THE visit of Newcastle United on Saturday offers us the chance to redeem ourselves for one of the more shameful events seen in Anfield in recent years – the booing of Michael Owen on his first return to the club on Boxing Day 2005.
One of our greatest ever goalscorers was visibly shocked that day at the reception he was given by a sizeable proportion of those inhabiting the Kop on that allegedly festive date. The seasonal cheers had a distinctly frosty edge as Owen was reminded that, in the first season after his departure for Real Madrid, we had won the Champions League without him.
From memory, the only respite from the taunting was a cursory rendition of his signature chant as he lined up for the kick-off in the second half, which was met with a grateful hands-over-head clap for those whose memory span exceeded that of the average goldfish.
For true Liverpool fans, it was a saddening sight to see Michael labouring as first amongst unequals, the black and white stripes on his shirt mirroring the lack of colour in his team-mates’ football.
In general, returning Reds are accorded a magnanimous welcome when playing in front of the Kop, the exceptions appearing to be those who left us voluntarily (McManaman), those who slagged us off after their departure (Collymore) or the complete losers (Diouf).
Thus the likes of David James, who seemed to spend most of his Liverpool career jetting to fashion shows in Milan and addicted to PlayStation, are welcomed home like conquering heroes, while the likes of Michael Owen are pilloried because they decided they’d quite like to play for Real Madrid.
There are of course exceptions to these general rules and Saturday will provide a fine example, when Kevin Keegan assumes his place in the visitors’ dug-out (do they still call them that?).
King Kev is still feted at Anfield and rightly so, his energetic displays and ‘telepathic’ understanding with John Toshack lingering long in the mind.
Yet here’s some interesting statistics for you. Keegan was at Anfield for just six seasons, scoring 68 goals in 230 appearances. By Michael Owen by comparison spent 11 years at the club and scored 118 goals in 216 appearances for the first team.
Keegan also left Liverpool to seek new challenges abroad and guess what? We won the European Cup in 1978, the season after his departure.
Yet we won’t be singing ‘Where were you at Wem-ber-ley’ on Saturday will we?
So why the rough treatment for Michael? I suspect it’s down to the equally puzzling half-hearted support he was given while he was here.
Despite his many achievements, he was never afforded the undying affection heaped upon the likes of Fowler and Rush, with whom he shares comparable records.
I’ve never met anyone who can explain this satisfactorily to me, from suggestions that he was not really ‘one of us’ (born in Chester; Rush was born in St Asaph); to his success with England (we wanted him to fail?); to his clean-cut image compared to Robbie Fowler (okay, you’ve got me there).
Nevertheless the lack of warmth towards him was palpable, even though he always gave his all to the Liverpool cause.
So let’s take the opportunity to right a wrong on Saturday and remember not the player we felt turned his back on us to seek greater success abroad, but the man who won us the FA Cup practically single-handedly in 2001, the one who clinched the League Cup win over Man United in 2003 and the two goals he scored at Roma on the way to the 2001 UEFA Cup.
The man is a Liverpool legend, and should be treated as such.
icLiverpool - Time to treat Michael Owen like the legend he is
