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I may be penning this prematurely, but there’s nothing wrong with questioning “what if?” |
The next three weeks are set to put to rest two of the biggest questions in British football.
Who will win the English Premier League and which four teams will clinch qualifying places in Europe’s money-spinning Champions League next season.
Last weekend, football hysteria gathered pace in an already soccer mad Merseyside as two of its clubs in this metropolitan county of northwest England edged closer to glory.
Merseysiders breathe soccer; whether it is the red side of Liverpool Football Club or the blue of neighbours Everton FC a mile away.
The sport is an obsession, a religion and a passion witnessed everywhere. Talked about in bars, pubs, clubs, the workplace, schools and among families where footballing loyalties at home can often be seen divided. And this is no exaggeration.
For the first time in their history, fans across the divide in this sporting city will sing and dance together, will celebrate together, will laugh together and will joke together. Differences on the pitch will be forgotten until at least the beginning of next season.
Arch rivals eager to outdo each other on the pitch and exchange banter on the terraces, don’t be surprised to see camaraderie in the city of Liverpool with supporters egging both clubs to success that has eluded them for years.
Merseyside has been waiting for more than two decades for the return of the ‘feel good’ factor – and next month or even earlier could spell the beginning of long celebrations as the season prepares for an unprecedented climax.
Liverpool are just four games, or 360 minutes of competitive action away from being crowned Premier League champions. The remaining matches are considered ‘cup finals’ in the quest for end of season glory.
If they continue their current winning streak, the title is simply theirs. None of the teams below can catch up, unless Liverpool slip up and lose points in the chase for that elusive title – their first for 24 years.
Never before have Everton, living in the shadows of their Merseyside rivals for so long, reached the qualifying stages of the Champions League, Europe’s premier football tournament.
Like Liverpool, destiny is in their hands. For Everton, winning their remaining games will leave the chasing London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham and the perennial title holders Manchester United way behind.
The 2013/14 season has arguably been one of the best, if not the best, since the birth of the Premier League 22 years ago with teams jostling for the top four places, reaching the summit and falling off on an almost weekly basis since the league kicked off last August.
Merseyside is on the verge of a footballing resurgence.
We have seen both Liverpool and Everton winning the prestigious English FA Cup over the years, but the Premier League title and guaranteed Champions League spot respectively are what’s needed – a huge boost for soccer in the area, a financial windfall for the region’s economy, which is home to 1.4mn people, and a potential surge in tourists from around the world.
Liverpool’s cup-laden era in the 70s, 80s and partially in the last decade with the Champions League title will forever be part of the history books. But it is the Premier League title showing sustained stamina over nine months of weekly soccer that it years for.
The English Premier League is the most watched European league in the world with die-hard fans staying up all hours in different parts of the world glued to TV sets and large screens in bars and hotels to watch their favourite teams in action.
From Los Angeles, New York and London to Nairobi, Dubai and Doha; from Delhi, Hong Kong and Shanghai to Singapore, Bangkok and Melbourne – Premier League is a must watch.
Asia has more supporters of Liverpool FC than anywhere in the world with an hysteric following running into millions. And on the other side of the world in North America, the club has somewhat of a less fan base, but loyal they are. Winning the title will be a dream come true for them as much as the home grown British fans.
Football gets people talking. Winning creates joy, happiness and celebration all round.
If both clubs attain what they went out to achieve at the start of the season, the party will be one big red and blue party.
In a year when Merseyside marked the 25th anniversary of the death of 96 Liverpool supporters crushed at a soccer match in Sheffield, winning will be a perfect remembrance of those who perished while bringing joy to the families who endured the pain of losing loved ones.
A week after the disaster, a mile of contrasting red and blue scarves was formed between Anfield, home of Liverpool, and Everton’s Goodison Park to show the level of respect and feeling of pain by officials and supporters of both clubs.
The Hillsborough disaster as it was known, the stadium where men, women and children died while watching their team play in a cup match, has been etched ever since in all those connected with football in Merseyside. More so, the yearly anniversaries take their toll.
A memorial service held at Anfield on Tuesday saw the bosses of both clubs – Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers and his Everton counterpart Roberto Martinez – take turns to deliver remembrance speeches in a stadium radiating the memories of that fateful day.
Without doubt, the city of Liverpool is set to bounce back and its beloved soccer teams will play a huge role as will sport in general. The region has suffered from chronic unemployment and under development over the years. As Britain’s economy shows signs of recovery, investment is being pumped into Merseyside to lift it out of doom and gloom and bring prosperity to the region.
The www.visitliverpool.com website features Liverpool and Everton football clubs among highlighted attractions for visitors, for the behind-the-scene tours of stadiums where star players ply their trade week in, week out.
The world-renowned horse steeplechase, the Grand National, takes place every Spring at Aintree in the suburbs of Liverpool. The region is also home to some of Britain’s finest golf courses which have hosted scores of tournaments attracting some of the world’s best players over the years.
Liverpool is the birthplace of The Beatles, the legendary 1960s English band that started rock culture. Four young Liverpudians developed their influential music to become the greatest band of its era that took the world by storm.
A permanent attraction, The Beatles Story Experience, lures ardent rock fans from around the world. Liverpool is also officially labelled the world capital of pop music with more number one hits than any other city.
Music and football, a good combination.
Let’s hope ‘what if’ becomes a reality in the next few weeks and brings the city of Liverpool what it deserves in the shadows of the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.
For once, Liverpool’s anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” can be shared with Everton to celebrate soccer unity and Merseyside pride.
