Courtesy: New Straits Times


Reds fans' club gets Anfield nod

19 April 2013

MIGHTY RED WAVE: Earlier this year, the Mighty Reds, now known as All Reds Malaysia (ARM), received the ultimate honour of being conferred official status by Anfield, joining a comprehensive list of supporters' clubs worldwide recognised by Liverpool Football Club, writes Akil Yunus

THE Mighty Reds was formed some 10 years ago as a small gathering of Liverpool FC fans based mainly in the Klang Valley, comprising friends and family who shared a passion for the club and took turns hosting live matches over potluck meals.

ARM president Mohd Muzafar Mustapha said it had long been a quest for the club to gain acknowledgement from Anfield, changing its name in the process to indicate its origin and uniqueness.
"We had applied for official status twice before, but failed. I guess this was third time lucky.

"When the group was first formed in 2003, there were many difficulties in the initial stages where several members had to move due to work demands, but we managed to get more Liverpool FC supporters involved in the group through friendly games such as badminton, futsal, bowling and even family outings."

Prior to obtaining recognition, the club had linked up with other supporters' groups from the Klang Valley and the northern states to become a registered group under the Youth and Sports Ministry, initially going by the name of REDS1892. Notably, the supporters' club grew after Liverpool FC won the Uefa Champions League trophy in 2005.
Muzafar and his team are expected to meet Liverpool FC officials later this month to sign the official agreement and documentation. This could possibly see ARM gaining exclusive access to the Liverpool FC team should they visit Malaysia again.

Club adviser Ahmad Razali Kamarulzaman said they would open up official membership to Reds fans here beginning from the 2013/2014 Premier League season.

The club's initial target will be 1,000 members, with plans to intensify its activities and, at some point, merge with other Liverpool FC supporters' clubs here, he said.

Besides live viewing of matches, ARM regularly organises futsal and soccer tournaments between its southern, northern and central chapters, family carnivals, and charity work, too -- most recently a clean-up of Bukit Broga in Kajang.

Next up on the club's list of events is the inaugural All Reds Futsal gathering on Saturday, bringing together Liverpool FC fans from across the country.

"We want to create a bond between all Reds fans in Malaysia, and also show ARM's capability to handle a large- scale event as the official Liverpool FC supporters' club here," said its vice-president Muzili Aznor Musa.

He said participants could register as individuals and not as teams, with the organisers randomly picking eight participants to set up a team.

"We expect 24 teams from the Open Men's category and four teams from the Ladies category.
"We used this method so as to bring strangers with a shared passion closer together."

He said the futsal tournament was a prelude to the annual EPL Football Malaysia Cup a day later, which features legends of Liverpool FC and Manchester United, an All Star Team, and a side made up of local legends.

"Those who register for the futsal tournament will get a free ticket for the Kop stand area during the EPL Football Malaysia Cup."
Muzili added that such tournaments would also help attract younger Reds fans from across the country.

Reds fans and the public can find out more about the club and how they can participate in upcoming activities by visiting their official website www.allredsmalaysia.com. They can also check out the All Reds Malaysia Facebook page or tweet @allredsmalaysia.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com