This question has been on the minds of many football fans as they witnessed the performance of the 25-year old Egyptian forward over the course of the season. Sir Alex Ferguson had once told that Inside Forwards are more dangerous than traditional forwards. The Egyptian seems to be trying to prove Ferguson’s remarks true. He has shown explosive bouts of pace, exceptional fitness levels, extraordinary shooting accuracy and the form of his life.

So, once again, does Mo Salah have a shot at winning the Ballon d’Or? Not Quite Yet!

The reason is rather simple- Liverpool as a team have not won any silverware this season as of yet. So does this count? Yes, it does. Despite all his exploits, the team has not been successful in any major competition apart from the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool just won the first-leg of their semi-finals against AS Roma 5-2. Salah proved to be instrumental in this trashing of his old club yet again as he ended the match with 2 goals and 2 assists. He had managed to score seven goals in his 7 outings in the Champions League during the leadup to the Semi-finals. He has shown out of the ordinary striking form through-out the Premier League season. But unless Liverpool win the Champions League, his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or will remain just that, a dream.

But things have not always gone according to script for the Egyptian. His initial entry into the Premier League was with Chelsea, who bought him from FC Basel. But he could only make 13 appearances and score 2 goals before being loaned-off to Italian side, Fiorentina. He was then loaned to AS Roma who bought him from Chelsea for a complete transfer. He enjoyed considerable success at the club. Liverpool then bought from Roma before the start of the 2017-18 season. Many of the experts voiced their doubts about Salah’s ability to adopt to the Premier League. But all of them have been silenced now, given his performance and sheer attacking prowess he has shown.

Salah also helped Egypt qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2018, their first appearance since the 1990 World Cup. He emerged as Egypt’s top scorer during the qualifying tournament and scored both the goals in the all important match against Congo. He has so far scored 43 times for Liverpool during this season and is only behind Ian Rush in the all time top goal scorer’s for the club in a single season.

Mo Salah has already been named as the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the year. So let us hope Liverpool will maintain their momentum and take their current form into the second leg against AS Roma.

Superstitions are part of most people life from ancient times. In moderns times the belief that a specific action determines the positive or negative outcome of a future event is more popular than ever.

When looking for a job, when taking an exam, on your wedding day, when moving to a new house and why not when playing an important football match and placing a bet.

Before talking about football betting superstitions you should know by now that even the football players have weird game day superstitions. Here are some 2012 football team captains that follow strange rituals and hope for good luck protection:

Steven Gerrard (born 1980) and the Liverpool players like to touch the, ‘This is Anfield’ sign in the tunnel on their way to the pitch. Steven Gerrard is captain of English team Liverpool and the England national team.

Iker Casillas Fernández (born 1981), most known as Iker Casillas, Spain’s football team captain and Real Madrid goalkeeper observes a ritual in which he touches his own crossbar whenever his team scores a goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 1985) or just Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the Portuguese national team and striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid, keeps a pre-match ritual of getting his hair cut for fear of jinxing his scoring run.

Like all people, football betting fans also have their own rituals and look for good luck signs before placing a bet.

When people get some money from a bet, they say that it was because the palm of their hand started itching or because they wear the favorite colored t-shirt on the betting event.

Some people believe they should step the right foot forward or to fill the betting ticket with the left hand. As regards good luck charms, silver is used by some people for sports bets.

Television is a major supernatural superstition element. There are some people that believe that they will not win a bet if they don’t watch the game, some of them turn the TV off momentarily and then turn it on, move to other channels, stop watching the game for a moment, all this for the hope that good things will happen for the team they bet on.

There a lot of more superstition that I could tell about, but I don’t want to jinx my bet on tonight game by telling you about my lucky red pijamas.

I grew up in a small town on the Ohio River called East Liverpool. It is located in Ohio at the junction of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. When I was growing up it had a population of about 22,000. Today the population has dropped to just over 13,000. However, some very unique and notable people have come from my town. I want to tell you about one of them who learned the meaning of providing value for his clients so well that he went on to become the greatest life insurance salesman ever.

His name was Ben Feldman (1912 – 1993) and over his 50 year career selling insurance for one company, his sales volume exceeded $1.8 billion, with over a third of it coming after he turned 65. And, he did it by selling out of his office in East Liverpool and not some major financial capital city like New York.

Ben Feldman came from the sleepy little town of Salineville, Ohio, where he started his business career selling chicken and eggs for $ 5 a week. As an aspiring businessperson, he wanted to enter the insurance field but was unable to pass the basic Equitable Life Insurance Company’s aptitude test.

In typical Feldman fashion, he sold himself to Equitable, and began collecting premiums on meager nickel and dime policies. In 1942, he joined New York Life, and opened a small office in the Little Building, on the Diamond, in downtown East Liverpool. It was from this location that he began a relentless quest to achieve membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table. He made it in 1946.

Little did anyone suspect that he would far surpass the million dollar mark, however, in 1955, he sold $10 million in coverage. He then began selling one million a month, then a million a week, and in 1971 wrote contracts for over $65 million. He then gunned for $10 million a month and in 1983, with the help of his two sons, Marvin and Richard, he sold $148 million of insurance.

Feldman was an innovator, who made it easy for his clients to understand the complexities of the Federal Estate tax law, which desecrated the fortunes of a large number of wealthy individuals in the period that followed World War II. Long before computer graphics, he created clever hand-drawn charts, illustrating the need for life insurance to protect an individual’s assets from the government. He would book himself on airplane flights, next to a potential client, where upon he would open his brief case, stuffed with $100, $500 and $1,000 bills, along with his charts and graphs. The idea was to entice his neighbor to notice the money and remark, “Is that real money?” “Yes,” Ben would reply, “but I’m not afraid to carry it, because it’s insured.” With such an opening, a sales presentation was a lay-up.

A lover of luxurious automobiles, Feldman would often be seen racing up and down the highways that link Pittsburgh and Youngstown in his Cadillac Eldorado. It was within this 50-mile corridor that he sold the majority of his policies. Often equipped with a CB radio and a car telephone – long before anyone had heard of such a device – he handled rejection like none other.

A favorite Feldman method was to approach the office of a busy executive and ask for an appointment. The response from a frazzled secretary would usually be, “I’m sorry, his time is too valuable.” Ben would ask, “Is it worth $100 a minute?” “At least!” would be the answer, to which the response (accompanied by five brand new one hundred dollar bills,) would be, “Well I’d like to buy five minutes.”

Even when Ben Feldman would go deep sea fishing, he would spend his time developing new sales techniques, memorizing the entire New York Life Insurance rate book. And, he would arm himself with pithy little phrases, designed to overcome the most difficult challenge. To the potential client who said, “I believe in term insurance.” Ben would respond, “Term insurance is temporary, but your problem is permanent.” “I can’t afford the premium,” would invoke, “You are already broke and don’t even know it.”

Following in the footsteps of such a legend was not easy for Marv and Rich Feldman, but they handled the challenge well as Marv became president of the Million Dollar Table in 2001, and Rich excelled in a number of endeavors, including “drag racing,” of all things.

Now you might be thinking to yourself that Ben must have been some kind of superstar, good looking, fast talking, kind of man – but you’d be wrong. Ben was a short, stout, balding and spoke slowly with a distinct lisp. He never finished high school. He was so shy that years later when he was asked to speak at insurance industry meetings, he would only agree to if a screen was erected between him and the audience.

But, he was a legend when it came to making a point to know every business owner in his region. He did his homework first and learned all he could about his potential customers so that by the time he met with them (often on a “cold call”) he was ready with the right Value Development Questions. He didn’t always sell right away but he never gave up. I once heard him say that for years he didn’t stop working for the day until he made at least one sale – no matter how late it got.

One of favorite stories about Ben is about a prominent real estate developer. Ben tried for weeks to get in to see the busy man but was always unsuccessful. One day, Ben stopped in cold and handed the developer’s assistant the envelope with five $100 bills and asked her to give it to her boss. He told her “If I don’t have a good idea for him, he can keep the money.” He got in and sold a $14 million policy. Years later when Ben realized the man need additional insurance due to the unprecedented growth of his company; he was once again stymied by the man’s insistence that he was too busy to take a physical. Undaunted, Ben rented a fully equipped mobile hospital van, hired a doctor and sent them to the industrialist. Rumor is that the man ended up with over $50 million in coverage.

In 1992, New York Life marked Ben’s 50th year with the company by proclaiming “Feldman’s February”, a national sales competition. Ben took this as a personal challenge. The winner of the contest (at 80 years old) was Ben Feldman.

Ben was famous for his sayings that he used to inspire both clients and himself. My favorite is:

“Doing something costs something.

Doing nothing costs something.

And quite often, doing nothing costs a lot more.”

Ben Feldman died in 1993 at 81. A few years before his death he was asked about the largest policy that he had ever written. “I can’t say. I haven’t written it yet.”

If you’re looking for a Liverpool hotel, then you might have already decided when you’re coming, and where you need to be in the city. If you’re not sure what you need to think about before booking your Liverpool accommodation, then here’s what you need to know.

1. You’ll need to know when you’re coming. With many events, shows, concerts and exhibitions on, Liverpool hotels are often busy. It’s a good idea to book as far in advance as you can.

2. If you’re staying in Liverpool for a show, or to experience the amazing shopping facilities, then you have a wide choice of hotels and areas to stay in.

3. If you’re visiting Liverpool on business, then you might be limited as to where you can stay. Perhaps you’re doing an event at the arena, or visiting suppliers, or meeting with clients. You might have to be somewhere specific in the city, and so know exactly where you should stay.

4. Perhaps you’re visiting Liverpool for a special occasion such as the Merseyside Derby or to celebrate Beatles Day, or perhaps even celebrating a birthday, or for a hen or stag night. You might be limited to your dates, and you don’t want to have to stay out of town by not booking in advance.

5. You might already know where you want to be in the city. Perhaps you want to spend your time here shopping, and so will want to stay in a Liverpool city centre hotel. You might be staying before or after a flight, and want to be nearer the airport. You might be arriving by train, and want to make sure that you can easily walk to everywhere you need to be.

6. If you know what you want to see and do whilst you’re in Liverpool. Then you might already know what facilities you want from your hotel. Perhaps you want it to be within walking distance from Lime Street Station, or near the M62 motorway, or close to the Albert Dock.

7. If you’re visiting Liverpool for a special occasion, then why not stay in a boutique Liverpool hotel? With fantastic facilities, and luxurious rooms, you’ll be made to feel very special during your stay in boutique Liverpool accommodation.

8. If you’re just looking for somewhere to spend the night, rather than for a well appointed hotel, then you might want something basic, and a hotel in Liverpool centre itself might be just what you need. It’ll be handy for shopping, and ideal if you’re planning a big night out in Liverpool.

9. Perhaps you’ll want to choose a hotel chain so that you know what you’re getting, and know that you can book online in advance. Alternatively, you might want a unique hotel, where nothing is too much trouble, run by people who know the area well, who will be able to help you to make the most of your time here.

10. You might be trying to stick to a budget, but it makes sense to get the right sort of hotel in the right part of Liverpool. You don’t want to be away from the city centre if you’re going to he Liverpool Arena, and you won’t to skimp on a basic hotel if you’re really looking for a boutique hotel to celebrate a special occasion.

Now you know more about choosing the right Liverpool hotel for you, when will you come, and where will you stay?

Joseph (Joey) Patrick Jones was born 4th Mar 1955, and grew up in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North Wales.

A Liverpool fanatic from an early age, Joey Jones joined Wrexham Football Club in 1971 as an apprentice, after impressing manager John Neal during 'trials' at the club.

Joey Jones made his professional football debut for Wrexham at the age of seventeen, in a Welsh Cup tie against Chester City, and over the next few years ago Joey Jones established himself as a regular in the first team.

At the age of twenty, Joey left Wrexham to sign for his boyhood heroes, Liverpool and signed for a fee of £ 110,000 in July 1975. He made his league debut for Liverpool on 16 August in a 2-0 league defeat to Queens Park Rangers and during his first season at Liverpool he made thirteen league appearances, which was unfortunately one short of the requirement for a championship medal, as Liverpool went on to win the league.

The following season 1976-77 was Joey's best, as Liverpool arguably enjoyed their best ever season. Joey Jones established a regular place in the first team, only missing three of the forty-two league games Liverpool played that year, as Liverpool went on to win the league and then won the European cup after their memorable triumph in Rome against German side Borussia Moenchengladbach, A 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup final prevented Liverpool from winning the 'treble' and it being the greatest season in the Liverpool's history.

The following season Joey was to lose his place in the first team to Tommy Smith and new signing Alan Hansen and he ever re-signed for Wrexham after making exactly one hundred appearances and scoring three goals for the Reds

As a boyhood Liverpool fan, Joey Jones spent his youth watching Liverpool from the 'Kop' and cheering on his heroes, he even has a 'Liverbird' tattooed on his forearm. Joey was an enthusiastic and tough-tackling left-back who uncompromising style quickly made him a favorite with the Liverpool crowd.

Joey was blamed for his clenched fist salute as he ran out on to the Anfield pitch and the Kop would respond by singing his name over and over again, his exploits during the European Cup campaign of 1977 we're famed by a banner reading 'Joey Ate The Frogs Legs, Made The Swiss Roll, Now He's Munching Gladbach '

Although Joey Jones only spent three seasons at Liverpool, he soon became a firm favorite and a true Liverpool legend.

On a world map the co-ordinates for the city of Liverpool are 53o latitude north and longitude 3o west. Liverpool is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside and a unitary authority in its own right. However, it also still retains historic links with the county of Lancashire, to which it was once part of. The Merseyside metropolis derives its name from the River Mersey and encompasses the cities and towns along its banks, estuary and hinterland. Liverpool is on the eastern bank of the River Mersey and is the fifth largest in England, with a population exceeding 440,000 in an area of around 11100 hectares. The population density in Liverpool is about 40 per hectare.

It has been established that there were settlements along the banks of the River Mersey, in the area we now know as Liverpool, dating back to the 1st century AD. These settlements would have been small fishing communities which, over the centuries, amalgamated into a heavily urbanised area by as early as the 12th century. The surface geology of Liverpool is rarely more than 10 metres thick and is a pebbly silty clay, with some sand and gravel deposits, which were all laid down by the retreating glaciers during the last ice age. The dominant bedrock in Liverpool is sandstone that was laid down in the Triassic era around 250 million years ago. To the west, the city also borders on to Carboniferous shale, mudstone and sandstone deposits as well as the Lancashire Coalfield deposits. At one time the coal deposits were workable but now, with most of the remaining deposits being below 1200m they are deemed unviable economically. However, the potential of coal bed Methane as a source of potentially clean energy is being studied, which might result in the coal deposits having a further use. In the early 1990s an oil and gas field was discovered in Liverpool Bay, out beyond The Wirral. Capable of producing 10 million cubic metres of gas and 70,000 barrels of oil a day, the field is now economically important to the area with an annual turnover exceeding £60 million. With supplies of sand, gravel and clay all available locally the traditional building materials used in Liverpool have been moulded bricks and clay tiles for roofing.

Liverpool technically extends along 21km of the east bank of the River Mersey estuary, rather than being on a river that actually flows through it. The Mersey is formed at the confluence of the River Tame and the River Goyt at Stockport in Lancashire. The famed Manchester Ship Canal joins the river at Eastham Locks and was the route by which imported cotton into the port at Liverpool was transferred to Manchester and the other weaving towns of Lancashire. Although the city of Liverpool has developed around a ridge of seven distinct hills the land rarely rises above 50m, with the highest point being at Everton Hill, 70m.

The climate in Liverpool is typical of England being a temperate one. With most of its weather systems arriving on the prevailing westerly winds, the average temperature in January is 50C and July it is 150C. On average Liverpool receives less than 750ml of rainfall a year which, considering its location on the west coast of England is surprising. However, the landmass of Ireland, to the west, absorbs much of the rainfall coming off the Atlantic Ocean that would otherwise fall on Liverpool. The average expectancy of rain in Liverpool is about 175 days a year. The temperature in January is higher than might be expected for a city in the north of England. This is because the city, and its port, benefit from the blanket effect of the North Atlantic Drift.

For many years Liverpool was seen as an economically depressed area with a stock of low cost and poor quality housing. The recent regeneration of the city has seen the price of the city’s housing stock rise by up to 15% a year over the last 10 years. Currently house prices in Liverpool fluctuate compared to regional and national trends depending on the type of property, but the housing market here is a buoyant one. In early 2007, a semi-detached 3 bedroom house in Liverpool on average cost £155,000, which was the same as the regional average but lower than the national average, which was £185,000. At £290,000 the average price of a typical 4 bed-roomed detached house in Liverpool is again about the same as the regional average but nearly 10% below the national average. A two bed-roomed terraced house in Liverpool will cost about £100,000, which is again about the regional average but almost 20% below the national average. The average regional value of a two bed roomed flat is £115,000 whereas In Liverpool it is £150,000 a figure which is also slightly higher than the national average.

The commercial life of Liverpool has been developing over many centuries. Originally a small fishing port it went on to become one of the great ports of the world. Now, as is the case with many large cities that developed during and after the industrial revolution, Liverpool acknowledges that some of its old industries are gone and others are changed forever. With that attitude the city is promoting itself as a city that national and international companies would want to invest in. The following are some examples of the industrial and business life of the re-developing Liverpool.

Liverpool has for many decades had automotive industry companies working in it. The Ford plant at Halewood employs a little under 1000 people and is currently used as an assembly plant for Jaguar X-Type vehicles and production of the GetRag transmission system for Fiesta, Fusion and Transit models. The biggest automotive plant in Liverpool is currently the GM plant at Ellesmere Port which was opened in June 1964 to produce the Vauxhall Viva. The plant is currently used to produce models of the Vauxhall/Opel Astra and its 5,500 employees produce around 180,000 vehicles a year.

As a major UK port, the importation of food and drink through Liverpool inevitably led to the growth of food and drink businesses in the area. Almost a speciality of Liverpool was the sugar trade from the West Indies, so it is of little surprise that The Billington Food Group, who import and trade in sugar, should be located in Liverpool. Convenient for transatlantic trade from Canada the port of Liverpool was also convenient for landing Salmon fish; subsequently in the 1880s Simpson and Roberts founded the Princes Foods Company, a name synonymous with canned fish products in the UK. The company now deals in a range of food products and with a turn-over of £750 million a year the company plays an important part in the local Liverpool economy. Another nationally well known food name is Jacobs, of Cream Cracker fame. Now part of the United Biscuits it still has a major production plant at Aintree along with the Groups Business Centre at Binns Road in the city.

Professional and financial services accounts for over 20% of the Merseyside gross domestic product. Liverpool city offers the perfect centre for these operations enabling rapid networking and development. Amongst the more well known names in these sectors with bases in Liverpool are – in accounting: Deloitte and Touche, Earnst and Young, KPMG and Price Waterhouse Coopers. In finance – Coutts and the best known insurance company in Liverpool is The Royal Liver Insurance Services. Now a multi-billion pound company it was founded in 1850 primarily to give the poor an opportunity to ensure they could afford a decent burial for their loved ones. So successful was their business that by 1911 they had built and moved into the Royal Liver building, at Pier Head, which was to become a symbol for the whole of the city attaining an iconic status to Liverpool residents. Liverpool has become a magnet for UK based call-centres with companies as large and diverse as BT, United Airways, Barclays Direct Loan Service, Norwich Union Direct and Swiss Life all being located there.

The Merseyside area is well known as the home of petro-chemical companies with ICI having a large plant across the Wirral in Cheshire. GlaxcoSmithKline is one of the larger pharmaceutical / Life Sciences companies with a base in Liverpool. Others include Novartis and ML Laboratories in nearby Warrington. In total, Life science companies employ over 4000 people in the area.

Across Merseyside nearly 2000 people are employed in the creative industries of music, film, drama. The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts attracts students from all over the country to study in its world class facilities. The expansion in media companies wishing to use Liverpool has resulted in the city council operating a Liverpool Film Office to support and co-ordinate filming events. Liverpool is also the home of Lime pictures which produces ‘Hollyoaks” alongside other well known national TV programmes. Telecommunications and ICT companies bring in about £1 billion to the local economy every year. The continuing growth in this sector being one of the key drivers behind the regeneration of Liverpool. BT, Cable & Wireless and Marconi being amongst the companies with development centres in the area.

An industry vastly changed from what it was even 20 years ago is Liverpool’s maritime industry. Whilst it now only employs 6000 people, compared to nearly 40,000 in the early 20th century, the Port of Liverpool is the third largest port in the UK by tonnage handled and is in the top 10 of container ports in northern Europe. Whilst the days of large transatlantic liners docking at Liverpool are over, the port is still used by P&O Ferries for its routes to and from Ireland.

The Beatles’ nest- Liverpool, is regarded as one of the top tourist spots around the globe. If you are planning to go on a splendid adventure to explore culture, then Liverpool should be on the top of your list.

Known as the United Kingdom’s Capital of Culture, Liverpool boasts of its many spots that define tradition and traces history. It features awe inspiring cultural attraction in almost every corner. Whether you are a traveler in search for a sense of inspiration, an adventurer in search of an enriching experience or a wanderer who just wants to see the world, Liverpool has the right spots and places for you.

Liverpool is home for much world class architecture consisting of about 2,500 buildings. Just like the famous Taj Mahal and the Pyramids of Giza, this city’s set of buildings and waterfront are acknowledged as one of the natural and cultural World Heritage Sites.

The said heritage site covers the waterfront from Albert Dock, running through The Pier up to the famous Stanley Dock, including a good number of historic commercial districts in the area. It stretches as far as the Rope Walks area and the cultural quarter where St. George’s Hall reigns as the major attraction.

However, one should note that the wonders of Liverpool should not be mistaken for the World Heritage Site alone for in and around this city, you will be surprised with the cultural wonders that await you.

Among the top visited sites in the city that combine art and religiosity are two cathedrals. Both Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and its Metropolitan Cathedral have been known to be fine attractions for eyes hungry of internationally acclaimed architecture. These cathedrals and other places of worship depicts Liverpool’s acceptance for religious diversity which has always been present due to the comings and goings of migrants in its famous docks.

Aside from the cathedrals, Liverpool boasts of many fine cultural gems within the William Brown Street better known as the Cultural Quarter. The street houses The William Brown Library, Walker Art Gallery, and the World Museum Gallery. Together with the beautiful St, George’s Hall, these buildings are famous neo-classical edifices.

If you are in for a tour of Liverpool’s fine early beginnings, then take a walk in that area and find the World Museum Liverpool, Tate Liverpool, and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. For sure, you would find a splendid experience that will qualify as your latest cultural feat.

A visit to Liverpool is incomplete without dropping by at the Pier Head where the most striking and famous buildings are located: Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.

If you are in for a more contemporary cultural quest, then you must consider spending a day or two at Liverpool’s The World of Glass. The place which offers countryside culture matched with a vibrant life at night and a pulsating set of sporting events is nestled between the cosmopolitan cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

Another must visit around Liverpool that offers its guests with a peek into history, and to that of the world of sports is Halton. The towns and villages of Runcorn, Hale, Widnes, Daresbury and Moore belong to this city’s must-venture-to list.

There is no doubt that Liverpool FC is one of the truly great soccer clubs of the world. Admittedly in recent years they may not have dominated the game in the way they did in the 1970s but the truth is that they have always made their impact felt at the highest level of European soccer.

And so it is hardly surprising that Liverpool has thousands of ardent fans scattered all over the world. Many of these fans never lose a single opportunity to feel closer to their club. One way of doing this is by getting hold player’s shirts and other playing kits and memorabilia that can easily be found in stores selling Liverpool merchandise.

Actually there is a very wide range of different stuff that you can buy. Even with the team shirts you will have to choose between the shirts the boys usually wear for their home games and what they would ordinary don for away matches. Or if you are a really serious fan you can make sure that you get both the strips.

As is the case with other soccer clubs, Liverpool FC player’s shirts are amongst the most popular merchandise that fans look to own so as to identify themselves with this great soccer club. There are even fans who purchase the complete team set right up to the goalkeeper.

Liverpool merchandise can also be a great idea if you need to get a gift for somebody whom you already know is a fan of the club. However it may be a good idea to start by finding out what memorabilia they already have so that you do not end up getting them something that they got a long time ago.

Another Liverpool item that is wildly popular are the hats if you have watched Liverpool games on TV you may have noticed what most fans like wearing. The most popular hats are called the beanies and will usually be decorated with the Liverpool colours and may sometimes even have the names of players and shirt numbers they usually wear.

Fans usually prefer to have the names of Liverpool legends on these hats. One such Liverpool soccer player who is a true legend is Steve Gerard. Although at a tender age he even had a trial with Manchester United, Gerard ended up signing his first professional soccer contract with Liverpool. The amazing thing is that in his first season he always looked pretty nervous and not the kind of player who would make any impact at Anfield. But in the 2000-2001 season Gerard exploded. Not only did he score 10 goals but he was clearly a very key member of the team that ended up winning both the FA cup and were also UEFA champions.

Who can forget Gerard’s enormous contribution to that sensational Champions league victory where Liverpool came from behind having conceded 3 goals by half time and ended up winning. This determined player won man of the match then.

And so you will understand when Liverpool fans seem to be crazy about Gerard wearing all kinds of team memorabilia and Liverpool merchandise that has his name or shirt number on it.

Liverpool Football Club are one of the most successful teams in English and European football history, and the club not only has massive support in England but also around the world, the club probably has many millions of fans. Liverpool were founded in 1892 and have won 18 League titles, seven FA Cups and famously, they are five times winners of the European Cup and Champions League, combined.

The club badge or crest, is the epitome of this famous club, and the badge on their shirt is often kissed by the players when celebrating a goal or a victory, as a sign of loyalty and love for the club. The badge has changed considerably since the formation of the club well over a hundred years ago, but today’s crest has much significance about the history and tradition of this famous football club.

The club badge is predominantly based on the city’s famous Liver Bird, which has represented the city for many centuries. The mythical bird, which many believe to have been derived from a cormorant, can be seen on the top of the clock towers on the Royal Liver Building, where two famous Liver birds sculptures dominate the building and overlook the River Mersey, and they date back to 1911. Many modern myths have evolved regarding the origin of the Liver bird, but it is widely accepted that they watch over and protect the people of Liverpool and myth dictates that should they ever leave, the river Mersey would burst its banks and flood the city.

The Liver bird dominates the centre of the Liverpool badge, which is placed inside a shield. The image of the Liver bird on the badge has a short head and curved beak, which is more usually associated with a bird of prey rather than a cormorant, but it retains the sprig of laver, a type of seaweed, in its mouth.

In 2008, Liverpool FC attempted to claim copyright for the Liver bird image, but they failed in their attempt as it was deemed that the Liver bird belonged to all the people of Liverpool and not one company or organisation. The Liver bird image is also used by several other organisations.

Above the shield is a representation of the famous Shankly Gates, which were erected outside the Anfield Stadium in 1982, as a tribute to Liverpool’s former and most famous manager Bill Shankly, who had led Liverpool from Second Division mediocrity, to win three League titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup. Bill Shankly is regarded by most fans as the greatest Liverpool manager, by the way he transformed the club.

Across the top of the Shankly Gates, and portrayed in the badge, are the words You’ll Never Walk Alone, which is the title of the song by Gerry and the Pacemakers that has been adopted by Liverpool fans as the club’s anthem, this again stems during Shankly’s time as manager, and is still sung reverently by Liverpool fans today.

The twin flames either side of the shield are symbolic of the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield, where an eternal flame burns in memory of the 96 Liverpool fans who tragically died in the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, when the fans were crushed due to overcrowding during Liverpool’s FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest, 766 fans were also injured in the disaster.

The date of the formation of the club is clearly displayed below the shield, and while the club crest has changed a number of times over the years, it symbolises some of the most important events in the history of the club, the badge is worn with honour and pride by both players and fans alike.