Celebration time with Thommo.(©PAphotos)
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It was uncanny how many times David Fairclough responded to Bill Shankly or Bob Paisley's prompting by going on the field to turn the fortunes of the game between 1973 and 1983.
When his career on the pitch ended he went on to work in the Financial Management arm of the PFA between 1994 and 1999, and since then his media careeer has included working for Liverpool FC TV, Setanta TV and among several radio programmes worked regularly with Today FM.
David's son Thomas has decided not to follow in his father's footsteps by trying to stop goals instead of scoring them as his dad did 55 times in 153 appearances for The Reds, and is a contrast to David in another way by signing for the youth set-up with Everton at Goodison Park.
David says: "I'm just delighted that he is playing football, because it was a great career for me, and gave me wonderful memories and experiences."
As well as his media work David, always keen to keep busy, also has several other business interests and 'dabbles in property'. So we posed him a few questions....
Question: It must have helped your development being involved from the start with so many great players?
Answer: It was an immediate learning process being involved with such as Kevin Keegan, Steve Heighway, Kenny Dalglish, David Johnson, John Toshack and others. It was hard not to learn new facets of playing and training in the company of people like this, but I also felt I learned so much later in my career when I went to play overseas.
Queston: looking back, was that a good move?
Answer: I would always advise young players to go and work in a different culture if they get the chance while they are developing, because there is nothing better for making you a more rounded performer, while living away from home also means you have to stand on your own feet, and it was a terrific experience for me playing for Beveren for three years.
Questiion: You also had some high times playing for Oldham Athletic, didn't you?
Answer: Well, one of the great memories in the 1985-86 season was scoring twice against Liverpool for the Latics at Boundary Park, although I was on the losing side by 5-2. In fact overall I felt that I did not really do myself justice in my time under Joe Royle at Oldham.
Question: You had a successful time in Europe though, as a Liverpool player?
Answer: There were marvellous times in Europe. Winning the UEFA Cup in 1976 and then in 1978 being in the winning team at Wembley before 92,000 against Bruges. The Belgian side were content to play negatively, just soaking up our attacks and hoping for a breakaway. Jimmy Case, Terry McDemott, Kenny Dalglish and myself all came very close to scoring, but the winning goal was worth waiting for...a brilliant combination between two great players Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness, with Kenny dinking the ball over the Bruges' keeper after Souness wrong-footed the defence with a brilliant through ball. The immaculate way Kenny put the winner over Jensen had the commentators raving that it was reminiscent of Jimmy Greaves.
Question: What gives you most pleasure as an onlooker now?
Anaswer: I like to see exciting players, and in this category for Liverpool we have Gerrard and Torres. They always get the crowd on their toes. In the past I loved to see great wingers like Steve Coppell, John Barnes and Gordon Hill; but the best player I have ever seen is Thierry Henry. He plays the game how it should be played, and he was fantastic for Arsenal who have another up and coming Henry in Theo Walcott.
Question: Who were the best players from your era?
Answer: As an attacker, George Best was just the greatest, Martin Buchan was the thinking man's footballer, and had so much style and class, while from the 1966 World Cup which I was able to watch as a nine-year-old through winning a newspaper competition, Pele and Florian Albert still stick in my memory.
