Welcome to Part Three of our Asia Tour blog. If you haven't seen any of the blogs we've been updating since arriving in China on Monday morning the click here to view our China Blog and here to view our Match Day China Blog. Over the next three days, we'll be updating this blog around the clock and bringing you all the news from within the LFC camp in Malaysia. There's be lots of little snippets of information that you can probably live without knowing but we'll tell you anyway. So here's goes...
Thursday 14 July 07:23 - Paul Rogers
Right, we finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur about two hours ago - we flew straight out of China after the game - and I've just checked into my hotel room, logged on and been able to access The Kop and our blogs for the first time since leaving Liverpool on Sunday. In China, The Kop (and our blogs) were barred from being accessed on the internet (unless you knew a sneaky way around it) so all of our updates so far have had to be either emailed back to the office, sent by text or rung through on our mobiles. Anyway, enough of that - we're here now, so will start updating this blog ourselves. We hope you enjoy it and make sure you keep checking back for new updates or leave a comment if you have some feedback. The first China Blogclocked up over 160,000 page impressions, it will be interesting to see how many this Malaysian blog generates.
Thursday 14 July 08:37 - Paul Rogers
The flight over from China was great - myself, Mark Volante and cameramen Craig Jones and Paul Hayton were all sat at the very back of the plane around a big table (not the sort of the plane I usually fly on!) while the boss and his staff all sit at the front. The players, meanwhile, sit in the middle of the plane with various Club staff and a few guests dotted about towards the black. The table we were sat around was crying out for a good game of cards but as we didn't have any, myself and Mark Volante hooked up our ipods to my speaker and decided to have a Zane Lowe style soundclash - which was rudely cut short after a secret complaint was made to the air hostess from a member of the Melwood staff - we know who you are! It seems he didn't take kindly to hearing Swedish House Mafia v Tinie Tempah blaring out of the speaker as he was trying to sleep at three in the morning. Funnily enough, we only turned it up after our Greek air hostesses told us to.
As we didn't land until 4am-ish (I've started to lose track of time over here), the decision was made to get back to the hotel as quickly as possible and we didn't end up going through customs - instead, all of that was done on the coaches and we went straight from the plane to the coach and then back to the hotel where there were loads of fans camped out to greet the players - fantastic sight to see at that time of the morning and lifted everyone's spirits despite such a long night with little to no sleep for most of us since Tuesday.
Quick word about the coach journey before I try and get some sleep - two things stick out: 1. Being told at 10.10pm to get someone ready on standby back home to publish a statement at 10.30pm English time on the Official site announcing we'd agreed a fee with Aston Villa for the transfer of Stewart Downing (always great when you get told we're about to sign a player you think is quality - or sell a, let's say, less quality one) and 2. Watching in amazement as one white car chased the team coach all the way back from the airport to the hotel, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting up the police escort and all the while hanging out of the window waving and filming the coach on his phone. Whilst driving. The guy in question was so fast, he even beat the team bus back to the hotel to greet the players. When he approached us afterwards, all proud of himself, he wanted to know if we'd filmed his mentalist driving exhibition. We had. Then he wanted to know if we'd mention him and his two mates on this blog? If you're reading this Haziq Hussein, Syafiq Aziz and Saiful, the answer is no!
Special mention also to Lema, Christine, Olivia Marbun and Azlina - four girls from Indonesia who we met outside the hotel and one of whom greeted me by saying, "Where is Mark Platt?" (Fellow LFC employee last seen in these parts back in April covering the Masters Tournement for LFC TV. He obviously made a good impression!)
Oh and finally, as promised to some of the fans who stayed the longest in the lobby, here's your faces on the Official Liverpool FC website. Fame at last! Right, I'm off to bed.
Quick word about the coach journey before I try and get some sleep - two things stick out: 1. Being told at 10.10pm to get someone ready on standby back home to publish a statement at 10.30pm English time on the Official site announcing we'd agreed a fee with Aston Villa for the transfer of Stewart Downing (always great when you get told we're about to sign a player you think is quality - or sell a, let's say, less quality one) and 2. Watching in amazement as one white car chased the team coach all the way back from the airport to the hotel, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting up the police escort and all the while hanging out of the window waving and filming the coach on his phone. Whilst driving. The guy in question was so fast, he even beat the team bus back to the hotel to greet the players. When he approached us afterwards, all proud of himself, he wanted to know if we'd filmed his mentalist driving exhibition. We had. Then he wanted to know if we'd mention him and his two mates on this blog? If you're reading this Haziq Hussein, Syafiq Aziz and Saiful, the answer is no!
Special mention also to Lema, Christine, Olivia Marbun and Azlina - four girls from Indonesia who we met outside the hotel and one of whom greeted me by saying, "Where is Mark Platt?" (Fellow LFC employee last seen in these parts back in April covering the Masters Tournement for LFC TV. He obviously made a good impression!)
Oh and finally, as promised to some of the fans who stayed the longest in the lobby, here's your faces on the Official Liverpool FC website. Fame at last! Right, I'm off to bed.
Thursday 14 July 12:20 - Paul Eaton
So after a few hours sleep I'm up and ready for the first full day in Malaysia. Totally blown away by the reception we received on arrival at the hotel - so much so that a planned meeting between myself, Paul Rogers and the LFC Communications team had to be delayed for half an hour while we were besieged by autograph hunters eager for signatures and pictures with anybody in LFC gear. It was a brilliant welcome - thanks to all who were here, we're looking forward to spending a few days in your country.
As you will know by now, before we headed out to Asia we signed up Charlie Adam and John Flanagan to record exclusive daily video diaries with LFC TV Online. Now that we have changed countries, we thought we'd give the lads the chance to jump ship now if they wanted to, if they were getting a bit tired of seeing our faces every day. We said we'd be happy to ask different players to cover the Malaysia leg if they wanted - but credit to the lads, they have enjoyed speaking to you every day and so are keen to continue. We'll film their latest thoughts later this evening after they have had a light snack and before they head to the stadium for an open training session in front of an expected 50,000 fans. That should be special.
Time to get ready for Kenny's press conference now - no doubt he will be asked about Stewart Downing and the latest on that transfer, Stay tuned to Liverpoolfc.tv for the manager's thoughts later on.
Thursday 14 July 13:40 – Paul Rogers
So there we were, Paul Eaton and myself, casually chatting in the hotel lift on our way down to watch Kenny’s press conference in the ballroom when the doors opened, we turned right and were greeted by this...
Thursday 14 July 13:40 – Paul Rogers
So there we were, Paul Eaton and myself, casually chatting in the hotel lift on our way down to watch Kenny’s press conference in the ballroom when the doors opened, we turned right and were greeted by this...
Thursday 14 July 17:05 – Paul Rogers
Just back from providing live Twitter coverage to all the @LFC followers for a special Standard Chartered-sponsored Q&A session with Phil Thompson hosting a sit down interview with Ian Ayre and Kenny Dalglish in front of an invited audience of 50 fans. For those who didn't get the chance to follow the Twitter coverage, Thommo was a great host - funny and passionate at the same time - while Kenny was in particularly sharp form. On the hundreds of fans waiting to greet the team when they arrived at 6am in Malaysia, Kenny joked: 'I couldn't believe that they were all there at that time of the morning. It was either amazing or they were all homeless...' On the players being in awe of the support in Asia: "We've brought a lot of young kids with us and what an experience it is for them to see these scenes with so many fans. Jack Robinson is 17, Conor Coady is 18, Andre Wisdom is 18, Flanno is young, Shelvey is young - although he looks 40!" And finally, on his return to manager's dugout after 20 years away: "Aye, it's going well, we haven't lost a game since May!"
And just quickly, here's a picture of the two sons of a certain Mr A Shaheen, who I met in the lift on the way back up to my room. Turns out the entire family have flown over to Singapore to not just watch Liverpool play but also watch them train and actually stay in the team hotel. "You write blog, I read blog," he told me in the lift so what else could I do but put a picture of his boys on the site?
Right, off to training next at 17:40. A few nights ago, Arsenal trained in the same stadium and there were 10,000 fans there to watch them. Tonight, we're expecting 50,000! Should be lively!
And just quickly, here's a picture of the two sons of a certain Mr A Shaheen, who I met in the lift on the way back up to my room. Turns out the entire family have flown over to Singapore to not just watch Liverpool play but also watch them train and actually stay in the team hotel. "You write blog, I read blog," he told me in the lift so what else could I do but put a picture of his boys on the site?
Right, off to training next at 17:40. A few nights ago, Arsenal trained in the same stadium and there were 10,000 fans there to watch them. Tonight, we're expecting 50,000! Should be lively!
dari sumber http://thekop.liverpoolfc.tv/_LFC-in-Asia-Blog-Malaysia-Special/blog/4847687/173471.html
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