Barclays Premiership - Match 4
 

Season 2006-2007

LIVERPOOL

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED

  Date: Thursday 21st September 2006
  Venue: Anfield
  Kick Off: 5am (AEST)
  Australian Live TV: Foxsports 1
  Internet Live TV Coverage: TBC
  Weather Forecast: 17c
 

 
  Squad:
 

Not announced yet
   
  Team News:
 

Michael Owen (knee), as we know, is out till next year with the injury he picked up at the World Cup.
Kieron Dyer (hamstring) is back in full training next week.
Nobby Solano (hamstring) is out for 3 weeks.
Shay Given (abdominal) spent Sunday night in a London hospital, after a collision with Marlon Harewood, and I presume will be missing.
Titus Bramble and Steven Taylor both missed the West Ham game and are still doubtful.
   
 

My thoughts:
 

After two ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ like performances against Fulham and West Ham, which Newcastle United will turn up at Anfield this Wednesday night (local time)?

Our recent record at Anfield (last league win was April 1994) would suggest that a win will be highly unlikely, if not extremely difficult. I’ve never been confident about a trip to Anfield and nothing I’ve seen this season has changed my mind. Throw in the Craig Bellamy factor and you have to worry.

The optimists out there among you will be thinking but surely we are due a win and a change of fortune at Anfield. That certainly is one school of thought and I hope your saying ‘I told you so’ come Thursday morning.

With two games a week the norm at the minute, it will be interesting to see if Glenn Roeder rests any of his outfield players in this game. If Shola is able to play again, I hope he starts him, as it’s important that Martins and he start to build on their partnership. They looked decent together at West Ham, linking up a few times, but a run of games together are essential now really.

A midweek 5am(AEST) kick off, also throws up an extra challenge. Do you have a beer whilst watching the match? If so, how many can you get away with and still function at work?* These are all the important things that need to be taken into consideration as an Aussie Mag. I’ll let you know how I get on!!
 
 
The Arkles, Liverpool


 

Speaking of beer, I’ve probably been to Anfield more than any other away ground in the country, so I’m pretty familiar with the pre-match pubs. The Arkles is right next to the away end at Anfield, so has traditionally been very popular with Newcastle fans. Sadly after trouble a couple of seasons ago, away fans (or certainly Newcastle fans) now seem to be barred from The Arkles and the pub is now closed after the match, which is a damn shame. The Stanley Park is an Everton fans pub, at the other side of Stanley Park, so is a good option. It also allows fans to drink outside, so if it’s a barmy autumn evening in the North West, it’ll be even more rammed with Geordies than usual.

 
 

To the right is the Miranda pub, classic Liverpool, and seeing as though I won’t be attending this game I would just like to sing the following…
“In your Liverpool slums, you look in the dustbin for something to eat, you find a dead rat and you think it’s a treat. In your Liverpool slums!!!!”

So then fingers crossed the doubting Thomas’s are choking on their weatbix in disbelief and that the optimistic lads are sitting on their sofa with a knowing smile come 7am(AEST) this Thursday.

 HOWAY THE LADS!!!

 *Please note: I catch the tram to work everyday, I’m not a bloody idiot.
A classic Liverpool scene
   
  Did you know?
- Everton FC actually played at Anfield from 1884 to 1891 and only moved to Goodison Park because they refused to pay the increased rent, which went from £100 to £250 a year. A new club was then formed to play at Anfield, originally going to be called Everton Athletic but the Football Association refused to recognise the team as Everton, so the named was changed to Liverpool FC.

 - The Kop end at Anfield, was originally known as the Oakfield Road Embankment or Walton Breck Bank. It was renamed the Spion Kop in 1906 after the battle of Spion Kop and later it became known as 'the Kop'. This was the hill in present day South Africa, where Boer guerrillas had inflicted a heavy defeat on the British army in 1900. Many of the men killed were from the North West so the name was especially poignant. Other grounds around the country also renamed some of their terraces after the Spion Kop, such as St Andrews in Birmingham and Hillsborough in Sheffield.