Topic: Ronnie Whelan

[ratcatcher]

Fantastic player and one of my favourites when I was younger. But I read an article by him last week were he reffered to Bob Paisley as being Scottish 3 times in the same article. Which was a bit odd I thought.

Perhaps some manc in the copy department was just being a total arse?

[Barrowboy]

Ronnie Whelan came to our AIB annual guest speaker evening last night and I said I would post in here afterwards. He was superb, one of the best we have had and I would deffo recommend him to any supporters group looking for a guest speaker. He does not care for a certain Mr Souness one bit and told us loads of funny stories. I greeted him as he arrived and he said he was really nervous and did not look forward to evenings like it at all but he was great, could not do enough for us. He was a hero of mine anyway but it was so good to see him looking well and no pretensions at all, he answered every single question after doing a 45 minute talk about his career. A fella called John Martin was the compere and he did a stand-up afterwards and he was funny as fuck, proper Scouser, reds fan too. Top night all round even if I did make a c*nt of myself dancing to ABBA after John had gone

Our branch, the Denbighshire supporters club in North Wales, has been going since 2000 and these are the guest speakers we have had down here-

Joey Jones (funny as fuck, still loves Liverpool)
David Johnson (sound fella, great stories)
Phil Neal (bit nervy, hadn't been on the circuit long at the time)
Tommy Smith (bit below the belt re: Emlyn Hughes but a fucking legend nonetheless)
John Aldridge came last year on the Friday after Istanbul and his first words were "I can't fail tonight can I?". Brilliant speaker, very funny and so down to earth its not true! Stayed all night and had a few bevvies, signed everything you asked and sang YNWA at the end like a proper Kopite. Have to say because of the timing that this was the best night we've had, I only got back from the homecoming a couple of hours before and it was day 3 of a huge bender for me personally.

I love these evenings, saw The King Kenny last year at Anfield at a do for Marina's charity and he was the dogs bollocks. had a photo with him and I told Marina that I'd never heard him talk for so long in my life. She said "neither have I, he's  a miserable get usually"

We haven't booked anyone for next year as yet so can anyone out there recommend an ex-player on the after-dinner circuit?

    

[gerrardspetal]

 

[Barrowboy]

  whats that all about gerradspetal? Are you pissed off because you went out to the boss' do instead? You missed a boss night in the Plas Pigot mate. Sent you a pm btw 

[gerrardspetal]

You know I was gutted!!!

But there you are never mind. there will be more i'm sure.

  Was because i liked your post and the fact you were advertising the supporters club. HEE HEE.

[Barrowboy]

There will be more for sure 

[Glorious Future]

Don't get this 'unsung hero' stuff - loads of people loved Ronnie when he was with us, me included.

He 'arrived' with an equaliser at Wembley against Spurs in the Milk Cup, 2 minutes from time? One of my earliest memories of having a mental moment of mass hysteria, especially as the fella in front was in tears just prior to the goal. He ended up being mauled in celebrations. I must have been 11.

Ronnie was class. I don't believe for one moment he would EVER have changed places with a ManU shirt - they only ever did anything in the Cup in those days. He had a sweet right foot, used to deadly effect against United at Wembley with a 'curler' that won the game. That was in the days when a handful of players in the WORLD did curlers that worked.

Go on Ronnie lad.     

[ryanf21]

So much for him not being supportive!


Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan has hailed Steve Finnan as the 'best right-back in the Premiership' and compared him to an all-time Anfield great. 
Whelan admits he initially harboured doubts over Finnan's ability to make the grade in a red shirt but now rates him in the same bracket as arguably Liverpool's greatest right-back Phil Neal.
 
"He is a very good player and has been great for the past couple of seasons. He's now Ireland's main right-back by some distance and he's also the best in the Premiership at the moment," says the former midfield maestro.
 
"He goes about his business very quietly, he doesn't grab the headlines but he does an excellent job on the right side of defence.
 
"When he first signed for Liverpool, you couldn't help but think, 'is he really that good?' but he is getting better and better.
 
"His consistency has been first class and you can't ask for anything more. He's proven to be a very shrewd signing. His attacking play is coming on in leaps and bounds and it is no surprise that he's had so many assists this year.
 
"He's set up a lot of important goals. On top of that, he defends really well. He knows when to pass, when to stay on his feet. I'm sure he can improve even further.
 
"In many ways, he's like Phil Neal. He is always steady and gives you 100% every game. He's the type of player every successful side needs." 


source: liverpoolfc.tv

[FlashingBlade]

stood next to Whelan to have a pee in  a service station on the way to Cardiff  this year ( no I didn't look, but all the other urinals were free!  ) ..he was making his own way down to the final with  bunch of red mates.....so he seems a loyal red to me...great player BTW

[Bannside Red]

We haven't booked anyone for next year as yet so can anyone out there recommend an ex-player on the after-dinner circuit?   

Alan Kennedy & Ron Yeats are both missing from your list, both are excellent speakers.

[alfonso]

He does not care for a certain Mr Souness one bit and told us loads of funny stories. 

What did he say about Souness?
Was this refering to his time playing with Souness and/or when Souness was manager?

A few mentioned Ray Houghton.
There is something about Ray Houghton that puts me off and that comes from his desire to leave (for Villa) when the club wanted him to stay.

I think the 'negativity' (being critical) at times from ex players is justified.
A lot of fans do it (I know I do it and over the last 15 or so years I've done it a lot, less so now thank fuck) especially if you've seen some of our previous teams. So it is understandable that some players will be critical.

[Barrowboy]

What did he say about Souness?
Was this refering to his time playing with Souness and/or when Souness was manager?

  From what I can remember, his time as manager. Ronnie said Souness was a bully and never spoke to him for months on end and thought it maybe due to him 'taking' Ray Kennedy's number 5 shirt years earlier! Strange I thought, was Souey and Razor matey or what? Seem to recall something from Phil Thompsons book about Kennedy and Souness but not too sure what exactly.  Pretty sure that Ronnie praised Souness the player but then don't we all? He must have taken a huge 'instant arsehole' pill when he became a manager!