[Liverweb] Liverpool USA

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Liverpool Football Club have today spelt out their commitment to a
long term relationship with grass roots football in the United
States.

At a press conference staged at the highly impressive Mike Rose
soccer complex in Memphis, Tennessee, Liverpool representative Bill
Bygroves insisted the Reds weren't entering into the project with an
eye on scouting talent for the future and emphasised the club's
desire to lend their coaching expertise to help the development of
the sport in America.

"We're looking at this project with the view that we want to take it
one step at a time," said Bygroves to a number of local dignitaries,
project sponsors, footballers and coaches from the Memphis area on
Thursday afternoon.

"It's important first of all to lay the foundations. We have plenty
of ideas for this to be successful. We need vision, passion, action
and motion. We've already got the vision and the passion, now we
need the action. We want to turn this dream into a reality.

"We are committed to making a success of this project. This is not
about developing a football academy and it's not about dealing at
the elite level. It's not about Liverpool FC selling its brand,
looking to recruit players or exploiting the tremendous hospitality
of our American hosts. It's about the determination we have to make
an impact on grass roots soccer in the United States."

Liverpool will continue to work with their new American friends over
the coming weeks, months and years to help establish football as a
game all youngsters in the States want to play. Everyone involved
knows a long road lies ahead, but Bygroves is confident that the
Reds' experience in local community work will eventually reap
rewards.

He said: "We're a football club, we're not a PLC, and we know about
football. We understand what it takes to develop young players and
turn them into national and international names. We have a way of
doing things at Liverpool and we believe it's the right way.

"We also have a lot of experience of working in the community with
kids. We understand communities and we empathise with their needs.
At Liverpool we have a lot of initiatives such as 'Show Racism the
Red Card', 'Kick Drugs Into Touch' and 'Give Bullying the Boot'. We
run a number of Truth for Youth projects such as SweeperZone and a
number of Special Needs programmes because we want to help give the
kids a positive future.

"We're not looking for quick fixes. We have a passion for doing the
right things well and we are looking forward to working with the
people in America during this project."

It is hoped that as a result of this link-up coaches from
Liverpool's Academy will visit Memphis to offer their expertise to
their American counterparts while coaches from the Reds' community
team will also visit to get involved in grass roots football. There
is also the possibility of a Liverpool youth team as well as the
Liverpool Ladies side visiting at some point in the future to take
part in a competition at the magnificent Mike Rose complex.

Liverpool MP Peter Kilfoyle was also present at the press conference
and he added his backing to the project on behalf of his home city.

He said: "We've got 20 kids from the Anfield and Breckfield areas
coming out here for a holiday of a lifetime over the next week.
These kids understand about football and they understand about
deprivation. Football can be a great way of helping people forget
their troubles.

"For the kids involved in these community schemes it's not about
playing football to become a superstar, it's about using football as
a means of opening their eyes to their own potential. This is a
tremendous project and I wish everyone involved in it the very best
of luck."

The scheme is backed by the Salvation Army - and supported by
sponsors Brook Street - who are geared towards building a number of
sports centres across America, all complete with Liverpool FC
branded football fields.

The 20 kids selected to enjoy a holiday of a lifetime as a spin-off
from this link-up touched down in Memphis International airport on
Thursday evening ready to begin their week of fun-filled activities,
which kicks off with a VIP tour of Graceland on Friday afternoon
before taking in the NBA clash between the Memphis Grizzlies and
Orlando Magic at the FedEx Forum in the evening.

For every first team result ever log on to the Liverweb season archive at
http://www.liverweb.org.uk/archive.htm
Choose from Each season and see all those pre-season friendlies and
testimonials as well as team photos and league and cup results

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