My first memory of soccer was watching Pele astound American audiences when he was playing for the New York Cosmos. It was near the end of his illustrious career but his skills and effervescent smile was captivating.
I didn’t know how, but I knew I wanted to play soccer. My dad took me to the local league in Clinton, Mississippi to sign me up for the upcoming season. He knew even less than me about the game, but they were apparently short on coaches so he volunteered to lead my team.
We named ourselves the Panthers. I’m not exactly certain how it came about, perhaps because I watched a lot of the Pink Panther cartoons as a kid. We had gold jerseys with black Umbro shorts. I remember how excited I was every time I got to put on that uniform. I fell in love with the game with the first kick of the ball. It’s a love that has never left me.
I played the game for as long as I could, until the knees said stop. I followed it religiously as well. Despite Pele’s greatness, soccer continued to struggle to grasp any spotlight in the large U.S. sports scene. But if you could get a glimpse of the game in England, you couldn’t turn away.
I grew up in the 1980s when Liverpool was dominating English and world soccer. I rarely got to watch a full game but there was various highlight shows you could catch at unique times. One of the first I remember was on PBS before cable television became a thing. Later, ESPN and then Fox started broadcasting a lot of games and Liverpool was featured regularly.
It’s odd to become attached to a team/club when you so rarely get to see them play, but I did. I read everything I could about the club and would record any showing (highlights or full match) I could find on the family VCR.
With my playing days fading into the past and life responsibilities (family and career) coming more to the forefront, my opportunities to get deep in my love for the Reds grew more challenging.
Then when NBC acquired full Premier League broadcasting rights in the U.S. in 2013 I was all in. It became a Saturday and Sunday morning ritual to wake up early to watch all the Premier League games.
It was quite glorious that it nearly perfectly coincided with Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield. His brand of “heavy metal” football was exactly my passion. From that point forward I haven’t missed a second of Liverpool action.
Ironically, at the same time I was asked to establish a soccer program at nearby Vardaman High School. I had so much love for the game with no real outlet to express it until this opportunity came along. My love for soccer was exploding like it did when I was playing with the Panthers as a kid.
Add in the opportunity to coach my granddaughters on the soccer field in nearby Oxford, and it was an unbelievably joyous time. One of the most memorable seasons, I was coaching grand Ellie in the under eights and we were assigned the Liverpool uniforms. It was meant to be.
I could go on and on about Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish, Rafa Benitez, Ian Rush, Graeme Souness, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Steve Nicol, Steve McManaman, Kevin Keegan, John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and so many more. But this latest incarnation has really fueled my love for LFC to its greatest heights.
Firmino, Mane and Salah have created so many great memories for me. When life hit hard, as it did for me personally in those years, Klopp’s boys, the sounds of Anfield, Bobby’s smile, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” helped me tremendously.
I’m attached to this remarkable club for life. I feel privileged to have discovered them so early in life that I’ve been able to experience so much. For many it’s just a game, but there is something about Liverpool FC that goes far beyond the white lines of the pitch. Win, lose or draw, I love it so.
YNWA