Liverpool reaching out to Asian fans

There is one team who, in an almost coincidental twist of fate have succeeded where countless others have failed.

Liverpool Football Club is a worldwide footballing force to be reckoned with and Scouse heritage is no longer a pre-requisite of being a Reds fanatic.

The Asian Liverbird is an enthralling new book written by acclaimed journalist Mohammed Bhana and officially commissioned by the club which explores the rich Asian history of Liverpool F.C and investigates the who, what, when, wheres and the whys behind the club’s stiflingly large Asian fan base.

To celebrate the Asian Liver Bird book - On Saturday October 11 there was a celebrity charity match at the Liverpool Football Club’s academy in Kirkby between a Liverpool Legends XI and an Asian Celebrity XI.

Famous faces included Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy, Eastenders’ Adam Woodyatt, (Ian Beale), H Dhami, Juggy D,Shekie and Sham, Jinx and the author of The Asian Liverbird, Mohammed Bhana.

Furthermore, over 200 youngsters from across the country were selected via special competitions in ethnic media and were put through their paces by Liverpool academy coaches during the day.

Most of the Asian XI had not even met prior to the match.
However, the game was played in a great spirit and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

So why then, can the Red side of Merseyside boast such a dominant presence in the British Asian community? Mohammed’s answer is emphatic: Bill Shankly.

"It’s the Shankly way," says Bhana. "When the massive influx of Asians came to Britain in the 1960’s, Liverpool were on top and Shankly was the man in charge.

"But it wasn’t just the trophies. Shankly had this great family-orientated view and that really touched a lot of people and the message soon spread and that message still lives on in Asian households today.

"We live in such a secular / multi-cultural society but if there’s one thing that can bridge any divide it’s football."

Reds legend Kenny Dalglish agrees with Bhana and believes this all-conquering period in the club’s history gave birth to a whole new breed of Liverpool fanatics.

"The fact is that the club has tremendous support worldwide, mainly because of what we achieved in the sixties, Seventies, Eighties and early Nineties and much of it stems from our European exploits," Dalglish writes in his foreword to the book.

Adam Woodyatt who has played the Ian Beale character in Eastenders for 20 years was more than happy to play for the Asia XI: “As soon as Mohammed asked me to play I could not turn the opportunity down. I had my photo taken with the European cup and my son also received a great deal of training from the dedicated Liverpool coaches. Mohammed should be proud as he has written an absolutely fantastic book which is aimed at everyone in the Liverpool family and he organised a great event.”

UK Bhangra artist, H Dhami believes the club has taken a palpable lead in accepting Asian fans institutionally and as a Liverpool Fan, he says he aims to tell everyone about his love for the Reds!

Buy the Asian Liver Bird from Liverpool FC’S Official Online Store:
http://store.liverpoolfc.tv/products/souvenirs/books/the-asian-liverbird-book/pid-27085

 

Mohammed Bhana meets Xabi Alonso

The Spaniard feels privileged to be amongst a group of accomplished professionals who grace the Melwood training ground and make an effort for the Liverpool cause.

“Sami Hypia, Jamie Carragher and Stevie Gerrard, all of them have been playing at Liverpool for many years. I feel it is very important to have players who have been here for a long time. This means that they can teach the passion and what the club means to them to the new players; I feel that is very important. I have been here for over four years and when you spend so much time in one place you really do feel a part Liverpool Football Club, and you try to show that to the new players who come in.”

I witnessed first hand - Xabi’s outrageous strike against Newcastle at Anfield in September 2006.

I was sat in the Kop and all the fans around me just went wild as Alonso’s arrow of a shot went over the keeper and into the corner of the net.

“It was a great atmosphere to play in and the pitch was just perfect. I’m glad I scored the goal because Pepe Reina told me I had to score a goal from my own half every season. I like to try it all the time in the training ground.

“I will continue trying to score like that, I will try. I have scored many important goals and this one was one of them. The penalty in Istanbul was also one of the most important goals I have ever scored.”

Now is the time to actually ask Xabi if he is indeed aware of the number of Asians here in the UK and worldwide who support Liverpool. Once I ask the question, Xabi has a drink of water looks me straight in the eye in a genuine yet straight forward manner and says: “Off course, Mohammed.”

“I feel great. That’s something that’s just so unifying about the game of football. Whatever your race, whatever your social class and whatever your religion – football is game that bring all of us together. It doesn’t matter if you vote for the Conservative party; it doesn’t matter if you vote for Labour, if you are rich or of you are poor. You sit next to each other in the Kop, the main stand, the centenary stand or where ever. It’s just great to have the support of so many different communities because we all share the same passion for Liverpool Football Club and that’s just so good to see.

“I don’t care about the background of our fans. We are all in this together. For example, the FA Cup game against Arsenal a few seasons ago was really special because of the atmosphere. The way the fans showed their support to the 96 people who died was amazing, they carried out their protest in front of the BBC cameras live for all the country to see, which was the best way.

Read the complete interviews with Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, John Barnes, Lawrenson and Hansen, Sir Tom Finney and many others by buying the book via:

STEVEN GERRARD
“As a player, if you’re honest with yourself then you know when you’re playing well and when you’re not. I’ve set standards for my self where people expect top notch performances week-in and week out. That’s good, I’d rather play with that type of expectation around me, than not, but when I fall a little bit below that standard people are very quick to notice it, and point it out.”

SIR TOM FINNEY
Finney explains how Shankly instilled a proud tradition and togetherness at the club in order to make fans and players develop a special relationship in and around Anfield: “As a manager with Liverpool, he revitalized them and put them on the map, as it were,” said Finney.

“He transformed the whole concept of the club and in very short space of time he got them out of the Second Division into the First Division and then they went on to become such a great club.”

OUTSIDE MELWOOD BEFORE THE MOMO SISSOKO INTERVIEW

We arrive in good time, about 45 minutes early, so we decide to look around before I go in. Passers by and onlookers try to get a glimpse of their heroes by trying to scale the outside walls and climbing on top of their cars and taking pictures. I'm amazed at how the locals' unyielding support for the club has never waned since the euphoria that was the Champions League victory in Istanbul.

I take a step back and admire the view from a distance when suddenly a football flies over the training ground towards me. I pick the ball up with a leering smile as the locals keep their eyes on the ball. I pass it to Moshin, also a Liverpool supporter, who looks at the ball with obvious delight.

An Oriental tourist nearby armed with a camera starts taking pictures and demands that Moshin gives him the ball. Moshin stands firm (all 6ft of him). "No" is the answer, whilst shaking his head. The tourist unrepentantly stands back and says, "Can I touch the ball?" Before Moshin can answer, he touches the ball with both hands for a few seconds, and walks away with a smile on his face, content in the fact that he has somehow indirectly come into contact with the players.

Alan Hansen
Hansen decides to introduce a little humour along with the serious when asked about his defensive partnership with Lawrenson, along with former Liverpool goalkeeper, Bruce Grobellaar: “I played alongside Mark for four or five years. Mark was an unbelievably great centre back. He and Thommo (Phil Thompson) are two of the greatest players I have played with.”

Hansen then looks towards Lawrenson and adds: “He didn’t help me that much,” (laughs) he asks Lawrenson: “What about us two and Grobbelaar?” The on screen partnership between Lawrenson and Hansen is in full throttle as Lawrenson jokes: “Yeah, Grobbelaar, what can I say, a promising career ruined by a niggling brain injury.”