West Belfast Liverpool Supporters Club

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE WEST BELFAST LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS CLUB

The West Belfast Liverpool Supporters Club was established in October 1993, when a group of Liverpool supporters got together to try and arrange trips to Anfield. At the time there was no organised Liverpool supporters club in West Belfast and originally we had only 12 members. The first club secretary, Gerard McCaughey was instrumental in the setting up of the club and very soon had us affiliated to Anfield through The International Supporters Club (ISC). Our first trip to Anfield was Liverpool V Manchester City 2-1 in 1994. Ian Rush netting both Liverpool goals to come from one nil down. With a Great result, our appetites had been whetted and we knew we would have to return to see our beloved LFC again and again.

Our first sight of the Mighty Reds was at Lansdowne Road in Dublin at the first floodlight game there. A mere 200 mile round trip for our supporters.

This is a photograph of the match day programme from the Man City match. Elsie's son Elsie Jr has these along with one of every match attended stored in safe keeping.

For the first two years we held our meetings in the AOH Club on the Falls Road. In April 1995 we had our most enjoyable trip at the time, 20 of us were at Wembley to see Liverpool beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 to win the Coca-cola League Cup and then a few weeks later we were at Anfield to see King Kenny’s Blackburn Rovers lose 2-1 to Liverpool but still win the Championship from Man Ure. It was a fantastic occasion and one we shall never forget.

The winning Coca Cola League Cup team of 1994/95. Twenty of our members were at Wembley on that wonderful day, a cherish memory.

In January 1996 we moved up the road to the Whitefort Inn on the Andersonstown Road to hold our meetings. By now we had over 35 full members and we were going to 3 or 4 matches a season. It was during this time that Phil Thompson, Liverpool FC’s Assistant Manager, agreed to become our honorary Club president; he had been in Belfast with former player John Barnes to open a Liverpool store. In 1999 we presented him with a crystal vase at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground on Merseyside, and we also met former players Jamie Redknapp and David Thompson. (Some of the photos of our meeting are on the website)

In August 1998 disaster struck, the Whitefort Inn our home for two years was destroyed by an accidental fire, it was the start of the new season and we were going to Anfield in a week to see the Mighty Reds take on Arsene Wenger’s Double winning Arsenal team. For a few hours things looked bleak but one of our members soon found us a place where we now reside; Hoppy Dobbins (now renamed Biddy Duffy’s) Bar on the Andersonstown Road became our new home.

Our membership continued to grow; we were travelling over to now 6 or 7 matches a season. For the last few years we primarily travel to Liverpool by Norse-Irish (Merchant) Ferries. The only drawback by travelling this way was arriving in Liverpool at 5-30 am and being off the boat by 7- am. Yet again a bar came to the rescue, we would like to thank Big Eric and all of his staff in The Rubber Duck Hotel in Bootle, who gives us a place of refuge and allow us to clear the cobwebs.

Not all of our resources are spent in drinking and going to Anfield (really?). Every season we try to raise money for an appeal or a charity event. In the past we have raised funds for different appeals, from the premature baby unit in the Royal Maternity Hospital Belfast to the Omagh Appeal Fund. In recent months we organised a sponsored 5-aside competition with a local Celtic Supporters Club, to raise funds for a baby to go to the U.S. for a life saving operation (at this moment in time it has been deemed a success). We also played a charity football match against the local Manchester Untied supporters club in aid of the National Autism Appeal. Together we raised over £1000 for the charity. The Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members for their gallant fund raising over the years.

For the last 4 seasons the first match we travel to after Christmas is our Kids Match. Whereby the members bring their children over to Anfield to let them experience what heaven on earth is really like. Over Christmas and the New Year you would be hard pressed to find any better-behaved children in Belfast, a trip to Anfield is a wonderful inducement. We have taken over as many as 40 children at a time to Liverpool and these trips are among the most enjoyable, when you see the reaction from the children when they see their heroes. This season's 'Kids' match will be the El Derby against Everton.

Now as we reflect on LFC's amazing achievements in 2001 and our league runners up place in 2002. Where were you when Macca's injury time free kick sank the Bluenoses or when St. Michael got our long over due revenge on The Gooners, by taking the F.A. Cup out of their grasp, and the never to be forgotten Alaves U.E.F.A. Cup final, where our hopes were raised and dashed and finally realised by the Golden Goal winner?

Our members lived and enjoyed these experiences in (Hoppy Dobbins Bar) Biddy Duffy's during that momentous week, culminating in beating Charlton 4-0 to qualify for the following season's Champions League. We would like to thank the owners and staff of Hoppy's, now Biddy's of course, for letting us share these moments with our families and friends, and that our arrangement continues there for many years to come.

The new era under Rafa Benitez could not really have begun better, five times European Champions and the FA Cup for the seventh time. Now for the long overdue league title in 2006-07?

As seen on the Home page, Biddy's was yet again the venue for most of us for the Champions League Final, we've downed some pints and seen some momentous matches there over the years and hopefully will continue to do so!

Still looking good!

League Champions 18 Times:
1900/01, 1905/06, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1946/47, 1963/64, 1965/66, 1972/73, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90.

European Cup: FIVE Times winners. 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005.

2001 UEFA Cup winners verses Alaves UEFA Cup Winners 3Times:
1973, 1976, 2001.

European Super Cup Winners 3 Times. 1977/78, 2001/02, 2005/06.

Ian Rush holds the FA Cup.

F.A. Cup Winners 7 Times:

1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006

Us with the 2001 League Cup League Cup Winners 7 Times:
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003.

Charity/Community Shield 14 Times * (5 Times shared)

Divison 2 Champions 4 Times: 1893/94, 1895/96, 1904/05, 1961/62.

The home of "The Reds", Anfield. There are plans in place to move to a new bigger and more modern home to be built at Stanley Park just a few hundred yards from our present site. Although some diehard fans are against it, the realists amongst us know it makes "sound commercial sense" to move. A bigger home is needed and maybe this move will coincide with a change in recent performances. A brand new sixtyfive thousand seat, state of the art stadium might just be the catalyst to spark an upturn in the fortunes of our great club.

Bill Shankly, the man who began the most successful period in Liverpool's history when he joined Liverpool in 1959.

FA Cup winners 1973 Shankly celebrates as Kevin Keegan and Emlyn Hughes hold the championship trophy aloft yet again in 1973.

Two Reds legends Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence.

King Kenny Dalglish wheels away in delight after scoring the winning goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the final game of the 1985/86 season. The goal won the game but more importantly it won the League Championship for Liverpool that season.

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