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Gerard Houllier Passes Away Aged 73

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By Smiley Culture
in General Football

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  • The title was changed to Gerard Houillier Passes Away Aged 73
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LFCMike

Posted
Posted

Ah shit, that's upset me. For Liverpool fans of my generation, his 2001 side is the first taste of success we'd experienced and I suppose he put us back on the map in European football terms. That 00/01 season was incredible

RIP

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Michael

Posted
Posted

Yet more bad news about a great legend of football. Houllier's achievements at Liverpool as their manager will never be forgotten. He had heart problems for a while, but this is still very sad news.

R.I.P. Gerard Houllier

 

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The Artful Dodger

Posted
Posted

Brought some relative glory back to Liverpool after some lean years, were a top side for a good while, if not capable of getting right to the top.

By all accounts a kind man too, actually worked in Liverpool as a teacher in the 1970s so his connection to the city is very deep.

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Danny

Posted
Posted

Yeah his UEFA Cup/FA Cup sides were the first Liverpool sides I ever saw that had something about them, and of course it was the emergence of Steve G too.

RIP

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LFCMike

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Danny said:

Yeah his UEFA Cup/FA Cup sides were the first Liverpool sides I ever saw that had something about them, and of course it was the emergence of Steve G too.

RIP

I think it's fair to say that Gerrard and Carragher don't go onto have the careers they had if Houllier doesn't come in when he did. The culture around the club at that time was all wrong and he dragged the club into the modern era and saw off dickheads like Paul Ince and Neil Ruddock who were part of the problem at the time.

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Rick

Posted
Posted

RIP

Like a few have said, he brought the first proper success I seen as a fan. I was still very young at the time but look back on those years with a lot of fondness. He was a great man as well. Gutting news this one. 

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Lucas

Posted
Posted

I actually remember our Premier League game with Liverpool at Anfield in the early 00's, when he was rushed to hospital at HT for a suspected heart attack. It felt a bit like we shouldn't really continue the game but we did.

Thankfully, he made a recovery back then but it seems like he's always been dogged by underlying heart issues.

Always came across a lovely man, no mind games shit, and you can tell he was alright too because very little of the opposition fans would slag him off, unlike serial moaners like Wenger and Fergie.

Always remember that Alaves game when Liverpool won 5-4 in the Uefa Cup Final. Was chuffed for them even though they knocked us out the Champions League spot (when it was still reasonably cool to get behind English clubs in Europe)

Rest in peace.

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Smiley Culture

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Makes me quite sad, this. I’m not a Liverpool fan but the Liverpool manager when I first fell in love with football and was Houllier and I look back on that era from ‘98 to around 2004/2006 with great fondness. Life was easy, the only stresses were whether I’d complete the Panini sticker book before my mates and I’d read about and watch football all day and all night, so to lose someone from that era is very sad for me. 

I remember the news of that suspected heart attack. I was at Old Trafford in a pub before a Rugby League Grand Final and I remember the news sort of filtering around and people trying to gain more information during a time before Internet on phones and some people not even having a phone. 

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LFCMike

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Lucas said:

I actually remember our Premier League game with Liverpool at Anfield in the early 00's, when he was rushed to hospital at HT for a suspected heart attack. It felt a bit like we shouldn't really continue the game but we did.

Thankfully, he made a recovery back then but it seems like he's always been dogged by underlying heart issues.

Always came across a lovely man, no mind games shit, and you can tell he was alright too because very little of the opposition fans would slag him off, unlike serial moaners like Wenger and Fergie.

Always remember that Alaves game when Liverpool won 5-4 in the Uefa Cup Final. Was chuffed for them even though they knocked us out the Champions League spot (when it was still reasonably cool to get behind English clubs in Europe)

Rest in peace.

Some memorable games with Leeds around that time. The one where Viduka scored four in and the FA Cup tie that we won with two late goals stand out.

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LFCMike

Posted
Posted

Outside of the trophy wins, this was a special night. Houllier's first game back after his heart surgery and the first big night in the Champions League my generation will remember. Back in the days of the two group stages we needed to win 2-0 to go through to the quarter finals

 

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UNORTHODOX

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, LFCMike said:

Outside of the trophy wins, this was a special night. Houllier's first game back after his heart surgery and the first big night in the Champions League my generation will remember. Back in the days of the two group stages we needed to win 2-0 to go through to the quarter finals

 

Amazing, the Atmosphere was incredible that night.

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Dr. Gonzo

Posted
Posted

I’ll never forget how he put his life on the line to manage us against Roma after his heart issue.

Was it wise? Probably not. But it showed how much he cared about managing the club. I’ll always remember that along with all the other stuff he did with us (bringing this club out of the dark ages... winning things) - the man was at the helm during some of my finest memories of football as a kid.

YNWA Gerard Houlier, Rest In Peace 

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Lucas

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, LFCMike said:

Some memorable games with Leeds around that time. The one where Viduka scored four in and the FA Cup tie that we won with two late goals stand out.

The Viduka 4-3 is one of my all time favourites. Just a brilliant game of Football.

We were kind of jostling with eachother for a few years as we both were a level behind Arsenal and Man U.

Some great games as you say and I know David O'Leary and Houllier actually had a lovely friendship as a result. 

It's a shame you can only have 2,000 fans on Wednesday to pay their respects as he deserved a full stadium singing his name.

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Stan

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

You can tell how much of a gentlemen he was by some of the comments that have resurfaced from rival managers and fellow peers:Fergie:

Quote

 

The news has come as a total shock this morning. Gerard Houllier was still a young man at the age of 73,

Gerard became a really good friend during his time at Liverpool. We remained great friends after he left and he was always a great ally to have.

"He had fantastic football knowledge which he gained during his extensive and varied career.

"When we saw each other at UEFA meetings or other events, we would often enjoy a chat, he was always great company and I will miss him dearly. He was a true gentleman."

 

That's some really high praise considering the rivalry Liverpool and Man Utd had/have and from someone of Fergie's stature. 

 

Speaks volumes about the kind of man Houllier was and how respected he was. A very humble man and he had such a calm, composed nature. I don't ever recall him losing his shit or going in to a rage like plenty of managers do these days. 

Just watched the video BBC put up about his involvement in the celebrations after 2005 CL final. So respected and rightly so.

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