An A-Z of Liverpool FC

Part 1 - A to B

This is the start of a new series in which I’m trying to cover all the key names, events, competitions etc under each letter of the alphabet. I am not claiming it to be fully comprehensive - there’s not enough time left in the world for that! It’s still quite a deep dive though, and I apologise sincerely in advance for any omissions that trouble you.

So here we go, with the very traditional start of ‘A”, followed by “B”!:

A

Anfield

Where else to start, and where better?

The fans and the ground they sit in, or stand in, are unquestionably the soul of a football club. Players, managers, owners may come and go, but the fans and the stadium form a connective tissue that binds through the ages (new stadia notwithstanding).

We happen to have one that is world-famous, its name recognied throughout planet football, laden with gravitas and impregnated with memories. Our stadium is capable of staging utterly momentous occasions and providing a unique blend of organic and unorchestrated sound and vision. Many eminent visiting managers and players from home and abroad have attested to its power. In the interests of balance, however, it must be conceded that it can also be quiet at times, and criticial of individual players. But we all know what it’s capable of when it’s turned up to No. 11.

The full name of Liverpool’s home ground is Anfield Road, in the area of Anfield, Liverpool, postcode L4. But the ‘Road’ has long since been dropped in common usage, though it does crop up in a few songs.

‘Anfield’ is all you need. What other grounds around the world have comparable resonance? The Camp Nou, the Bernabeu, the Maracana, the San Siro, Old Trafford?

Following the renovations of the Main Stand and Anfield Road End, the ground’s capacity now stands at 61,276, behind only Old Trafford (74,197), The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,850) and the London Stadium (62,500).

There was once a time when we were facing the possibility of Anfield no longer being our home, as the odious ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett (more of that later too) promised to have a new stadium built. But like all of their promises, it disappeared into the ether, and no spade hit the ground before they were run out of town.

There had also been talk on and off for about half a century of a new ground to be built and shared with Everton - it was jokingly termed the San Giro, at a time of exceptionally high unemployment in Liverpool (for those in other parts of the world who maybe don’t know, giro was a term for unemployment benefit). But it was never going to happen, and it certainly isn’t now.

Of course Anfield was originally home to Everton FC, its first occupants, but we’ll cover that under ‘E’ for Everton.

John Aldridge

Aldridge was quite simply one of the best genuine natural finishers the club has had - and he’s in some elevated company, with Roger Hunt and Ian Rush, the man he succeeded, before him and Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen after.

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