Kenny Dalglish and His Love Affair With ‘Anfield South’

During his 22 years as both player and manager of Liverpool Football Club, Kenny Dalglish has made 21 Wembley appearances over both capacities of the game. Today’s FA Cup Semi-Final against Everton will be his 22^nd visit to Wembley as the top man either on the pitch or off it.

This love affair has seen the Scot play and manage in seven League Cup Finals, three FA Cup finals, a European Cup final and 10 Charity and Community shield contests.

A remarkable stat that, by the law of averages, would seemingly guarantee Liverpool FC a trip to Wembley every season while under the guidance of their King Kenny. With the exception of the half a season Kenny spent as caretaker manager last season, 1985 is the only year Liverpool have never made it to Wembley with Dalglish in their team as striker or gaffer.

Dalglish and Wembley’s blossoming relationship started on August 13^th 1977. At 22 years of age, a young Scottish international in the form of Kenny Dalglish was making his debut for Liverpool after a British transfer record of £440,000 had been spent by Bob Paisley in order to secure his transfer from Celtic where he had scored 112 goals in 204 appearances.

Today marks Dalglish’s 22^nd appearance at Wembley and it is one of the most important out of the lot. A Merseyside derby in an FA Cup semi-final – it doesn’t get much bigger than that. Bragging rights have always been huge on Merseyside and the chance to knock their nearest and dearest rival out at the semi-final is an opportunity Liverpool must not pass up after what has been a poor Premier League campaign. With the 2011/2012 Carling Cup trophy already in the bag, a chance to complete a domestic double via Everton is something Dalglish has to do his best to give to the fans.

Wembley, nicknamed ‘Anfield South’ by Liverpool fans, has almost become a second home for Kenny Dalglish and he will want to take Liverpool back there again in a few weeks which is exactly what a win over Everton will afford the Reds to do. First King Kenny has to come up with a masterplan to overcome an in-form Everton before thoughts of a final come into fruition.

April 15^th 2012, Grand National Day, and the day that Merseyside descends on Wembley for what should be a cracker of a semi-final tie, with Kenny Dalglish looking to continue his romance with the home of English football yet again.

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