The sign read: ‘No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs'. A situation that is hard to imagine by today's standards but one commonplace and acceptable in 1950's England.
What the hell has this got to do with the current plight of Liverpool Football Club ? I hear you ask. Well, nothing and everything really. The story popped into my head following a conversation I had the other day after it was announced that Nicky Butt had handed in a transfer request at Manchester United. Talking to a Liverpool-based colleague I asked if he thought that Houllier should make a bid for the England midfielder, to which he replied:'There's no way that I want that Manc scum playing for Liverpool'.
‘OK' I thought, it's probably just a typical knee-jerk response from a Manc-hating Koppite. Later I had the chance to speak to the bloke's boss and again I asked the question.
‘Who, Nicky Butt? You must be joking, he play's for Man U doesn't he !' was the reply. The conversation ended there but it festered in the back of my mind for the next hour or so and began to bother me. Was I so out of step with other Liverpool supporters for daring to contemplate a Liverpool bid for a United player?
Further conversations on the subject with other Reds fans have led me to conclude that most would rather cut off their noses to spite their face. The very fact that Butt plays for United blinds them to the extent that they won't even entertain the idea. Welcome to 1950's England!
It's probably quite obvious to you by now that I think Liverpool should buy Butt, there's no doubt in my mind but that's not to say that I don't despise United and all they stand for, because I do!
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of Man U players who I wouldn't want to see have anything to do with our club (two brothers spring to mind immediately and a certain fiery Irishman) and I haven't forgotten the previous Liverpool signing of a ‘Son of Fergie' but this time the pros far outweigh the cons.
There is no doubt that Roy Evans bringing Paul Ince back to these shores to ‘beef-up' the soft-centred midfield of the day hopelessly backfired. Ince never won the fans over and compounded those misgivings with his childish outbursts when he was finally shown the door. If there was ever a player who epitomised the siege mentality and utter arrogance of the Old Trafford club, it was he. Butt, I feel, is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Just for one minute forget that the player is Nicky Butt. Let's just take him on merit and look at his credentials. He's an England international, not a great one, but he does have 27 caps to his name and impressed Pele enough for the Brazilian to vote Butt the best midfielder at the 2002 World Cup Finals. I know Pele has more faces than Big Ben and will tell you exactly what you want to hear but there is no doubt that Butt did himself no harm at all in Japan.
He is also in possession of six Championship winners medals, again he is hardly the heartbeat of the United midfield but then I wouldn't expect him to be the lynchpin of Liverpool's either. He wants to leave United and best of all he is going cheap! If you are honest with yourself you would pick Butt over Diao, Cheyrou, Biscan, and possibly even Murphy in the centre of our current midfield. For around the same price of the three foreign imports previously mentioned you get a proven England international who's good for at least another five seasons. A Gerrard, Hamann, Butt, Kewell midfield anyone?
I know the hatred, not jealousy as some of the media would have you believe, that Liverpool fans have for Man U, there is no other club that I would rather catch syphilis than them but we are in danger of losing sight of the bigger picture here. Some Liverpool fans would rather have Man U lose then us win. If van Nistelrooy was in discussions to switch between the clubs I doubt that many would complain, we'd soon turn a blind eye to his dying swan impressions in and around the box and how long before the chants of ‘Ruuuuud, Ruuuuud' would be ringing around the Kop? Or what about Roonaldo switching Goodison blue for Anfield red? Quite safe to say that it is never going to happen but how many Reds fans have tried to buy him for Liverpool in Championship Manager?I really don't want to use the term ‘beggars can't be choosers' but are we really in any position to look this particular gift horse in the mouth?
There can be only be one reason why Houllier hasn't made a bid for the poe-faced England international - the fear of antagonising the staunch Manc hating fan base thus committing managerial suicide. I think that it shows a distinct lack of ambition on the manager's part to not make a move. The player himself may have no intention of signing even if an offer was made but we won't find out unless we enquire. I doubt that Fergie would block a Butt move to Anfield, Arsenal definitely, Chelsea maybe but it's not as if we are going to pose their Championship or Champions League ambitions any harm this term. Have I managed to persuade you yet?
By the time you read this Butt has probably already put pen to paper at St. James' Park, The Riverside or White Hart Lane and the Reds will spend the summer scouting the lower reaches of the French First Division to find the defensive midfielder that Diao never was and never will be. C'est la vie.
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