I’ve asked a group of people well placed in media, music, arts and other general culture vultures to venture their high- and lowlights of Liverpool in 2009.
Ground share moves a step closer
I hate to say I told you so but, as I predicted, Destination Kirkby has been thoroughly kiboshed by the government.
It was, financially, a good deal for Everton and an affordable way out of a crumbling ground badly served by surrounding infrastructure.
But it was also a good few miles away from Goodison and came with a bundle of other leisure and retail strings attached.
Communities secretary, John Denham, was apparently worries about the negative impact on surrounding areas of a vast out-of-town development.
It’s almost enough to make one what Liverpool One’s management team made of it all.
RIP Derek B
UK old-skool hip-hop pioneer Derek B, who has died at the age of 44, had skills as an MC, DJ and producer.
Sadly he’ll always be known best for The Anfield Rap, which, incredibly, he co-wrote with Craig Johnstone. In amongst all the drivel listen for some famous hooks.
Watch Darren Bent's balloon scoring against Liverpool
The excuses coming from the mouths of Reds will actually have some foundation after today’s Liverpool versus Sunderland match against, in which a balloon helped Darren Bent to score an unlikely, and freakish goal.
Poor Pepe Reina looked like he’d just had his Porsche Cayenne stolen as the ball deflected off a balloon on the pitch and hit the back of the net.
Images of Michael Shields release
Dave Evans has sent over some images of Michael Shields’ release, a story that look sure to dominate headlines for some time to come.
The local media has waged a vociferous campaign to have Shields freed, and local celebrities, clergy and footballers have also rallied to the cause.
Shields was freed following a Royal Pardon that was issued by Justice Secretary Jack Straw after receiving ‘fresh evidence which the Bulgarian court did not consider’ that indicated that Shields was ‘morally and technically innocent’ of the attack on a Bulgarian national.
Gerrard prosecutor speaks, but still no clue as to what music Stevie was seeking
Stevie G’s entirely proper acquittal last week for delivering up to three uppercuts to a DJ in what was termed ‘pre-emptive self-defence’ – a term that could have been coined by George Bush – was not due to a friendly local jury, according to the prosecutor in the case.
In an article in the Daily Post’s legal section, Ben Schofield writes that Exchange Chambers was surprised that Gerrard chose not to employ their services, but lavished a reported £250K on London QC John Kelsey-Fry rather than the eventual prosecutor David Turner.
Turner, a former cabaret director of the Cambridge footlights, is described in the article as ‘charismatic raconteur’ and thought the evidence that Gerrard acted in self-defence in the Southport punch-up ‘strong’.
Gerrard 'totally lost it' over alleged Phil Collins dancefloor rejection
Liverpool Crown Court has heard that Steven Gerrard ‘totally lost it’ with a DJ who supposedly refused to play a Phil Collins record for the Scouse boy wonder, with CCTV footage showing the scuffle from 2008.
Gerrard allegedly hit out at businessman Marcus McGee “with a succession of well-aimed uppercut punches delivered with the style and speed of a boxer” at the Lounge Inn, Southport.
Gerrard pleads self-defence, which the prosecution disputes. Gerrard’s codefendents all plead guilty.
Here’s how the prosecution see the incident, after Gerrard allegedly demands a card that controls the music system with the words “Here y’are lad. Give me that lad.” McGee objected to the expression ‘lad’, which given that he lives on Merseyside must pose a lot of problems.
Is a Liverpool/Everton groundshare the least worst option?
Despite the fact that seemingly no-one in Liverpool – including either club or either set of fans – want Liverpool and Everton FC, Councillor Warren Is-This-My-Best-Side? Bradley is still dead set on the two clubs joining forces, now using the 2018 World Cup bid to convince the two teams to form what’s likely to be an uncomfortable joint tenancy, assuming it happens.
The situation is not straightforward. Everton is keen to press ahead with a rather unloved proposal to build a new stadium in Kirkby, South Merseyside, on which the government will have the final say.
Meanwhile Liverpool – deeply in debt and owned by warring entrepreneurs George Gillet and Tom Hicks – favours building a new 60,000 stadium in Stanley Park, though a date for leaving Anfield seems no closer than it did five years ago.
Bluenose Bradley is keen on the groundshare idea, and the North West Development Agency is thought to pressuring both teams to accept the groundshare proposal, waving the carrot of a healthy injection of cash if the two clubs obey.
Muddying the waters is the fact that Liverpool, via Gillet and Hicks, owes a significant chunk of cash to RBS, which is itself essentially owned by the government.
Why does Liverpool boycott the Sun?
I’m not going to get in the detail of the Hillsborough disaster, which is nearing its 25th anniversary in April.
I was 11 at the time and don’t remember a lot about it, aside from finding the names of the roads and ends associated with the tragedy disturbingly memorable. Liverpool Guild of Students, of which I was a member, had a memorial on the wall as a tribute to a student lost on that day.
I do not and cannot really relate to the way Hillsborough affected Liverpool, so I have no right to intrude on, or share in, that grief. That emotion is obvious every day when another stack of Sun newspapers goes unsold in Liverpool.
I was playing cricket last year when I expressed surprise that someone had brought along a copy of the Sun and subsequently spent some time explaining why to some local Liverpool lads. They were as shocked by the story as I was that they didn’t already know.
All of which brings me onto the role of the Sun and more specifically, Kelvin Mackenzie.
Saying Gary Neville a good role model for Liverpool youngsters 'a mistake' admits Tory Shadow Home Secretary
It’s no wonder the Tories have been keeping their mouths shut over the last couple of years, when the likes of Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling can propose Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville as a good role model for Liverpool youngsters.
It’s such a mind-bogglingly strange thing to say, even before you factor in the fact that Neville plays for the most hated football in the country, and the fact that there is probably no-one more hated by Reds and people in Liverpool generally. Here’s why:
“I can’t stand Liverpool, I can’t stand Liverpool people, I can’t stand anything to do with them.”
Grayling went on to admit that he shouldn’t have said Gary Neville, he meant to say Ryan Giggs instead. Liverpool fans are unimpressed.