FOR all the talk of this city’s regeneration you only have to take a journey through the shuttered-up shadows of the streets around Anfield or Goodison to get the wake-up call.

May 3 2008 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

On match days, they may be vibrant but, when the visiting crowds and their wallets go home, those that are left behind have to get by in one of the most deprived areas of western Europe.

The growing number of derelict pubs covered with fly posters is a good litmus test for how badly a local economy is faring and a trip on the number 17 from Queen Square bus station up to Walton Breck Road was enough to make the Pub Column’s heart sink like a stone taking in the latest list of casualties.

This melancholy mood was compounded by the result from the night before when the Reds’ dream of a Moscow final against United had turned to dust.

But the spirits were lifted after hopping off outside the Kop gates and grabbing a swift pint or two inside one of the great survivors, The Albert. The object of the visit was a meeting with Steve Kelly, who has finally decided to fold Through The Wind And Rain, the radical Liverpool FC fanzine he founded 19 years ago.

The theme of endings and new beginnings appropriately dominated the conversation. But we were both agreed to being glad that the good old Albert was still there to rely on.

For Liverpool fans – and especially, more recently, those of a foreign persuasion – this place is a legendary drinking haunt being only a short Sami Hyypia pass away from the most famous stand on Earth.

To confirm this, there’s the large sign on the side of the pub’s alley wall declaring “The Albert welcomes football fans of the world” in a number of languages, including German.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line the Teutonics got lost in translation with the pub apparently welcoming fans of an “extractor” rather than “football” variety.

The German regulars, rather than being offended, found this hilarious, according to the Albert’s owner, Michael O’Grady.

The pub has been in the family for some time his Mum and Dad, Joyce and Jimmy, having owned it for 13 years before Michael took over nearly five years ago.

It’s a become a shrine of memorabilia to Liverpool’s huge international brigade of supporters and fans of visiting teams too who have witnessed some of the great nights of European football which have rocked Anfield.

The pub’s veteran cellarman, Tommy Doran, says there must be at least a couple of hundred different banners and scarves from foreign clubs which he’s pinned up on the walls and ceilings. Interspersed among them are home grown gems such as an England shirt signed “All the Best” from Roger Hunt.

Naturally, in such a club house atmosphere, on match days and nights the place is heaving: even with an astonishing eight or nine staff behind the bar you’ll still have to be a little patient in getting served, such is the demand.

The combination of liberal amounts of Carlsberg (the Albert’s favourite tipple) and pre/post match fervour has also produced some memorable and ear shattering demonstrations of support.

Michael and Tommy agreed that the best example of this came on that memorable evening three years ago when Liverpool dispatched Chelsea to head on to glory in Istanbul.

Sadly, this year such a leap was not be repeated.

Still, life goes on.

So the Pub Column duly raised a glass of Guinness to better luck for a club who has all the support it can get – and a blighted area that clearly hasn’t.