Goodbye Stevie Geeeee,
though I never, knew you at all, you had blah, blah, blah, blah… yeah, what-eveeeeer.

Steven Gerrard has played his last home game for Liverpool. Yesterday the fans sober enough to still be awake at the end of the match, or who hadn’t walked out in protest at being beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace, gave a ‘fitting farewell’ to one of their own. For like them, Stevie G is a Scouser. He speaks their language, though heaven knows, no-one else does; he is local, he is a true great and he only smiles if he absolutely has to. You think of Steven Gerard, you think scowl.

And such a fuss. The word ‘legend’ is obviously being banded about liberally all over The Wirral and across the Mersey, as well as by the world’s press. I picked up someone’s Oyster Card the other day on the tube and returned it to its rightful owner (checking first that there was no easy cash just tucked in there, of course) who said “ahhh, thanks Mate, you’re a legend”. So we won’t go too deeply into modern abuse of a once really good word, a legendary word.

Stevie G never sailed across the Aegean Sea in a rowing boat slaying Gorgons and fighting Minotaurs. But he did play for 17 years for Liverpool. Man and boy. And during that time, I think its safe to say that he did more for that club than all the other players put together. HE won them the FA Cup against West Ham. HE certainly won them the Champions League in Istanbul after his team were 3-0 down at half time. He was such an inspirational player and captain that he didn’t need to do the spectacular. Which in fact he often did early in his career but less so afterwards. He led by example and drove the rest on.

Yet that’s not why he’s so special and revered in ‘that part of the world’. He’s special because he played for one club his entire career. And not just ‘a club’ but His club. The one he was born near, the only club he ever supported as a kid. He lived the dream. When he made moves to actually leave Liverpool at one time, seemingly lured by the evil dosh that Chelsea were offering, his supporters simply threatened to kill him. So he stayed.

And better to have stayed there in the North West rather than move to the North East. Where 3 teams are fighting for that vital third relegation place. Leicester (Midlands) did the impossible and avoided relegation after being bottom of the league on Christmas Day. QPR and Burnley are already gone. Leaving the holy trinity of Hull, Newcastle and Sunderland in at the death. And death is an appropriate phrase because getting relegated is so financially punishing.

Its complicated but basically Hull are gone unless really silly things happen. Not impossible but Newcastle or Sunderland are still in big trouble. Be nice if they could all go down really, but football’s not about ‘nice’.

Ok I’m off to shed some tears for Steven Gerrard before tennis. Don’t know why but Liverpudlians love a good cry over nothing. Spurs fans only cry during matches. Every match.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx