TLW

TONY HATELEY 1967/68 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 13/06/41 Nationality - English Position - Forward Games - 56 Goals - 28 Club Hons (Lpool) - Other Clubs - Aston Villa, Chelsea, Coventry, Birmingham, Notts County, Oldham; Bromsgrove Rovers, Prescot, Keyworth United (all three amateur) Centre-forward Tony was a 'high-profile' signing during the Summer of 1967, arriving from Chelsea for a fee of slightly under £100,000 which was an enormous sum for the time. Hateley had already scored over 150 League goals for Notts. County, Aston Villa & Chelsea when he arrived at Anfield as a 26-year-old and looked to still have the best years of his career ahead of him. He scored a hat-trick in only his 3rd League match for the Reds and missed only 4 First Division fixtures during his debut season, netting 16 times in all. He added another 7 goals as Liverpool reached the F.A. cup quarter-final stage, including four in one game as Walsall were thrashed 5-2 in a 4th round replay on Merseyside. Tony never managed to repeat the success of that first season and his career at Anfield was to be only a brief one. He was substituted at Leeds on the last day of October 1968 and was never to pull on the famous red shirt again. Shankly bought Alun Evans almost immediately and the youngster from the West Midlands took over the No. 9 shirt for the rest of the 1968-69 season. Hateley was soon sold to Coventry City and after a spell with Birmingham City he moved back to his first club in Nottingham. Tony finished his playing career with Oldham Athletic. More info on Tony Hateley: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JIMMY HARROWER 1957/61 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 18/08/35 Nationality - Scottish Position - Inside Forward Games - 105 Goals - 22 Club Hons (Lpool) - Other Clubs - Bo'ness United, Hibernian, Newcastle, Falkirk, St Johnstone, Albion Rovers, Alloa Athletic Inside-forward Jimmy signed from Edinburgh club Hibernian in January 1958 when he was 22 years old. He had played 12 First Division matches by the end of that season, scoring twice. He only missed 5 League fixtures the following season and added another 6 goals to his total. 1959-60 was a year of change at Anfield, caused by Bill Shankly's arrival half-way through the season and for a while the new manager couldn't seem to decide between Harrower or Jimmy Melia for the inside-left position. But before the end of the following season, Melia was established in the side and it was clear that Jimmy's future lay elsewhere. He moved on to Newcastle United in March 1961. More info on Jimmy Harrower: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BOBBY GRAHAM 1964/72 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 22/11/44 Nationality - Scottish Position - Striker Games - 131 Goals - 42 Club Hons (Lpool) - Other Clubs - Motherwell Bridge Works (amateur), Coventry, Tranmere (loan), Motherwell, Hamilton Academicals, Queen of the South, Shotts Bon Accord (amateur) Motherwell-born Bobby had been an apprentice at Anfield before signing professional forms in November 1961 when he was 17 years old. Although he had to wait nearly 3 more years to make his Football League debut, he made the headlines for scoring a hat-trick as Liverpool thrashed Aston Villa 5-1 at Anfield on 26th September 1964. Bobby found it almost impossible to gain a place in the most-settled side in the club's history and didn't get an extended run in the first-team until the end of the 1968-69 season, when he played a part in 6 of the last 7 fixtures. After waiting so patiently for his big chance, Bobby then played in every single First Division match of the next season, scoring 13 times. After a promising start to the 1970-71 season, he fell awkwardly on the Anfield turf when Chelsea were the visitors early in October and was carried off with a broken leg. John Toshack was signed from Cardiff City only weeks later and with Kevin Keegan arriving from Scunthorpe the following Spring, Bobby's days at Liverpool were numbered and he moved on to Coventry City. He ended his playing career with a short spell at Tranmere Rovers. More info on Bobby Graham: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

CYRIL GILHESPY 1921/25 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 18/02/1898 Nationality - English Position - Winger Games - 19 Goals - 3 Club Hons (Lpool) - Other Clubs - Chester-Le-Street, Fencehouses (both amateur), Sunderland, Bristol City, Blackburn, Reading, Mansfield Town, Crewe Alexandra Cyril was a winger who played in 19 First Division games for Liverpool in the 1920's, spread over four seasons. Billy Lacey was the established outside-right when the club won the League title in 1921-22 and he only missed 3 matches that season with Gilhespy stepping in on two of those occasions. Lacey missed a number of games in the middle of the following season when Liverpool also finished in first place but the 10 matches Cyril figured in were not enough to qualify him for a championship medal. Even though Lacey was still at the club, Gilhespy was selected for the opening 4 League fixtures of the 1923-24 season but then lost his place and only played once more that season and just twice the following season, the last of his 19 League appearances coming at Sheffield United on 16th March 1925. More info on Cyril Gilhespy: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BRIAN HALL 1968/76 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 22/01/46 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Games - 196 (4) Goals - 21 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1972/73, UEFA Cup 1972/73, FA Cup, 1973/74 Other Clubs - Plymouth Argyle, Burnley, Northwich Victoria (amateur) Manchester University graduate Brian signed professional forms for Liverpool in July 1968 when he was 22 years old. He was a midfielder who compensated for his small stature with stamina and sheer hard work. Brian made two brief appearances as a substitute towards the end of the 1968-89 season and just one more (also as a sub) the following year. But as Bill Shankly continued to make changes to the team that had served him so well for so long during the 60's, Brian got his chance during the 1970-71 season, figuring in 33 First Division matches and also scoring the dramatic winning goal in the F.A. cup semi-final against Everton at Old Trafford which took Liverpool to Wembley for the first time since 1965. Brian had to settle for a runners-up medal on that occasion but was a member of the side that lifted the trophy 3 years later to add to the League championship & UEFA cup winners' medal he had from the previous season. His non-selection for the first leg of the UEFA final against Monchengladbach was bizarre in that he had started the game which was abandoned due to a torrential downpour. When the final was replayed the following evening, Toshack was preferred to Hall from he start, although Brian did come on for Steve Heighway later in the evening. Brian played in all but 7 of the League matches in 1974-75 but found his midfield position taken over by Jimmy Case before the half-way stage of the following season. He moved on to Plymouth Argyle in the summer of '76 before returning to the North-West and finishing his playing career at Burnley. More info on Brian Hall: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

MILAN BAROS PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 28/10/81 Nationality - Czech Position - Forward Games - 108 Goals - 27 Cost - £3.5m Club Hons (Lpool) - 2003 League Cup, 2005 Champions League Club Hons (Other) - None Intnl Hons - Czech RepublicCaps Other Clubs - Banik Ostrava Czech Republic star Milan Baros was widely regarded as one of the hottest properties in Europe when he arrived at Anfield. Described as having lightning speed, an eye for goal as well as being physically strong, he first came to Gerard Houllier's attention whilst playing for the Czechs in the European Under 21 Championships in 2000. The Czechs had an outstanding tournament, and apparently Houllier wanted to sign up half of the team, but was foiled due to the work permit restrictions put on English sides. Baros hit the net 9 times in 14 games for the Czech under 21's, and was swiftly called up to the Czech senior side. His performances for his country and his club, Banik Ostrava, attracted the attention of scouts from all over Europe. Borrussia Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer went on several spying missions to watch Baros in action, and was reportedly desperate to add the talented young frontman to his squad. Juventus and Inter Milan were also keen on the youngster, who was dubbed "The Ostravan Maradona" due to his dribbling skills and exciting style. Baros represented the Czechs in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and his debut for the full side came against Belgiumin 2002, and not surprisingly he marked the occasion with a goal. He followed that up with a goal on his second appearance too, scoring in the 90th minute against Northern Ireland after coming on as a substitute. Shortly after that game he appeared on Czech TV stating his desire to join international team-mates Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer at Liverpool. He revealed that the reds had been showing an interest in him for a while and said: "It's just great. Patrik and Vlada said that Liverpool were a wonderful club to play for." Just over a month later and he got his wish, as Gerard Houllier finally got his man. Baros' arrival was overshadowed slightly by the fact that Nicolas Anelka also joined at that time, arriving on loan from Paris St Germain. Despite his outstanding pedigree, Baros made a less than impressive start to his career on Merseyside, struggling to hit top form and looking overweight and showing a distinct lack of fitness during his appearances for the reserves. As the season wore on, his sharpness seemed to be returning and his performances improved, but he was still way short of the levels expected of him. His only first team appearance came as a late substitute in the Nou Camp against Barcelona, and it was widely rumoured that Houllier was prepared to offload the youngster the following summer. Lens claimed that Baros was offered to them as part of a deal for El Hadji Diouf, whilst it was also suggested that the young Czech had been offered to Sporting Lisbon along with Igor Biscan for Portuguese starlet Hugo Vianna. But Baros was keen to stay and prove himself, and shed over a stone in the close season, returning to Liverpool a totally different player. He tormented AC Milan in a pre-season friendly, even drawing high praise frm the legendary Paolo Maldini, and when hi full debut arrived at Bolton's Reebok stadium, Baros struck two great goals to make himself a hero with the Liverpool fans. He enjoyed a fine season, even though he was often left on the bench in favour of Emile Heskey. Despite that, he finished as the side's joint second top scorer with Danny Murphy after having hit 12 goals. At the start of the 2003/04 season, Milan was really pushing for a starting place, and looked to have finally become the first choice partner for Michael Owen when he broke his ankle against Blackburn. He missed five months of the season, but returned to the side as a substitute in the FA Cup loss at Portsmouth in February. A couple of weeks later his first goal of the season came when he danced around a couple of defenders and lashed home a powerful shot from 18 yards at Elland Road against Leeds. Another goal followed in the UEFA Cup tie with Marseille, and he was back in business for his country too, scoring in a 2-1 defeat against the Irish at Lansdowne Road. It wasn't long before he found himself back on the bench though, as Houllier's preference for the ineffective left Baros frustrated and the fans bewildered. It looked like the popular Czech was headed out of Anfield when he joined up with his national side for the European Championships, but whilst he was in Portugal Houllier was replaced by Rafa Benitez, and a fresh start beckoned for Milan. He was a revelation in Euro 2004, firing the Czech's to the semi finals and ending the competition as the leading scorer. On his return to Liverpool, he picked up where he had left off for the Czech's, and began the 2004/05 season in dazzling form before being derailed by a persistent hamstring injury. His form after that was never quite as explosive, and he struggled for goals in the second part of the season. He continued to work tirelessly for the team however, and ended the campaign with a Champions League winners medal before joining Aston Villa for £7m that summer.

HOWARD GAYLE 1980/83 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 18/05/58 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 5 Goals - 1 Club Hons (Lpool) - Intnl Hons - Other Clubs - Fulham (loan), Newcastle (loan), Birmingham, Sunderland, Dallas Sidekicks (USA), Stoke, Blackburn, Halifax, Accrington Stanley (amateur) Liverpool-born Howard made his League debut for Liverpool as a substitute for David Fairclough at Maine Road in October 1980. But he didn't get a further opportunity until the end of April 1981, when an injury-hit Liverpool squad was preparing for their European Cup semi-final with Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium. Kenny Dalglish limped off early on after an appalling tackle and Howard Gayle ran the Bayern defence ragged for an hour despite being repeatedly fouled before being himself replaced by Jimmy Case. It was a performance of astonishing maturity in such a big game from someone so young and his reward was to play in 3 of the final 4 League matches of the season before the European final. With key players fit again, Howard knew he would not make the starting line-up in Paris and although he never added to the four first-team games he played for Liverpool in 1980-81, he went on to have a good career with other clubs, most notably Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers. More info on Howard Gayle: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BOB FERGUSON 1912/15 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - ??/06/1886 Nationality - Scottish Position - Defender Games - 103 Goals - 2 Club Hons (Lpool) - Intnl Hons - Other Clubs - Third Lanark Robert was a stalwart of Liverpool's defence shortly before the First World War. He made his debut on the opening day of the 1912-13 season and was the club's only ever-present that year and only missed two League games*the following season. The 1914-15 season was completed despite the outbreak of war but Robert lost his place in the side to Donald McKinlay after a third of the season and only briefly threatened to claim it back on a regular basis. He scored once for the club in League matches and once in the F.A. cup and made just over 100 appearances for Liverpool in*those two competitions. More info on Robert Ferguson: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

ELISHA SCOTT 1913/34 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 24/08/1894 Nationality - Northern Irish Position - Goalkeeper Games - 468 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1921/22, 1922/23 Intnl Hons - Northern Ireland Caps Other Clubs - Linfield, Broadway United, Belfast Celtic One of THE great goalkeepers in Liverpool's history, the big Ulsterman's Anfield career spanned an astonishing TWENTY-ONE years from his debut against Newcastle United on New Years' Day 1913 until his final appearance at Chelsea on 21st February 1934. Had the First World War not taken away four years of his professional career, he would undoubtedly have made many more than the 467 first-team appearances he figured in for his one and only English League club. Kenneth Campbell was Liverpool's first-choice 'keeper in the years immediately preceding the war but the young Scott did displace him for the last 23 First Division fixtures of the 1914-15 season. Campbell was still between the posts after the war but, after the Scot was transferred to Partick Thistle, Elisha was named in the team for the opening game of the 1920-21 season and was more or less a permanent fixture in the side for the next dozen years or so, although there was a spell at the end of the 1920's and the start of the following decade when his appearances were restricted and Arthur Riley took over in goal. Scott only missed 3 League matches when the League championship was won in 1922 and was one of three "ever-presents" (the others being Donald McKinlay & Dick Forshaw) when the title was retained a year later. He was first capped at full international level by Northern Ireland shortly after the end of the war and remarkably enough was still selected to represent his country two years after he left Liverpool, by which time he was over forty years old! Although relatively small for a goalkeeper, his agility and courage were never in question, nor was his loyalty to the club he served so well for so long. His age and Riley's form restricted him to just 10 First Division appearances in his final year on Merseyside (1933-34) but such was the aura that surrounded him that the club took the unusual step of allowing him to address his home crowd before the final match of that season. Elisha returned to his homeland to join Belfast Celtic as their player-manager, leaving behind an army of admirers and a host of wonderful memories. More info on Elisha Scott: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

WILLIE FAGAN 1937/52 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 20/02/17 Nationality - Scottish Position --Inside Forward Games - 185 Goals - 57 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1946/47 Intnl Hons - Scotland Caps Other Clubs - Celtic, Preston; Aldershot, Leicester, Northampton, Newcastle, Chelsea, Millwall, Reading and Chelsea (wartime guest); Belfast Distillery, Weymouth (amateur) Scottish inside-forward Willie Fagan joined Liverpool from Preston North End soon after the start of the 1937-38 season and went straight into the First Division team, playing in 31 consecutive matches by the end of the season and scoring 8 times. Willie only missed 3 League games in 1938-39 (14 goals) and played in the opening 3 fixtures of the 1939-40 season before the Second World War caused the League programme to be abandoned and Willie's Liverpool career to be severely curtailed at the age of 22. Unlike some of his colleagues, he was young enough to re-establish himself at Anfield when League football resumed in 1946 and made enough appearances to qualify for a well-deserved championship medal in 1947. Although called on sporadically (mostly due to injury) in 1947-48 & 1948-49, he had one of his best seasons as a new decade dawned, scoring 11 times in First Division games and helping his club to their first-ever Wembley final in 1950. Approaching his mid-30's by the time the next season opened, Willie's Anfield career was nearing its close and he played his final game for the club against Huddersfield Town on the first day of September 1951. But he still scored over 50 times in nearly 200 competitive matches for the club and if the war hadn't taken so many playing years away from him, there seems little doubt that a fine Liverpool career would have been a great one. More info on Willie Fagan: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JEAN MICHEL FERRI 1998/99 by Paul Grech Date of Birth - 07/02/69 Nationality - French Position --Midfield Games - 2 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - French Caps Other Clubs - Nantes, Istanbulspor, Sochaux Jean Michel Ferri came, made a couple of headlines (Ferri Across the Mersey, Ferri Good…you get the drift) and left. There is hardly anything more to say about one of Houllier's first signings apart that it is extremely difficult to find the reason why he joined in the first place. When he signed from Turkish side Istanbulspor, Houllier built him up as a player of great experience and, perhaps more importantly, a leader. What Houllier failed to mention was that Ferri was also injured and at the end of his career. To be fair, he had been a better than average midfielder, had won a couple of league titles with Nantes and in his prime Ferri was consistently one of the better players of the French league. His nickname was 'the Machine'. Yet by the time he signed for Liverpool he was already 32 year-old and apparently playing out his career in Turkey. So why was he bought? There are a number of theories but in all probability it was simply a case of Houllier wanting to bring in a player he knew well. And it is hard to blame him. After all, this was a time in which an un-named Liverpool player – the famous Anfield 'mole'– was criticising the club at every possible opportunity. This is why Houllier needed someone like Ferri, someone who could identify the negative influences in the squad. Whether this was Ferri's role or not, only Houllier and the player himself will ever know. But there hardly appears to be a better explanation, especially as he was limited to a couple of substitute appearances in a red shirt before he too was sold back to France at the end of the season. More info on Jean Michel Ferri: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

TOM FAIRFOUL 1913/15 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 16/01/1881 Nationality - Scottish Position - Half-back Games - 71 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Other Clubs - Lanark Athletic, Patria, Kilmarnock, Third Lanark Half-back Thomas was a regular in the Liverpool side in the two years that preceded the First World War. He played in every one of the 38 First Division matches in 1913-14 and made a further 24 appearances the following season. Nine F.A. cup ties over the same period (including the 1914 final defeat by Burnley at Crystal Palace) brought his career total for Liverpool to 71 games. His career at Anfield ended in shame, as along with three other Liverpool players (Miller, Pursell, Sheldon) and three Manchester United players, he was found guilty of fixing a game between Liverpool and United on Good Friday 1915. More info on Tom Fairfoul: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

ABEL XAVIER 2002/03 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 30/11/72 Nationality - Portuguese Position - Defender Games - 21 Goals - 2 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Portugal Caps Other Clubs - Estrela Amadora, Benfica, Bari, Real Oviedo, PSV Eindhoven, Everton, Galatasaray (loan), Hannover 96, AS Roma, Middlesbrough, LA Galaxy (USA) Santa Claus lookalike Portuguese defender who joined the reds in what seemed a cut price deal at the time from neighbours Everton midway through the 2001/02 season. The signing would end up costing Liverpool a lot more than the initial £800,000 paid to the blues however. Xavier proved to be a terrible purchase., His arrival spelled the end for promising young full back Stephen Wright, who found himself on the sidelines as Gerard Houllier had to justify the outlay he'd made on Xavier. A solid, reliable performer for Everton, he failed to show those qualities in his time at Anfield. Used almost exclusively at right back, his lack of pace and slowness on the turn caused him countless problems against quick wingers. There were some high points, notably a goal in the 6-0 drubbing of Ipswich at Portman Road and another in the 4-2 defeat in Germany to Leverkusen. But overall Xavier struggled to make any impact at Anfield, and never looked like justifying the reported £40k a week salary he picked up during his time at the club. That hefty salary made it difficult for the reds to get shut of the player, but eventually Turkish side Galatasaray came in and took him on loan. The move turned sour pretty quickly however, and the Turks cut short the deal early and sent him back to Merseyside. Liverpool didn't want him back though, and ended up paying up the remainder of his contract rather than allow him to return to the club. He had short spells in Germany and Italy before returning to England with Middlesbrough, but his time at the Riversie wasn't a happy one and included a suspension for failing a dope test. xavier then moved on to the United States, where he would become a team-mate of David Beckham at LA Galaxy. More info on Abel Xavier: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BJORN TORE KVARME 1997/99 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 17/07/72 Nationality - Norwegian Position - Defender Games - 54 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Norway Caps Other Clubs - Rosenborg (twice), St Etienne, Real Sociedad, Bastia Bjorn Tore Kvarme arrived at the club as a replacement for the popular, but injury prone John Scales in January 1997. After selling Scales to Spurs for a fee of around £2.5mil, Roy Evans looked to have completed a shrewd piece of business by bringing in the tough tackling Norwegian on a Bosman transfer. Kvarme had impressed the reds coaching staff while training with the club during a visit to Merseyside to see his close friend, Stig Inge Bjornebye. Indeed, for the first few months he was at the club, many fans referred to him simply as "Stig's mate". The early signs were encouraging for Kvarme, who despite being a complete unknown in England before his arrival, took to the Premiership without any problems. His debut came at Anfield in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa, and he was outstanding on the right side of the reds three man central defensive system. He was many observers man of the match that day, and he continued to impress for the rest of that season. He was a popular figure with the fans, who really took to his no-nonsense approach to defending. Man marking was his best attribute, but his heading was weak, and in English football that type of weakness in a defender is always likely to be exploited, so during the off season whilst the rest of his team-mates were sunning themselves and getting pissed in various tropical paradises, Kvarme returned to train with his former club Rosenborg to work on his heading skills. Such determination and commitment were admirable, and it seemed certain that Kvarme would go from strength to strength as a Liverpool player. So his subsequent fall from grace is something of a mystery. It all started to go wrong for the Norwegian when he was caught in possession during a Merseyside derby at Goodison. Being robbed of the ball by Danny Cadamarteri and seeing the useless little bag of shite turn Neil Ruddock inside out before scoring at the Park End was something that Kvarme simply never recovered from. To make things worse, a couple of weeks later he made a carbon copy error at Anfield which allowed another useless bag of shite striker, Andy Cole, to also score against us. Committing two such vital mistakes against the reds' two main rivals destroyed Kvarme's confidence, and he was never the same player after that. When Roy Evans scrapped the wing back system to play 4-4-2, there was some hope for the Norwegian that he may be able to make the right back spot his own. That was in fact his preferred position, but the presence at the club of both Rob Jones and Jason McAteer meant that Kvarme had no route back into the first team, and despite showing some signs in the reserves that he was coming back to form, his days at Anfield were numbered. He joined French side St Etienne, where he enjoyed something of a renaissance and even forced his way back into the international arena with Norway before earning himself a lucrative move to the Spanish Primera Liga with Real Sociedad. More info on Bjorn Tore Kvarme: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JOHN WARK 1984/88 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 04/08/1957 Nationality - Scottish Position - Midfield Games - 108 Goals - 42 Club Hons (Lpool) - Intnl Hons - 29 Scotland Caps Other Clubs - Ipswich, Middlesbro Midfielder John made a high-profile move to Anfield in the Spring of 1984 after making nearly 300 League appearances for Ipswich Town, with whom he had also won the F.A. and UEFA cups. With the impending departure of inspirational skipper Graeme Souness, Wark's great experience and impressive goalscoring record while playing for the Suffolk club were no doubt seen as a way of reducing the impact of his fellow Scot's subsequent transfer to Sampdoria in Italy. John scored on his debut at Watford and made 9 First Division appearances as the championship was won for a third successive year but he was ineligible to play in the semi-final and final of the European cup. Twenty-seven years old shortly before his first full season as a Liverpool player started, Wark should have been approaching his peak and he seemed to confirm that with 18 League goals plus a further 9 in cup competitions, including a hat-trick in the home leg against Lech Poznan as Liverpool started their defence of the Champions' cup and three more when York City were thrashed 7-0 in an F.A. cup 5th round replay. But injury and the emergence of Jan Molby restricted John to just 11 'starts' in the 'Double' League and F.A. cup triumph of 1986 and after failing to regain a regular place in the side he rejoined his former club at Portman Road at the start of 1988. The broken leg he suffered while at Anfield almost certainly prevented him from spending a longer period on Merseyside. Once fully-fit again, even though he was by now approaching his mid-30's, John only missed 2 League games in 2 seasons for Ipswich at the end of the 1980's and continued his astonishing goals-per-game ratio with 26 in those two years to take his total in League matches alone for Liverpool and Ipswich close to the 150 mark, a remarkable total for a midfield player even though many of those came from the penalty-spot. John's impressive final figures for Liverpool show 42 goals from 108 appearances in League and cup competitions. More info on John Wark: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DICK FORSHAW 1919/27 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 20/08/1895 Nationality - English Position - Inside Forward Games - 287 Goals - 124 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1921/22, 22/23 Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Gateshead St Vincent's (amateur); Nottm For, Middlesbro (wartime guest); Everton, Wolves; Hednesford Town, Rhyl Athletic, Waterford (all three amateur) Inside-forward Dick joined Liverpool from Middlesbrough as League football returned after the end of the First World War and was a regular scorer for the club for 8 seasons before making the short trip across Stanley Park to continue his career with Everton. Introduced after the opening 3 fixtures of the 1919-20 season, he played in 23 First Division games and scored 7 times (including a hat-trick against Derby County) in helping his club finish the season in 4th place. Another 4th place followed a year later when Dick's contribution was 9 goals from 27 appearances. But it was during the next two years that he really came to prominence, not missing a single League game as the club won the League title in consecutive seasons, 1921-22 & 1922-23. He scored 36 times in those 84 games, a remarkable total for a player in his position. Although Dick only missed 3 games when Liverpool unsuccessfully went for a championship hat-trick, his goals tally was down to 5 but 'normal service' was resumed in 1924-25 when he was easily the club's leading scorer with 19 and he bettered that in what was to prove his final full season at Anfield with 27 from only 32 games in 1925-26. More info on Dick Forshaw: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BRAD FRIEDEL 1997/2000 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 18/05/71 Nationality - American Position - Goalkeeper Games - 31 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - USA caps Other Clubs - Columbus Crew, Brondby, Galatasaray, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa Brad Friedel had been a Liverpool target long before he eventually joined the reds for £1m from Columbus Crew in 1997. Graeme Souness had targetted the big American stopper whilst he was in charge of the reds, but could never secure a work permit for the player. Roy Evans had also been tracking Friedel for some time before eventually succeding in acquiring a work permit for him just before Christmas in 1997, so it was somewhat surprising that the player did not go straight into the side at the expense of the erratic David James. Friedel had to wait two months before eventually displacing James, by which time the title was well out of reach, partly due to a string of errors from the reds number one. Friedel didn't do a great deal wrong though, the only real blemish coming with a soft goal conceded on the final day of the season at Derby County. It seemed as though Brad had established himself as first choice, but after one far from convincing performance at Old Trafford the following season, he was dropped. Granted, he had a very poor game that day, but considering how many performances such as that David James had produced over the years yet still kept his place, Friedel could justifiably feel hard done to. The uncertainty over the goalkeeping position was doing no-one any good, and the reds were leaking goals galore. When Gerard Houllier took sole charge, he offloaded James and signed Sander Westerveld for £4.5mil, at the time a British record for a goalkeeper. Friedel was kept on as back up, but that meant problems with the DOE and in the summer of 2000 Brad was told that his work permit would not be renewed. He could not even train at Melwood, and was struggling to find a new club until Souness - a long time admirer of Friedel who had worked with him before at Galatasaray - took him to Blackburn Rovers, whom he helped to promotion to the Premiership in 2001. Brad enjoyed a highly successful time at Ewood Park, establishing himself as one of the league's top keepers before moving on to Aston Villa in the summer of 2008. More info on Brad Friedel: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/2008-2009/79517-fa-youth-cup-final-2nd-leg-liverpool-1-arsenal-2-may-26-2009-a.html

LIVERPOOL 3 Tottenham 1 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Fernando Torres, Alan Hutton O.G., Yossi BenayounHalf Time - 1-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sun 24 May 2009 Star Man – Dirk Kuyt Coming out of Anfield on Sunday I just felt completely empty. If you’d offered me 86 points back in August when the season started, I’d have probably taken it. Forgive me for not doing cartwheels today though. Having just seen Sami Hyypia and (almost certainly) Xabi Alonso playing their last games for the club, I’m finding it hard to feel upbeat about anything right now. I’m just gutted. It’s been a bizarre season, and I still don’t know if it should be classed as ‘successful’ or not. 86 points speaks for itself I suppose. Just two defeats in the league all season deserves a lot of credit, and for the first time in years we were involved in a title race. We did doubles over Chelsea and the mancs in the league, battered Real Madrid and were the top scorers in the country. On the flipside, we’ve just completed a third successive trophyless season. We drew seven times at home, often to shite teams, we were dumped out of the FA Cup by Everton, were outplayed at Anfield in the CL by Chelsea and humiliated by Spurs in the League Cup. We lost at Boro, failed to beat Stoke twice etc We spent £40m last summer, and by the final game of the season not a single summer recruit was deemed good enough to be in the side, and the biggest signing of the lot was actually lining up and scoring for the opposition. So was it a successuful season? Not for me, although I won’t argue with anyone who feels it was as a case can be made either way. Personally though I just feel disappointed and can’t help think about what could, and should have been. It was good, but could so so easily have been better. That’s not why I’m feeling so empty though. It’s the loss of two more of the Istanbul side that’s responsible for that. We’ve known it was coming for Sami, and this was always going to be his day. Xabi though? Well even now there are people who still think he will be here next season. I’d love to think so, but the odds on it happening look pretty remote based on everything I’ve been hearing, and you could tell by his reaction at the end as he took part in the lap of honour that he thinks he’s played his last game for the club. I watched Xabi wave to the Kop, and then put his hand on his heart in a gesture of thanks, and that was it. Confirmation of what I knew but didn’t want to fully accept. I don’t mind admitting, between that and seeing Sami breaking down in tears, I was more than a little choked up and had to stop myself from blubbering like a relegated Geordie. “You’re not John Terry, get a fucking grip” I told myself. I just about kept it together, but I’m still feeling pretty emotional even now, more than 24 hours later. There’s an advert on the telly with the ‘Let it Snow’ tune. I usually happily sing along with it using the ‘midfield maestro’ lyrics, and I’ve even been trying to teach my two year old daughter to join in. It came on before, and that lump appeared in my throat again. I’m absolutely fucking gutted it looks like it’s come to this. I love Xabi, he’s everything I look for in a Liverpool player, a real class act in every way. Like I say, I’m absolutely gutted right now, but it looks pretty nailed on that he’s going. Then there’s Sami. Ten years fantastic service, and even this year when he’s played he’s been fucking phenomenal. Like thousands of others,I turned up to Anfield yesterday looking forward to seeing the big man do his thing for one last time. I wasn’t expecting seven poxy fucking minutes that’s for damn sure. Still, but for the Kop’s repeated (and increasingly irritated) demands for him to get on, it would have been even less. Benitez said afterwards he wanted to wait til the last minute to put him on. I should be surprised, but sadly I’m not. Last minute indeed. Jesus Christ. As for the game, well it was a typical end of season, nothing to play for kind of game, despite the fact we needed a win to guarantee second and Spurs had a chance of qualifying for Europe. We were pretty flat, Spurs even more so. Some of the Tottenham players need to take a good look at themselves after this half arsed display. Modric, King and Keane looked up for it, and the left back who’s name escapes me put a lot of effort in. The rest weren’t arsed though, and they were the perfect opposition for us really, as we weren’t completely at it either. Mascherano was full of running and played the game as though it was the title decider we hoped it might be. The same can be said of Kuyt, who only knows one way to play and that’s flat out. There’s been times this season when my patience with Dirk has ran a little thin. He gets a lot of stick, and some of it is justified, but when you look at what he’s contributed this season in terms of goals and assists from the right hand side (mostly), he deserves a lot of credit. Not many players in his position can boast similar numbers. He added another assist in this game, with a pinpoint cross that was superbly headed in by the otherwise quiet Torres to put us in front. Dirk might want to claim the second one himself, but his shot looked like it was going wide before it struck Hutton and wrong footed Gomes. Can’t see the dubious goals panel finding in his favour on that one. At 2-0 up the game looked over, and we were cruising. Spurs had offered nothing other than one break in the first half when Defoe got in behind but was denied by Pepe. It was alarming the way the striker got clear though, and the warning wasn’t heeded as in the second half Keane went through in similar circumstances. He looked offside, but replays showed he wasn’t, and he kept a cool head to beat Pepe and ensure the reds keeper didn’t win the golden glove award. His reaction to the goal showed a lot of class. He just put his head down, and walked back to the centre circle. Apparently a minority of people had booed him. I didn’t hear it myself, but seriously, why the fuck would anyone boo him? Just what goes through these people’s minds when they do shit like this? At full time he went over to every Liverpool player and gave them a hug, and had a chat with all of them. Not just his mates such as Carra and Stevie, but he even took time out to go over to N’Gog and had a little chat with him. He walked straight past Rafa though. That goal put the cat amongst the pigeons, as suddenly we had a game on our hands again. More importantly, it made Sami’s chances of getting on early much slimmer. I think everyone in the ground was expecting him to get the last twenty minutes, and when N’Gog was brought on first there was an air of disbelief around me. Keane’s goal came with 14 minutes to go, and despite the Kop constantly chanting for Sami’s introduction, Rafa remained unmoved. Then four minutes later Yossi made the game safe (another tidy finish from a player who - like Kuyt - has had a fine second half to the season), and that was surely going to mean Sami getting the call. But no, another three minutes passed until finally, with seven minutes to go he was sent on to a hero’s reception, fittingly replacing Steven Gerrard and reclaiming the armband that he had relinquished to him with such dignity all those years ago. It was almost a fairytale ending too, as he rose to meet Aurelio’s corner and planted a header goalwards, but it was smuggled off the line by Gomes. When the final whistle went, and all the handshakes had been exchanged and the Spurs players had left the field, all eyes were on Sami. Suddenly it was as though it all hit home with him, and he realised he’d never again be on this field as a Liverpool player. He put his shirt over his face, and then had his head in his hands. It was all too much for him, and even from where I was sat it was obvious he was in tears. I almost was too, I guess I didn’t think Sami would ever leave, but here he was, saying goodbye. It seemed like a natural progression that he would just play for us until he retired and would then join the coaching staff. Maybe one day he will do, but he’ll be going to play in Germany first. Replacing Sami Hyypia is an impossible task. Players like that don’t come round very often. Sami joined the club in the same summer I started TLW. It’s going to be really weird not having him around next season. So what of next season? Well obviously if we can cut out the stupid draws against shite teams, there’s no reason why we can’t go one better and win it. But if we are to have any chance of doing it, Rafa is really going to have to seriously up his game in the transfer market. The additions made last summer have barely helped us at all. Not one of them would be in our strongest XI, and that’s pretty damning when you consider £40m was spent. 12 months ago our squad included Crouch, Riise and Finnan. All three are better than the players who have replaced them in the squad. So we still need to adequately replace them, and now we’ll need to replace Hyypia and Alonso too. And in addition to that, we still need to address the problem wide areas. Getting 86 points was a good achievement, but Rafa has got his work cut out to even match that next season, let alone surpass it. If Gerrard and Torres stay fit for most of the season, we’ve got a chance regardless of who we bring in, but it’s asking a lot especially given the problems Torres has had. This summer is going to be massive, and Rafa simply has to get it right. We’re just about clinging to our perch, it’s up to Rafa to make sure we aren’t knocked off it completely. Team: Reina; Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio; Mascherano, Alonso; Kuyt (Riera), Gerrard (Hyypia), Benayoun; Torres (N’Gog):

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/tlw-footy/79403-tlw-hjc-cup-may-23-2009-a.html

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/news/79362-reserves-off-winning-start-holland.html

CHRIS FAGAN 1970/71 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 05/06/50 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 1 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Tranmere Rovers The only time Chris (son of Joe) pulled on a Liverpool shirt in a first-team fixture was in the bizarre League match at Manchester City in April 1971 just two days before an important European Fairs Cup semi-final at Leeds. Bill Shankly played his entire reserve team at Maine Road to protect his senior players before such an important cup-tie. Chris moved to Prenton Park in July 1971 and made over 80 appearances for Tranmere Rovers over the next 3 seasons. More info on Chris Fagan: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DAVID FAIRCLOUGH 1975/83 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 05/01/57 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 88 (62) Goals - 55 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1975/76, 76/77, 79/80, 81/82, European Cup 1977/78,* UEFA Cup 1975/76 Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Toronto Blizzard (Canada), Lucerne (Switzerland), Norwich, Oldham, Beveren (Belgium), Rochdale, Tranmere, Wigan Forever remembered as the 'Supersub' of the last part of the 70's (a tag he detested but which has probably brought him a good living as an after-dinner speaker since he retired from the game!), local boy David exploded onto the football scene as a 19 year old to add some fresh impetus to Liverpool's neck-and-neck challenge with QPR for the First Division championship. In much the same way as Ronnie Rosenthal's arrival gave a new and unpredictable boost to the crucial final leg of the 1989-90 season, David's 7 goals from 5 starts with 9 substitute appearances were a big factor in Liverpool finally overhauling the Londoners in the final match of the season. Although it is his 'famous' goal against St. Etienne the following season which is most remembered, a mazy run from the half-way line with two minutes to go in the Anfield derby turned a goal-less draw into a priceless victory. That extra point was vital in the final analysis in 1976. As one of his colleagues said at the time "He didn't know himself what he was going to do, so how could WE know?!". It was hard for Fairclough to break the Keegan/Toshack partnership which was well-established but the Welshman's injury problems did give him a number of opportunities the following season, when Liverpool were competing for honours at home and abroad right to the end of an amazing season. However, there were only a further 3 League goals from 20 appearances (8 as a sub) to add to the 7 from the end of the season before. But on the 16th of March 1977 came the moment that would change his life. Trailing by the away goal to the French champions with time running out in a frenzied atmosphere at Anfield, David latched on to Ray Kennedy's lob and headed for goal. The 'legend' will tell you that he beat several defenders on his way into Merseyside folklore but the reality is that he kept his eye on the ball, brushed aside any challenge from a defender and then calmly tucked his right-foot shot under Curkovic into the Kop goal to bring about scenes which those who were there still talk about with a lump in their throat and a shiver down their spine ! It was always going to be a hard act to follow but the following season never saw David Fairclough really establish himself as a permanent member of the first team, although he did start 26 League matches and was also in the starting line-up when the Reds successfully defended their European crown at Wembley in the Spring. But he only made a further 21 League starts for Liverpool after that before finally leaving Anfield for the last time in 1983 (there had been a brief spell in America in the early 80's). David's final figures for Liverpool still make impressive reading though. 52 goals from 88 starts is a fine achievement but he never quite got rid of the 'Supersub' nickname and that is borne out by the fact that he made almost as many substitute appearances (61) as he had when picked from the start!* But his contribution towards the club's success of the late 70's and early 80's should not be underestimated. Maybe he did have a tendency to drift in and out of some matches but his pace and unpredictability caused havoc to many a defence and his 'golden' moment against St. Etienne is one which will never be forgotten. * More info on David Fairclough: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

PHIL FERNS 1962/65 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 14/11/37 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 28 Goals - 1 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1963/64 Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Everton, Manchester City, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Mansfield Town, Rhyl (amateur), Poole Town (amateur) Phil was born in Liverpool and signed professional forms for his local club in September 1957 when he was a couple of months short of his 20th birthday. But he wasn't able to force his way into the first-team until the 1962-63 season when he briefly covered for Tommy Leishman (three times) and Ronnie Moran (twice) as Liverpool returned to the top division after an 8-year absence. When the club won the League championship for the 6th time in 1964, Phil played in enough games ( 18 ) to qualify for a winners' medal but was only selected on four more occasions the following season before being transferred to Bournemouth in August 1965. Phil finished his playing career with Mansfield Town. More info on Phil Ferns: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JOHN EVANS 1953/57 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 28/08/29 Nationality - English Position - Inside Forward Games - 107 Goals - 53 Club Hons (Player) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Tilbury (amateur), Charlton, Colchester; Romford, Ford United (both amateur) Inside-forward John signed for Liverpool in December 1953 from Charlton Athletic, for whom he had played 90 League matches, scoring 38 times. The Reds were sliding towards relegation after winning only 5 of their first 24 matches and at least John's introduction on Boxing Day 1953 saw a slight improvement with a draw taken from West Bromwich Albion's visit just 24 hours after the Midlanders had triumphed 5-2 at The Hawthorns. That started a run of 16 successive matches, in which Evans scored 3 times, but the introduction of a number of new players in the second-half of the season could not prevent the drop. John only missed 4 League games in 1954-55 as Liverpool got used to life in the Second Division and scored 29 times, including all FIVE as Bristol Rovers were defeated 5-3 and all FOUR when Bury were beaten at Gigg Lane. He wasn't quite as prolific the next year but still managed 13 goals from 31 League appearances. But only a few weeks into the 1956-57 season, he lost his place to a young Jimmy Melia and was eventually transferred to Colchester United in December 1957, where he added another 22 League goals to an already impressive tally. More info on John Evans: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future