Search the site

  

Grab my RSS feed | (What's this?)

Touchline Dad

Touchline Dad

TOUCHLINE Dad is written by Peter Harvey, a newspaper editor with Trinity Mirror Merseyside. Father-of-three Peter, 40, was a writer for the Liverpool Echo during the 1990s and has been editor of Trinity Mirror titles the Crosby Herald, Bootle Times and the Advertiser Series, West Lancashire. Touchline Dad is a lifelong Liverpool fan.

Our Jack...

Jack with his first Man of the Match award

JACK Harvey is seven, going on seventy-seven. He's a dependable, no-nonsense defender for Marine FC's U7s. He's played in the Bootle and Netherton league and Hightown league in north Merseyside. Jack has also played for Crosby Stuart. He is being encouraged to appreciate both Liverpool AND Everton...for now at least.

The Gaffer

The Gaffer

THE Gaffer is a true Blue. She's now swapped her Gwladys Street season ticket for one at the new Liverpool One shopping complex. She still gets steamed up thinking about Graeme Sharp in his skimpy shorts.

Not forgeting...

Emily

EMILY is five and has no interest in football. Her kicks come from dressing up, make-up, bangles and beads. Oh, and shoes. She changes them at least five times a day. Likes ballet, swimming and shopping. Cross her at your peril.

And finally...

Paddy

PADDY inherited a mini Everton kit from Sam down the road. No doubt 'Pads' will also get Jack's pass-me-downs, so that will narrow his allegiance to Real Madrid, Juventus, Republic of Ireland, England, Everton and Liverpool. Loves pirates, Shrek and Wall-e. He's got the second worst temper I know...

Marine AFC

FORMED in 1894 and based in Crosby, north Mersyside. The first team plays in the Northern Premier League and were champions in 1994 and 1995. 220.jpgThey had a famous FA Cup run in the early 1990s, eventually being knocked out by Crewe 3-1 in the 3rd round. Roly Howard was manager for a record 33 years (1972-2005), although he will always be remembered by some fans as Kenny Dalglish's window cleaner. TV presenter Ray Stubbs once asked: "How's business, Roly?" to which Roly replied "Oh you know - ups and downs."

Snapshots

Jack and his Marine U7 teammates
Jack, Carra, Emily, Touchline Dad and the European Cup
Jack, Emily and Paddy
Jack at Goodison Park, 2007
Jack at Anfield, 2007
Jack (stripes) in action for Crosby Stuart
Jack's former team Crosby Stuart U7s

Crosby Stuart

THIS was Jack's first club. It was formed in the early 1970s in north Liverpool and is now one of the biggest and most successful junior football clubs in the North West. Crosby StuartFormer players include Michael Ball (Everton and Rangers) and Stephen Wright (Liverpool and Sunderland). The club motto is 'To Enjoy, Not Destroy.'

Football Crazy

"JACK stood before me in his Buzz Lightyear pyjamas, hands on hips. I kicked him hard in the shins. Instead of falling to the carpet and rolling in agony, he laughed. 'Do it again, Dad. Do it again. We’ll trick Mum.' I didn’t fancy chancing our comedy double act with The Gaffer, so instead Jack clambered into bed still wearing his new 'shinnies.' 'Maybe tomorrow, eh dad?' he asked as he closed his eyes to see his Premier League heroes greet him."

Tag cloud...

Sponsored links

Recent comments

Recent Posts

Feeds

Categories

Web pals...

Archives

Sponsored links

Entries from Touchline Dad tagged with 'Benitez'

Robbie Keane £20m Transfer: A Big Gamble for Rafa Benitez and Liverpool FC. Is He Worth the Money?

LIVERPOOL fans are holding their breath over the signing of Robbie Keane. He's a good player, possibly a very good player. The former Crumlin United (Dublin) striker may even blossom into a world class player alongside Steven Gerrard and Fernando...

by Peter Harvey on July 29, 2008 11:17 AM

Top Ten Finish in Fantasy Football

LIKE Rafa Benitez my fantasy football season was pretty much over by Christmas. In the hurry to get my team registered in August, I'd picked some donkeys including Gary Speed, John Terry, Micah Richards and Didier Zokora (where did that...

by Peter Harvey on May 13, 2008 7:15 AM

Did We Beat West Ham, Dad?

TOMORROW morning, before his eyes are fully open, Jack will ask how the Reds got on against the Hammers tonight. I'll stand on the botton rung of his bunk bed ladder and explain to him that despite the euphoric victory...

by Peter Harvey on January 30, 2008 9:55 PM

Liverpool FC: Excuses Wearing Thin

RAFA feels he's a victim of unfriendly fire from the Yanks. The Yanks clearly don't rate Rafa. Not surprising, the way he's behaved. Now, the players are blaming off-the-pitch distractions for poor performances and poor results. Of course, there's...

by Peter Harvey on January 22, 2008 8:02 AM

Rafa: Dead Man Walking?

THERE was a time when Liverpool FC washed its laundry in private. Now, the club's bosses do it in the most public way imaginable. It's difficult to choose the worst culprit out of Hicks, Gillett and Benitez. The Yanks...

by Peter Harvey on January 14, 2008 12:12 PM

Fantasy Rafa: Newcastle

FORGET England, let's get on with the Premier League. Who's Rafa going to pick this weekend against Newcastle? Well, after a relatively poor 7 out of 11 against Fulham the other week, I'm feeling more confident with my predicted line-up...

by Peter Harvey on November 22, 2007 2:41 PM

Fantasy Rafa: Can You Work Him Out?

RAFA Benitez is about as predictable as Sven Goran Eriksson's next celebrity conquest. I logged on to fantasyrafa.com to see if I could outfox the Spanish enigma and correctly predict his team for the Fulham match at Anfield....

by Peter Harvey on November 11, 2007 5:34 PM

Season Predictions: November Update

TOUCHLINE Dad turned pundit at the start of the season with previews for both Liverpool and Everton. Of course, making predictions is a surefire way of making a fool of yourself. So, how are the predictions doing? Alternatively, how...

by Peter Harvey on November 5, 2007 9:46 AM

Rafa Right or Rafa Wrong?

RAFA Benitez couldn't lose tonight's League Cup clash against Reading. After resting, dropping or simply not picking Fernando Torres for Saturday's 0-0 draw against Birmingham at Anfield, the Reds manager got some flak. Quite right. It was a bad mistake...

by Peter Harvey on September 25, 2007 9:59 PM

Rafa the Rapper?

THE word on the street is that Rafa is getting into gangster rap. The new goatee is the first part of his image transformation. By the kick-off to the new season he will be donning a yellow shellsuit (there's plenty...

by Peter Harvey on July 13, 2007 3:29 PM

Tears at Bedtime

AC Milan 2, Liverpool 1 Champions League Final, Athens I SCURRIED back from the pub on the stroke of full time to see Jack. He had been crying. Mostly, I think, because he wanted Liverpool to win for his...

by Peter Harvey on May 23, 2007 9:58 PM

Feed Subscription

If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries tagged 'Benitez'.

Subscribe to feed Subscribe to feed [What is this?]

Other Tags

Other tags used on this blog: