There’s the Anfield that we all know on TV. The sight of Liverpool supporters waving their scarves as millionaires such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard run around the pitch. But directly behind Anfield is something that Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett don’t want you to see. The most deprived neighborhood in Britain.
On a visit to Liverpool in 2006, I was shocked to see the state of the rows of houses literally under the shadow of the Main Stand at Anfield. Even on a bright Sunday morning with no one in the streets, I was scared to walk past the houses by myself. I’d seen poverty before in the States, but this was much worse. The majority of the homes were condemned and boarded with metal doors.
Growing up in the UK, I knew how Liverpool had suffered badly during the harsh economic times of the 1980’s, but I was still shocked to see that level of poverty in 2006. Now though David Conn, the best journalist at The Guardian in my estimation, has written a must-read article about how Liverpool’s American owners are hurting local residents due to their inability to raise enough money to build Liverpool’s new ground at Stanley Park.
After reading Conn’s article, he paints a bleak picture for Liverpool supporters and the community around Anfield. The future doesn’t look too bright for Hicks and Gillett either. The sooner they sell Liverpool FC, the better.
