The RAWK Advent Calendar - Day 1
Each day up to Christmas, we’ll be opening one of the doors of the RAWK Advent Calendar.
It’s the 1st December so behind the door of number 1 is:
Number one
RAY CLEMENCE. My favourite No.1
Stats
Date of Birth: 05-08-1948
Birthplace: Skegness
Debut : 16th September 1969 v Dundalk (H) European Fairs Cup: Won 10-0
1st team games: 666
International caps 61
Honours with Liverpool: First Division Championship 1972/73, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79 & 1979/80, FA Cup 1974, European Cup 1977, 1978 & 1981, UEFA Cup 1973 & 1976, Charity Shield 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979 & 1980, European Super Cup 1977 .
Succeeding the great Tommy Lawrence as regular first choice in 1970, Clem was a brilliant goalie who shone out in an era of great goalies: Shilton, Banks, Pat Jennings, and so on…
Clemence got 61 caps but even though Shilton got twice that, for my money Ray was the better goalkeeper. But I’m biased as he played in my all time favourite Liverpool team, that of the European Cup Winning side in 1977.
As the .tv site tells us, “In the great 1978-79 title-winning campaign, when Bob Paisley’s side set a points record of 68 under the old two-points-for-a-win system, ever present Clemence conceded a record low of 16 goals.”
16 goals in a season. To put it in perspective, we’ve let in 15 so far this year.
The facts will tell you that he sadly moved onto Spurs in 1981, but the heart tells you that a goalie lasting 12 years at a club in the heyday of mud battled centre-forwards, being allowed to basically body check anyone in front of them, was truly amazing.
Clemence was a nice guy, a real red and he came from Scunthorpe as did Kevin Keegan. Keegan usually gets all the glory in the annals of LFC but for my money, Ray Clemence was one of my favourite all-time players. The applause he got on his return to Anfield when with Spurs shows the esteem he was held in.
Now a regular figure in the England set-up, Ray has always been a great member of that exclusive club, the ex-red. Long may he reign as Liverpool’s best goalie.
Number one in the RAWK Advent Calendar - the number one goalie for us, Ray Clemence.
Number 2 
2 is also for Phil Neal, our most decorated player 
Date of Birth: 20/02/51
Birthplace: Irchester, Northamptonshire
Debut : 16 November 1974 v Everton (a) Football League Division One: drew 0-0
1st team games: 648
1st team goals: 60
Other clubs: Northampton Town, Bolton Wanderers (player/manager, then manager), England (coach), Coventry City (manager), Cardiff City (manager), Manchester City (manager)
International caps while with Liverpool: 50
International goals while with Liverpool: 5
Honours with Liverpool: First Division Championship: 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83 & 1983/84, League (Milk) Cup 1981, 1982, 1983 & 1984, European Cup 1977, 1978, 1981 & 1984, UEFA Cup 1976, Charity Shield 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979, 1980 & 1982, European Super Cup 1977
Bob Paisley plucked Neal from Fourth Division obscurity at Northampton and transformed him into a player who would captain Liverpool, make 650 appearances, collect a joint-record eight Championship medals amongst a batch of honours and win 50 England caps.
He was Paisley’s first signing, costing just £66,000 in October 1974, and was plunged into his top flight debut against Everton at Goodison a month later. Neal grasped his surprise opportunity to launch a glittering career essentially as a right back but with the capability of playing anywhere across the back line.
His tally of 60 goals was amassed largely through his expertise from the penalty spot, although one from open play proved to be a golden strike. His goal against Roma in the 1984 European Cup Final ensured Liverpool went into a victorious penalty shoot-out against the Italians on their own ground.
Seven years earlier at the same stadium he had dispatched the penalty against Borussia Moenchengladbach, which clinched Liverpool’s first European Cup triumph with a 3-1 win. He became Bolton player boss in 1985 and later managed Coventry.