The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Gazz]

Howay man, that's his sister.

And?

She's smokin'

[EddieG]

That's bad for her health.

[Dingle]

Tottenham Slutspurs.

[Molly]

I miss Watford.

Mainly because my deceased uncle supported them.

Still kicking about!!

The dead have risen and they're supporting Watford?

[Lineker]

Well, Elton John does anyway.

[Dingle]

He's still standing?

[Colly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I believe so anyway.

[Hobo]

He's still standing?

For everything he ever did!

[Gazz]

He's still standing?

For everything he ever did!

It's the circle of life.

[DavidMarrio]

Liverpool FC is set to become the first football club in the world to give fans a truly unique insight into what goes on behind the scenes with the announcement today that it has teamed up with FOX Soccer to participate in a groundbreaking new documentary series.

As part of the project, which begins filming in May, Liverpool will open its doors for unprecedented insider access, as FOX Soccer and LFC partner to bring viewers a six-episode documentary entitled, 'Our Liverpool: Never Walk Alone'.

This original series, a first for any broadcaster in the world of football, is being produced by FOX Soccer and will provide over 100 million viewers a groundbreaking look at one of sport's most historic clubs in the world's most watched football league.

"This is going to be a truly remarkable series for every football fan on earth, watching the inner workings of one of the world's truly great clubs, and seeing things no one outside the inner sanctum has seen or experienced before," insists FOX Sports Media Group Chairman and CEO David Hill. "Liverpool FC is cherished by its community and hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Working with a team so unique, and wrapped in so much history, is a natural fit for a project of this magnitude and uniqueness."

"I am delighted that David Hill, David Nathanson and the team at Fox are producing this unique series," enthused Club Chairman Tom Werner. "I expect that it will be compelling programming as Liverpool will provide unprecedented access. This will be an amazing opportunity for our fans to see a new side of the Club and for us to reach out to many more potential supporters around the world who will come to understand what makes Liverpool FC so special."

Working directly with Liverpool's ownership and management, FOX Soccer has gained exclusive and unprecedented access to one of the most influential clubs in global sport - including taking cameras inside the Anfield and Melwood dressing rooms to show fans the players and manager at work. 'Our Liverpool: Never Walk Alone' will begin deep inside the club at the tail end of the 2011-2012 campaign, a rollercoaster season that could end with the club adding an eighth FA Cup trophy at Wembley in May to the eighth League Cup that was won at the same venue in February.

Episodes continue through the club's July tour of North America, with FOX Soccer's production crew following the team on and off the field as Liverpool prepare for the new Barclays Premier League season and contest the first few matches of its 2012-2013 campaign. Throughout this journey, Liverpool's unique traditions will be highlighted, along with the club's unparalleled history, and its heartfelt place in the fabric of the local community.

"Anyone who supports, plays for, or works at this football club knows how unique and special it is and how much it means to so many," claims Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre. "This project creates a fantastic opportunity to allow people across the world to have a glimpse of the inner workings of the club following the lives of our staff, our players and our fans, all of whom make up everything that is Liverpool Football Club."

The series will be led by multiple Emmy award-winning producer Scott Boggins (formerly of HBO's groundbreaking '24/7' series) and is set to air globally in autumn 2012. Boggins' expertise from his time at HBO will add a unique aesthetic to 'Our Liverpool: Never Walk Alone'. Through five seasons, HBO's '24/7' has earned 33 Emmy nominations, winning 14 times. Boggins' most recent work includes around-the-clock access to boxing title bouts including Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz (2011) and Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton (2009). Boggins was also responsible for the '24/7' coverage of the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins clash in the build-up to the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. His portfolio also includes '24/7' work centred upon NASCAR driver and legend Jimmie Johnson and additional boxing projects featuring Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr.

"Our goal is to capture the essence of what it means to be a part of Liverpool Football Club in an authentic manner, and no producer has more experience with this style of story-telling than Scott Boggins," believes FOX Soccer General Manager David Nathanson. "Scott's body of work is remarkable, giving fans a true peak behind the curtain into the lives of sport's biggest teams, athletes and coaches. Scott has proven his ability to capture these inner workings in a truly organic manner, and now he has the opportunity to tell Liverpool FC's rich story to a global audience."

This could either end up being really good or just a failure. I mean its got the guy behind 24/7 doing it and they are always interesting to watch so I'm kinda looking forward to it. It'll be more exposure for the club as well in America which could be a good thing for the club as well. Just hope it doesn't end up like the first half of the QPR documentary that was shown earlier on in the season.

[Lineker]

Just reading the first line doesn't it sound like the exact same thing as The Four Year Plan?

[Matt]

I expect Dalglish to claim this as a reason that this season has been successful.

[DavidMarrio]

Just reading the first line doesn't it sound like the exact same thing as The Four Year Plan?

It's meant to be directed by the guy behind the 24/7 series on HBO for the boxing which is done pretty well (Plus it won't be English media behind it so that could be a really good thing) The problem is the possibility of things that could be shown, it can either be a piece of marketing genius by Henry and co in helping break the US market considering it will coincide with the big North American tour we have going on in the summer....or it'll just be like Lol Liverpool. Hopefully it will fall on the good end of the spectrum in that it'll be really good for the club in terms of PR and not on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

I can see the reasons behind it as it might help generate more interest in the club and then turn that interest into more money, considering we still haven't got a new stadium and need alternate methods to gain revenue.

Saying that in regards to Kenny... I cannot see him liking this at all, this must surely be his worst nightmare in terms of his utter hatred of anything to do with the media.

[TCO]

If it's anything like Hard Knocks, it'll be brilliant and very fascinating. Actually I hope it's exactly like Hard Knocks.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Let's hope for their sake that they have an all white interviewing team, Suarez doesn't like talking to blacky black blacks.

[Lineker]

The Premier League has announced there will be no pre-match handshakes at Sunday's game between Chelsea and QPR because of the legal case involving John Terry and Anton Ferdinand.

Terry is accused of racially abusing Ferdinand during a match at Loftus Road in October.

He denies the accusation but faces a court case, which starts on 9 July.

Ferdinand's lawyers had told him not to shake Terry's hand for fear that it could prejudice the forthcoming trial.

"The Premier League position on the pre-match handshake convention remains consistent," said a Premier League statement. "In all normal circumstances it must be observed.

"However, after discussions with both Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers about the potential and specific legal context in relation to John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, the decision has been taken to suspend the handshake convention for Sunday's match."

When the clubs met in the fourth round of the FA Cup in January the pre-match handshake was cancelled.

The QPR defender has told his manager and friends that he is in the right frame of mind to play on Sunday, despite the hostile atmosphere he is expected to face.

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in February after he was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with racially abusing Ferdinand.

The Chelsea defender has endured a difficult week, having been sent off for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back during Chelsea's Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona. As a result he will be suspended for the final against Bayern Munich.

In February 2010, former team-mate Wayne Bridge publicly refused Terry's offer of a handshake before Chelsea's game with Manchester City. Bridge's decision followed allegations that Terry had an affair with the left-back's ex-girlfriend.

The pre-match handshake has also been a source of controversy this season. In February Liverpool striker Luis Suarez refused to shake Manchester United defender Patrice Evra's hand prior to the Reds' 2-1 defeat by United.

That followed on from Evra accusing Suarez of racially abusing him. The Liverpool player later apologised.

The Premier League has previously insisted the ritual, which it introduced into the top flight in 2004, is an important part of the game.

"It's not a handshake that says everybody loves everybody else," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore last month.

"It's a handshake that says 'whatever's gone on before now and whatever will go on after this game is over, for the next 90 minutes, let's just play a game of football'.

"It's nothing more symbolic than that, which is why in our view, they should continue - period."

[Adam]

The more they do this, the more they make their own "Respect" campaign look totally pointless.

It's about respect for all participants! Until some unsavoury incident occurs and then it doesn't matter about respect, just ignore one another and get on with your day!

[britneyspearsisgod]

I can understand why they would feel like they couldn't shake hands, but the matter should stand between Anton Ferdinand and John Terry. They're going to have to shake hands at some point. But, maybe that will come next season.

[METALMAN]

it's just a handshake. it's not newsworthy, and it's ridiculous that anyone should even care.

[stokeriño]

No Ivanovic (still suspended), Cahill or Luiz for QPR this Sunday.

Ought to be a larf. Maybe something like Ferreira-Bosingwa-Terry-Cole will happen.