Articles

‘Blame the fans!’ A legacy of Heysel 28 February 2024

Liverpool FC carries the shame of two disasters which, even in hindsight, have been largely attributed to the misbehavior of some of their own fans.

Those first few minutes…… Part 2 17 January 2024

Part 1 gave no pleasure to research, write, or (for LFC fans no doubt) to read, concerning LFC going behind in under ten minutes of a match.

‘Those first few minutes…’ (Part 1) 18 December 2023

‘There’s been an early goal at Anfield,’ says an excited anchor in the studio, a phrase still dreaded by not-yet-completely converted believers.

And God said, ‘that is the most agonizing wait of all’.* 30 September 2023

The frustration for a debutant-in-waiting at Anfield.

Lighting up Anfield 25 July 2023

In 1955/56 Everton were on a high – they’d just escaped from Division 2, changing places with a descending Liverpool, who remained there until the end of 1961/62.

Never on a Thursday ....well, almost never 10 July 2023

Was Jurgen Klopp justified in complaining about having to play in Europe on a Thursday evening and again at home on the following Sunday?

Fishing for minnows 22 May 2023

It’s that time of year again. Fans, some of whom seem to judge transfer prospects solely on the basis of what they’d seen on Match of the Day, offer their opinions as to who we should pay ridiculously small sums for in order to turn them into world-beaters.

But the crowd called out for more* 15 March 2023

Historically, there are at least half a dozen other significant factors which have skewed the size of a home crowd, plus an overriding one called the Premier League.

LFC during WWI 26 February 2023

The outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 sparked an internal, sporting political war in England.

AMB - The one that got away! 13 December 2022

You meet a Manc and try to make him guess which two football grounds have a statue of a former Liverpool player outside

Heads, you lose 27 October 2022

In the recent controversy about heading a football, some argue that a blanket ban should be introduced to lessen the threat of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases in retired players.

HRT – Human Replacement Therapy 18 August 2022

Managers cannot always send out their best sides so they have to make changes.

A Newfangled angle 17 July 2022

Time almost stands still for the spectators behind the goal who can get little idea how fast the spinning ball is traveling towards them.

LFC in decline 1947-1959 11 July 2022

Much has been written about the subsequent rise back into, and to the top of, Division 1, but what caused the decline itself?

25 men in a window 3 June 2022

In 1994, a judgement in the European Court of Human Rights was the trigger for a period of chaos in the football world.

2010 – LFC’s year of agony 3 April 2022

When Roy Hodgson arrived on 1 July 2010 to take up his 18th managerial job, the parts were already in place for the disaster to happen.

Spoilt for choice 22 February 2022

Recently Colin Rogers documented Liverpool's use of substitutes in First Division matches from 1965/66 to 1986/87. Here he continues his interesting analysis for 1987/88 to 2007/08.

Ten men 20 January 2022

Eleven against ten can prove problematic.

One size fits all 26 November 2021

By Colin Rogers. LFC’s use of substitutes in First Division matches – Part 1, 1965/66 to 1986/87.

Unarmed combat - analysis of LFC’s friendly games 1892 to 2021 15 November 2021

For most of the Victorian era, all football was based on the notion of ‘friendliness’, and the willingness to participate was born out of the love of the game. It was competitive only in the non-formal sense, solely within the match being played.

‘Take a card…’ – three puzzles from LFC’s sendings-off 21 August 2021

Football relies very heavily on the assumption of independence and impartiality on the part of referees, wherever games are played and whoever is playing them.

Losing it 18 June 2021

You begin to wonder whether the years under Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish, were all that consistently glorious after all. Our record against clubs in the lowest league positions was considerably worse than in more modern times.

‘Something borrowed, something red’ – LFC in the loans business 15 June 2021

Between 1892 and 2021, some 230 Liverpool players have been sent out on loan, about 100 of them more than once, but we have received only twenty-nine, less than the equivalent of a modern full squad.

Scousers! 21 May 2021

An antidote for LFC fans who aren’t.

Figuring the numbers 20 March 2021

The numbers represented a place on the pitch, not an individual, named player.

Skippers 19 February 2021

"Ideal captains are born not made". The story of Liverpool's skippers.

‘From boots to bootroom.’ How did ex-LFC players manage? 19 December 2020

Assessing the relative success of football managers, especially in historical periods, is what nowadays would be called challenging – that is, just this side of foolhardy. There are so many variables which can affect a team and club’s performance - financial backing, transfers in and out, league levels, and so on, over which the manager has little or no control. Former LFC players have managed at many different levels, from top tier to well below the fourth tier.

From Parachutes to Thanksgivings – 89 testimonials 13 December 2020

The basis of the article is the list of 89 testimonials on LFChistory.net.

‘Be my guest’ – George Kay keeping LFC afloat during World War II 31 October 2020

“Well, that’s it, then!” said my mother. It is my earliest memory, and all I had to worry about was the horrified look on her face."

The jinx are on us - LFC as luck would have it 25 August 2020

Has Liverpool been affected by a jinx, whether it is real in the sense of something malevolent, externally caused, which results in Fate’s denial of our club’s just deserts?

The last quadrilles 17 August 2020

How do the champions elect perform at the end of the season?

There was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman… - Part II 17 July 2020

Liverpool is, arguably, the second most international city in England, and it is no surprise that LFC has attracted a substantial number of foreign players.

There was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman… - Part I 1 July 2020

The contribution of non-English players to the history of LFC. Part I of Colin Rogers' massive study in this subject matter, written for LFChistory.net.

Back-to-back fixtures – the rise and fall of supermen 9 April 2020

17/18 December 2019 was unique in the annals of LFC and in the annals of English football.

Attacking the Kop 27 September 2019

There’s nothing in football like the Kop. It throbs like some huge factory. Those fans come not only to be entertained, but to entertain.’ – From a press report in 1963.