John Houlding

I'm in a bit of a mood tonight and seem to be ranting about everything so here's another one.

John Houlding, the man who founded this club. Without that man we wouldn't have this football club. Our history dates back to him, it was all started by him. A few fans need to actually realise that Liverpool Football Club was founded in 1892 not 1959 when a certain Bill Shankly turned up. Shankly didn't build the club to what we are today, there was already a long list of history to this club. Not in Europe because the European Cup didn't come about until 1955, but we had league titles under our belt, FA Cup appearances, legend players like Elisha Scott, Alex Raisbeck, Jack Balmer, Billy Liddell, Bob Paisley, Phil Taylor, Gordon Hodgson and so on. I'd like to point out here, I am not for one second saying Shankly doesn't deserve to be held in the highest regard by every single fan of Liverpool Football Club because he does. What he did was nothing short of magical, as was the work of Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish after him, what I will point out though is this club is not Shankly's. Some people wouldn't even know the manager before Shankly or what happened before him.

What happened before him is why he's held so highly. He dragged us from the second division, but it's the years before hand which is why we were in that position for him to do these great things. It's like the name "Spirit of Shankly" well what about those older fans who were here long before Shankly? Again it's like this club is Bill Shankly. Again, not having a go at the man because it's not his fault, it's just some fans who need to remember that Bill Shankly is not Liverpool Football Club. This club existed long before him, thanks to John Houlding. And if we're sons and daughters of anybody, then it's him. He built the club for every manager to take over. It's his club and every fan owes him a massive thank you. It's him who gave us this opportuinity.

So in future just remember that this club would not be here had it not been for John Houlding. We may not be in the position we are today had it not been for Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish but they wouldn't have been able to put us in this position had it not been for John Houlding. The truth is, it is him we owe our real thanks to. He's the man who gave us this great club we've all grown to love.

Not sure why you're ranting at Liverpool fans who you believe think the club started with Shankly.

But yep. Houlding had the guts to stick around and form the club we all love and know. He came from not far from where my nan's family were brought up by Scotty rd.

It could have been all so different if he never had anything to do with ale though. I think that's possibly the root of where the conflict started from.

It's ironic you say we have a lot to thank Houlding for, but Everton do too in a funny sort of way. He sorted the deal to get them playing at Anfield, which from then on seen them be the first to publish a match day programme and have nets for the goals. Not to mention paying the rent for them to play there and even fund away travel! He was very much Everton before the fall out but without the fall out we possibly wouldn't have had Liverpool FC.

So thanks John Houlding and all the people who were against him putting up the rent.

And you forgot to mention his mate, Billy Barclay. 

More to the point, our club would not be here if Everton weren't a bunch of tight arses.



Well done Johnny lad.