the leaving of Anfield. So feel free. I can
honestly say that nobody has written to me about
this. Maybe fans feel that it’s all been
said before, and the club simply isn’t interested.
I appreciate the effort put in by Alan, Will and
Tim at Anfield4Ever, but by their own admission
they’ve been beaten by a lack of popular/ist
outcry. I’ve no reason to doubt their word
that they were consulted by Rick Parry, and that
all other avenues have been exhausted. It’s
Parry I don’t believe. I’ve been a
victim of this ‘openness’, and heard
the most misleading word in the dictionary –
“consultation”. That’s a polite
way of saying “we’ve heard you, we’re
just not listening”. I was ‘consulted’
by the club myself – about calling off the
infamous boycott of Hillsborough in 1999. I said
my piece, and there I was in the match programme
agreeing with their request to call it off! “After
consultation with supporters groups, the bereaved,
fanzines……” – lucky I
had an issue out that had called for a boycott,
but I was used to make the club seem concerned
with fans’ views. Fact is, they’re
not. They never are.
It’s as if Liverpool fans are now beaten
– that the club’s ignorance and greed
has now ground (!) everyone into submission. I’m
sure they’re very proud of that fact. Maybe
we’re waiting for the residents around the
park to make their stand? It was incredibly sly
to make the announcement a week after the season
was over. It was an indirect ‘confession’
that they know there’s something wrong in
what they’re doing, and the 55,000 capacity
is another admission that they know football isn’t
going to be as popular in the future. People are
already starting to pick and choose, and while
Liverpool’s huge, international fan base
gives them an edge over most clubs they are playing
a very dangerous game. By undercutting the importance
of absolutely everything, that bond and fierce
commitment supporters have for their team is being
eroded. Without that, what is the point? For a
few more years of exploiting the ‘hospitality
brigade’ and short-term gain, Liverpool
are making football an occasional pastime and
not a lifetime’s devotion.
Who knows? Maybe they’re doing everyone
a massive favour – maybe it really is time
to get a life? I’m not seeing nearly as
many matches as I used to; even during the dreadful
finish to 93/94, where every away game ended in
defeat, it was unthinkable not to drag my weary,
pissed-off bones to Highbury, Upton Park or a
half-built Ewood. Now, I can shrug my shoulders
and watch it on TV most likely. UEFA finally got
the message about the ‘Champions League’,
but even then the Big Greedy Bastards (our club
front and centre, naturally) are complaining about
it. How do you spell “the good of the game”?
£…£…£…£…£…£…£…£.
ynicism and bitterness can sometimes blind you,
make you forget what you’re going through
all this crap for. The team did well last season,
and many (myself included) have remarked upon
the ‘natural’ progression of recent
league places. Of course, the English championship
is not decided by mathematics, but the squad is
even better now and there’s no reason why
we shouldn’t do well again. Our recent struggles
to gain top spot have simply left us in awe of
those Liverpool teams who made a habit of it.
In a way, they made us blasé about the
whole thing. Twelve years later, we are under
no such illusions. It’s an incredibly difficult
thing to be English champions, but we’re
starting this season with as much confidence as
I can remember since the 80’s. That could
be a bad thing of course, and there are changes
that need to be made if “so close”
is to turn into “yes!”.
We’ve said all along that if these players
have the shackles taken away they can beat anybody.
We’ll be watching the early games closely
for signs of this, but the poor (and petrified)
performance against Real Madrid does not auger
well. It’s also noticeable that (a) Cheyrou
became a big favourite during the Lazio game (b)
he hasn’t been seen since! Fitness doubts
– or Houllier’s perpetual aversion
to any player achieving heroic status? That will
have to change too. We need heroes.
If you’ve already glanced through the
diary, you’ll know I’m still a misery.
If anything, I’m getting worse. I’m
not old enough to be acting like Victor Meldrew’s
grumpier brother, but if I could just see a Liverpool
side play more with the verve and flair that we
saw tiny glimpses of last season, you may well
see a happier, clappier TTW&R from now on.
And then you should take the family down to the
air raid shelter – the end of the world
really would be upon us!
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