Imranpak
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
I am a massive Liverpool FC fan having supported them for many years so excited by the announcement of our new manager. Brendan Rodgers may not be from the elite bunch nevertheless i enjoyed watching his Swansea play last season.
Would have loved to see Guus Hiddink or Frank Rijkaard takeover the Anfield hot seat but at this moment in time we need to build for the future so a younger manager may not be a bad thing. Want to share this article by an Indian Muslim of why many Muslim's and Asians support the might reds.
I'm sat in the International suite at Anfield with journalists and representatives of the FA Premier League and the Football League, when a guy called Pedro turns around and asks me: "Why do so many Asians and Muslims support Liverpool?"
Obviously I can't speak for every Asian and Muslim supporter out there, but I felt I had to unearth why and how - being born in Preston and raised in Yorkshire - I became a Liverpool supporter?
I knew some kind of archeological excavation of memory was on the cards. However it was not until I unearthed my Liverpool scarf did I recall that it was in fact my Dad who bought me the scarf years ago. And although he is still an avid Preston North End fan, he always admired Liverpool and watched them many times at Anfield during the late 60's, and 70's.
A young Asian guy watching football in those days is practically unheard of, but when Dad emigrated here from India he just developed a love for football as opposed to cricket. He was a season ticket holder for Preston North End for years, but the joy of watching Liverpool, Leeds and unfortunately Manchester United was something he relished. However, I specifically remember having a conversation with Dad about the legendary Bill Shankly and was told about the time Kevin Keegan was playing for Scunthorpe United many years ago and how both Preston North End and Liverpool were after his signature - but Preston refused to match Shankly's offer and the rest as they say is history.
Dad also remembers watching a very young Mark Lawrenson score for Preston North End against Sheffield Wednesday and watching an FA cup replay between Crewe and Preston North End at Anfield in 1977 - with Preston winning 3-0. He also watched Liverpool draw 0-0 with Everton at Goodison in the mid 70's, and watched George Best play for Manchester United at Deepdale against Preston in 1972, with Alan Gowling and Dennis Law scoring the goals in a 2-0 win for United.
In those days Dad used to earn a wage of about 20, and he once spent 15 on a pair of football boots endorsed by George Best, with his signature on the side. Dad is a football institution, he enjoyed going to football matches and took pleasure in watching the likes of Dalglish, Fairclough, Ian Callaghan, Brian Hall, Alan Kennedy and many other great players such as Peter Osgood, Alan Ball, Malcolm McDonald, Bobby Charlton and Martin Peters amongst others. And incidentally he never experienced any racism – he even used to go to Deepdale on his own if his friends were at work. Nowadays he prefers to be an armchair fan.
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[TD="class: small whi, bgcolor: #CC0000"]Mohammed on becoming a Red
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[TD="class: small, bgcolor: #E5E5E5"]Obviously I can't speak for every Asian and Muslim supporter out there, but I felt I had to unearth why and how - being born in Preston and raised in Yorkshire - I became a Liverpool supporter?
I knew some kind of archeological excavation of memory was on the cards. However it was not until I unearthed my Liverpool scarf did I recall that it was in fact my Dad who bought me the scarf years ago. And although he is still an avid Preston North End fan, he always admired Liverpool and watched them many times at Anfield during the late 60's, and 70's.
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Back to me! I remember when I was 7 years old, it was May 1986 the day we moved into our new house and it was Cup final day - Liverpool v Everton. I remember switching the TV on and watching Liverpool trail Everton 1-0 thanks to a goal by Gary Lineker. I specifically remember my Dad going on about how great Liverpool were, so I was understandably delighted when Craig Johnston and a brace from Ian Rush secured the double for Liverpool that season. And soon enough I was fortunate enough to attend my first Liverpool match in the late eighties - a 5-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest at Anfield. It was a fantastic night of football and the banter that went with it was unbelievable - the scousers have a very forthright sense of humour.
I was hooked from that day forward. However, supporting Liverpool as a kid was not all about winning trophies. After the 1988 loss against Wimbledon when John Aldridge had his penalty saved by Dave Beasant I cried for weeks on end. And I remember accusing Princess Diana of being a Wimbledon supporter when she presented the F.A cup to Dennis Wise - no matter how Mum and Dad tried to set me straight - I wasn't having any of it. As far as I was concerned Aldridge, Houghton, Beardsley, McMahon, Gillespie, Abblett, Barnes and the rest of them were invincible - and to a 9-year-old they were absolute icons. I would try and emulate them wherever I was, be it at home or at school.
And the travesty that was the Hillsborough disaster really struck a chord. I remember Craig Johnston flying in from Australia and weeping in front of the Kop, which was transformed into a shrine by Liverpool supporters. To me that just summed up the player-fan relationship. United in grief for the victims and united as a club when we beat Everton that year in the final.
I don't even want to attempt to mention the loss to Arsenal on the final day of the season in 1989. I remember some cousins who were supposed to go to work that night - they didn't bother going in because they were so upset.
Dad also got me a copy of Liverpool in Europe, a BBC video about Liverpool's glorious past. I loved that video; I used to have it on all the time, after school, after mosque. Myself and many others were introduced to the likes of super-sub, David Fairclough. Who could forget those amazing European nights? Magical.
Speaking of amazing European nights let's fast forward to Istanbul! It was half time - I was devastated, and my brother really wanted to rib me - but he kept quiet and let me be. I remember thinking, we've come this far and we can't just throw it away. What would Shankly say if he was around? What about those amazing European nights? Saint Etienne? Roma? At that very moment I remember Dad saying: "anything can happen in football."
I just managed to pick myself up as it was time for the late afternoon prayer and as soon as I finished I got myself back in front of the TV with everyone else. I remember people around me sneaking little prayers in and I got so many texts from people who genuinely believed Liverpool could do it. But with the possibility of 1988 rearing its ugly head (minus the crying) I was just so down. I needed some encouragement from somewhere! Thankfully the 12th man did their jobs (the supporters in Istanbul.)
Suddenly the rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone started ringing across the stadium - I just knew the tradition and history of the past was going to manifest itself in some way, shape or form, and did it ever. When Gerrard scored the first - I just shouted Tommy Smith! All right, so it wasn't a copy of the ex-Liverpool captain's goal in 1977 - but the circumstances surrounding the way he scored was to some extent similar to that great header in Rome and suddenly the adrenalin was pumping and I knew from that moment on a comeback was on the cards! When the second and third goals went in it was pure delirium, something I cannot explain. And when Dudek was doing the Grobbelaar impression on the goal line, I didn't know whether to laugh or bite my finger nails! "What are you doing you nutter!" shouted my brother. But I insisted Dudek knew what he was doing. We all know what happened next. And when I heard about Rafa's immortal words: "You are Liverpool Football Club - get out there!" I knew messrs Paisley and Shankly would have been very proud. What a game. What a night.
Fast forward again to this season and I think Rafa's done a sterling job. Fans will have to be patient, Shankly didn't make Liverpool a great team in a matter of days or months, it took him years to sew the seeds of success and then pass on the helm to the great Bob Paisley, who then firmly established Liverpool as the team everyone feared.
Although it's unfair to compare and contrast Rafa to Shanks and Paisley, I can't help but insist that Rafa has done his research on this club. He has carefully examined the careers of Shanks and Paisley and clearly wants to emulate them. He has adopted a youth policy that is very exciting to say the least. Scouting young players with potential then nurturing them into world class players is the Liverpool way as far as I'm concerned. Fair enough things have changed nowadays - clubs like to buy full internationals - but I have a feeling Rafa will continue to land some undiscovered talent such as reserve team players Jack Hobbs and Godwin Antwi. And with none other than Steve Heighway looking after the academy, I genuinely believe we can look forward to seeing some great young players progress into the first team in a few years time. Rafa is the kind of guy who can take an ordinary player and make him into something special.
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[TD="class: small whi, bgcolor: #CC0000"]Why Asians & Muslims love LFC
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[TD="class: small, bgcolor: #E5E5E5"]I'm as baffled as everyone else - maybe it's because we are seen as the 'Muhammad Ali' of the football world. We featured Muhammad in our February issue. A hero and role model, he has fulfilled those roles for decades. He was the fast-talking, world beating man of the 60's, who had immense strength of character. He lifted people similarly to the way Bill Shankly and Bob paisley inspired Liverpool by achieving great accolades. Those amazing European nights at Anfield and in Europe made people feel "we can be great, we can achieve mission impossible." It gave people strength of character, and when you include 'You'll Never Walk Alone' into the equation, it sends goose pimples through your body.
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In terms of Asian support Liverpool are in a privileged position. I can remember interviewing the late Robin Cook just before last year's election and he told me of how the Asian population in the UK contributes a great deal to the British economy. It boasts the largest food empire in Europe and an ever-increasing number of successful entrepreneurs, not discounting the rise of ethnic media and products amongst other things.
I know of certain clubs with a large Asian population in the vicinity that have tried unsuccessfully to attract Asian investment. I believe if Liverpool were to tap into the market it would be a lucrative step. One example is the world champions of Rugby League - the Bradford Bulls. They have a massive Asian population, yet no matter what kind of innovative marketing strategies they produce they can only manage a small increase in Asian fans. They simply cannot tap into the market as there are very few Asians who watch rugby and frankly they are simply not interested.
However, when you mention Liverpool FC, the mood changes. The number of Liverpool fans amongst British Muslim and Asian communities range across gritty northern towns such as Batley in West Yorkshire to the more affluent areas in London. It's simply breathtaking.
And on top of that, do not discount the effect second and third generation Asians have had on relatives in Asia and the Middle East, who are joining in this trend of supporting Liverpool FC. Nowadays you hear about relatives in those countries wearing Liverpool tops and watching Liverpool games. This was unheard of years ago but with countries like India emerging as an economic power, along with the oil rich Middle East who now have competitive leagues, I believe it will be Liverpool who will gain the most by taking advantage of their popularity there.
British Muslims have a special affinity to the city of Liverpool. Not many people actually know that in 1889 Liverpool solicitor and Muslim convert William "Abdullah" Quilliam opened the doors of what is England's first mosque - a little room in Liverpool's record Office which is still in existence. His granddaughter Patricia Gordon, I have been told, is actually a Liverpool fan.
And don't forget the Latinos. I remember visiting my Uncle and Aunt in tiny Panama in Central America. Before I left I gave my Liverpool top to my uncle who loved it. Everywhere he went he would be stopped and asked about where he got it from. Much to the dismay of my younger cousins who demanded when I got back to England, I had to send them a top each. I have since sent a dozen football shirts over - although it has left a hole in my pocket. Countries from Mexico to Chile have large amounts of Liverpool support and this will help us tap into the player market too, as countries like Panama are developing some excellent young players. For example German international Kevin Kuranyi was born in Panama and has dual German and Panamanian nationality. He is constantly organizing tournaments to encourage young children into playing football. Not long ago Panama had a British coach by the name of Gary Stempel, who helped sow the seeds of competitive Panamanian football.
How did Liverpool manage to gain such a large amount of support? I'm as baffled as everyone else - maybe it's because we are seen as the 'Muhammad Ali' of the football world. We featured Muhammad in our February issue. A hero and role model, he has fulfilled those roles for decades. He was the fast-talking, world beating man of the 60's, who had immense strength of character. He lifted people similarly to the way Bill Shankly and Bob paisley inspired Liverpool by achieving great accolades.
Those amazing European nights at Anfield and in Europe made people feel "we can be great, we can achieve mission impossible." It gave people strength of character, and when you include 'You'll Never Walk Alone' into the equation, it sends goose pimples through your body.
I often wonder who it was that started singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone', and who had the idea of swaying their scarves above their heads to the music? I don't suppose those who started it ever imagined that years later fans around the world would be singing it. I have heard people singing it in broken English, to Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi (Asian dialects) to Spanish, Italian and French. Amazing!
Manchester who? Real who? And although it is Abramovich's Chelsea who have the millions, we have Rafa, Gerrard, and Alonso to name a few and the tenacity of the Chief Executive Rick Parry will ensure this club will never be sold short.
I am convinced a successful future awaits Liverpool, on and off the pitch. And this wannabe scouser wants to be a part of it.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/why-so-many-asians-and-muslims-support-lfc
Would have loved to see Guus Hiddink or Frank Rijkaard takeover the Anfield hot seat but at this moment in time we need to build for the future so a younger manager may not be a bad thing. Want to share this article by an Indian Muslim of why many Muslim's and Asians support the might reds.
I'm sat in the International suite at Anfield with journalists and representatives of the FA Premier League and the Football League, when a guy called Pedro turns around and asks me: "Why do so many Asians and Muslims support Liverpool?"

I knew some kind of archeological excavation of memory was on the cards. However it was not until I unearthed my Liverpool scarf did I recall that it was in fact my Dad who bought me the scarf years ago. And although he is still an avid Preston North End fan, he always admired Liverpool and watched them many times at Anfield during the late 60's, and 70's.
A young Asian guy watching football in those days is practically unheard of, but when Dad emigrated here from India he just developed a love for football as opposed to cricket. He was a season ticket holder for Preston North End for years, but the joy of watching Liverpool, Leeds and unfortunately Manchester United was something he relished. However, I specifically remember having a conversation with Dad about the legendary Bill Shankly and was told about the time Kevin Keegan was playing for Scunthorpe United many years ago and how both Preston North End and Liverpool were after his signature - but Preston refused to match Shankly's offer and the rest as they say is history.
Dad also remembers watching a very young Mark Lawrenson score for Preston North End against Sheffield Wednesday and watching an FA cup replay between Crewe and Preston North End at Anfield in 1977 - with Preston winning 3-0. He also watched Liverpool draw 0-0 with Everton at Goodison in the mid 70's, and watched George Best play for Manchester United at Deepdale against Preston in 1972, with Alan Gowling and Dennis Law scoring the goals in a 2-0 win for United.
In those days Dad used to earn a wage of about 20, and he once spent 15 on a pair of football boots endorsed by George Best, with his signature on the side. Dad is a football institution, he enjoyed going to football matches and took pleasure in watching the likes of Dalglish, Fairclough, Ian Callaghan, Brian Hall, Alan Kennedy and many other great players such as Peter Osgood, Alan Ball, Malcolm McDonald, Bobby Charlton and Martin Peters amongst others. And incidentally he never experienced any racism – he even used to go to Deepdale on his own if his friends were at work. Nowadays he prefers to be an armchair fan.
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[TD="class: small whi, bgcolor: #CC0000"]Mohammed on becoming a Red
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: small, bgcolor: #E5E5E5"]Obviously I can't speak for every Asian and Muslim supporter out there, but I felt I had to unearth why and how - being born in Preston and raised in Yorkshire - I became a Liverpool supporter?
I knew some kind of archeological excavation of memory was on the cards. However it was not until I unearthed my Liverpool scarf did I recall that it was in fact my Dad who bought me the scarf years ago. And although he is still an avid Preston North End fan, he always admired Liverpool and watched them many times at Anfield during the late 60's, and 70's.
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[/TABLE]
Back to me! I remember when I was 7 years old, it was May 1986 the day we moved into our new house and it was Cup final day - Liverpool v Everton. I remember switching the TV on and watching Liverpool trail Everton 1-0 thanks to a goal by Gary Lineker. I specifically remember my Dad going on about how great Liverpool were, so I was understandably delighted when Craig Johnston and a brace from Ian Rush secured the double for Liverpool that season. And soon enough I was fortunate enough to attend my first Liverpool match in the late eighties - a 5-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest at Anfield. It was a fantastic night of football and the banter that went with it was unbelievable - the scousers have a very forthright sense of humour.
I was hooked from that day forward. However, supporting Liverpool as a kid was not all about winning trophies. After the 1988 loss against Wimbledon when John Aldridge had his penalty saved by Dave Beasant I cried for weeks on end. And I remember accusing Princess Diana of being a Wimbledon supporter when she presented the F.A cup to Dennis Wise - no matter how Mum and Dad tried to set me straight - I wasn't having any of it. As far as I was concerned Aldridge, Houghton, Beardsley, McMahon, Gillespie, Abblett, Barnes and the rest of them were invincible - and to a 9-year-old they were absolute icons. I would try and emulate them wherever I was, be it at home or at school.
And the travesty that was the Hillsborough disaster really struck a chord. I remember Craig Johnston flying in from Australia and weeping in front of the Kop, which was transformed into a shrine by Liverpool supporters. To me that just summed up the player-fan relationship. United in grief for the victims and united as a club when we beat Everton that year in the final.
I don't even want to attempt to mention the loss to Arsenal on the final day of the season in 1989. I remember some cousins who were supposed to go to work that night - they didn't bother going in because they were so upset.
Dad also got me a copy of Liverpool in Europe, a BBC video about Liverpool's glorious past. I loved that video; I used to have it on all the time, after school, after mosque. Myself and many others were introduced to the likes of super-sub, David Fairclough. Who could forget those amazing European nights? Magical.
Speaking of amazing European nights let's fast forward to Istanbul! It was half time - I was devastated, and my brother really wanted to rib me - but he kept quiet and let me be. I remember thinking, we've come this far and we can't just throw it away. What would Shankly say if he was around? What about those amazing European nights? Saint Etienne? Roma? At that very moment I remember Dad saying: "anything can happen in football."
I just managed to pick myself up as it was time for the late afternoon prayer and as soon as I finished I got myself back in front of the TV with everyone else. I remember people around me sneaking little prayers in and I got so many texts from people who genuinely believed Liverpool could do it. But with the possibility of 1988 rearing its ugly head (minus the crying) I was just so down. I needed some encouragement from somewhere! Thankfully the 12th man did their jobs (the supporters in Istanbul.)
Suddenly the rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone started ringing across the stadium - I just knew the tradition and history of the past was going to manifest itself in some way, shape or form, and did it ever. When Gerrard scored the first - I just shouted Tommy Smith! All right, so it wasn't a copy of the ex-Liverpool captain's goal in 1977 - but the circumstances surrounding the way he scored was to some extent similar to that great header in Rome and suddenly the adrenalin was pumping and I knew from that moment on a comeback was on the cards! When the second and third goals went in it was pure delirium, something I cannot explain. And when Dudek was doing the Grobbelaar impression on the goal line, I didn't know whether to laugh or bite my finger nails! "What are you doing you nutter!" shouted my brother. But I insisted Dudek knew what he was doing. We all know what happened next. And when I heard about Rafa's immortal words: "You are Liverpool Football Club - get out there!" I knew messrs Paisley and Shankly would have been very proud. What a game. What a night.
Fast forward again to this season and I think Rafa's done a sterling job. Fans will have to be patient, Shankly didn't make Liverpool a great team in a matter of days or months, it took him years to sew the seeds of success and then pass on the helm to the great Bob Paisley, who then firmly established Liverpool as the team everyone feared.
Although it's unfair to compare and contrast Rafa to Shanks and Paisley, I can't help but insist that Rafa has done his research on this club. He has carefully examined the careers of Shanks and Paisley and clearly wants to emulate them. He has adopted a youth policy that is very exciting to say the least. Scouting young players with potential then nurturing them into world class players is the Liverpool way as far as I'm concerned. Fair enough things have changed nowadays - clubs like to buy full internationals - but I have a feeling Rafa will continue to land some undiscovered talent such as reserve team players Jack Hobbs and Godwin Antwi. And with none other than Steve Heighway looking after the academy, I genuinely believe we can look forward to seeing some great young players progress into the first team in a few years time. Rafa is the kind of guy who can take an ordinary player and make him into something special.
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[TD="class: small whi, bgcolor: #CC0000"]Why Asians & Muslims love LFC
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[/TR]
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[TD="class: small, bgcolor: #E5E5E5"]I'm as baffled as everyone else - maybe it's because we are seen as the 'Muhammad Ali' of the football world. We featured Muhammad in our February issue. A hero and role model, he has fulfilled those roles for decades. He was the fast-talking, world beating man of the 60's, who had immense strength of character. He lifted people similarly to the way Bill Shankly and Bob paisley inspired Liverpool by achieving great accolades. Those amazing European nights at Anfield and in Europe made people feel "we can be great, we can achieve mission impossible." It gave people strength of character, and when you include 'You'll Never Walk Alone' into the equation, it sends goose pimples through your body.
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In terms of Asian support Liverpool are in a privileged position. I can remember interviewing the late Robin Cook just before last year's election and he told me of how the Asian population in the UK contributes a great deal to the British economy. It boasts the largest food empire in Europe and an ever-increasing number of successful entrepreneurs, not discounting the rise of ethnic media and products amongst other things.
I know of certain clubs with a large Asian population in the vicinity that have tried unsuccessfully to attract Asian investment. I believe if Liverpool were to tap into the market it would be a lucrative step. One example is the world champions of Rugby League - the Bradford Bulls. They have a massive Asian population, yet no matter what kind of innovative marketing strategies they produce they can only manage a small increase in Asian fans. They simply cannot tap into the market as there are very few Asians who watch rugby and frankly they are simply not interested.
However, when you mention Liverpool FC, the mood changes. The number of Liverpool fans amongst British Muslim and Asian communities range across gritty northern towns such as Batley in West Yorkshire to the more affluent areas in London. It's simply breathtaking.
And on top of that, do not discount the effect second and third generation Asians have had on relatives in Asia and the Middle East, who are joining in this trend of supporting Liverpool FC. Nowadays you hear about relatives in those countries wearing Liverpool tops and watching Liverpool games. This was unheard of years ago but with countries like India emerging as an economic power, along with the oil rich Middle East who now have competitive leagues, I believe it will be Liverpool who will gain the most by taking advantage of their popularity there.
British Muslims have a special affinity to the city of Liverpool. Not many people actually know that in 1889 Liverpool solicitor and Muslim convert William "Abdullah" Quilliam opened the doors of what is England's first mosque - a little room in Liverpool's record Office which is still in existence. His granddaughter Patricia Gordon, I have been told, is actually a Liverpool fan.
And don't forget the Latinos. I remember visiting my Uncle and Aunt in tiny Panama in Central America. Before I left I gave my Liverpool top to my uncle who loved it. Everywhere he went he would be stopped and asked about where he got it from. Much to the dismay of my younger cousins who demanded when I got back to England, I had to send them a top each. I have since sent a dozen football shirts over - although it has left a hole in my pocket. Countries from Mexico to Chile have large amounts of Liverpool support and this will help us tap into the player market too, as countries like Panama are developing some excellent young players. For example German international Kevin Kuranyi was born in Panama and has dual German and Panamanian nationality. He is constantly organizing tournaments to encourage young children into playing football. Not long ago Panama had a British coach by the name of Gary Stempel, who helped sow the seeds of competitive Panamanian football.
How did Liverpool manage to gain such a large amount of support? I'm as baffled as everyone else - maybe it's because we are seen as the 'Muhammad Ali' of the football world. We featured Muhammad in our February issue. A hero and role model, he has fulfilled those roles for decades. He was the fast-talking, world beating man of the 60's, who had immense strength of character. He lifted people similarly to the way Bill Shankly and Bob paisley inspired Liverpool by achieving great accolades.
Those amazing European nights at Anfield and in Europe made people feel "we can be great, we can achieve mission impossible." It gave people strength of character, and when you include 'You'll Never Walk Alone' into the equation, it sends goose pimples through your body.
I often wonder who it was that started singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone', and who had the idea of swaying their scarves above their heads to the music? I don't suppose those who started it ever imagined that years later fans around the world would be singing it. I have heard people singing it in broken English, to Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi (Asian dialects) to Spanish, Italian and French. Amazing!
Manchester who? Real who? And although it is Abramovich's Chelsea who have the millions, we have Rafa, Gerrard, and Alonso to name a few and the tenacity of the Chief Executive Rick Parry will ensure this club will never be sold short.
I am convinced a successful future awaits Liverpool, on and off the pitch. And this wannabe scouser wants to be a part of it.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/why-so-many-asians-and-muslims-support-lfc
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