Liverpool F.C. Reserves
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Liverpool Reserves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Liverpool FC Reserves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Reds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Racecourse Ground Wrexham |
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| Capacity | 15,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  David Moores |
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| Manager | Gary Ablett |
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| League | FA Premier Reserve League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Premier Reserve League North, 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Liverpool F.C. Reserves are the reserve team of Liverpool F.C.. They have played in the Barclays Premiership Reserve League North since its formation in 1999; prior to this they competed in the Central League. The team has won 16 league titles to date, most recently in 2000. They also participate in the Liverpool Senior Cup, although in recent years the teams entered have featured an increasing number of youth players.
The current Reserve team manager is Gary Ablett, who was appointed in the summer of 2006. His assistant will be Hughie McAuley. Liverpool Reserves play their home games at Racecourse Ground, the home ground of Wrexham A.F.C.. In previous seasons the team has also played at Haig Avenue, the home of Southport F.C. and Knowsley Road, the home of St. Helens RFC.
The team was the subject of a famous quote from legendary Liverpool F.C. manager Bill Shankly, who while telling a joke at the expense of local rivals Everton, declared In my time at Anfield we always said we had the two best teams on Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves. Another version of the quote has Shankly saying There's only two teams in Liverpool: Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves.
The most successful Liverpool Reserves coach has been Roy Evans. Evans spent most of his playing career as a reserve team player, making only 11 appearances for the first team. After an injury ended his career in 1974, he was appointed coach of the reserves by Bob Paisley. Evans subsequently led the reserves to victory in a series of Central League championships, including three in his first three seasons, a four in a row sequence from 1978 and two more in the early 1980s. Throughout the history of Liverpool F.C. many of the club's best known players have progressed through the reserve team. These include current first team squad members Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler as well as the likes of Michael Owen and Steve McManaman.
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[edit] Players
The following players are expected to play for the team during the 2006-07 season. In addition, members of the first team squad are eligible to play for the reserves, as are players from the Academy:
[edit] Reserve team
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[edit] Academy (Under-18s)
| No. | Name | Pos. | Nat. | DOB (age) | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Hansen | GK |  |
June 15, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| Josh Mimms | GK | |
August 5, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| David Roberts | GK | |
December 10, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Stephen Behan | DF | |
October 4, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| 39 | Stephen Darby | DF | |
October 6, 1988 (age 18) | View |
| Laurence Gaughan | DF | |
February 14, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| Marin Kelly | DF | |
April 27, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| John Routledge | DF | |
November 23, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| Jay Spearing | DF | |
November 25, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Robbie Threlfall | DF | |
November 25, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Mattone Awang | MF | |
September 20, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| Paul Barratt | MF | |
September 15, 1987 (age 19) | View | |
| Charlie Barnett | MF | |
September 19, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Michael Burns | MF | |
October 4, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Ryan Flynn | MF |  |
September 4, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Shane O'Connor | MF |  |
April 14, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| Raymond Putterill | MF | |
March 2, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| Ben Parsonage | MF | |
August 29, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| Jimmy Ryan | MF | |
September 6, 1988 (age 18) | View | |
| Michael Collins | FW | |
July 12, 1990 (age 16) | View | |
| 38 | Craig Lindfield | FW | |
September 7, 1988 (age 18) | View |
| Jonathan Pringle | FW | |
June 21, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| Michael Scott | FW | |
September 1, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| Ryan Wignall | FW | |
March 12, 1989 (age 17) | View | |
| Lee Woodward | FW | |
September 27, 1988 (age 18) | View |
- Squad Numbers refer to players' first team squad number, where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1-11.
[edit] Selected Former Players
A number of former players who played for Liverpool Reserves, but never played for the first team, subsequently established themselves at other clubs. Here is a list of some of them.
[edit] Selected Former Managers
[edit] Honours
- Central League Champions: 16
- 1957, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990
- Liverpool Senior Cup: 38
- 1893, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910 (shared), 1912 (shared), 1913, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1936 (shared), 1937, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1962, 1964 (shared), 1968, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982 (shared), 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004
- FA Youth Cup: 2
- 1996, 2006
[edit] Academy
The Academy is the name given to Liverpool Football Club's Youth Academy. It is located in Kirkby, in north Liverpool. The Academy is primarily a football training facility, used to develop new talent for Liverpool FC.
The Academy first opened its doors in late 1998, overseen by former Liverpool FC player Steve Heighway, who was then the Director of Youth development at the club. The Academy now allows the main training ground at Melwood to be kept solely for the first team squad and allows all the areas there to be kept in tip top condition. It also provides is a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of fotball at Liverpool.
Scouts attend many local youth matches looking for talented boys. A boy will then be invited to attend training sessions at the Academy. They are taken in as young as the age of eight. Current England International player Jamie Carragher started at Liverpool when he was aged just nine (Michael Owen and Stephen Gerrard joined at the age of eleven). At this age the boys start by simply attending after-school training sessions, but as they reach their middle-teens their academic needs will be taken over by the Academy if they are deemed athletically talented enough. As such the Academy has a lecture theatre and a computer-equipped classroom.
The Academy can handle up to twenty boys in each year group though more usually the figure is around eighteen. Between the ages of eight and twelve the boys play in eight-a-side games of three twenty minute periods. It allows the boys play as defenders or as attackers in small groups within a system and is not as physically demanding as playing eleven-a-side.
There are four full size grass pitches and one with an astroturf surface. There are also a further seven smaller pitches and an indoor arena. The grounds cover an area of 56 acres.
On the walls of the indoor centre hang the words 'Technique', 'Attitude', 'Balance' and 'Speed'. 'TABS' is the key word preached at The Academy.[1]
[edit] Famous Past Graduates
- Steven Gerrard (was the first player to actually move from The Academy to Melwood in November 1998.)
- Neil Mellor
[edit] Sources
- Who’s Who Of Liverpool (2006): Tony Matthews
