The Liverpool Community Spotlight: Barney Corkhill (Part One)

Welcome to the new edition of Spotlight. A series designed to introduce some of the communities best up and coming writers, as well as shedding some light on the established favourites we all know and follow.

If you have found a new Bleacher creature that has captured your imagination, then the Spotlight team can offer you the chance to find out much more about them.

We also go one step further and talk to your favourite writers, editors and community leaders—from their earliest memories as a football supporter right up to news about their next article.

Our last edition of Spotlight introduced the World Football Community to our very own up and coming writer, David Gore. He has gone on to climb the writer rankings and make a good name for himself within Bleacher Report and the Liverpool Community itself.

This time it is the turn of the Liverpool Community leader, Barney Corkhill.

Introducing…

A well established senior writer on Bleacher Report and the hardworking Liverpool Community leader, Barney has quickly shot to fame with his wide ranging articles that appear to deliver exactly what his fans want.

A keen follower of, Rugby, Cricket, and Tennis, the Somerset based sports fanatic is a knowledgeable addition to the B/R community who hopes to progress enough to become a sports journalist in the future.

In his eight month spell on Bleacher Report, Barney has amassed a very large and loyal fan base which has generated a hugely daunting article read count and two worthy articles of the day.

This can certainly be credited to his quality of writing and creativity in ideas, but also because Barney writes to a great standard about anything from Formula 1 and Boxing to Tennis and Cricket.

Barney’s 283 articles have produced some fascinating and well researched series’ with special mention for “The Unofficial World Club Championship” and “A Tribute To…” being amongst the writers own personal favourites.

Some of the most successful of his ideas come from series’ such as “The Great Debate”—with hard hitting topics, it will always be a controversial talking point—and the statistical stand-off that is “Player Duels”—with specially selected players that are sure to ignite heated debate amongst rival supporters.

Always ready to give advice to newcomers from across the site and praise and recognition to those underrated authors he deems worthy of attention, Barney Corkhill will long be considered a firm favourite amongst any Bleacher Report community and its members.

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The Interview

Spotlight: It is a great pleasure for the team to sit down with the Liverpool community leader for our next instalment of Spotlight. Welcome Barney and thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to answer a few questions for us.

Barney Corkhill: It is certainly a pleasure as I really enjoyed the last installment of Spotlight.

SL: It is great that the Liverpool community has a Liverpool supporter as its leader, how did you start out supporting the team and how old was you?

BC: It must have been when I was about three or four, basically as soon as I knew anything about the game. The whole of my Dad's side of the family are from Liverpool, and they all support the Reds—apart from my Dad and my brother, who support Everton.

Even my brother used to support Liverpool but changed—for reasons I still don't fully understand—I'm sure my Dad would have tried to sway me but Liverpool has always, and will always be my team.

SL: There does always seem to be that family split in Liverpool supporting households, luckily none of my family like football so I am left to my own devices. Unfortunately for my son, it will be very hard not to try and influence him when it comes to him choosing a team.

Coming from a family of Liverpool supporters, it is hard to imagine there were any other teams you could have supported. Was there any other clubs in the picture?

BC: As everyone did, I used to have a "second team", who I liked, but didn't support. That was Newcastle for me, but I stopped liking them when Graeme Souness ruined them. But no-one ever came close to Liverpool for me.

SL: In a parallel universe, who would you support and why?

BC: Hmmm, tough one. I don't think there is any other team I could support, but if I had to say anyone it would probably be Real Madrid.

SL: What has been your three favourite moments as a Liverpool supporter?

BC: Number one for me would have to be winning the 2005 Champions League. I doubt much will ever compare to that as long as I live in terms of football.

SL: Without a doubt, that is my favourite Liverpool moment and to be honest, one of the best moments of my entire life so far.

BC: Second would have to be winning the 2006 FA Cup. This was not so much the magnitude of the win, but the manner in which it happened.

I had a group of mates round at the time, none of whom were Liverpool fans, and they were all mocking me about how we had lost and then BAM! Steven Gerrard scores that goal!

Only once before has a FA Cup final been named after a player, and that was the great Stanley Matthews, but now 2006 will always be known as the Gerrard final.

SL: I had the same experience, at my cousin’s house; everyone was laughing until that Gerrard goal. What is number three on your list of favourite Liverpool moments?

BH: Number three is the treble in 2001. The entire treble was a great moment, but the stand-out moment, outstripping even the FA Cup final, was the UEFA Cup final.

This was great, not just because we won, but because it was such a great game. It had everything; nine goals, own goals, golden goals, dramatic last-gasp equalisers, red-cards. One of the best games I have ever seen.

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SL: Steven Gerrard had a major part in all three of your best Liverpool moments; is he your all time favourite player for the club?

BC: I don't know why, but Steve McManaman was always my favourite Liverpool player.

His mazy dribbles down the wing were, at times, majestic, and I was pretty distraught when we he left for Real Madrid.

Second would have to be Robbie Fowler. What Liverpool fan didn't love "God"?

He was one of the greatest finishers in the Premier League during his day, and it is sad to see that he never became as good as he could have been. Still, all Liverpool fans will have fond memories of him. After all, not everyone is christened God!

Third place goes to Steven Gerrard. He had to make it on the list, if only for the amount of times he has saved Liverpool.

He narrowly beats the likes of Reina, Hyypia, Riise, Owen, and Rushie onto the list. He just has it all and has been one of the best midfielders in the world for a number of years now.

SL: I have to admit I was always Steve McManaman when I played football at school. He was a great player who unfortunately played for Liverpool at quite a lean period during the nineties. We did struggle with managers at that time; who was your worst manager after the Dalglish era?

BC: I can only really think of one manager and that is Grahame Souness. He was a great servant to us as a player, and a key reason why we were so successful, but he had the opposite effect as manager, completing the demise of a once great side.

SL: I find it strange how someone who was so great at playing football just couldn’t cut it as a manager.I wonder if Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher will go the same way as Souness or become legends like Shankly and Paisley.

Who would you consider to be the best in the clubs history out of all of the managers over the years?

BC: I wasn't around when Shankly was working his magic, but just the stories and videos I have witnessed of him are enough to top this list. The way he wore his heart on his sleeve, and was at one with the fans was amazing.

When he told off a policeman for throwing someone's Liverpool scarf away, saying; "Don't throw that away, that could be someone's life" sums him up really. An absolute legend.

Second would be Bob Paisley. The only manager to win three European Cups, and the man who guided Liverpool to their most trophy-laden era in their history, how can Paisley not be on this list.

Again, I wasn't around at the time, but he still comfortably makes it onto this list. Not only is he the greatest Liverpool manager ever, but one of the greatest managers in my book.

Just beating Kenny Dalglish to third place is Rafa Benitez. A Champions League in his first season and an FA Cup the season after, Benitez has won over mostly everyone at Liverpool.

If he can bring the Premier League title to Liverpool, I believe he would earn a rightful place among the best of Liverpool managers.

SL: Rafa is my favourite Liverpool manager, but I judge that based on managers I have watched, and starting out as a red back in 1988, Kenny Dalglish was just slightly before my time. Unfortunately, I started understanding the game properly just after he left.

Moving from the best to the worst; what has been your lowest points as a Liverpool supporter?

BC: Xabi Alonso missing a penalty in 2005 Champions League final. This moment lasted all of two seconds, but it was painful!

When Alonso stepped up with the chance to make it 3-3, and then missed, my heart sank.

I thought we had missed our chance. Then, a second or so later, he had followed it up and scored! One of the worst moments, followed by one of the best moments.

SL: I will NEVER forget how I felt during that moment; it will always be one of the most emotional moments of my life. That up and down experience has summed up supporting Liverpool for me.

What’s next on the list?

BC: Next on the list is John Arne Riise's Own Goal in 2008.

Liverpool was on the verge of taking a good lead into the second leg when Riise inexplicably headed into his own net with five minutes of stoppage time gone.

It was a horrible feeling, and I knew then that Liverpool weren't going to reach a second consecutive final, and their third in four years.

SL: A lot of supporters—some of our own included—stated that own goal was the reason he was sold. But I would put it down to his lack of form and consistency over his last couple of seasons.

What is your third worst Liverpool moment?

BC: Number three on the list is losing the 2007 Champions League final. Yes, another one from the Champions League!

I had visions of Istanbul all over again, and I was longing for it to happen, but Milan managed to hold out for a 2-1 win. The worst part of this for me, however, was that the ref blew the whistle with 30 seconds or so still on the clock, and while Liverpool had the ball in Milan's half. Anything could have happened!

SL: Liverpool have proven this season alone that all you need is a couple of seconds in injury time to score a goal or two, that would have been some feat to level the score again and go on to win it.

So, we have had your worst Liverpool moments and your worst Liverpool managers; it would be wrong to move on without asking you about your worst Liverpool players.

BC: First on that list would have to be Bjorne Tore Kvarme.

Ah! I had to wince every time I saw Kvarme come on the football field. He was by no means the worst Liverpool player in history, but he was nowhere near Liverpool standards, even in the '90s.

Second for me is Djimi Traore.

How he played so many games for Liverpool I will never know! At times, he seemed like an alright player, but he was almost guaranteed to make at least one big mistake per match. He made David James seem like Mr Safe Hands!

And finally on the list is Antonio Nunez.

It takes some player to keep the likes of Jan Kromkamp off the list, but Nunez does just that! He is undoubtedly Rafa's worst buy, and could be in the running for worst Liverpool player! Terrible!

SL: My worst player didn’t get on your list, but for his attitude and personality alone I would rate El Hadj Diouf as one of my least favourite players ever to grace the game.

BC: El Hadj Diouf’s debut was actually the best Liverpool game I have attended. He looked like he would be a great buy after he scored two goals, including one after just three minutes. Michael Owen scored a penalty to round off the 3-0 win against Southampton.

SL: I think now is a great time for a short break, so come back in a little bit for part two of the Barney Corkhill Spotlight and thanks for reading.

Whilst you are waiting for part two of the interview, why not click here and have a read about Herbert Chapman. A footballing pioneer who was considered one of the very first moulds of the modern manager and introduced revolutionary tactics and ideas that have shaped how the game is played today.

Or maybe you would like to click here to check out the first ever Liverpool Community Roundtable. An article where Barney Corkhill talks to three World Football members about Liverpool's season so far.

Click here for part two of this interview.