Wing and a Prayer

If your first game was the 5-0 thrashing of fellow title challengers Nottingham Forest at Anfield in 1988, a performance often cited as one of the greatest in the club’s long and distinguished history, then you’re bound to become a Liverpool convert. Mohammed Bhana, though, knew there were millions of other Asian and Arab fans who hadn’t enjoyed such an introduction to the mighty Reds – but whose obsession was just as deep as his. So he set out trying to chart why the club has such an Oriental appeal.
The result is a labour of love entitled The Asian Liverbird, whose strap line is “The rise of Liverpool in Eastern Culture”. NOX’s own Liverpool nutcase Tarek Zuriekat did the talking.
NOX: What made you write The Asian Liverbird?
Mohammed Bhana: Well, there is a massive fan base in different Eastern communities, and so I simply went to the club and pitched the idea as a way they could connect with them. We shook hands on a deal almost immediately...

NOX: So, in a nutshell, why is Liverpool Football Club 
so popular among Asians and Middle Easterners?
MB: In the foreword, Kenny Dalglish explains how the all-conquering period of the 70s and 80s gave birth to a whole new breed of Liverpool fan worldwide. Even when the trophies dried up, there was one player who maintained the momentum of Liverpool’s ethnic appeal – John Barnes. The combination of his high-octane approach to the playmaker role and his foreign heritage made him a real role model.

NOX: We have Nabil el-Zhar already, but do you think we’ll see more Arabs and Asians playing for Liverpool?
MB: I recently organised a Liverpool Legends XI match against an Asian XI at the Liverpool academy, and the club told me they would love for Asians or anyone good enough to play there! Liverpool is the only club that has actively engaged with ethnic media instead of just making money out of us.

NOX: And it seems as if we may have Arab owners soon...
MB: Insha’Allah. If the club had taken my advice and went with Sheikh Mohammad, they would not be in the mess they are in at the moment! Maybe one day I will tell you about how I gave the club a document on how to attract investors from the Middle East and now everyone is after Arab investors…

NOX: But are Liverpool going to win the Premiership?
MB: I have a sneaky feeling that this could be our year! We always do well in the Champions League, so I hope we will do well this year across the board.

NOX: Finally, as the football columnist for the Middle East’s leading men’s magazine, why didn’t I get a mention?
MB: I will certainly feature you in my next book, brother!