The Liverpool Community Spotlight: Barney Corkhill (Part Two)

Welcome back to the second part of the Liverpool Community Spotlight. In part one; we spoke to community leader, Barney Corkhill, about some of his best and worst moments as a Liverpool supporter.

Part two of this edition will look at little closer at Barney’s future career plans, his favourite writers and articles on Bleacher and which player’s girlfriend he would like to be stuck in a lift with.

The Interview: Part Two

SL: Moving on from best and worst; if you were Liverpool manager for the week, what would be the first thing you do?

BC: First off I would get a signed shirt and ball from all the players!

Next, If we were in a transfer window, I would make an offer for either Ashley Young or David Villa—maybe I'd sneak a cheeky bid in for Messi as well—but otherwise I would just sort the team out to the way I think it should be.

SL: What team would you pick from the current squad?

BC: For a league game I would go with: GK: Reina, RB: Arbeloa, CB: Carragher, CB: Agger, LB: Insua, DM: Mascherano, DM: Xabi Alonso, RM: Kuyt, LM: Riera, SS: Gerrard, ST: Torres.

For a Champions League match it would be: GK: Reina, RB: Arbeloa, CB: Carragher, CB: Skrtel, LB: Aurelio, DM: Mascherano, RM: Babel, LM: Riera, CM: Gerrard, ST: Keane, ST: Torres.

SL: If you had a chance to swap any current LFC player for any other in the world who would it be and why?

BC: I'd go for swapping Martin Kelly for Lionel Messi. No explanation needed really! Failing that, I would swap Dossena for Patrice Evra.

SL: I wonder if Barca would be up for that swap. Is there anything you dislike about Liverpool the club?

BC: I wouldn’t say I dislike anything, but it is by no means perfect. The owners have been going under the radar more lately, but I will always be wary while they are still there.

SL: They certainly have had a torrid time since they took over as owners, although, it could be suggested that we have improved a great deal, especially this season, with the money they have injected in to the club.

Sitting top of the table at the time of this article; what are your predictions for Liverpool's league position come the end of the season?

BC: Dare I say it? Yes, I dare! I think we can finish first! We are playing some nice football at the moment, and we have the other big wigs a bit worried. Then again, the Premier League is so unpredictable that anything could happen.

SL: What annoys you the most about football at the moment?

BC: Quite simply: diving.

Surely the men who play this game have pride, and my pride would not let me do that. The funny thing is, if someone hit them in the face off the pitch, they would try and look like it hadn't hurt them.

SL: That’s a very good point.

BC: Yet, If someone runs past them on the pitch, they try and look like they've been shot. This is why I dislike Didier Drogba so much. He is a big, strong guy, but goes down so easily. He's not the only one, but he is the worst in my opinion.

SL: So moving away from Liverpool and football as a whole; you have been a regular on B/R for just over eight months now. Do you have any favourite writers you always look out for?

BC: Ooooh that's a tough one! From the whole World Football page I would probably say Willie Gannon, Alex Dimond and Andrew McNair, but it is so hard to choose! There are so many top writers on here.

SL: I think a great many people would agree with you on those three choices. Do you have any favourite writer created series’ from the last month?

BC: Another tough one here! Your recent one about “Forgotten Pioneers of Football” which looks at the undervalued members of football's history has the potential to be fantastic, if indeed you are planning to make that into a series. Andrew McNair's “Hot or Not” is good, as are one or two others.

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SL: What about your own work? What do you consider your best series of articles?

BC: My favourites of my own would be “A Tribute To...”, due to the effort and time that goes into each one. Another favourite is “Great Quotes From...”, due to the amount of funny quotes I unearth.

Another one would be the “Greatest Ever...” series, as it helps me learn about the greatest of various sports, as well as giving my opinion on them. Come to mention it, the “Football Greatest Ever” should be coming soon!

The “UWCC” is another favourite of mine, due to the originality and unpredictability of it.

If I had to pick, I'd go for the UWCC!

SL: An exclusive for the readers! The next edition of Barney’s “Greatest Ever…” is coming soon. Do you have anything else in the pipeline planned for the new year?

BC: I hope to revive all those series listed above, and more, in 2009. There are a few articles in the pipeline, one about a Welshman who was "better than...", well, you'll just have to wait to find out!

SL: Intriguing stuff Barney, I am sure that will keep the readers guessing. Back to Bleacher Report; are there any up and coming writers the World Football Community should be looking out for?

BC: Yourself! You are making leaps and bounds up the rankings and, if I'm not mistaken, were recently voted most underrated writer! There were calls for you to be amongst the ten writers on the final Writer of the Year shortlist, and you came very close to being so!

SL: How embarrassing! But thanks anyway. I think it would have been a little unfair considering I have only been here five months. But watch out for next year’s awards!

BC: Also, your recent article on Herbert Chapman is my personal favourite of the past month. He is the father of modern football, and the man whose ideas were way beyond his time.

SL: Swiftly moving on…Your worthy position amongst the world football community writers sees you as one of the top rated authors here. This has made you a great asset for the Liverpool Community’s identity. What does being community leader mean to you?

BC: Being the community leader of the team I support means a lot to me, and I hope I've been a good one. I try to encourage new writers in the Liverpool community, as well as taking an active part. No Community Leader can be successful without a great Community though, and thankfully, I've got one!

SL: What do you hope to get from your time on Bleacher Report and is there anything new you would like to see?

BC: I hope to build up a good portfolio on Bleacher Report, something that can be used in the future if I get a job in journalism. It has also given me the chance to vastly improve my writing.

There is nothing I can think of that I want to see happen on B/R, but no doubt the creators of the site will come up with yet more ways to improve it!

SL: We are drawing to the end of the interview now Barney, but just before we go, I think a little about yourself would be nice. What are your future plans and do you have a career path in mind?

BC: I hope to get a career in journalism in the future, preferably sports journalism, although the absolute dream would be to have a Parkinson-like show where I can meet the biggest and best stars in the world!

I still maintain that I will become a billionaire, but I don't know quite how yet!

At the moment I live in Bath in England, and I am planning to go travelling during a gap year next year.

After that I plan to go to University and study Journalism, all in the hope of getting that Parkinson job!

SL: So it looks like Bleacher creatures will see a great deal more of you in the future if you fulfil your dreams!

Finally, your last Spotlight question is: If you were stuck in a lift with any girlfriend of a player; who would it be?

BC: Cheryl Cole of course! Who else?! Not only is she one of the hottest women on earth, but I could get Mr. Ashley Cole annoyed in the meantime! It's a win-win situation, for me at least!

SL: Well everyone, on that bombshell, we bring this edition of Spotlight to an end.

I would like to give thanks to the Liverpool Community leader, Barney Corkhill, for taking time out to answer a few questions for the Spotlight team.

Also, big thanks must go to the readers for making it to the end of the article.

Hopefully, we will see you again for the next edition, and don’t forget, if there is anyone you want to put in the spotlight; let the team know and we will get straight on it.