I’d like to start by thanking everyone who has helped in making this Fanzine reach the ripe old age of 21. It’s a long list, too many to mention, but thanks again.
Back in 1995 when I started this Fanzine the media, including the Liverpool Echo, had been suggesting Liverpool could/would win the title. We’d destroyed the then Champions, Blackburn Rovers at Anfield and gone to Old Trafford in the face of total hostility [Cantona’s first game back after being banned for criminal activity] and got a draw. Only then came what would be known as ‘Black November’ when we couldn’t buy a win and the title dream started to fade before a New Year revival reignited it. It all ended on a sour note, we didn’t win anything and had the famed ‘White Suit Final’ to haunt and remind us, of what might have been.
In the summer of 1995 Stan Collymore had been signed with banner headlines suggesting we’d found the missing link, the final piece of the jigsaw only he wasn’t anything other than an enigma and that’s being kind. Twenty-one years later we’re still trying to put all the pieces together and come up with the right formula. I honestly don’t know whether we’re closer to fulfilling the dream or just as far away. Each time we think we’ve got it right we’ve fallen over our own feet but just like 1995 we’re dreaming again. There can be no doubt Jürgen Klopp knows what he’s doing even though I disagree about the goalkeeping situation. In 1995 I thought David James might be the Achilles heel as well.
The League Cup game against Spurs may have given us a glimpse into the future, finally seeing some potential on the pitch in the form of the young lads the manager picked. I know we’ve seen them before – ‘Ones for Tomorrow’ [Circa G. Houllier 2003] – but those in the side against Spurs showed up well.
We’ve wasted almost as much money in the transfer market as the British Government has done on Wars but finally there’s a sneaking feeling we might have got some things right. I remember just a few short years ago the club being pillared for signing the likes of Jordan Henderson but he’s now club captain, maybe still a few doubters but not as many as there was a while ago. I don’t know if Jürgen has any special gifts but he’s made players such as Lovren and Lallana look like half decent and he’s found something in Firmino more than a few disbelievers doubted was there. Ah just seen Lovren at the Palace! I’ll forgive him though because he did score.
So, twenty-one years on, nothing much has changed. We’ve still got dreams and songs to sing. Twenty-years is a long time, how much longer can I go on I don’t know. To quote the winner of the Nobel prize for Literature, “Life is an Ocean, but it ends at the shore, you may not see me tomorrow”. I don’t know when tomorrow is and I only use that in the Fanzine sense.
In the meantime you should still find me somewhere between Paisley Square and 96 Avenue close to where someone’s outside toilet used to be.
JJP
Still Wearing Black.