FOOTBALL (OR SOCCER TO OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS)

Crosby resident Tommy Smith was one of the Anfield greats of the 1970's. An old fashioned centre half about whom it was remarked, "He's not so much hard but fair, as HARD". Tommy has won every honour in the domestic game. The great Liverpool sides of the 1970's were built around the "Anfield Iron" (Smith) and "Crazy Horse" (Emlyn Hughes).

Tommy is now a journalist for the Liverpool Echo and a pundit on local radio.

He was in the news a couple of years ago when the DSS stopped his disability benefit after he took a penalty kick in a charity match. The DSS claimed that this proved Tommy, who has two artificial hips, was actually about to make a comeback and sign professional forms for Tranmere Rovers. Despite Tommy proving he had had to take a cabinet full of painkillers before the kick, the DSS still took his benefit away.

Tommy claimed the whole case was a conspiracy by an Everton fan in the DSS determined to carry out a vendetta against ex-Liverpool players. We understand that a court official said after the appeal, "I've never met a Koppite who can accept a decision against them".

Gordon West was an Everton goalkeeper of the 1960's and 1970's who along with Neville Southall and Ted Sagar ranks as one of the club's best. A steady and reliable keeper he is probably best remembered for the rapport he had with the Liverpool fans. It became traditional in Anfield derby matches for a Liverpool fan to jump from the Kop and present him with a handbag before the match.

Such antics were taken in good spirit, although we understand after one derby disaster Mr West did find the Liverpudlian joke, "What's the time?" "It's five past West" hard to stomach.

Gordon has lived for many years in Holden Road, Waterloo and is a regular at The Royal Oak. Understandably as an ex-Everton player he doesn't take much interest in football these days.

Roly Howard has been manager of Marine AFC, Crosby's football club, since 1972. He has constantly had to battle to improve a club with little resources and limited facilities, but in his time has taken Marine to the FA Cup 3rd round on three occasions and to the semi final of the FA Trophy.

Due to the amateur status of the club he has to rely on his other job (window cleaner) as his main income. Being a window cleaner has proven beneficial for his managerial career though as he used to have Kenny Dalglish' house on his round.