December 1st

For many, today will mean the first day that they get to open their advent calender but for a Liverpool fan it means so much more...

50 years ago today Bill Shankly arrived at Anfield with a dream that was almost laughable.

Just before the 'Shankly era' Liverpool FC were struggling. Relegated from the top flight and now struggling in the bottom half of the old second division, it seemed only a miracle could help them. In steps Bill Shankly.

How could a man from a mining town in Scotland create such an impression? Well, he stamped his personality all over Anfield with the players and fans all looking up to him. He understood what needed to be done and he wasn't afraid to step on anyones toes.

Without the influence of Shankly, I'm sure that Liverpool would not be in the place they are now. His sheer determination and visions lifted Liverpool out of a dark period and raised them to where they should be! (Pity he couldn't give Rafa a hand this season...)



"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."

With thanks: Photo: http://pirun.ku.ac.th/~b4801237/Quotes.html

Something personal to me...

To begin with when I was asked to create a blog I thought great! More work for me to do on top of everything else, but with a little research into the 'blogging' world I realised that writing a blog is not what I expected it to be...

The prospect of writing to an audience is slightly daunting and takes you back to your school days where you were forever trying to impress your teachers with your writing skills and were constantly comparing your work to other people's. Now though, through experience, you realise that writing is personal and that everybody has a different perspective on things and that even though your writing will be viewed through different eyes, it is something that clearly means something to you. (The only trouble is that you have to find something brilliant and inspirational to write about first!)

I'm not going to lie, the pressure of trying to write something impressive can bring on a sudden writer's block. You can have all the ideas in the world in your head and then the next minute...gone! Endless hours of searching for the 'right' material can sometimes feel like banging your head against a brick wall and then, sitting straight in front of you, is your inspiration...two football tickets hanging from my wall.

Some people may have their own opinions on this, one being big deal and the second, your a girl - you can't like football. Well, for one it is and two they can! Since I was a little girl I have supported Liverpool FC which is a major influence from my dad (and probably the fact that Mel C from the Spice Girls was a fan when I was younger). Getting the tickets for my 18th birthday present was probably the best present I have ever received. Nothing can beat the feeling of walking through the Shankly Gates on match day; my ears ringing from the tales of my dad's previous trips to Anfield. Pushing our way past excited supporters we headed towards the Kop. For those of you who don't know what the Kop is, it is the cremê de la cremê - the best football stand in the whole world! The atmosphere inside the ground was amazing and singing football chants alongside fellow 'kopites' was enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. It was then that I knew, I had just lived a childhood dream...

And yes we won 3-0 that day with Robbie Keane scoring his first league goals for Liverpool.