It was a winter of 2000, i was 7 then, my best bud, Ben, was a LFC fanatic and all his enthusiasm rubbed on me, and boy was it infectious.

It was the first time we got to see a match together that evening, we were playing against some team, in a blue jersey, it's all a blur now. I remember we were trailing 1-0. I don't remember anyone who played that match, I barely knew anyone. It was all a blur. But yes, I do remember him spilling the hot chocolate over me, Liverpool scored, but dang that, boy was it hot!! :x

I looked up in the telly, and tried my best not to punch the stuffings out of Ben, I saw the whole team piled up on someone, some one big, i could see his feet sticking out. As the pile cleared up - he stood. A colossus if I ever saw one, no I didn't notice him till then, I too was busy taking pop corns from Ben when he was not looking, it was almost too easy. Yeah, a colossus as I said, lanky yet graceful, and hair as white as those marshmallows I was pilfering from Ben's share. When i saw another player patting him on the back (must have been Owen), yup, it confirmed it, he was huge. :p (Guys i was 7 then!)

Enough with the marsh mallows and pop corns, i couldn't even hope to eat them in peace when Ben was jumping around like a pogo stick on steroids, Ben started his chants(he was from Ireland, so he was bit more familiar to the whatever those people in the stadiums sang, heck I couldn't make out a word of them even now). Well, Liverpool won that match. And as much I love watching Liverpool, I dreaded the final whistle. Final whistle meant Ben, a very hyperactive Ben, that is. He had that typical Irish accent and I if I was lucky and very very patient I could make out half the words that graced my ears.

Yes, he told me all about that beanpole of a man he called "High-pee-yah", he told me he was from the North, “Phin-land” he said. He said he scores in every match, he said he’s the strongest, greatest and the “best-est” defender there is, and yes, I believed every word he said. Yes, we were seven then. From that day on, I was in love with the big guy from “Phin-land”, and my love affair with the greatest club there is, began.

Nothing much has chanced since then, except for the fact it has been two years that Ben Parker, from Cork has passed away…except for that, everything remains a constant. LFC is my soul and Hyypia still scores goals, with that unmistakable marshmallow head of his, and I live through every emotion and the memories Ben and I shared every time I watch him play. Nothing much has changed since then, except for the love and the passion and the madness that grows each passing day.

For many, Liverpool FC might just be a football club, but for me (and many others) it’s a part of who I am, the love and legacy that Ben left lives on through me . I love, live and cherish every second of it.

Thank you, Ben.

Happy birthday, buddy.

YNWA.

Ben Parker (20^th May, 1990- 24^th December 2005)

The forever RED.