A look back on Robbie Fowler
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FOWLER WEEK: TONY BARRETT ON ROBBIE
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156263070702-1648.htm
As Liverpool Football Club and Robbie Fowler officially part ways for the second time, liverpoolfc.tv pays tribute to a true Anfield legend with a week-long series of articles.
The first time I set eyes on Robbie Fowler he was just 11-years-old and his surname wasn't even Fowler.
As a kid he was Robbie Ryder and everyone involved in kids football in Liverpool had heard of him. There was a huge buzz about him. He played for a team called Thorvald - a team which no other team in the city could live with - and Robbie was the star player.
I have to admit though that the first time I saw 'God' I was a non-believer. I was watching a mate of mine playing an under-11s game on Botanic Park and Thorvald were playing on the next pitch.
At half-time in the game I was watching, I walked over to have a look at Thorvald. Just to see for myself if this Robbie Ryder kid was as good as people were saying.
As usual, Thorvald were administering a hiding to some poor team who simply couldn't get near them. But it was their right winger, a lad called Franny Tierney whom I'd played with in Liverpool schoolboy trials, who really caught my eye.
Franny was electric - probably the most talented young footballer I've ever seen - and as was always the case, he was pulling the opposition leftback to bits. Ryder, by comparison, wasn't doing much. He just seemed to be loitering in and around the box, not getting too involved in the build up and, at times, he looked too small and weak to make a big impression.
Thorvald ended up winning 4-0 and Ryder got two. Both were tap-ins from about a yard and I can remember saying to my mate that I didn't think he was anywhere near as good as people were making out.
Thankfully, Liverpool had scouts who knew quite a bit more about what makes a top class centre forward than I did.
A couple of Sundays later I was back at Botanic Park and my mate's team were playing Thorvald. It turned out to be a massacre as Thorvald won 26-0. And that's not a misprint; they really did score 26 goals without reply.
Ryder got 16 of them and my mate blamed me.
"Thought you said he was no good?" he shouted at me as he trudged off the pitch.
"He's alright," I replied. "But he doesn't get to play against you every week, does he?''
I'm pretty sure Robbie was already training with Liverpool by this time and he was definitely a fixture in the Liverpool Schoolboys team. Clearly there were those who hadn't needed to see him score 16 in a single outing to realise what a class act he was.
It would be another six years before I saw Ryder in action again and, by the time I did, he had become known as Robbie Fowler and he came with a very, very big reputation which had been forged with Liverpool schoolboys, England under-18s and Liverpool reserves.
Graeme Souness picked Fowler for the Liverpool first team in a Coca Cola Cup tie at Fulham and those of us who made the trip to London on a cold night in autumn were given a taste of what was to come as the 18-year-old scored a typical poachers goal.~
It was his performance in the second-leg which made the rest of the country sit up and take notice though. Fowler struck five times to leave the Fulham defence looking like a kids' team's back four on Botanic Park.~
After that he was asked if he'd ever scored more than five and he said: "Yeah, I scored 16 once."
The newspapers set out to find the team he'd scored 16 goals against and one of the Sundays ended up tracking down the lad who'd been in goal that fateful day. They got hold of him and took him down to Melwood to be reunited with Robbie. True to form, Fowler gave him a bit of stick when he got there, but he also gave him a load of training gear and made sure the newspaper looked after his 'victim' with a few bob for his troubles.
It's impossible to overstate just how popular Fowler was with the Liverpool fans at this time. His love affair with the Kop was so intense that only the one with Kenny Dalglish stands comparison in the modern era.
And it wasn't just down to his goals. There was a cheekiness about Fowler that most local fans could identify with and that endeared him to us even more. Even when he messed up, he did so for the right reasons. His infamous goal celebration against Everton may have been ill-advised but most Liverpool fans would love to do something similar given the opportunity. And his abuse of Graeme Le Saux may have been immature and out of order but at least he'd picked the right target to wind up.
Then there was the time he scored against Brann Bergen in a Cup Winners Cup tie at Anfield and lifted his Liverpool shirt to show off a t-shirt displaying his solidarity with the sacked Liverpool dockworkers.
True to form, he was fined by UEFA for his actions but it was a price well worth paying for Fowler as not only had he raised awareness of the disgraceful way 500 workers had been treated by their employers, it also inadvertently led to his status as a local folk hero being set in stone.
It wasn't just about public displays either. Speak to dockers who manned the picket lines during their lengthy dispute and they will readily tell you about Fowler and his great mate Steve McManaman regularly helping them out with donations.
Both Fowler and McManaman kept it quiet. They weren't doing it for publicity but Liverpool being the village that it is, word soon got out and they got the respect they so richly deserved for doing the right thing by their working class comrades and for not forgetting their roots.
Another thing that endeared Fowler to Kopites was he was so hated by fans of our biggest rivals, largely because he had a knack of scoring against them and then celebrating in front of them. Even after he left Liverpool he was still doing it.
Who can forget the five fingers he raised to Man United supporters in honour of Liverpool's quintet of European Cup wins when he scored for City in the Manchester derby? Or the head smacking celebration he did as he ran the length of the Bullens Road after scoring at Goodison?
The more they hated Fowler, the more we loved him.
Hero status can be too easily awarded in modern football but in Fowler's case he undoubtedly earned it - through his goals, his genius, his generosity and, not forgetting, his pranks.
There are those who say Robbie Fowler is the greatest natural finisher they have ever seen and the highest tribute I can pay him is to say there is nothing to choose between him and Ian Rush.
Had Fowler been lucky enough to play alongside Kenny Dalglish he would no doubt have added another 100 or more goals to his Liverpool total. He really was that good.
In his prime, before injuries took their toll, he pretty much guaranteed goals. Right-foot strikes, left-foot shots, headers, volleys, scorchers from distance, tap-ins from a yard out and flukes off his backside - Fowler could do the lot.
Not bad for a kid who started off on Botanic Park and didn't look that good! -
And his fastest hat trick against Arsenal.
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hahaha, the part about him celebrating for man city against man utd was hilarious.
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You can take Fowler out of Liverpool,but u can never take the Liverpool out of Fowler.
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there's only one robbie fowler ... true legend
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THERE'S ONLY ONE ROBBIE FOWLER
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156267070703-1215.htm
As Robbie Fowler Week continues on Liverpoolfc.tv, we've chronicled the great man's Anfield career in numbers.
11,000,000 pounds, the amount David O'Leary paid to bring Fowler to Elland Road in 2001
12,541 fans at Anfield to witness his 5 goals during his home debut in 1993 against Fulham in the Coca Cola Cup. Just 3 players had scored 5 in a single game for the Reds previously: Ian Rush, Andy McGuigan and John Evans
1,519 days away from the club between November 2001 and January 2006
712 friends on his unofficial myspace site, compared to 125 for Ian Rush and 20 for Michael Owen
369 appearances for Liverpool
273 seconds to score a hat-trick against George Graham's Arsenal in 94/95
183 goals for Liverpool, putting him 5th in the club's all-time scorers' chart
165 games needed to score 100 goals – one fewer than Ian Rush
129 consecutive games between March 1994 and September 1996
92 appearances for Man City, with 27 goals
36 goals in the 95/96 season, Fowler's highest ever total
33 appearances for Leeds United, with 14 goals
29 League Cup goals for the Reds
26 caps for England, with 7 goals
23 appearances under Graeme Souness, the man who handed him his Reds debut
23 was the first shirt number Fowler wore at Liverpool
20 out of 26 penalties scored. One of those missed came in front of the North Bank at Highbury in 1997 when referee Gerald Ashby awarded a spot kick even though Fowler admitted David Seaman had not brought him down
18 years old when he made his Liverpool debut against Fulham
17 goals scored in the treble season 00/01
14 European goals for the Reds
14 goals against Aston Villa, Fowler's favourite opponents
11 was the shirt number initially worn by Fowler on his return in 2006 until Djibril Cisse left on loan, vacating the number 9 shirt
10 hat-tricks for Liverpool, the same as Michael Owen. Only Gordon Hodgson (17), Ian Rush (16) and Roger Hunt (12) have scored more
9 is God's number
8, or L8. Fowler is Toxteth's most famous son
6 goals against Everton
5 trophies won with the Reds: 2 League Cups, 1 FA Cup, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 European Super Cup. Fowler was cup tied during the 2006 FA Cup run
5 fingers shown to United fans during the Manchester derby in 2005, a reminder of the number of European Cups won by his former club
3 minutes to score his first goal for England Under-21s on his debut versus San Marino
2 sendings off for Liverpool, both in 1997 against Everton and Bolton
2 PFA Young Player of the Year awards
1 Robbie Fowler. -
too bad fowler faded away after michael owen came. since then, his fate change...
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he's really really a true legend
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Appreciate what he had given to lfc all these yrs. thank you God.
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teach the strikers at liverpool how to score as a coach.
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Anyone remember i ever said Robbie Fowler is my all-time favourite player ?
Ok let's recall ..... a wonderful memory about Fowler ....
I was in Bangkok for a business trip .... during a night-off , i went to Ma Boon Krang shopping .
i saw some imitation jerseys , Liverpool imitation , but looked really like Original stuff ....
I order one , real cheap , like 750 baht ? Sorry if i forgotten the amount ....
Nevermind ..... they offered me to put numbers and names at a special rate ... good deal , so "on" , with the number 9 and "Fowler" at the back .
I was told to come back in 1 hour .
One hr later , i came back , he show me the finishing .... i really like the finishing , everything was like original .... the fonts was nicely , what u call ? iron up . whatever .
But i have one problem .....
The name is not Fowler !!!
Instead it's Folwer !!!!
So i say no deal , they must give me " Fowler " .... again , i was told to come back in half an hour ....
Half an hour later ... i came back , still no deal , why ?
They gave me " Flower" on the back !!!
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Originally posted by Poolman:
They gave me " Flower" on the back !!! -
FOWLER WEEK: IAN RUSH ON ROBBIE
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156297070705-1321.htm
In the latest instalment of Fowler Week, Ian Rush recalls the first time he saw Robbie play and assesses where he stands in the club's list of all-time greatest strikers.
When was the first time you saw Robbie and what did you think?
I actually first saw Robbie when he was 14 in training. I had come back early for pre-season a few days before the rest of the first-team squad and I was training with the kids. Robbie was one of them and the thing I noticed straight away was he had a great goalscoring sense. I remember talking to Steve Heighway and he told me Robbie Fowler could be something special. He came through the ranks and when Graeme Souness gave him a chance in the first team he was just incredible. He was a great goalscorer and he was good at free-kicks as well, which people don't realise. And he was also good in the air. When he first came into the side I helped Robbie, simply because that was the Liverpool way. When I first got into the side Kenny Dalglish helped me.
Do you feel like you played a major part in his development?
I feel I played a part in it but at the end of the day I'm a great believer that you've got to do it yourself. People can point you in the right direction like Kenny helped me, but they can't score goals for you. It made me very happy when I read Robbie's autobiography and he said that I helped him. As I say though, that was the Liverpool way and we were brought up to do that. Yes, I most probably did play a part in his development, but Robbie Fowler played the most important part and that was putting the ball in the back of the net. The lad had everything. If it wasn't for the injury he was capable of breaking all of my records.
What did you think when Robbie knocked in five goals on his home debut against Fulham?
It was just one of them incredible nights when everything went right for him. It takes a special person to do that and I was absolutely made up for him. What I liked about Robbie was he was hungry for more. I remember that game when he had about five or six chances and scored five! He wasn't just content with five goals though - he wanted to score six or seven. That for me was the sign of a great striker.
Excluding yourself, have you ever seen a better finisher than Robbie?
Probably not. If you go back to his first time at Anfield when he had come up through the ranks, he was scoring goals for fun in the first team. Robbie was just a great finisher. That left foot of his was just incredible and then he started scoring with his right foot as well - and that's what makes a quality striker. The thing about Robbie was he knew when to place the ball - he didn't just blast it. A lot of strikers in the game, especially today, just blast everything. His timing was exceptional.
What was he like to play with?
He was great. Robbie is a lovely lad, really down to earth. He just loved playing football and scoring goals. If you told him to do something, he would do it. He wasn't one of them that questioned why you were doing it. As the years went on you saw Robbie becoming more of an all-round player. He was always working hard for his teammates. When Robbie first came into the side his job, like mine, was to score goals. Then as you get more experienced other things come into your game and you become an all-round player. What people don't realise is when the likes of Stan Collymore and Michael Owen came into the team Robbie's role was to help them. He did that and he was doing their running for them and giving his all to make the partnership work. He was never given the credit he deserved for how much work he put in when he partnered Stan and Michael.
Do you feel it was slightly unfortunate that Robbie's talents were never rewarded with a title winner's medal at Anfield?
Yes, it was unfortunate. He was very unlucky and it was just a case of being there at the wrong time. When Robbie came into the side they were revamping the team and a lot of changes were happening. He did deserve to be part of a title-winning side because he was a great player. I know he was desperate to win a Champions League medal and he was disappointed to have been left out of the squad for Athens. It would have been a nice way to bow out of Liverpool but it wasn't to be.
How did you feel when Rafael Benitez brought Robbie back to Anfield?
I was made up, simply for the lad. I knew Robbie could still do it. When Robbie left Liverpool in 2001 he never did as well at Leeds and Manchester City because his heart was still at Liverpool. When Robbie came back he wasn't bothered about the money and he would have come back for nothing. He was just happy to be back and I think when he first came back he was probably fitter than when he left the first time. Such was his determination to do well and his happiness at being back in a red shirt again, he got himself fit and we saw a Robbie Fowler ready to go. He wanted to prove he could still do well at Liverpool and I think he did that. He didn't play a lot but when he was called upon he gave his all and he scored some important goals.
Were you sad to see him go?
I'm very sad to be honest but all love affairs come to an end sometime in football. I think Robbie would have liked another year at Liverpool but Benitez wanted to move on and look for the future. I still feel Robbie could have done a job and helped the young kids out as well. In saying that, the good thing this time was Robbie was able to say thank-you and farewell to the supporters. When he left the first time he didn't get the chance to do that. I know he is grateful to Benitez for bringing him back to the club and giving him the chance to say a proper farewell to the Kop. It was sad but at the end of the day you have to move on.
Do you think we will see Robbie scoring goals for another club this season?
I was speaking with him the other day and he was talking to me about his future. You do have to move on but it's always hard to leave such a fantastic club as Liverpool. I think Robbie still has something to offer but people will always see him as a Liverpool player. It's the same thing that happened to me when I went to Leeds and then Newcastle. Clubs might be thinking: "Well, if Robbie came to us would he be as good because his heart is still at Liverpool?" I think Robbie has got to play for the right team and one that will suit him. If that happens, I think Robbie Fowler will be a bargain to anyone who gets him.
Where does Robbie rank among the all-time LFC strikers?
He has got to be right up there with the best of them. Robbie has had a great career and for me, before he got his injury, he was most probably the best striker in the Premiership. He was a bit unfortunate when he got the injury but he was made up when he got the second chance to come to Liverpool. I thought he conducted himself very well. Robbie is one of the best strikers to ever wear a red shirt. -
it is possible that robbie might be coming to sydney after all