Tribute to Cherith Watson

Cherith joined the Liverpoolfc.tv team at the very start in 2001 and her larger-than-life personality immediately won over everyone who came into contact with her both inside and outside of work.

Although hailing from Belfast, Liverpool was the place she called home long before Liverpoolfc.tv came calling. Her humour, her love of life, music and Liverpool FC suited the city and the city suited her.

Walk into any pub around Anfield or log on to any LFC message board - official or unofficial - and many fans from far and wide will tell you they were honoured to have known Cherith Watson.

Whether sharing a cab in a far flung corner of Europe on the way to watch the Mighty Reds, a drink in The Albert or exchanging emails in a desperate attempt to track down a match ticket for a friend of a friend, Cherith always looked out for those around her.

In fact, her whole life seemed to revolve around helping others. Even before she first walked into the offices on Anfield Road, her CV pointed to a steady stream of jobs where she strived to help those less fortunate than herself.

At Liverpoolfc.tv, Cherith was employed in the website Customer Services department. The position was perfect for her: combining her love of LFC and her eagerness to help solve a few problems for the club's millions of fans.

You probably won't have seen Cherith's name too often on the website because the vast majority of her work was done behind the scenes. Travelling across Europe to cover matches and interviewing the club's latest star signing wasn't part of her job remit, but one of the reason's Liverpoolfc.tv has proved so popular is because of the role played by Cherith and those who worked with her in ensuring that fans enjoy the best possible relationship with the club we all hold so close to our hearts.

While she absolutely lived for going to the game - and not just the 90 minutes inside Anfield - she could often be found at her desk answering customer emails from all over the globe on match day. Her job demanded that of her and while she'd have rather been 100 yards across the road jumping up and down and singing her lungs out in the Anfield Road end, she simply got on with what she did best - helping others out.

Steve Hunter's e-Season Ticket commentary would be booming out of her computer's speakers as she listened out for any signs of Stephane Henchoz, her favourite player, getting a mention while she typed away.

It's all too easy when someone dies to paint them as some saint-like figure who never did any wrong but the honest truth is, you won't find a single person who has a bad word to say about her. In the end, there's no better tribute to pay her than that. She touched the lives of so many people and that is why she is so sorely missed amongst those of us who had the pleasure of her company these past four years.

The thoughts of all her work colleagues are with her family, boyfriend and many, many friends. It's quite fitting that the view out of the window from her desk across the Anfield Road should be of three flags at half-mast. Officially, they might be for Emlyn, but for us they're for a great friend we're never going to forget.

To read a personal tribute to Cherith from her close friend and colleague Michael Crowder click here>>