AFC Liverpool from Yesteryear

I arrived in Manchester and had a bit of time to spare.  So I popped to one of the Christmas Markets for an expensive pint of German Lager. With Dave The Rattler watching Bootle in Cleethorpes, I was the sole Rattler.  One Maine Road chap wondered if I was seriously going to use it, and laughed at my two handled rattling when our Keeper Germano Mendes caught an early cross. Mendes in fact had an impressive match.  He saved us on a few occasions.  In what was very much an even first half, we got our noses in front on 31 minutes when Mikey White had stayed up following a corner, and headed home Paul Speed's cross. Going into the second half, the feeling was there that the next goal was going to be crucial.  We had won our last last three matches, and one factor in that mini run was Dimitrou Christou's presence in a Defensive Midfield position.  The whole defence seemed more balanced. A nice sweeping move on the break eventually saw Jason Car...

Prior to AFC Liverpool's FA Vase meeting with Hallam in October 2010, I was quite ignorant to an important piece of football history.  I was of course aware that Sheffield FC is the world's oldest football club, but I did not know that Sheffield v Hallam is the world's oldest football derby!  I did though guess that Hallam FC probably was located in Sheffield, due to the Sheffield Hallam University which I had heard of. Despite being one step higher in the Non-League Pyramid, the visitors had a shaky start.  It did though take half an hour before AFC's dominance was rewarded.  I recall the opening goal as a delicious spoon into the net by Steve Jones.  The Reds' first half dominance warranted a more decisive lead in all honesty.   Just before half time there was a minute of drama.  Callum Tai-Hogan gave away a penalty, which was subsequently saved initially by Jack Baker.  From the rebound, another Hallam attacker hit the bar.  Even...

Only three days previously the Hillsborough Independent Panel had published their report into the disaster.  On this day, AFC Liverpool were playing in South Yorkshire against Askern Villa.  Due to "The Truth" now being made official, AFC Liverpool supporters started two minutes applause for the 96 Hillsborough victims at 3.06PM.  It was a poignant time, and an honour to be part of it. Steve Fraser along with Mooresy (the then Gaffer) had watched Askern play in the midweek against Hemsworth Miners Welfare, who were ironically AFC's first ever FA Cup opponents.  Steve felt that Askern's number 10 (who had been wearing the number 7 shirt in midweek) was their main dangerman.  He was full of pace, and he did in fact strike the first blow following an Anthony Brown error. With John Lawless wearing number 10 for AFC, the game could have developed into a tale of the two number 10s.  Although Lawless did have one of his quieter games, he did make two telling ...