THAILAND: LIVERPOOL TEAM ARRIVES FOR PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY AGAINST THAILAND'S NATIONAL TEAM.
Record ID:
647253
THAILAND: LIVERPOOL TEAM ARRIVES FOR PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY AGAINST THAILAND'S NATIONAL TEAM.
- Title: THAILAND: LIVERPOOL TEAM ARRIVES FOR PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY AGAINST THAILAND'S NATIONAL TEAM.
- Date: 22nd July 2003
- Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB BUS OUTSIDE HOTEL WITH FANS, PRESS AND SECURITY GATHERED 2. FAN HOLDING UP POSTER OF LIVERPOOL PLAYERS MICHAEL OWEN AND STEVEN GERRARD 3. TEAM GETTING OFF BUS AND ENTERING HOTEL LED BY JOHN ARNE RIISE FOLLOWED BY HARRY KEWELL 4. LIVERPOOL FC POSTER 5. LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN SAMI HYYPIA WAVING TO FANS 6. FANS WAITING WITH POSTERS AND SHIRTS TO SIGN 7. MICHAEL OWEN ARRIVING 8. FANS WAITING 9. HOTEL LOBBY FILLED WITH FANS AND PRESS 10. VARIOUS OF TEAM ARRIVING AND GREETING FANS, VLADIMIR SMICER SHAKES HANDS WITH FANS 11. SECURITY AND FANS 12. SECURITY 13. SCREAMING FANS 14. LIVERPOOL MANAGER GERARD HOULLIER ARRIVING WITH ENTOURAGE AND RECEIVING FLOWER GARLANDS 15. FANS SCREAMING 16. TEAM IN LOBBY WEARING GARLANDS, GOALKEEPER CHRIS KIRKLAND IN THE FOREGROUND 17. (LEFT TO RIGHT IN FOREGROUND) STEVEN GERRARD, DANNY MURPHY, JAMIE CARRAGHER - IGOR BISCAN 18. VARIOUS PLAYERS INCLUDING DIETMAR HAMANN, GOALKEEPER JERZY DUDEK, MILAN BAROS AND EL-HADJI DIOUF 19. FANS 20. TEAM GREETING FANS 21. SOUNDBITE (English) THAI LIVERPOOL FAN SAYING: "When I was young my brother tell me this is a very very good team, and then I follow him and then I am fan of Liverpool football club right now". 22. PRESS GATHERED FOR CONFERENCE 23. LIVERPOOL CHIEF EXECUTIVE RICK PARRY (LEFT) AND HOULLIER SITTING DOWN FOR PRESS CONFERENCE 24. PRESS WATCHING 25. SOUNDBITE (English) HOULLIER SAYING: "Last time we were here we were not amazed, we were stunned by the support and the popularity of the team. I can tell you the boys are very happy to be here. We had a very exciting time and I'm sure it will be the same. We'll work hard, we'll have a tough game again of course against the Thai team". 26. WIDE PRESS OF PRESS CONFERENCE, LOCAL JOURNALIST ASKING: "Michael Owen might leave the team if Liverpool doesn't perform well in the next champions league. Does that put a lot of pressure on the team? 25. SOUNDBITE (English) HOULLIER SAYING "If you believe what is in the press, there's always bad stories about us. I can tell you, the boy is very committed to Liverpool Football Club, he's got two years left on his contract. I don't think it's the right time to talk about it now, but we're confident that he'll stay with us". 27. PRESS WATCHING "Harry will probably bring a necessary link between the midfield and the strikers that we sometimes miss. I said that when Zidane left Bordeaux, he was about the same age as when Harry came to us". 28. MICHAEL OWEN AND SAMI HYYPIA HOLDING UP LITTLEWOODS CUP FOR PRESS 29. OWEN TALKING TO PRESS 30. SOUNDBITE (English) OWEN SAYING "He's obviously injured at the moment, but I don't think it's too serious. So we're all looking forward to when he's fit again. And Harry can play in lots of different positions, he can play left, right, in behind the strikers, or I've seen him play for the national team as a striker as well, so he can play in a lot of different positions. There's not many players in the premiership that have got the qualities he's got. He can score goals". 31. OWEN SHAKING HANDS WITH SPONSORS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th August 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA7GI73YORP6XKHFSAU9LZU53UI
- Story Text: Liverpool Football Club landed in Bangkok on Tuesday
(July 22) for a friendly show-down with the national team
which is expected to attract 50,000 fans.
Arriving in Thailand looking relaxed and rested despite
a three-hour plane delay, the Liverpool team were warmly
greeted by fans gathered outside their hotel.
The Reds have a huge following in the country, which local
sponsors hope to cash in on.
This is the biggest sports marketing event ever staged by a local
cellular operator.
Determined fans waited for hours for a glimpse of England
striker Michael Owen and the rest of the team.
One fan described it as one of the most exciting moments
of his life.
"When I was young my brother tell me this is a very very
good team, and then I follow him and then I am fan of
Liverpool football club right now", he said.
Manager Gerard Houllier said he was excited to be back in
Thailand and hadn't forgotten the enthusiastic reception they
received during their last visit two years ago.
"Last time we were here we were not amazed, we were
stunned by the support and the popularity of the team. I can
tell you the boys are very happy to be here. We had a very exciting
time and I'm sure it will be the same. We'll work hard, we'll
have a tough game again of course against the Thai team", he said.
He was relaxed when he faced a packed press conference,
despite questions on rumours tha their star striker might
leave the club.
"If you believe what is in the press, there's always bad
stories about us. I can tell you, the boy is very committed to
Liverpool Football Club, he's got two years left on his
contract. I don't think it's the right time to talk about it
now, but we're confident that he'll stay with us". He went on
to express confidence in the club's future in spite of a
disappointing last season. He said that young players coming
up and new acquisitions were paving the path for a bright
outlook.
Liverpool's major close-season signing was winger Harry
Kewell, who joined the club for 5 million pounds ($8.01
million) from Leeds United earlier this month.
Houllier called it a fantastic signing, comparing him to
Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
"Harry will probably bring a necessary link between the
midfield and the strikers that we sometimes miss. I said that
when Zidane left Bordeaux, he was about the same age as when
Harry came to us".
But the 24-year-old Australian has not joined the squad in
Bangkok for Thursday's friendly after picking up an ankle
injury last weekend.
England striker Michael Owen said it was not clear how
long his new team mate would be out. But he had nothing but
praise for the versatile, young player.
"He's obviously injured at the moment, but I don't think
it's too serious. So we're all looking forward to when he's
fit again. And Harry can play in lots of different positions, he
can play left, right, in behind the strikers, or I've seen him
play for the national team as a striker as well, so he can
play in a lot of different positions. There's not many players
in the premiership that have got the qualities he's got. He can
score goals".
The team will spend Wednesday training and fulfilling
commitments to local sponsors that have spent more than 40
million baht ($956,500) setting up the trip.
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