11 Mar 2018 19:47:46
Away from the "we suck - no you suck for saying we suck" daily grind, this is one for ED001. I was speaking to an old friend of my dad's over the weekend, who used to have strong ties with the club. He was telling me an anecdote about Phil Thompson. He said that as a young player, he had such a love for playing the game that, even after he signed professional terms for the club, he used to try and play with the local amateur teams as often as he could, playing with boys he grew up with, and that the club actually had to tell him to stop. I only know Thommo the pundit as he was before my time, but it was nice to hear about his love of football. Can't imagine too many youngsters these days doing that, too much money for youngers see them think of football as their career at an age where they should be playing just cuz they love playing.

He also told me he's good friends with Stevie Mac's dad, and that Macca is a really good lad and has looked after his dad after his mum died etc.

I could have talked to him all weekend, but unfortunately, as it was a big family event we were at, I had to spread myself about and didn't get as much time with him as i would have liked, but it was so cool to chat to someone with real connections to Liverpool of the past.

He's also the reason my dad has a signed '77 European Cup winning team ball, so he was already pretty high in my estimations!

I don't really have a reason for this post, but as I don't know too many Liverpool supporters up here, i wanted to share. So to make it open to everyone, feel free to share your anecdotes about current or past players, or anyone you know with links to the club who you just love listening to. Weekend's done, let's change the subject lads.

{Ed001's Note - actually most kids would play more but they are usually banned in the contract they have to sign to get in the youth academy. It usually limits their activities to a ridiculous amount.}

1.) 12 Mar 2018
12 Mar 2018 00:05:11
Thanks for the post - nice to read this kind of stuff rather than the recriminations that come after every defeat.

2.) 12 Mar 2018
12 Mar 2018 05:07:02
Ed001, what are your views on the professional clubs in England limiting the playing time of the youngsters in that way?

It seems like a lot of the world class talents (Messi, Suarez, Ronaldo) all crafted their skill from playing hundreds and hundreds of hours of football in the streets as a kid - surely the English clubs can take a lesson from this or are they fearful that they may get injured while not playing for the club?

Red Sandman.

{Ed001's Note - they are fearful of injuries but it is a huge mistake. The best sportspeople around the world have usually played a large number of sports in their youth which has aided their development. Johan Cruyff and Michael Jordan were both excellent baseball players before giving it up to concentrate on their chosen sport, Steve McManaman was an excellent cross-country runner, Thibaut Courtois was very good at handball and there are many, many others. Kids learn best through play and they can learn so much by taking part in other sports.

Kids get so little time to play outside these days, they are so often playing video games, so much so that Man Utd's academy has had to develop courses in basic things we all used to learn when we were children. Even silly things like how to fall without hurting yourself, we all learnt from falling out of trees or similar, they are now having to give classes in it. Anything they do which does not involve sitting on their backside should be encouraged.

If they are fearful of the environment in which those other sports and games take place, then the academies should organise themselves to provide the outlet for them. The problem is that there is still too little done in English football with regards to personal development and coaching with anything other than old school beliefs. England is always reactionary, that is why it gets behind the times in terms of new developments in the sport and then has to catch up.

There is still a lot of catching up to be done in terms of coaching, there are still not enough coaches around. As Johan Cruyff said, you would see 3 different coaches as a golfer, one player, 3 coaches, but in football you can have 25 players being coached by one man. It is ridiculous. Players are individuals and should have a lot more one-on-one coaching sessions. Cruyff would find the time to do them when he was in management why, with all the money available, do English clubs not do the same?}