Monday, July 9, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 1: Kenny Dalglish



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Liverpoolfc.tv are pleased to reveal that the player voted number one in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is the greatest player to have pulled on a red shirt, the legendary 'King' Kenny Dalglish.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: Kenny Dalglish

Years at Liverpool: 1977 to 1990
Position: Forward

Date-of-birth: 4/3/1951
Birthplace: Glasgow

Signed from: Celtic (August 1977)

Games: 529
Goals: 172

Honours: First Division Championship (1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86), European Cup (1978, 1981, 1984), FA Cup (1986), League Cup (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984), Charity Shield (1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986), Super Cup (1977), PFA Player of the Year (1983), Football Writers Player of the Year (1979, 1983)

There can only ever be one King and the man who’s earned the right to take his place on the Anfield throne is the one and only Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish. Regarded by the majority of Liverpudlians as the club's greatest ever player, his all round stunning brilliance has been deemed to have shaken the Kop more than anyone else.

When he joined the club in August 1977 it was hard to see how Liverpool could top their first European Cup triumph of the previous season but with the highly influential Dalglish in the team the next 13 years were to bring a succession of untold riches.

Unlike many Liverpool signings of this era, Dalglish was already a household name when he made the switch from Parkhead to Anfield. His deeds in the green and white hoops of Celtic had made him one of the most sought after figures in the British game and it required a record £440,000 fee to secure his services.

The Scotland international was brought in to replace the recently departed Kop idol Kevin Keegan, who'd moved to Hamburg earlier that summer. If any player could step into Keegan's illustrious boots it was Dalglish and fears some Liverpudlians may have harboured over their new purchase were quickly laid to rest.

Dalglish found the back of the net within seven minutes of his league debut for the Reds, against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park, and followed that up by hitting the target again on his first appearance in front of the Kop three days later as Newcastle were beaten 2-0.

He slipped seamlessly into the Paisley's all-conquering red machine and achieved the seemingly impossible by helping them move up another gear or two. The new King of the Kop crowned his first season at Anfield by topping the club's goalscoring charts and chipped in with the only goal of the 1978 European Cup Final against FC Bruges at Wembley – a delicate dink over the keeper that was quite simply perfection personified.

His superb ball control was complemented by a world-class footballing brain. He may never have been the fastest in terms of pace but if speed of thought had been an Olympic event Dalglish would have been a record gold medal holder.

Plying his trade south of the border mean his talents were given greater exposure but, never one to seek the limelight, he was loathe to take credit for his heroic actions and remained typically modest despite his increasing superstar status.

In 1979, his supreme individual ability was recognised by the football writer's of England who voted the canny Scot their Football of the Year. It was a fully deserved reward for a player whose every touch had Kopites purring with delight.

A selfless team player who brought others into play, he was an on-pitch visionary who could spot an opening that the naked eye of most would never see. David Johnson, in the late seventies, was the first grateful recipient of this but it was Kenny's strike partnership with Ian Rush that was to fire the Reds to greater glory during the eighties.

With Rush taking over the mantle of chief goalscorer, Dalglish became the undisputed creator supreme and if assists were recorded back then, he'd have been the first name on everyone's Fantasy Football teamsheet.

In the real world he was a priceless commodity and the role he played in the club's ongoing success was vital. A double footballer of the year in 1983, he was without doubt the finest British-born player of his generation and rightly spoken about in the same tone as such world renowned stars from this era like Maradona, Zico, Platini and Rummenigge.

With the ball at his feet he was a pure genius and of the 172 goals, he himself scored, it's hard to recall one that wasn't a classic. From the aforementioned European Cup winner, to sublime curlers at Highbury, Portman Road and Goodison, a mazy dribble through the Man United defence at Maine Road, a stretching volley in the League Cup Final replay versus West Ham at Villa Park and title clinchers against Tottenham and Chelsea. There are countless more memorable strikes and everyone will have their own particular favourite.

The one common denominator in all the goals he netted was the famous Kenny celebration; a quick turn, arms aloft and a beaming smile that would have lit up even the murkiest night sky over the Mersey.

The adulation showered on him by the Kop could be described as hero-worship at its most fanatical. He was loved at Anfield like no player before and the feeling was mutual. His name was the first the fans would sing and many a bed sheet was converted into a homemade banner paying homage to him.

In the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster he was a surprising but popular appointment as player/manager and fears that his new role would result in him spending more time on the touchline and less on the pitch were initially unfounded.

It was on his return to the side during the run-in to the momentous 85/86 campaign that Liverpool embarked on an unbeaten run that would see them clinch a coveted League and FA Cup double and how fitting it was that Dalglish 'the player' scored the goal that secured the title.

Gradually, but inevitably, his appearances became less and less over the next few years as he concentrated more on the managerial aspects of his dual role but there was still the odd flashes of brilliance to revel in as the master sought to teach his apprentices.

What Dalglish went on to achieve as Liverpool manager cemented his legendary status but that is for another series. He did more than enough during his playing career to be rightfully hailed as the greatest player in Liverpool history.

Kenny, we'd walk a million miles to have you in our team again. Long live the undisputed King of the Kop!

Sold to: Retired (May 1990)

Claim to fame: Scoring the winner in the 1978 European Cup Final

Saturday, July 7, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 2: Steven Gerrard



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Voted in at number two in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is Liverpool's present day captain marvel, the 'Huyton Hammer' Steven Gerrard.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: Steven Gerrard

Years at Liverpool: 1998 to present
Position: Midfield

Date-of-birth: 30/5/1980
Birthplace: Whiston

Signed from: Apprentice

Games: 348
Goals: 64

Honours: European Cup (2005), FA Cup (2001, 2006), UEFA Cup (2001), League Cup (2001, 2003), Community Shield (2006), Super Cup (2001), PFA Young Player of the Year (2001), PFA Player of the Year (2006)

The ultimate modern day footballer, Steven Gerrard is fulfilling the dream of every local Liverpudlian. The greatest English player of his generation and arguably one of the best in the world right now, pundits have run out superlatives to describe Liverpool's talismanic midfield powerhouse.

As the inspirational skipper of the Reds he's already lifted both the FA and European Cup and our hopes of adding the Premiership title to this illustrious list rests largely on his shoulders.

A boyhood Red who was raised in nearby Huyton, he rose through the ranks of the club's youth Academy and has since stamped his authority all over the team. During the dark days of the immediate pre-Rafa era he carried the team in a way not seen since Billy Liddell in the fifties.

Originally spotted by Liverpool scouts as nine-year old, Gerrard's precocious talents were carefully nurtured by Steve Heighway and his staff at the club's centre of excellence. Aged 14, he had trials at various clubs, including Manchester United, but his intense love of the Reds was evident even then and all were rejected.

Nothing was going to distract him from his pursuit of the Anfield dream and though growth problems were to restrict his progress at times during his mid-teenage years, his single-minded determination to succeed shone through.

The management team of the time knew all about the talented youngster that was waiting in the wings and chomping at the bit to make his first team breakthrough but Gerard Houllier was the boss lucky enough to first reap the benefits.

After taking just one look at him in training at the Academy, Houllier immediately promoted Gerrard to Melwood in November 1998 and by the end of the month had handed him his senior debut at home to Blackburn.

The 18-year old rookie fully grasped the opportunity to impress and certainly didn't look out of place in his early games for the Reds. Whether he was deployed in centre of midfield or as a right-back, he exuded an air of confidence from the outset, barking out orders, tackling with tenacity and spraying the ball about like a seasoned professional.

After making 13 appearances that season, Gerrard went on to fully establish himself in the side during the 1999/2000 campaign, netting his first goal in a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday and collecting his first red card for a foul on his derby debut. Once these occasional bouts of recklessness were eradicated from his game Gerrard set about blooming into the complete midfielder that we know today.

His intense passion first came to the fore in March 2000 when after making a vital goal-line clearance in the Anfield derby he celebrated like he'd scored a last-minute winner. It was moments such as this that initially endeared Gerrard to the fans on the Kop.

His meteoric progress at club level was rewarded with a first full England cap that year and the following season saw his profile raised several notches more as he performed a key role in Liverpool's unprecedented cup treble success, scoring in the UEFA Cup Final win over Alaves and deservedly walking off with the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

During that treble-winning campaign, the 'Huyton Hammer' also netted what has since been voted Liverpool's best ever Premiership goal – a thunderous long-range strike that helped defeat Manchester United – and he's since assembled an impressive repertoire of spectacular strikes that would grace any 'greatest goals' dvd.

With his influence on the team becoming more and more important, Gerrard was handed the honour of succeeding Sami Hyypia as club captain in October 2003 and how he thrived on the added responsibility.

The latter days of Houllier's reign as manager though were not the happiest at Anfield and as the team lurched from one on-pitch crisis to another, it was the Herculaneum Gerrard who dragged them out of the mire and into the promised land of a top four Premiership finish.

His role in the unforgettable Champions League triumph of 2005 that followed was pure legendary; from his amazing last-gasp Kop shaker that sealed a passage into the knockout phase at the expense of Olympiacos to the spine-tingling night against AC Milan when he kick-started and orchestrated the miracle of Istanbul.

The sight of Gerrard proudly hoisting the gleaming silver trophy into the Turkish night sky was the cue for tears of happiness to be shed by many a tough Scouser. Bringing home 'number five' meant so much and will never fade from the memory.

In the immediate aftermath of his Ataturk heroics, Gerrard pledged his long-term future to the club, just has he'd done the previous summer in light of annoying speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea, but still the rumours rumbled on.

As the weeks went by without a new contract being put before him, worried Liverpudlians became increasingly concerned and Gerrard, his mind in turmoil, took the drastic step of submitting an official transfer request.

Liverpool looked to have lost the services of their best player and feelings of anger, disbelief and sorrow were visibly vented on the city streets. But in one of the most amazing u-turns ever performed, the red half of Merseyside awoke the next morning to discover all their Christmases had come at once; Gerrard had come to his senses and was staying after all!

With his future finally resolved, his performances reached even higher standards the next season and another super-human effort in a major cup final confirmed his standing as the heir apparent to Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool's greatest ever player.

Trailing to West Ham in Cardiff, Gerrard snatched the trophy from the Londoners grasp by masterminding another awe-inspiring comeback, setting up one goal and scoring two as the Reds clawed their way back into a game in which they twice looked dead and buried.

His last-gasp leveller at the end of normal time has already passed into FA Cup folklore and the subsequent penalty shoot-out victory ensured Gerrard became only the second player in history, after Stanley Matthews, to have a final named in his honour.

At 26, the undisputed 2006 PFA Player of the Year is showing no signs of slowing down. There's no reason to believe he won't be the fulcrum of this team for a long time to come and it's incredible to think his best days may still be ahead of him.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson once described him as 'the most inspirational player in England, bar none,' and if he continues to progress at the rate he has done then, fingers crossed, it must surely be only a matter of time before the much-coveted Premiership title is residing in the Anfield trophy cabinet.

Kenny might still be the king but Stevie is most definitely the prince and if he can get his hands on that one trophy that has so far eluded him then maybe one day soon the crown will be passed over.

Claim to fame: Lifting the European Cup in Istanbul

Thursday, July 5, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 3: Ian Rush



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Voted in at number three in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is Liverpool's all-time record goalscorer, master marksman Ian Rush.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: Ian Rush

Years at Liverpool: 1980 to 1987 & 1988 to 1996
Position: Forward

Date-of-birth: 20/10/1961
Birthplace: St Asaph

Signed from: Chester City (May 1980) & Juventus (August 1988)

Games: 660
Goals: 346

Honours: First Division Championship (1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1989/90), European Cup (1984), FA Cup (1986, 1989, 1992), League Cup (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995), Charity Shield (1982, 1986, 1989, 1990), ScreenSport Super Cup (1986), PFA Young Player of the Year (1983), PFA Player of the Year (1984), Football Writers Player of the Year (1984)

Only one word is needed to describe Ian Rush's Liverpool career. Goals. Plenty of them, to be more precise. No player in Anfield history has scored more and his record his one that will take some beating.

Nothing shakes the Kop more than a goal and in two glorious spells with the club he netted so many times he must surely have been guilty of causing some structural damage before the old terrace was finally pulled down in 1994.

More importantly, his predatory instincts were instrumental in Liverpool dominating the game for most of the eighties. He was loved at Anfield, feared at every opposition ground and renowned throughout Europe.

A goalscoring legend if there ever was one, it's hard to imagine that his glittering career with the Reds had such an inauspicious beginning. Signed from Chester City towards the end of the 1979/80 season for a then British record fee for a teenager - £300,000 – Rush felt he wasn't being given a fair crack of the whip by then boss Bob Paisley and asked for a transfer after making just a handful of appearances.

A possible move to Crystal Palace was discussed but Paisley had no intention of ever letting him leave and for that, Liverpudlians can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Rush eventually saw sense, knuckled down and was soon banging goals in for the first team.

Tall, thin and ungainly, the young striker looked anything but a future striking hero when he broke into the team but how looks can be deceptive. It actually took him nine games before registering his first goal for the senior side but once that hit the back of the net there was no stopping him.

It was in 1981/82 that he fully established himself as a Reds regular. Paisley was in the process of rebuilding his team and Rushie's tally of 30 goals in 49 appearances sent out an ominous warning to Liverpool's rivals and helped deliver two trophies to the Anfield sideboard.

The once shy Welshman had also emerged from his shell and no longer felt out of place inside a star-studded dressing room. As a result his confidence soared and the goals began to flow at an even more prolific rate.

In November 1982, an awesome display of finishing by the boyhood Evertonian sunk shell-shocked Everton without trace on an unforgettable afternoon at Goodison that etched his name indelibly into Merseyside football folklore. On the Gwladys Street terrace where he'd once stood, they watched in disbelief as the new Reds number nine massacred the Blues and fired Liverpool to their biggest derby win since 1965.

It also confirmed his reputation as the hottest striker around and soon the big clubs in Europe worryingly began to circle overhead for the first time. Often described by his team-mates of the time as Liverpool's first line of defence, Rush was not just a goalscorer but a hard-working, selfless runner who never gave up the chase.

Electric pace and eagle-eyed anticipation meant he was also a nightmare to mark and his attacking partnership with Kenny Dalglish is genuinely regarded as one of the finest there has ever been.

His tormenting of opposition defences continued unabated and the pinpoint accuracy in his shooting boots was never more evident than during the following season – a campaign in which he was arguably at the peak of his powers.

A remarkable 47-goal haul – 48 if you count his spot kick conversion in Rome – was enough to see him become the first British player to win Europe's Golden Boot, a perfect accompaniment to an unprecedented treble of League title, European Cup and Milk Cup, not to mention double player of the year recognition.

Running on to perfectly threaded through balls was Rush's forte and when one-on-one with a keeper you'd bet your mortgage on him netting. But what made him stand out from the rest was the variation in his goals; countless close-range tap-ins, yes, but also in his locker were many well-drilled angled efforts, the odd 25-yard pile-driver and occasional header.

One of his finest displays of finishing came on an icy night at Villa Park in January 1984 when he bagged a memorable hat-trick that came straight out of the top drawer. Liverpool's master marksman netted against almost every team that had the misfortune to come up against him but it was Mersey neighbours Everton who he inflicted the most damage on and the most memorable of those he notched against the Blues were undoubtedly the two in the 1986 FA Cup Final.

With the coveted League and Cup double at stake, Rush broke Evertonian hearts again with a two-goal blast in a famous 3-1 win beneath the twin towers. But as the dust settled on that triumph the blue half of the city where given reason to dance with joy when it was announced that Liverpool's lean, mean, goalscoring machine had a agreed a deal to join Juventus.

Not surprisingly, news of his move, which wasn't due to go through until the following summer, shook the Kop to its core and a 'Rushie Must Stay' campaign was launched in a futile bid to keep their hero at Anfield. Determined to bow out on a high, Rush signed off by breaching the 40-goal barrier for only the second time in his career and left for the land of the lira with everyone's best wishes.

After just one season in Italy though, he was to make a sensational return amid a blaze of publicity. Having been made aware that their former star had failed to fully settle in Turin, Liverpool jumped at the chance to bring him home and Rushie responded by picking up where he left off, scoring goals for fun and proceeding to smash what goalscoring records he hadn't already.

Everton remained high on his hit-list and another brace of FA Cup Final goals against them in 1989 saw him finally overtake the legendary Dixie Dean as the long-standing derby goal-poacher supreme. Three years later he became the most prolific scorer in FA Cup Final history after he netted his fifth in the showpiece event during the 2-0 victory over Sunderland.

In October 1992 he found the back of the net for a 287th time in a Liverpool shirt and in doing so surpassed Roger Hunt as the most prolific striker in Anfield history. The same year, Rushie's status as one of the club's elder statesman saw him handed the captaincy by manager Graeme Souness and in 1995 he fulfilled a personal dream by lifting the Coca Cola Cup as Reds skipper.

His work at Anfield was still not done and his last act before leaving for Leeds on a free transfer shortly after the 1996 FA Cup Final, was to pass on his goalscoring wisdom to striking prodigy Robbie Fowler.

While records are there to be broken it's not inconceivable to suggest Rushie's phenomenal tally of goals in a Liverpool shirt is likely to stand the test of time.

But even if he is, somehow, one day, displaced from his position at the summit of the clubs all-time leading goalscorers, the fact he shook the Kop a record 346 times means he'll forever be renowned as one of the all-time Anfield greats.

Sold to: Juventus (July 1987) & Leeds (May 1996)

Claim to fame: Scoring more goals for Liverpool than any other player

Monday, July 2, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 4: Robbie Fowler



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Voted in at number four in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is the goalscoring sensation who took football by storm in the nineties, the 'Toxteth Terror' Robbie Fowler.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: Robbie Fowler

Years at Liverpool: 1993 to 2001 & 2006 to present
Position: Forward

Date-of-birth: 9/4/1975
Birthplace: Toxteth

Signed from: Apprentice (April 1992)

Games: 348
Goals: 177

Honours: FA Cup (2001), UEFA Cup (2001), League Cup (1995, 2001), Super Cup (2001), PFA Young Player of the Year (1995, 1996)

It's not for nothing that Robbie Fowler is known as God by those on the Kop. One of the most revered figures in Liverpool's recent history, Fowler is also one of the most naturally gifted goalscorers to have graced the famous red shirt and his striking exploits are already the stuff of legend.

Now in his second spell at the club, even if he doesn't net another goal for the Reds, his halo will never slip in the eyes of his adoring fans. Since scoring on his debut against Fulham in a 1993 League Cup tie, Fowler has enjoyed a long-running love affair with Kopites that has never wavered and shows no sign of abating.

A boyhood Evertonian, he switched allegiances when joining the club's 'centre of excellence' at the age of 11. Even at that tender age, his vast potential was there for all to see as he ripped up scoring records and made a name for himself at local schoolboy level.

A host of clubs sought his coveted signature but Liverpool made the successful swoop. It was the late Jim Aspinall who is rightly credited with persuading him to sign for the 'enemy' and it must rank has one of the most important this club has ever made.

Fowler rose through the ranks as expected and those in the know knew the Reds had a special talent in their midst. In April 1992 his progress was rewarded with a professional contract and the following January he appeared on a senior teamsheet for the first time when named as one of the substitutes in a third round FA Cup replay at home to Bolton.

An infamous 2-0 defeat to the lower league Trotters that night was proof that Liverpool needed a player like Fowler in the team but then boss Graeme Souness managed to resist the temptation to blood him until two months into the following season.

With the Reds still struggling for goals, Souey handed his highly-rated rookie striker a start at Craven Cottage and was rewarded with a debut goal. In the return at Anfield Fowler famously netted all five in a 5-0 rout and a star was born.

An instinctive goal-poacher, he claimed his first match ball after just five senior outings and ended the season as Liverpool's top scorer with 18. Excited Kopites viewed his arrival on the first team scene as divine intervention from up above and he certainly answered their prayers in the years that followed.

His first full season in the limelight saw his reputation blossom from promising youngster to fully-fledged superstar, this rapid elevation no doubt aided by a fastest-ever Premiership hat-trick against Arsenal, a Coca-Cola Cup winners medal and the PFA Young Player of the Year accolade. He also topped the Anfield goalscoring charts again, breaching the 30 mark for the first time, and the so-called 'Toxteth Terror' was suddenly one of football's most feared finishers.

What Fowler lacked in pace and height he made up with an uncanny ability to sniff out goals. No opposition net was safe when he was in the vicinity of the penalty box. Close-range tap-ins or long-range super strikes, the 'Growler' was wonderfully adept at both and, as the goals flew in by the bucket-load, his stock rose higher and higher.

In 1995/96 he plundered over 30 goals for the second successive season, made his full England debut and comfortably retained his Young Player of the Year award. He outshone Eric Cantona on his over-hyped 'return', much to the chagrin of Sky TV no doubt, and fired the Reds to an FA Cup Final appearance at Wembley.

Four goals at home to Middlesbrough in December 1996 saw him hit the milestone figure of 100 goals for the Reds quicker than striking mentor Ian Rush, while another 30-goal haul the following season took Liverpool to the closest they came to a 19th League Championship during this era.

The classic 'local boy made good', Fowler's popularity among the fans was at a scale not seen since Kenny Dalglish was in his pomp. To them, he could do wrong, even if his infamous 'Spice Boy' image of the time brought him some unwanted off-field attention.

Controversy seemed to follow him on the field also during the late nineties but his faithful flock stood by him through the bad times. A lovable rogue, Fowler never forgot where he came from and in 1997 famously went public with his support for the sacked Merseyside Dockers during a UEFA Cup tie against Brann Bergen.

Two serious injuries then forced him to endure a lengthy and frustrating spell on the sidelines, which coincided with the emergence of Michael Owen. But although Fowler temporarily lost his 'golden boy' status, Owen could never boast the same kind of rapport with the Liverpool crowd and it was no secret who they favoured most.

With Gerard Houllier in sole charge Fowler encountered more problems and found himself a victim of the Frenchman's controversial rotation policy. He may no longer have been guaranteed a regular starting place but Houllier was well aware of his importance to the squad in terms of team spirit and handed him the captain's armband as a result.

In February 2001, Fowler scored a spectacular goal on Liverpool's first visit to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and became the first Reds skipper to lift a trophy in six years as Birmingham were beaten on penalties in the Worthington Cup Final.

It was to be the first leg of an unprecedented cup treble that season and Fowler also figured in the FA and UEFA Cup Final, coming off the bench in both and netting in the latter. Four days after the drama of Dortmund he was on the scoresheet again as Champions League qualification was clinched for the first time.

But despite these goalscoring heroics, speculation that Houllier wanted to sell him refused to disappear and in November 2001 the unthinkable happened; Fowler was offloaded to Leeds, against his will, in a record-busting transfer.

To say the Kop was shaken by this would be a gross understatement. Letters of protest flooded the local press and even the massive fee received failed to soften the blow.

When Fowler failed to set the world alight at Leeds and then Manchester City the anger at his sale subsided slightly but the general consensus remained that he was suffering from a broken heart at being forced out of his beloved club. He remained a big Reds fan and even travelled to Istanbul to watch the 2005 Champions League Final.

Talk of him returning occasionally popped up in the sports pages but was always shrugged off as pure fabrication. Until January 2006 that is; when Liverpool's prodigal son sensationally returned to a hero's reception.

His free transfer capture from Manchester City delighted Kopites. Fowler, himself, admitted it was a dream come true and it warmed the hearts of everyone when he finally pulled on a red shirt once again.

He may not be the player he once was but already we've seen glimpses of his past magic. During the summer of 2006 Rafa Benitez extended his contract until the end of the current season and hopefully there is still another glorious chapter of the remarkable Robbie Fowler story to be written.

Whatever the future holds, it's hard to envisage him being loved by the fans more than he already is – although helping Liverpool to a long awaited Premiership title would surely do him no harm!

Sold to: Leeds United (November 2001)

Claim to fame: Scoring the fastest-ever Premiership hat-trick

Sunday, July 1, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 5: John Barnes



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Voted in at number five in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is one of the most entertaining wingers we've ever had the privilege of watching at Anfield, the great John Barnes.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: John Barnes

Years at Liverpool: 1987 to 1997
Position: Winger

Date-of-birth: 7/11/1963
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica

Signed from: Watford (June 1987)

Games: 407
Goals: 110

Honours: First Division Championship (1987/88, 1989/90), FA Cup (1989), League Cup (1995), Charity Shield (1988, 1989, 1990), Football Writers Player of the Year (1988, 1990), PFA Player of the Year (1988)

At his scintillating best in the late 1980's, there was no finer sight in football than that of John Barnes gliding down the left flank in a Liverpool shirt. One of the most exciting wingers of all-time, Barnes enthralled the Anfield crowd and ensured 'full-house' signs became a permanent fixture outside the Kop gates during one of the most entertaining era's in this club's history.

An awesome blend of poise, pace, strength and skill, when the Jamaican-born wide-man was in full flow he was quite simply a joy to watch and those privileged to have saw his sublime talent at close hand will forever cherish the memories.

With Barnes in the team, a front row seat in the Kemlyn Road or Paddock became one of the hottest tickets in town on an Anfield matchday. Whenever he gained possession an air of anticipation would sweep through the ground, anything seemed possible as he advanced towards goal and to a generation of Liverpudlians he's still regarded as 'simply the best.'

As the first high-profile black player in Liverpool history, a unique niche in Anfield folklore was assured before he'd even kicked a ball on Merseyside but the impact he made, on and off the pitch, following his £900,000 arrival from Watford in June 1987 was phenomenal.

Given the racial barriers that existed at the time, Barnes found himself the focus of intense scrutiny from day one of his Liverpool career but he took it all in his stride and quickly brought them crashing down, winning over the locals with his charismatic charm and amazing ability.

Despite the rubbish that had been written in the newspapers about his initial reluctance to join the Reds, Kopites took him instantly to their hearts, even though they were forced to wait three weeks for his home debut.

A collapsed sewer under the famous terrace delayed his Anfield bow but he'd whetted their appetite with a series of dynamic performances in Liverpool's first three away games of that momentous 87/88 season. Queues snaked around the ground and through the narrow side streets as fans clamoured to greet him and those lucky enough to gain admission were not disappointed with what they seen.

A stunning free-kick against Oxford set the pattern for a home campaign that was to yield a glittering array of magical memories – much of them stemming from the twinkle-toed trickery of Barnes. A superb solo strike against QPR a few weeks later sent his reputation soaring and confirmed his new-found standing as a Liverpool superstar.

Disgraceful racial graffiti that had been predictably daubed upon many walls across the city in the aftermath of his arrival slowly disappeared, and nothing was going to distract him from his number one objective of keeping the Liverpool fans entertained – not even an infamous banana throwing incident in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park that season.

In true Barnes style, he reacted by back-heeling it off the pitch and ultimately having the last laugh but continuing to let his football do the talking. He played the game to the backdrop of a samba beat, his South American-style technique leaving supporters transfixed and opposition defenders bamboozled.

His sweet left foot and intricate close control was to prove the downfall of many a team as Liverpool took football in this country to previously unscaled heights during their run to a record-equalling 29-game unbeaten run from the start of the league season and a comfortable 17th title triumph.

Not surprisingly, Digger deservedly walked away with the 87/88 Player of the Year accolades but defeat to Wimbledon in the FA Cup Final denied him and his team-mates their dream double.

On reflection, his first season at the club was his finest but Barnes continued to perform at a consistently high level and remained a true Kop idol as the Reds added more silverware to their bulging trophy cabinet over the next two years.

Success in the 1989 FA Cup Final against Everton went some way to making up for the deep disappointment of losing at Wembley twelve months previous but victory on this occasion was tainted by the tragic events at Hillsborough in the semi-final, a disaster that touched Barnes as much as any of Liverpool's longer serving players – such was the way he'd integrated himself into city life.

A third successive campaign of breathtaking brilliance from Barnes in 1989/90 helped secure another Championship, he top-scored with 22 league goals and was voted Player of the Year again. Critics of Barnes argued that he failed to replicate his outstanding club form for England but that was of little concern to Liverpudlians who continued to marvel at his magic.

Widely regarded at club level as one of the top players in Europe, if not the world, at the time, the ongoing European ban sadly denied Barnes the chance to test himself against the cream of the continent and so prevented him from emulating the medal haul of his illustrious Anfield predecessors.

The absence of Euro honours though should not detract from what a great player he was. The qualities he possessed would have saw him walk into any of the great Liverpool sides of the past – no lesser a figure than Bob Paisley once said as much – and he should rightly be spoken about in the same breath as the many legends that tread the Anfield turf before him.

An exemplary role model, the positive influence he exerted on the club's up and coming youngsters meant he was the ideal man to succeed Ian Rush as captain in the mid-nineties - the likes of Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler all benefiting from training and playing alongside him.

By this time, Barnes' role in the team had changed. The legacy of a serious injury and ageing legs had reduced his effectiveness as a flying winger who, at the peak of his powers, would scythe through opposition defences like a hot knife through butter.

But rather than bow out of the limelight, content in the knowledge that he'd already achieved greatness in a red shirt, Barnes moved inside and started pulling the strings from a central midfield position, his intelligent football brain allowing him to dictate play with the minimum of movement. Short, sharp, measured passes became the key components of his game and with him orchestrating proceedings possession was very rarely conceded.

Unfortunately, the glory days had passed, the team was going through a major transitional phase and no further honours were to come his way as skipper. Some fans questioned his role in the team and there were even calls for him to be dropped. He led the side out for the turgid 1996 FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester United but it was to be his last high-profile game for the club and after just one more season at Anfield Barnes finally brought the curtain down on his illustrious Anfield career.

He spent a total of ten years with Liverpool, was a pivotal member of the side throughout and just as the number seven shirt will always be associated with Kenny Dalglish, the number ten will forever belong to Barnes.

On the pitch, John Barnes helped take Liverpool's brand of football to previously unscaled heights of excitement, but in a wider social context the contribution he made to the club was even more enduring.

More than anyone, it was he who helped eradicate racism from Anfield and the legacy of that can still be seen today. Sadly, he also left behind a gaping void on the left flank of the Liverpool midfield that is yet to be suitably filled and it's going to take a special player to even go close to emulating him.

Sold to: Newcastle United (1997)

Claim to fame: Being the club's first high-profile black player