Founder Gags Tandon reflects on the risk, the growth and the community that shaped fifteen years of Anfield Index
Fifteen years. Writing that down still feels surreal.
Today, February 6th 2026, marks fifteen years since I started Anfield Index. Back then, I had no grand masterplan, no corporate roadmap, no idea what it would eventually become. What I did have was nerves, genuine nerves, probably the most I have ever felt in my life when it comes to starting something.
I was spending my own money on a venture for the first time, and it wasn’t small change. Investing in Opta data, trying to bring evidence-based analysis to the mainstream fan conversation, felt daunting. It felt risky. At the time, it honestly felt like I was jumping without knowing where I would land.
From Passion Project to Platform
I have never claimed to be a businessman. I am a Liverpool supporter first and foremost, and the idea behind Anfield Index came from that place. I wanted to turn my passion for supporting Liverpool into something bigger, something meaningful.
Fenway Sports Group had arrived only months earlier, and the Moneyball influence was fresh in everyone’s mind. That data-driven approach fascinated me. The idea that evidence could sit alongside opinion, that fans could use stats to support what they were seeing, became the foundation.
But it was never about restricting voices to spreadsheets and numbers. Quite the opposite. The aim was always to give Reds from anywhere in the world a voice. Evidence-based or not, opinion mattered. Fans mattered. Conversation mattered.
Looking back now, one of the things I am proudest of is the diversity of voices that have contributed to Anfield Index. Writers, podcasters, analysts, many have come through the platform. Some have gone on to build careers in football media, and seeing that progression gives me enormous pride. Giving people their first opportunity has always been part of what we do.
Early Support and Lasting Contributions
No journey like this happens alone.
There were people who played huge roles in those early days, sometimes in ways they might not even realise. Jim Boardman is one. His retweets at the time helped amplify what we were doing. Without that visibility, Anfield Index might not have reached the audience it did. Paul Tomkins was another whose support meant a lot in those formative stages.
Then there were contributors and subscribers who came in early and stayed. Dave Hendrick, Dan Kennett, Daniel Rhodes, and Karl Matchett were all part of the ecosystem in those early years. Whether writing, analysing or subscribing, they were part of building the foundation.
It has been an insane ride when I sit and think about it. Mad, really, to realise it has been fifteen years.
Turning Point in 2017
If the early years were about passion, the next phase required structure.
In 2017, Eddie Gibbs and Greig Hopcroft came on board. Their arrival changed everything. I say this openly, without them, Anfield Index would, most likely, not exist today.
They helped turn a passion project into a proper business. They brought management, organisation, vision and sustainability. They allowed the platform to grow commercially, operationally and creatively. I took more of a back seat as they propelled things forward.
What they built made Anfield Index viable. It created opportunities for people to work on it full-time. That is something I never imagined when I first tweeted stats on that February day in 2011.
We are still growing, still evolving, and in many ways it feels like we are only just getting started.
Podcast Growth and Community Voices
The podcast side of Anfield Index deserves special mention because it has become such a huge part of our identity.
There are too many hosts, podcasters and guests to ever list properly, but their contribution has shaped what we are. Trev Downey and Dave Davis have been central voices, leading shows, driving discussion and maintaining standards across the platform.
Nina Kauser, Guy Drinkel and Jack McIndoe have also played massive roles, particularly in more recent times, helping expand the reach, tone and depth of our content.
We have been fortunate to host legends of Liverpool Football Club across the years as guests. Icons of the club, players who shaped eras, voices supporters grew up watching, most notably Sir Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Jan Molby. Their presence elevated what we were building and connected generations of fans through conversation.
Add to that the wider network of contributors, writers, analysts and producers behind the scenes, and you begin to understand how many people it takes to sustain something for fifteen years.
February 6th 2011, Where It All Began
I still remember the exact moment.
February 6th 2011, Liverpool away at Chelsea, Fernando Torres facing his former club, Daniel Agger famously nudging him over. That was the day I first tweeted stats from the account.
That weekend we hit ten thousand followers in a single day. At the time, that felt enormous. I did not think that one moment, that one decision to invest in data and share it, would lead to fifteen years of growth.
It started as a one-man band. Even now, there are people working on the site who joined in that first year and are still contributing. That continuity means a lot to me.
It feels like a child in many ways, something you nurture, worry about, invest time in, watch grow.
Gratitude to the People Who Made It Possible
None of this exists without the audience.
Website visitors, podcast subscribers, AI Pro members, YouTube viewers, social media followers, every single person who has clicked, listened or supported has played a part.
If you have been with us for fifteen years, thank you. If you discovered us last year, thank you. Every interaction has helped sustain what we do.
Anfield Index is something I will always look back on with pride. It represents risk, passion, community and collaboration. It represents Liverpool supporters from across the world finding a place to speak, debate and share.
To every contributor, every behind the scenes team member, every fan who has engaged with us, I am grateful.
Fifteen years on, we are still going strong in 2026.
Here is to the next fifteen.
