Liverpool beach balls selling fast as rival fans snap it up!

• zocoss

  19 Oct 09, 22:23

  Liverpool beach balls selling fast as rival fans flock to Anfield to snap up £10 bargain set
  
  

  

  Double vision: An errant red beach ball cost Liverpool three points at Sunderland
  

  'One gentleman came in this morning and asked for three sets,' a club shop assistant told Sportsmail Online.

   

   

  Rival football fans hoping to rub salt into the wounds of Rafa Benitez following the freak goal at Sunderland are flocking to the Anfield megastore to snap-up £10 'beach sets', containing a replica of the now in-famous red ball, a club source revealed.

  Pepe Reina was fatefully deceived by Darren Bent's freakish winner at the Stadium of Light when the keeper was cruelly sent the wrong way after the striker's shot deflected off of a red beach ball thrown onto a pitch by a young Liverpool supporter.

  Although the set was mysteriously unavailable on Liverpool's official online megastore on Monday morning, the increasingly popular product is available to buy at the club's stadium store where punters are queuing to get their hands on the bizarre souvenir.

  The Reds' website was bombarded by rival supporters looking to snap up the reduced price beach sets (down from £20), complete with a bag, towel and, of course, now in-famous beach ball.

  Despite the online shop reporting that the new must-have for any visiting supporter to Anfield is 'no longer available', the stadium store confirmed that they have plenty in reserve and expect to sell many more in the coming weeks.

  The club source added: 'Lots of people have come in to ask about them. 'They are becoming really popular after Saturday so we have enough sets left to sell.'

   

   

   

  Sale of the century: Rival fans flocked to the Liverpool website to snap up £10 'beach sets' which are now no longer available to buy from their online store

   

  

  While Benitez and Liverpool followers will struggle to see the funny side of the story, several postings were reported online on Sunday, reviewing their 'bargain' buy.

  Natalie from Manchester, told Yahoo.com: 'I bought this set, but seem to have lost the ball in Sunderland. Is it possible to order a replacement?'

  Another supporter from London joked: 'This is one of the most flexible products I have ever purchased. Great for not only the beach, but can also play up front.'

  In what could prove to be this year's ultimate Christmas stocking-filler item for football fans, surely it can only be a matter of time before fellow Barclays Premier League clubs start to cash in on replica red balls...

   

• Medicated Oil

  19 Oct 09, 22:44

  Reina is having beach ball phobia now.

• CannyOng

  19 Oct 09, 23:04

  How abt the kid who thew the ball in? Any UK Liverpool fan stalking him now?

   

  I bet they can't wait to tear him off...

• Cries

  19 Oct 09, 23:13

  next game. will we see more beach ball ???

• charleslee

  20 Oct 09, 00:45

  dun be surprised that man u fans will start taunting LFC for this wkend's match...

• zocoss

  20 Oct 09, 09:27

  

  Rafa: We’ll bounce back!

   

   

   

  RAFA BENITEZ sends his side into Euro battle tonight roaring: "We'll bounce back and save our season."

  Liverpool face Lyon in a rut of three straight defeats - and no goals scored - for the first time in two years.

  Another flop following the beachball farce against Sunderland would leave them deep in crisis ahead of Sunday's Manchester United clash.

  But Benitez insisted: "This week can change everything for the positive. "I'm sure we will soon be winning again . . . and as soon as we play well in one or two, everyone will be thinking 'maybe he's right'." 

  Steven Gerrard returns tonight but Fernando Torres misses out again with a groin strain and the striker is also a doubt for the United clash. 

  Benitez refused to use the beachball incident as an excuse and spoke to his players on Sunday about their disappointing display on Wearside. But the Kop chief added: "I have seen the mood in the dressing room and it is very positive. 

  "We are at home in the Champions League, with the fans behind us. We know we have to win but also know we have three more games after this. 

  "Two years ago we only had one point and needed to win every game. I understand we have to win against Lyon, but it's not the same as then."

   

• the Bear

  20 Oct 09, 09:31

  Originally posted by CannyOng:

  How abt the kid who thew the ball in? Any UK Liverpool fan stalking him now?

   

  I bet they can't wait to tear him off...

  
  actually, the highlights show last night showed that Reina put the ball at the back of the net..

  i think it came out again later.. thing is, he should have thrown it away or something

• Master -_-

  20 Oct 09, 09:38

  cmon liverpool... the ball is in your half

• iceFatboy

  20 Oct 09, 09:56

  well, if they manage to sell enough, it could rescue the club's debts.. why didn't MU think of that??

• zocoss

  20 Oct 09, 10:53

  

  BEACH JOYS ... Shane Higgs has a light-hearted warm-up before kick-off

  
  
  

  HEY, Rafa! Cheeky Leeds keeper Shane Higgs warmed up with a row of beachballs as his defence before last night's Norwich clash.

   

  Darren Bent still would have scored, though!

  
  

• fudgester

  20 Oct 09, 11:22

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  

  Rafa: We’ll bounce back!

   

   

   

  RAFA BENITEZ sends his side into Euro battle tonight roaring: "We'll bounce back and save our season."

  Liverpool face Lyon in a rut of three straight defeats - and no goals scored - for the first time in two years.

  Another flop following the beachball farce against Sunderland would leave them deep in crisis ahead of Sunday's Manchester United clash.

  But Benitez insisted: "This week can change everything for the positive. "I'm sure we will soon be winning again . . . and as soon as we play well in one or two, everyone will be thinking 'maybe he's right'." 

  Steven Gerrard returns tonight but Fernando Torres misses out again with a groin strain and the striker is also a doubt for the United clash. 

  Benitez refused to use the beachball incident as an excuse and spoke to his players on Sunday about their disappointing display on Wearside. But the Kop chief added: "I have seen the mood in the dressing room and it is very positive. 

  "We are at home in the Champions League, with the fans behind us. We know we have to win but also know we have three more games after this. 

  "Two years ago we only had one point and needed to win every game. I understand we have to win against Lyon, but it's not the same as then."

   

  They will bounce back like a beach ball?

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  20 Oct 09, 14:34

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  

  BEACH JOYS ... Shane Higgs has a light-hearted warm-up before kick-off

   

  HEY, Rafa! Cheeky Leeds keeper Shane Higgs warmed up with a row of beachballs as his defence before last night's Norwich clash.

   

  Darren Bent still would have scored, though!

   

  
  nice

• charlize

  20 Oct 09, 14:42

  So the precedent now in every soccer match going forward, people are allowed to throw beach balls onto the pitch since any goal scored from these interferences will still count?

   

  Using beachballs to block shots on goal will also be allowed?

   

   

   

• fudgester

  20 Oct 09, 15:03

  Originally posted by charlize:

  So the precedent now in every soccer match going forward, people are allowed to throw beach balls onto the pitch since any goal scored from these interferences will still count?

   

  Using beachballs to block shots on goal will also be allowed?

   

   

  At least that beach ball attempted to deflect Darren Bent's shot away.

  So in that respect, it's far more effective than any of Liverpool's defenders.

• ViewtyKU990

  20 Oct 09, 21:26

  Originally posted by fudgester:

  At least that beach ball attempted to deflect Darren Bent's shot away.

  So in that respect, it's far more effective than any of Liverpool's defenders. 

  LOL but sad Rafa.

   

  Random question, who do you think would be in the Big 4 this season of BPL?

   

• zocoss

  20 Oct 09, 21:47

  Liverpool to search United fans for beach balls after club shop sells out

  • United supporters planning beach ball tribute

   

  

    

  Liverpool have sold out of the £10 "Beach Set" that diverted the team's title prospects at Sunderland and will search Manchester United supporters for any offending items, including beach balls, before Sunday's Premier League clash at Anfield.

  The club's online store has experienced a rush on the "Beach Set" package following Darren Bent's winning goal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, when his shot struck a Liverpool-crested beach ball and ricocheted beyond goalkeeper José Reina.

  United supporters are suspected of being behind the increased demand for Liverpool beach products, with a "tribute" to Bent's goal planned but risk having them confiscated at the turnstiles on Sunday. "It will be the normal search policy," said a Liverpool spokesperson.

  Rafael Benítez, who refused to use Bent's goal as an excuse for Liverpool's fourth league defeat of the season, has no intention of asking for the Sunderland match to be replayed. Precedent exists for replaying matches when a referee has erred over a goal but the Liverpool manager said: "A lot of people are saying this but we will not be asking for a replay."

  Benítez, meanwhile, has denied Liverpool's season has reached crisis point ahead of tonight's Champions League group tie with Lyon and believes the visit of the French club, plus United on Sunday, can transform the club's disappointing form. Liverpool will welcome back Steven Gerrard tonight, after the captain missed Saturday's defeat with an adductor strain, but Fernando Torres remains sidelined with a similar problem.