Rare Shirts

Are you looking for a special Christmas present for that special LFC fan...I might just have what you are after

Liverpool FC - Champions League Final Shirt

This is the genuine shirt that was only available online for 2 days prior to the Final.  Don't get it mixed up with the Winners shirt that was mass produced and sold after.  This is 1 of only 5000 ever made and includes the UEFA embroidery and Champions League patch on the arm and comes in the Reebok sleeve to protect it. Pictured with it is the exceptionally rare Champions League Winners Medal replica, only 100 of these medals were made by UEFA and sold online on their website.

Once again this is an ultra rare combination, you will not find this anywhere else

£ - POA

Liverpool FC - UEFA Cup Final Shirt

Once again this is the genuine shirt, only available in the Club Shop before the 2001 final and comes with the official player embroidery, Lextra text on the reverse and UEFA Cup Final patch on the arm.  Once again the ultra rare UEFA replica medal is visible with the official program, ticket and winners photo.

Full collection only - WILL NOT SPLIT

£1000

Liverpool FC - European Shirt 2005/06

This is the LFC European shirt for the UEFA Champions League season 2005/06.  This shirt with the official UEFA Lextra 'Champions' and 'Badge of Distinction' was only available from the Club.  This shirt didn't become available to buy until October of the season. This mistake by Reebok ultimately cost them their sponsorship deal with Liverpool who sued them for breach of contract and from the 2006/07 season the shirts were once again made by Adidas.

£250

Liverpool see out 2014 with a goal rush

On a cold December night Liverpool kissed goodbye to 2014 with an assured performance against a lacklustre Swansea side who briefly offered some sort of resistance.

With a swagger that has been missing of late, the home side started the match fast; exploding out of the blocks. Rodgers had obviously ordered a high tempo of play which was unlucky not to be rewarded after 5 minutes. Heavy pressure brought a corner which Henderson drilled in; Fabianski did well to stop a close range Martin Skrtel header.  It was an early indication of things to come.

Raheem Sterling was once again on fine form; twisting and turning his markers inside out on a night Fernández and Williams will want to forget.  As it was the Kop had to wait until the 33^rd minute for the deadlock to be broken.  In a move more reminiscent to the Liverpool of last season, Albert Moreno got the all-important contact to a first time Henderson cross.  The Spaniard had started the move and did well to ensure he was on the receiving end of some quick one touch football. 

In contrast Swansea offered little and were thankful Andre Mariner somehow missed a forearm smash to the face of Can; the perpetrator? Step forward Jonjo Shelvey the pantomime villain; it is doubtful that his ill-discipline will have been overlooked by Gary Monk or the FA once they see the tapes in the morning.  The half ended at it started with a Liverpool flourish; Coutinho denied by a good save from Fabianski from a wickedly twisting 25 yard drive.

The Swans introduced Rangel at halftime to try and deal with the threat from Manquillo; it didn’t work, the Liverpool attacking wingback was on top form.  However; for all of Liverpool’s attacking threat their 2^nd goal came from a goalkeeping error.  Fabianski failed to clear his lines when offered the opportunity and instead drove the ball into a chasing down Lallana who watched the rebound cannon into an empty Kop net.

What followed was a fast 3 minutes in which Sigurdsson pulled one back for the visitors; who should have gone on to score another almost from the restart as Bony went close.  The following corner led to a breakaway in which Sterling looked on as his effort hit the post; Anfield had woken up.

Lallana, spurred on by his goal, started to turn the screw; he jinked past a static Swansea defence to drill his second, Liverpool’s 3^rd into a waiting net. A sumptuous finish worthy of his summer transfer saga.

Jordan Henderson looked to have crowned a captains performance with a goal direct from a well driven corner, closer inspection saw the telling touch had come from Shelvey who flicked the ball over his goalkeeper and into the far corner.  An own goal to go with a potential ban for the New Year; a night to forget for Shelvey.

Adam Lallana was replaced late on and received a standing ovation for a performance that was without doubt his best in a red shirt so far.  Balotelli shrugged off the shackles of the substitute bench to make a late appearance and was unlucky not to be on the score sheet; a latch ditch tackle prevented the Italian from what would have been a simple finish.  

If 2015 starts the way 2014 ended Liverpool fans will be glad to see the back of a year which offered so much but failed to deliver the ultimate prize.  A solid 4-1 victory which sees the Reds leapfrog Swansea into 8^th. 

Sterling keeps his nerve as Liverpool limp on

Brendan Rodgers can be thankful for the gift of Christmas tonight as a Liverpool side devoid of ideas and uncomfortable in possession walked away from Turf Moor with all of the 3 Boxing Day points on offer.

In a game which Burnley dominated for the most part it was a Raheem Sterling finish that settled it for the visitors.   Sterling latched on to a hopeful overhead lob by Coutinho and calmly rounded Heaton to slot into an empty net; the only point of note for a travelling Kop who once again witnessed a Liverpool side that were for the majority of the match, awful.

Dyche will be disappointed that his side went in at half time on level terms with the visitors after a strong cohesive display. Burnley should have yielded something from their 53% possession and 9 attempts on goal; crucially for Liverpool not one of the home side’s attempts were on target.   George Boyd was the spark behind the Burnley side on show and for all his creativity the net was still found wanting.

Rodgers was forced into an early change as Brad Jones left the field with a thigh strain; cue Simon Mignolet forced back into action after his indefinite layoff.  Mignolet was clearly unnerved by his introduction as he was soon found to be flapping at crosses and unconvincing with the ball at his feet; surely his days at Liverpool are numbered?  

Liverpool, saturated this afternoon with midfielders, will do well not to repeat their first half showing, which was on a par with anything as poor served up by Hodgson or Souness; their only positives a tame shot from Lallana after a divine through ball from Gerrard (bar this the talismanic captain was once again found wanting; anonymous in every sense). Mamadou Sakho provided the other, the Frenchman has looked solid in defence since his return; despite criticism from sections of the local media Sakho looks to be the only defender Liverpool have that could potentially stop the leakage of goals. He will though require a better partner than a once again shaky Skrtel or rightly missing Lovren.

The 2^nd half started with Toure making way for Can, absent for the most part since a man of the match performance against Chelsea and strong showing in the Bernabéu; his introduction seemed to settle the nerves on the Liverpool right.  Liverpool’s recent performances were typified in the 57^th minute when Sterling broke down the left but with no forward option possession broke backwards resulting in a Burnley shot after a sloppy piece of play by Lucas. However this was rectified on the 61^st minute as Sterling kept his head to finish calmly what was a breakaway goal against the run of play.

The watching Liverpool fans and board will be alarmed by the hesitation shown by Mignolet, who in the 67^th minute, managed to allow a slightly wayward back pass run out of play.  The Belgian seemed to misjudge the roll of the ball, under no pressure, and also appeared to angle his run in can what can only be described as a piece of truly shocking play.  He will be thankful that the resulting corner was not punished by a Burnley side; who for all their possession could not fashion a decent attempt on target all afternoon.

If Liverpool are to push on from this Rodgers will have to address a self-appreciation of an overhyped system that was very easily picked apart by Sean Dyche. 

Time for the FA to give the PGMOL the red card as Super Sunday descends into Calamity Central

How many more incorrect red cards, indefensible onside / offside decisions and lost points must Premier League clubs go through before the Football Association finally take action against those who seem to be untouchable?

In a game of high stakes, with the eyes of the world watching, it is unfortunate that another weekend will be remembered for the abhorrent decisions taken by those supposedly responsible for rules and governance of the national game.

The tired old excuse of the Referee’s Association that “the modern game is so fast; split second decisions must be made in real time with no replay” just doesn’t stand up anymore.

The Professional Game Match Officials Board was set up in 2001 when the status of Referee at the highest level changed from amateur part time teachers and police officers into dedicated professionals. 

It was setup with the “responsibility of developing excellence in officiating in the English game at the professional level”.   It later became a public limited company and changed its name to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

When the news was unveiled to the football public in June 2001 former FIFA Referee Rodger Milford declared “I am sure this will mean more consistency from the officials on points of law which cause controversy".  How ironic is it that 11 years later that very statement couldn’t seem further from the truth.

As an Association, the FA, quite rightly chooses to openly punish those managers and players who contravene its rules.  Statements on websites and via media agencies let the footballing public know who, why and what their players are being disciplined for.  The same is not true for the professional referee’s who officiate on the game. 

The select group of referees earn an estimated £30’000 - £60’000 per year depending on exact numbers of matches officiated.  This is a far cry from the part time wages that were given out pre 2001.  Although still a long way from the hundreds of thousands of pounds earned by those players and managers at the very top, referees are paid a wage on a par with Football League 2 players and as such, should be subjected to the same public explanation of sanctions and disciplinary procedures that those players are.

The FA is always very quick to administer financial and availability sanctions to players and managers, but referees are subjected to either a lower league fixture or rest week.

It is now time that referees and assistants at the very top receive a fine equivalent to their match fee if they make a horrendous game changing decision.  You only need to look at the live Super Sunday games today, 28 October 2012, to see just how incompetent decisions can affect games in the most severe of ways.

A closer program of integration is needed between the PGMOL and clubs, it is also blatantly obvious that the time has come for the FA to hold its officials to account publicly and state exactly what is happening.  A simple statement on a par with that rolled out for players and managers would restore confidence of a waning public who see an ‘old boys club’ where in house never minds replace a much needed disciplinary procedure.

Genuine parity throughout football would bring officials back into line, if officials make cataclysmic errors like the world witnessed again today, then they should be fined their match fee.

Also like their professional player and manger counterparts it’s time they faced the press after the match. The old ways of staying silent and slipping out quietly just doesn’t wash anymore.

Will the FA act? I very much doubt it.  Is this a more serious issue than removing your shirt during a goal celebration, or, having the wrong coloured sock tape? Most definitely

11 years after its inception has the PGMOL and FA really made its officials more accountable regarding their performances in matches?

The Strategic Constable

The 15^th of April 1989 will be remembered for many reasons.  The day that resulted in 96 people losing their lives for attending a football match, the day when worlds were changed forever and the day when “the biggest cover up of all time” was instigated.

Within hours of the first deaths South Yorkshire Police set in motion a smear campaign of a magnitude never seen before and likely will never be seen again.  

At the forefront of this campaign was the South Yorkshire Police Federation and its Secretary at the time, Constable Paul Middup.

I contacted the now retired Middup three times on the morning of 15 September 2012 by telephone. Below are the transcripts from the three conversations:

11:37am - 15 Sep 12

PM: Hello?

Me: Mr Middup?

PM: Yes

Me: Mr Middup, Good Morning, I wonder if you’d like to answer some questions regarding Hillsborough.

PM: No thank you, I’m not making any comment at all, thanks very much, bye... (Hangs Up)

12:20pm - 15 Sep 12

PM: Hello?

Me: Mr Middup, this is your chance to put forward your side of the story

PM: No thank you

Me: Mr Middup, you were happy to chat after Hillsborough

PM: (Silence….. hangs up)

14:43pm - 15 Sep 12

Mrs Middup: Hello?

Me: Hi, can I speak to Mr Middup please?

Mrs Middup: I’m sorry he’s not in can I help?

Me: I was hoping to speak to him reference ‘ticketless drunk mob’ claims made 23 years ago?

Mrs Middup: Is this about Hillsborough?

Me: Yes it is, I was hoping he’d like to put his version of events forward

Mrs Middup: I’m afraid he’s not speaking to the press; he’ll talk to you but won’t say anything

Me: It may be in his best interest to release his side of the events which took place during a meeting on 19 April 1989

Mrs Middup: I’ll pass the message on but I think the answer will still be no

Me: Well you have my number so please ask him to call if he’d like to

Mrs Middup: Thank you very much (Conversation ends.. hangs up)

I tried to contact the former Constable Middup a further number of times during 15 September 2012 but his telephone was either engaged or rang out without answer.

This somewhat confused me.  Middup was extremely vocal in the hours and days after the Hillsborough disaster.  He was one of the first to push the image of drunken fans urinating on Police Officers; he was the first to push the idea of fans stealing from the dead.  He later remarked in a meeting of the Joint Branch Board (19/04/89) that:

“He had initially been interviewed on radio – Radio Sheffield, which had been successful and it had snowballed from there” 

In the days after Hillsborough Middup met with Senior Police Officers and the MP for Sheffield Hallam (Irvine Patnick) and conspired to write a version of events which was released to Sheffield based, White’s News Agency.  This version of events was picked up by The Sun and directly led to the now infamous ‘The Truth’ headline and subsequent article.

However, prior to this Middup went on television to publicly reinforce a web of deceit that was spun in the hours after the disaster.  Middup went on Yorkshire TV the day after Hillsborough and gave the following interview at 6 minutes and 22 seconds:

Pay particular attention to the phrases which began to be used at every opportunity:

"And I’m saying to you that if police officers had have been in there, when this mob surged through, the police officers would’ve been trampled to death underneath it. You just can’t handle them. And the vast majority of that lot had been drinking, the ones that were arriving late, and they will not be told what to do, they won’t do anything you try to do, and what can you do? "

This line of blame continued and was underlined again in the meeting of the Joint Branch Board (19/04/89) where the then Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Peter Wright, backed Middup’s claims and insisted: 

“If anybody should be blamed it should be the drunken ticketless individuals"

Middup claimed “the Chief Constable had said the truth could not come from him but had given the Secretary a totally free hand and supported him. The Secretary commented that never before have so many senior officers sought him out and thanked him”

Middup portrayed himself as the knight in shining armour, the one that would save face for the South Yorkshire Police.  Surely he must have known that as a member of a uniformed service his words would be taken on face value.  He must have known that with his direct input the blame would be automatically shifted from incompetent policing onto a ‘drunken mob of late arriving ticketless louts’. 

I wanted to talk to Middup about where these seeds were originated and by whom.  Was it all his idea? Was he coaxed into being the face at the front?

Middup has not broken his silence since the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

This leads me to my final question, and maybe the most notable:

Middup was only a Constable; in modern military terms he would be described as a ‘Strategic Corporal’ a soldier that possesses technical mastery in the skill of arms while being aware that his judgment, decision-making and action can all have strategic and political consequences.

Were the South Yorkshire Police so bereft of leadership that they allowed a base rank to orchestrate one of the biggest lies and cover-ups of the 20^th century?