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UsR EXTR3ME · 23-06-2009, 10:24 PM

Liverpool FC: Premier League pursuit

BY SPEKZ AND UsR EXTR3ME

Team Information

Team Name: Liverpool Football Club (LFC)
Founded: 1892
Nickname(s): The Reds
Stadium (details below): Anfield, Liverpool
Co-owners: George Gillett, Tom Hicks
Manager (details below): Rafael Benitez
Current league: Barclays Premier League, English top-flight
Previous seasons: ? (2008-9), 4th (2007-8 ), 3rd (2006-7)

Stadium information and history

Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom
Opened in: 1884
Capacity: 45,370
UEFA Criteria: Elite

Anfield was originally the property of local rivals Everton prior to Liverpool’s existence as a football club after owner John Orrell gave the club the land. Earlestown were the first team to visit Anfield in a match against the Toffees in autumn 1884, in which the home side stormed to a comfortable five-goal victory.

The stadium was capable of holding over 20,000, and within five years was regarded one of international standard, hosting a game between England and Ireland. The first official league game at Anfield involved Everton and Accrington in 1888, and the Toffees were crowned domestic champions at the ground in 1891.

After an extensive conflict between Everton president John Houlding and the club’s committee, the club moved to Goodison Park, paving the way for newly-formed Liverpool to be born – playing at Anfield.

Hundreds gathered for Liverpool’s first ever football match at Anfield against Rotherham in 1892, which ended in a 7-1 win for the Reds. A crowd of 5,000 watched as they tore Lincoln City apart to win their first league game 4-0 a year later. A further couple of years later and a new stand had been built at the end of the current main stand. In 1903, a new stand was constructed at the Anfield Road end.

The ever famous Spion Kop stand – named by columnist and sports editor Ernest Edwards – was put together in 1906, after Liverpool had won their second league title. Another 22 years had passed before the stadium was altered again, this time made to hold 30,000 standing spectators. Anfield’s Kop held more people than some stadiums at the time.

Floodlights were installed in the 1950s and – fittingly enough – were first used in an October match against Everton to honour the 75th anniversary of the Liverpool County Football Association. Just under half a million pounds were spent on a new stand in 1963, but the largest alteration came ten years later when the main stand was knocked down, replaced by a brand new one.

Liverpool’s – and indeed the world’s – attitude towards stadium safety was transformed forever after the tragic Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 lost their lives – including current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s ten-year-old cousin.

In 1992, executive boxes were added as part of a second tier that added 11,000 seats to the ground. The historic Kop end was redeveloped, maintaining the suggestion in the Taylor report subsequent to the tragedy at the Hillsborough ground but reducing the capacity to approximately 12,000.

Club legend Bill Shankly‘s eight-foot bronze statue was unveiled in front of the Kop end in 1997; it is a monument that will be remembered by all Liverpool fans for years to come. The latest changes to the ground was at the Anfield Road end 11 years ago, which became two-tiers, and in 1999 when support poles were installed to give the stadium extra stability.

An all-new 60,000 capacity stadium has been proposed in Stanley Park, near Anfield – however financial difficulties are preventing such an arena being built.

The Manager

Name: Rafael Benitez
Age: 49 years
Date of birth: 16 April, 1960
Place of birth: Madrid, Spain
Height: 5ft. 10in.
Clubs played for:
-Castilla CF (1974-1981)
-AD Parla (1981-1985)
-Linares CF (1985-1986)
Clubs managed:
-Castilla Youth B-squad (1986-1989)
-Real Madrid Youth B-squad (1989-1991)
-Real Madrid under 19s (1991-1993)
-Real Madrid Senior B-squad (1993-1995)
-Real Valladolid (1995-1996)
-Osasuna (1996-1997)
-Extremadura (1997-1999)
-Tenerife (2000-2001)
-Valencia (2001-2004)
-Liverpool (2004-present)

Rafael Benitez inherited his love for football from his parents – father Francisco and mother Rosario – both of whom were avid football fans for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid respectively. Francisco tragically died as Benitez was away earning second place in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship.

As a footballer, Benitez played in midfield for the Real Madrid C-squad after joining the club’s youth academy at just 12 years of age. The Spaniard rounded off a football-filled upbringing with a degree in Physical Education in 1982.

Whilst representing the Spain Universities XI at the World Student Games in 1979, Benitez was severely injured from a crunching tackle made during a goalless draw with Canada. His hopes of becoming a top-class professional in the future had been critically dashed following a year-long absence from the game. Despite a return involving AD Parla and third-tier outfit Linares, the then 26-year-old’s injury issues resurfaced, eventually signaling the end of his short playing career in unfortunate circumstances.

Despite a premature retirement, Benitez used experience of managerial skills from a younger age to take his career in football onto the dugout as Real Madrid reserve and youth team coach. Success may not have been on his side as a player, but it was almost instantly after his appointment of the youth side as they took two league titles between 1987 and 1989 with the senior B-squad.

After taking a third league title whilst with the youth B-team in 1990, he took on the vacant role of Under-19s manager. With them, he earned cup wins in 1991 and 1993, both times defeating Barcelona in the final. The latter cup win was part of an impressive double that Benitez and his Under-19 squad achieved, after winning the National U19 league.

By 1990, Benitez had earned his coaching certificate and had returned to manage the Real Madrid B-team in 1993.

Having experienced the majority of available managerial titles at Real Madrid during the previous seven years, Benitez took on the challenge of other clubs, starting with Real Valladolid. Unfortunately, he was handed the sack after as little as 23 games following just two victories in his diminutive spell at the club. A nine-game spell at Osasuna fared poorly too; with just one win achieved at the Reyno de Navarra, Benitez was sacked.

Despite this, luck appeared to finally be on his side at Extremadura, a side that were lead to promotion under Benitez after finishing second in the Segunda División. After spending a year away from the manager’s job, working as a pundit for several football broadcasting companies including El Mundo and Eurosport, Benitez joined CD Tenerife – by 2001 the Spaniard had added another promotion achievement to his list of feats, leading Los Blanquiazules to La Liga. Benitez promptly resigned, however, in order to take the unfilled job at Valencia.

The regular top two of La Liga – Real Madrid and Barcelona – were set aside in 2002 as Benitez’s Valencia outfit stormed to their first league title since 1971 by seven points. The club may have finished fifth the following season, but Benitez’s attacking style helped them become one of Spain’s most fearsome teams as well as 2003 Champions League quarter-finalists. A defeat to Inter Milan prevented them from advancing further in the competition.

Benitez wasn’t finished at Valencia though. Not only did he take La Liga by the scruff of its neck in the 2003-2004 season, winning the title with several games to spare, he also helped Valencia to the UEFA Cup title with a victory over Marseille in the final. Although the fans were in awe of Benitez, his managerial style and his achievements, he fell out with club director Jesus Garcia Pitarch over control of buying players. Some of his final words as Valencia manager were the most famous of his career: “I asked for a table, and they bought me a lampshade”.

The dispute was never solved, and Benitez moved on to current club Liverpool in 2004. He has guided them to an unforgettable Champions League final victory over AC Milan, an equally tense FA Cup win, and another Champions League final appearance to Milan once more – yet Benitez and his team are still left hunting for the Premier League title after 18 unsuccessful attempts.

It appears to be merely a matter of time before the Reds’ 19th top-flight domestic title comes their way, but ongoing strenuous and strained relationships between Benitez and club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are seen by the fans as ruining the club’s chances of a Premier League title ever emerging on Merseyside.

19 years on, Liverpool and Rafael Benitez’s pursuit for the Premier League championship continues.

Team Honours

Domestic

League
First Division: (18 )
1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90

Second Division: (4)
1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, 1961–62

Lancashire League: (1)
1892-93

Cup
FA Cup: (7)
1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006

League Cup: (7)
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003

FA Community Shield: (15, 10 shared)
1964 (shared), 1965 (shared), 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (shared), 1988, 1989, 1990 (shared), 2001, 2006

English Super Cup: (1)
1986

European

European Cup/UEFA Champions League: (5)
1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005

UEFA Cup: (3)
1973, 1976, 2001

UEFA Super Cup: (3)
1977, 2001, 2005

Team History

Founded in 1892, Liverpool are the most successful English team in history having won 40 trophies during their existence to Man Utd’s 38. Thirteen professionals were signed by John McKenna during their founding year, having been hired by John Houlding to bring in some footballers for the newly-formed Liverpool side. Malcolm McVean was the first ever scorer for the club in its 7-1 win over Rotherham – Liverpool’s first ever match.

Having had an application to join the Football League rejected, the club started domestic life in the Lancashire League, beating Higher Walton 8-0. The first ever Merseyside derby ended 1-0 in Liverpool’s favour, in the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup. This victory hauled the club into the Football League alongside Woolwich Arsenal.

They were soon promoted to the first division after winning the second tier unbeaten throughout the entire season. In 1914, Liverpool lost their first ever FA Cup Final to Burnley by just one goal.

The Reds were, however, involved in one of the game’s first betting scandal’s in 1915, which resulted in the banning of four squad members – although these bans were overturned four years later. The club marked their return to the top between the two years of 1921 and 1923 by winning the league title twice.

Manager George Patterson was unable to continue his role, meaning George Kay took over in 1936 and guided the club to the league title 11 years afterwards. Illness prevented him from advancing his career and in 1951, FA Cup winner Don Welsh replaced him – albeit for only a short space of time. He was sacked honour-less in 1956, replaced by Phil Taylor.

Taylor’s time at Liverpool was even worse, though; he left the club three years later having seen his side knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league outfit Worcester City earlier in the year.

The club’s most successful period came under new manager Bill Shankly, who took the league championship in 1964, 1966 and 1973, whilst emerging victorious in the FA Cup twice, and once in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League). Having carved Liverpool into one of the most feared sides in the world, Shankly handed the managerial baton to then 55-year-old Bob Paisley, who maintained their stunning form.

Liverpool won the league a further six times during Paisley’s nine-year stint, as well as winning numerous other silverware including the UEFA Cup once, and the European Cup (now the Champions League) three times.

Since Paisley’s retirement, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans, Gerrard Houllier, and Rafael Benitez (current manager) have all taken the managerial role, with 20 more honours having been won between 1983 and 2009.

Despite this, rivals Man Utd have taken domestic football by the scruff of its neck under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and Liverpool’s dominance has been wiped away. Benitez has guided the club to a stunning Champions League Final win over AC Milan on penalties, as well as wins in the Finals of the FA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the traditional English curtain raiser: the Community Shield.

The one title that continues to elude Liverpool is the Premier League, with Man Utd now within one title of equaling the Reds’ record of 18 domestic championships. This thread aims to tell the story of how the tables are turned once more… how Liverpool can once again become the dominant force in football.

23-06-2009, 10:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
UsR EXTR3ME Forum Junkie Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Winchester, UK Age: 16 Gender: Male Posts: 4,051 Blog Entries: 5	Liverpool FC: Premier League pursuit [SPEKZ-EXTR3ME collab] Liverpool FC: Premier League pursuit BY SPEKZ AND UsR EXTR3ME Team Information Team Name: Liverpool Football Club (LFC) Founded: 1892 Nickname(s): The Reds Stadium (details below): Anfield, Liverpool Co-owners: George Gillett, Tom Hicks Manager (details below): Rafael Benitez Current league: Barclays Premier League, English top-flight Previous seasons: ? (2008-9), 4th (2007-8 ), 3rd (2006-7) Stadium information and history Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom Opened in: 1884 Capacity: 45,370 UEFA Criteria: Elite Anfield was originally the property of local rivals Everton prior to Liverpool’s existence as a football club after owner John Orrell gave the club the land. Earlestown were the first team to visit Anfield in a match against the Toffees in autumn 1884, in which the home side stormed to a comfortable five-goal victory. The stadium was capable of holding over 20,000, and within five years was regarded one of international standard, hosting a game between England and Ireland. The first official league game at Anfield involved Everton and Accrington in 1888, and the Toffees were crowned domestic champions at the ground in 1891. After an extensive conflict between Everton president John Houlding and the club’s committee, the club moved to Goodison Park, paving the way for newly-formed Liverpool to be born – playing at Anfield. Hundreds gathered for Liverpool’s first ever football match at Anfield against Rotherham in 1892, which ended in a 7-1 win for the Reds. A crowd of 5,000 watched as they tore Lincoln City apart to win their first league game 4-0 a year later. A further couple of years later and a new stand had been built at the end of the current main stand. In 1903, a new stand was constructed at the Anfield Road end. The ever famous Spion Kop stand – named by columnist and sports editor Ernest Edwards – was put together in 1906, after Liverpool had won their second league title. Another 22 years had passed before the stadium was altered again, this time made to hold 30,000 standing spectators. Anfield’s Kop held more people than some stadiums at the time. Floodlights were installed in the 1950s and – fittingly enough – were first used in an October match against Everton to honour the 75th anniversary of the Liverpool County Football Association. Just under half a million pounds were spent on a new stand in 1963, but the largest alteration came ten years later when the main stand was knocked down, replaced by a brand new one. Liverpool’s – and indeed the world’s – attitude towards stadium safety was transformed forever after the tragic Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 lost their lives – including current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s ten-year-old cousin. In 1992, executive boxes were added as part of a second tier that added 11,000 seats to the ground. The historic Kop end was redeveloped, maintaining the suggestion in the Taylor report subsequent to the tragedy at the Hillsborough ground but reducing the capacity to approximately 12,000. Club legend Bill Shankly‘s eight-foot bronze statue was unveiled in front of the Kop end in 1997; it is a monument that will be remembered by all Liverpool fans for years to come. The latest changes to the ground was at the Anfield Road end 11 years ago, which became two-tiers, and in 1999 when support poles were installed to give the stadium extra stability. An all-new 60,000 capacity stadium has been proposed in Stanley Park, near Anfield – however financial difficulties are preventing such an arena being built. The Manager Name: Rafael Benitez Age: 49 years Date of birth: 16 April, 1960 Place of birth: Madrid, Spain Height: 5ft. 10in. Clubs played for: -Castilla CF (1974-1981) -AD Parla (1981-1985) -Linares CF (1985-1986) Clubs managed: -Castilla Youth B-squad (1986-1989) -Real Madrid Youth B-squad (1989-1991) -Real Madrid under 19s (1991-1993) -Real Madrid Senior B-squad (1993-1995) -Real Valladolid (1995-1996) -Osasuna (1996-1997) -Extremadura (1997-1999) -Tenerife (2000-2001) -Valencia (2001-2004) -Liverpool (2004-present) Rafael Benitez inherited his love for football from his parents – father Francisco and mother Rosario – both of whom were avid football fans for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid respectively. Francisco tragically died as Benitez was away earning second place in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship. As a footballer, Benitez played in midfield for the Real Madrid C-squad after joining the club’s youth academy at just 12 years of age. The Spaniard rounded off a football-filled upbringing with a degree in Physical Education in 1982. Whilst representing the Spain Universities XI at the World Student Games in 1979, Benitez was severely injured from a crunching tackle made during a goalless draw with Canada. His hopes of becoming a top-class professional in the future had been critically dashed following a year-long absence from the game. Despite a return involving AD Parla and third-tier outfit Linares, the then 26-year-old’s injury issues resurfaced, eventually signaling the end of his short playing career in unfortunate circumstances. Despite a premature retirement, Benitez used experience of managerial skills from a younger age to take his career in football onto the dugout as Real Madrid reserve and youth team coach. Success may not have been on his side as a player, but it was almost instantly after his appointment of the youth side as they took two league titles between 1987 and 1989 with the senior B-squad. After taking a third league title whilst with the youth B-team in 1990, he took on the vacant role of Under-19s manager. With them, he earned cup wins in 1991 and 1993, both times defeating Barcelona in the final. The latter cup win was part of an impressive double that Benitez and his Under-19 squad achieved, after winning the National U19 league. By 1990, Benitez had earned his coaching certificate and had returned to manage the Real Madrid B-team in 1993. Having experienced the majority of available managerial titles at Real Madrid during the previous seven years, Benitez took on the challenge of other clubs, starting with Real Valladolid. Unfortunately, he was handed the sack after as little as 23 games following just two victories in his diminutive spell at the club. A nine-game spell at Osasuna fared poorly too; with just one win achieved at the Reyno de Navarra, Benitez was sacked. Despite this, luck appeared to finally be on his side at Extremadura, a side that were lead to promotion under Benitez after finishing second in the Segunda División. After spending a year away from the manager’s job, working as a pundit for several football broadcasting companies including El Mundo and Eurosport, Benitez joined CD Tenerife – by 2001 the Spaniard had added another promotion achievement to his list of feats, leading Los Blanquiazules to La Liga. Benitez promptly resigned, however, in order to take the unfilled job at Valencia. The regular top two of La Liga – Real Madrid and Barcelona – were set aside in 2002 as Benitez’s Valencia outfit stormed to their first league title since 1971 by seven points. The club may have finished fifth the following season, but Benitez’s attacking style helped them become one of Spain’s most fearsome teams as well as 2003 Champions League quarter-finalists. A defeat to Inter Milan prevented them from advancing further in the competition. Benitez wasn’t finished at Valencia though. Not only did he take La Liga by the scruff of its neck in the 2003-2004 season, winning the title with several games to spare, he also helped Valencia to the UEFA Cup title with a victory over Marseille in the final. Although the fans were in awe of Benitez, his managerial style and his achievements, he fell out with club director Jesus Garcia Pitarch over control of buying players. Some of his final words as Valencia manager were the most famous of his career: “I asked for a table, and they bought me a lampshade”. The dispute was never solved, and Benitez moved on to current club Liverpool in 2004. He has guided them to an unforgettable Champions League final victory over AC Milan, an equally tense FA Cup win, and another Champions League final appearance to Milan once more – yet Benitez and his team are still left hunting for the Premier League title after 18 unsuccessful attempts. It appears to be merely a matter of time before the Reds’ 19th top-flight domestic title comes their way, but ongoing strenuous and strained relationships between Benitez and club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are seen by the fans as ruining the club’s chances of a Premier League title ever emerging on Merseyside. 19 years on, Liverpool and Rafael Benitez’s pursuit for the Premier League championship continues. Team Honours Domestic *League* First Division: (18 ) 1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90 Second Division: (4) 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, 1961–62 Lancashire League: (1) 1892-93 *Cup* FA Cup: (7) 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006 League Cup: (7) 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003 FA Community Shield: (15, 10 shared) 1964 (shared), 1965 (shared), 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (shared), 1988, 1989, 1990 (shared), 2001, 2006 English Super Cup: (1) 1986 European European Cup/UEFA Champions League: (5) 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 UEFA Cup: (3) 1973, 1976, 2001 UEFA Super Cup: (3) 1977, 2001, 2005 Team History Founded in 1892, Liverpool are the most successful English team in history having won 40 trophies during their existence to Man Utd’s 38. Thirteen professionals were signed by John McKenna during their founding year, having been hired by John Houlding to bring in some footballers for the newly-formed Liverpool side. Malcolm McVean was the first ever scorer for the club in its 7-1 win over Rotherham – Liverpool’s first ever match. Having had an application to join the Football League rejected, the club started domestic life in the Lancashire League, beating Higher Walton 8-0. The first ever Merseyside derby ended 1-0 in Liverpool’s favour, in the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup. This victory hauled the club into the Football League alongside Woolwich Arsenal. They were soon promoted to the first division after winning the second tier unbeaten throughout the entire season. In 1914, Liverpool lost their first ever FA Cup Final to Burnley by just one goal. The Reds were, however, involved in one of the game’s first betting scandal’s in 1915, which resulted in the banning of four squad members – although these bans were overturned four years later. The club marked their return to the top between the two years of 1921 and 1923 by winning the league title twice. Manager George Patterson was unable to continue his role, meaning George Kay took over in 1936 and guided the club to the league title 11 years afterwards. Illness prevented him from advancing his career and in 1951, FA Cup winner Don Welsh replaced him – albeit for only a short space of time. He was sacked honour-less in 1956, replaced by Phil Taylor. Taylor’s time at Liverpool was even worse, though; he left the club three years later having seen his side knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league outfit Worcester City earlier in the year. The club’s most successful period came under new manager Bill Shankly, who took the league championship in 1964, 1966 and 1973, whilst emerging victorious in the FA Cup twice, and once in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League). Having carved Liverpool into one of the most feared sides in the world, Shankly handed the managerial baton to then 55-year-old Bob Paisley, who maintained their stunning form. Liverpool won the league a further six times during Paisley’s nine-year stint, as well as winning numerous other silverware including the UEFA Cup once, and the European Cup (now the Champions League) three times. Since Paisley’s retirement, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans, Gerrard Houllier, and Rafael Benitez (current manager) have all taken the managerial role, with 20 more honours having been won between 1983 and 2009. Despite this, rivals Man Utd have taken domestic football by the scruff of its neck under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and Liverpool’s dominance has been wiped away. Benitez has guided the club to a stunning Champions League Final win over AC Milan on penalties, as well as wins in the Finals of the FA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the traditional English curtain raiser: the Community Shield. The one title that continues to elude Liverpool is the Premier League, with Man Utd now within one title of equaling the Reds’ record of 18 domestic championships. This thread aims to tell the story of how the tables are turned once more… how Liverpool can once again become the dominant force in football. Last edited by UsR EXTR3ME; 28-06-2009 at 12:05 PM..