LIKE any starry-eyed supporter, Joe Januszewski revelled in the chance to immerse himself in Liverpoolâs glorious past on a visit to Anfield this weekend.
Walking around the clubâs museum, gazing at pictures of Dalglish and Rush, Barnes and Beardsley, Gerrard and Fowler, Januszewski was in his element and lapped up all he could from those heady, trophy-winning eras.
Thanks to Januszewski, though, the future could yet be as a fruitful as those golden years because he, in a small but not insignificant part, is the reason John W Henry and Tom Werner find themselves as cast in the role of Liverpoolâs new owners.
Hereâs why. Januszewski might hold the title of Senior Vice-President, Corporate Sales & Fenway Enterprises at the Boston Red Sox but his office wall in Fenway Park is a shrine to all things Liverpool FC.
That devotion, coupled with his business acumen, led him to send a speculative email to Henry a couple of months ago, telling his owner and Red Sox Chief Executive Larry Lucchino to âmonitor the situationâ that was unfolding with Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
âI thought it was more like âSave my club!ââ Henry mischievously interjects before Januszewski can expand on the tale.
âI hope it wasnât quite that blunt,â comes the reply. âBut I was certainly feeling that way.â
He wasnât the only one. Januszewski may have been thousands of miles from the unfolding drama but he never missed a beat as Hicks and Gillett tried to hang on to their asset.
âPeople walk into my office and say, okay, I work for the Red Sox but they soon notice there is another club that wears Red which has a pretty solid representation on my wall â thereâs souvenirs, ticket stubs, all the rest,â he explains.
âPeople look at me and say âwhat is the deal?â. I tell them baseball is my business but Liverpool FC is my passion. To be able to put your business and your passion together leads me here today.
âThe interest in the situation was as a fan. But also as a businessman who follows sport. I told John that maybe we should take a look at this opportunity. I told him my bags are always packed for Liverpool and that I know a great couple of places to eat if you need a tour guide.â
He also knows a thing or two about the team; cynics often laugh about people from a far, foreign land pledging their allegiance to Liverpool but Januszewskiâs feelings for the club have depth and substance.
âMy first connection with LFC was rooted in tragedy,â he said. âI remember the horrible footage of Hillsborough in April 1989 on the television. I remember my mother crying. I donât have to tell you about the horrific imagery.â
There are, thankfully, happier recollections. Januszewski can tell you in a flash Robbie Fowlerâs last two goals for Liverpool came from the penalty spot against Sheffield United in 2007 and revels in recounting his trips to Istanbul and Athens for the recent Champions League finals.
âIâm a 20 year follower of the Mighty Reds,â he declares. âNow my knowledge you could put in a thimble compared to your average Merseysider but put me into a bar in Boston or New England and I come out looking OK in a trivia show. This is kinda like a dream come true.
âMy roots in football go back to the 1974 World Cup. My father was in the military and we were based in West Germany. I was a little tyke, only two or three years old, and I remember playing football with the older boys.
âEveryone was talking about âDer Kaiserâ (Franz Beckenbauer) and that was my first introduction. When we were transferred back to the States, I started playing when I was five, played for several years but my soccer career ended early because there was no High School team. â
Educated at the University of Texas and formerly working in Corporate Development for the San Diego Padres, Januszewski could well end up having a role to play behind the scenes at Anfield following NESVâs takeover.
True, the momentous weekend did not end as he hoped it might â with a victory at Goodison Park â but to suggest a 2-0 defeat against Everton will diminish his enthusiasm for the coming years is wide of the mark. Januszewski as much as anyone at NESV will be committed to making this relationship a success and he is dreaming of making those glorious images that are ingrained in his consciousness a reality once again.
âAs a child I grew up loving football and having a dad who loved The Beatles,â he said. âThere was a Liverpool emotional connection, as thin as that may seem.
âYou then move forward to university and I was in a bar one night with some English ex-pats and they were extolling the virtues of the Mighty Reds, the great European nights of â77, â78, â81, â84. You get wrapped up in the history.
âYou know, Iâm a sports fan and I love the passion that comes with it. That was it. Liverpool FC. Why not? Then with the advent of internet and digital media, it became quite easy to follow the club. The last decade Iâve been following on a day-by-day basis.
âMy first match was January 2005. We lost 1-0 to United. Rooney scored a soft goal in the Kop. Everyone was screaming and there was so much passion. Iâm in the Main Stand, looking at the Kop, hearing Youâll Never Walk Alone and I think to myself âIâve picked the right clubâ.â
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/10/19/nesv-key-man-joe-januszewski-on-his-20-year-liverpool-fc-love-affair-100252-27498354/3/Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
Strong rumours that he may have a big role to play in the new Anfield set up.
Whatever role, it is good that at least within NESV we have a man with an understanding of football, as NESV continue to correctly call it.