Why Children Don't Grow-Up Supporting Liverpool

Kenny Dalglish ...

Mr. Liverpool Football Club, King Kenny, however you want to describe the football manager - Kenny Dalglish truly epitomises what Liverpool football club is all about.

Or at least what they used to be about winning league titles and European Cups like there was no tomorrow. Children would grow up wanting to be just like their heroes. Those children who grew up in the 70's and 80's are in their 40s and 50s now.

I was born in 1991 and that makes me 21. I'm old enough to drive. I'm old enough to vote. I'm old enough to drink. I'm old enough not to be challenged for alcohol. I'm old enough to go into those specific clubs for specifically over 21 year olds (which by the way are definitely employing ladies under that 21 mark).

Strangely, I'm not old enough to have a Liverpool league title in my lifetime. But the television keeps telling me how people grow up supporting Liverpool. There weren't any Liverpool fans in my class!? I remember there being a boy in the year above who was nicknamed Robbie Fowler, but that's because he wore a plaster on his nose.

Still, I'd watch Match Of The Day with my Dad and my four big brothers who'd tell me that Liverpool are a good side who've been winning things for years; "Oh yes," I'd say to them, "Liverpool win loads." As I watch Michael Owen score a hattrick whilst Liverpool still fail to beat Sheffield Wednesday.

"They're the best." I'd say to fit in. Followed by, "They're a top side." Followed by, "Liverpool are a top four side." Followed by, "Liverpool will get into Europe easily." Followed by, "Hang on a minute, I'm sixteen and this is getting a little bit silly now."

Fowler had left, Owen had left and Gerrard was debating moving to a bigger club. Gerrard wanted to move to a bigger club. This wasn't the same Liverpool I knew growing up? TV kept telling me that Liverpool was bigger than sliced bread, but I'd always had sliced bread and I was fed up of that 'n' all. Gerrard never did leave and as he aged so did the club's ability.

Fastforward just a few more years and Kenny Dalglish is appointed as manager back at Liverpool. Suddenly the same clips are showed to me with a grainy picture that makes my Dad pull on his glasses. Finally the glory days are back to Liverpool again. Suddenly I'm 7 years old again, but I still don't have any Liverpool fan numbers in my Blackberry.

Supported clubs in my phone book

Something I do remember growing up is wanting to be Alan Shearer and how Kenny Dalglish masterminded that Blackburn Rovers team to the league title. After Kenny left the team fell to pot, I remembered that too. Everything started to fall into place now, of course Dalglish could bring Liverpool up the league table. Of course he sells that floaty Spaniard even if he is the top goalscorer. King Kenny remembers how to win a league title... with a rock hard centre-forward Geordie! What could possibly go wrong?

Let me tell you what can possibly go wrong. It's 2012 not 1990. Kids growing up are getting pretty fed up of hearing about Liverpool Football Club and the glory days. Did you like listening to your parents bang on about the war? No I guess not, but you sat and you listened because it was the polite thing to do. "And you should have been grateful to." And I bet you were.

But at no point did your Uncle Buck ever say to you, "Kids who grow up today know to run and hide in their Anderson shelters." Because that would make no bloody sense; because the war is over. So don't tell me that kids grow up wanting to support Liverpool Football Club, because they don't. Because it is over!

As I said in the opening paragraph Kenny Dalglish truly epitomises what Liverpool football club is all about and it is about time he stopped drawing games and start drawing his pension.

So dearest press, old people and 'football experts' please stop telling me that kids grow up supporting Liverpool because I experienced growing up more recently that you have and quite simply... you're wrong.