Topic: Lost Cup Finals (which one hurt you most?)

[Jookie]

1996 versus United is obviously the most painful. Short term pain plus long term regret. That day was the chance we had to stop United in their tracks. Evans and his team blew it big time.

1988 v Wimbledon hurt as did the League Cup v Arsenal in 1987. I was a young lad for both of these and that probably plays a part in it hurting more. As someone earlier said, though not a final the 4-3 v Palace in 1990 was a hard one to take.

Out of the more recent finals the one I look back on with most regret now is the CL in 2007. At the time though, I don't think it hurt as much as it should. The after glow of Istanbul was there and it seemed inevitable that we would reach other European Finals in the shirt term. Obviously that didn't happen and I think on reflection that's the final seems like a massive missed opportunity.

The Europa League defeat is hard to put into context. Mainly because it's so recent. I was really gutted after the League Cup final v City but we had games straight after to get that defeat out of the system. This Europa League defeat is different. In time we may look back on this Europa League defeat with huge regret. On the other hand it be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

[paulrazor]

The Europa League defeat is hard to put into context. Mainly because it's so recent. I was really gutted after the League Cup final v City but we had games straight after to get that defeat out of the system. This Europa League defeat is different. In time we may look back on this Europa League defeat with huge regret. On the other hand it be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

thats a pretty good point about the games after the league cup final, stuffing city a few days later definitely helped getting over it

[Redsnappa]

Wembley 96
Wembley 88
Hampden 66
Wembley 71

Not sure yet where to fit Basel in. At least we gave it a go in the other games. Still gutted about this one, but it's difficult to remember how bad were the others on the scale of guttedness cos time supposedly heals all wounds ...

[1892tillforever]

Last week ranks high on the list (Maybe because it's still a bit raw). We really should have won that; the second half was unforgivable. A win would have meant so much going into the new season: CL football, the biggest trophy win in a decade, a bunch of players winning something for the first time, the optimism and experience that winning brings etc. Instead, we're still lamenting a weak mentality and wondering when we'll win silverware next.

It also sucks that since 2005 we've lost a final in every single competition it's possible for us to play in.

[fid1892]

I've seen Liverpool lose finals before - Being at Wembley watching Cantona get his winning goal was bad, but this latest one feels so much worse, even though I wasn't at the game.

This year was the first year that I have been able to take both of my kids to all of the home games (bar one) in the run up to the final, and we have been treated to some fantastic nights - and then to lose it all with what seemed like barely a whimper was horrible.

[ripsaw19]

The '96 cup final is still the worst for me. I was 13 and it was the first final I remember watching us play. There was so much hype leading up to the game and I was sure we'd win. I was inconsolable at the final whistle and realised at that point that supporting this great club of ours was never going to be an easy task.
I still have yet to see us play a European Cup final. The Army have sent me away both times that we played in '05 and '07 so although Athens didn't hurt as much because I couldn't watch it, I was also unable to feel the euphoria of Istanbul.
Hoping Klopp gives me the opportunity to watch us in a European Cup final one day

[Sahara]

Unfortunately it's this year's Europa final, even though the upside is we have Klopp. I felt it could have been our biggest turning point, the competition in PL every year is becoming tougher by the year and achieveing top 4.

I can only hope what we achieve over next 2 seasons will make that defeat in Basle less hurtful.

Never watched the Athens final again, but it seems at the time was destined for AC Milan to win, though we were the better side than 2005, at the time we proved getting to the 2005 final was not by sheer luck! AC Milan was a top class experience side we were always underdogs.

[Jon2lfc]

it wasn't a notch above - back then it was Champions only in European Cup - runners up in the league in the UEFA cup followed by domestic cup winners in the Cup Winners Cup.  It's true that the cup winners cup existed before the UEFA cup, but once introduced back in 1971 the UEFA Cup was more prestigious - in my opinion.

....and yes Everton did have  a pretty decent side back then.

I think you're right. Plus the others who have said similar.

I think maybe my original view was clouded due to the Super Cup being contested between the EC and CWC winners.
But wiki sums it up nicely, basically as...."the CWC was more prestigious...but the quality/sporting level was less..."

So yeah, it does look like the UEFA Cup was the one to brag about.

Still would've loved to have us hold the CWC at some point though to 'complete' our collection of big trophies.
Oh yeah, and the Club World Cup..

Seem to remember though that the CWC was one ugly trophy. UEFA Cup has always looked better

[paulrazor]

Seem to remember though that the CWC was one ugly trophy. UEFA Cup has always looked better

had to google it

you are right, the cwc looks like a bog standard trophy you get in some shop for an under 12s final

[Vinay]

1. CL final 1985 - Platini's penalty wa for a foul on Boniek OUTSIDE the box. Well outside. Plus the numerous assaults on our players by the italian defenders which the referee did not call.
2. FA Cup Final 1996 - the less said about it. I reckon if we'd won that, Evans would have remained for a long time, won the league and we would have retained some sort of Boot Room legacy.

[Jay012345]

This last one. Klopp and champions league football would have given us a far better chance to attract some top talent. I hope this doesn't set us back too far and he can unearth some gems in the process.

[Jon2lfc]

had to google it

you are right, the cwc looks like a bog standard trophy you get in some shop for an under 12s final

Yep hahaha

Whereas as far as trophies go without handles, the UEFA Cup is pretty funky

Nothing as beautiful as Big Ears and the olde First Division trophy though! Still remember it being tossed around Anfield on a victory lap

[Mumm-Ra]

1. CL final 1985 - Platini's penalty wa for a foul on Boniek OUTSIDE the box. Well outside. Plus the numerous assaults on our players by the italian defenders which the referee did not call.

Really? Thank God we didn't win in 85. Would have been tainted beyond belief, and could have made things even worse on the night

[RedSince86]

2007 hurt me the most,we were the better team in the final and should have #6, and also had the hardest route to the final beating Barcelona and the Plastics.

1996 comes a close 2nd,hated going to school the following Monday and getting pelters off the United fans.

[SwissV]

This last final hurts me the most. Everything in the world was going to be righted after winning this. We were back in the champions league, back in the winners list, we have Klopp and the whole tides of fortune seemed to be turning. Although the league went to shit we had great runs in the cups and some performances to take heart in. It seemed that the Europa league was a rising from the ashes when LFC finally started awakening from its slumber, instead we were left with nothing. Not even Europa league for next season. The only shining light left from the season is Klopp. This one fucking hurt.

[paulrazor]

Really? Thank God we didn't win in 85. Would have been tainted beyond belief, and could have made things even worse on the night

I was only 2  but that said im not sure why anyone would be gutted at us losing this

be gutted about everything else alright

[Solomon Grundy]

The game should never of even been played at Heysel in the first place. It was in no way fit enough to stage a final. And the game should never have gone ahead with 39 people lying dead on the running track by the side of the pitch either. Fucking UEFA. 

[ArthurDent]

And the game should never have gone ahead with 39 people lying dead on the running track by the side of the pitch either.

Easy to say now though Solomon, at the time they had to make a call and didn't like the option of letting everyone outside without playing the game after stuff like that had happened. Could have been a lot more ugly than it was.

For me, Wembley 77 (losing to them plus losing the treble) and Basel 2016.

[Adam_LFC]

In terms of the negative impact it could potentially have, this last one has to hurt the most.

[RogerTheRed]

Charlie fxxxing George.
Kung fu Eric.
My worst two.

[goalspaytherent]

Always the most recent one ....the rest are just history ....as are those won ....if they are both history , then I'd rather focus on the ones we won ......those which meant the most .....

[andy07]

The two against United.

[Son of Spion]

Arsenal in '71 gutted me. I was only nine and I cried my eyes out.

Manc's in '77 was a sickener, but big ears made up for it later.

The 'Spice Boys' fiasco in '96 was a low point.

Sevilla hurt because of the abject surrender. I can take a heroic loss, but such capitulation in a major final is not something I've ever associated with Liverpool FC.

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

The 'Spice Boys' fiasco in '96 was a low point.

Completely bottled it and the fact it was against them made it ten times worse.

That and Athens 07.

Sevilla hurt because of the abject surrender. I can take a heroic loss, but such capitulation in a major final is not something I've ever associated with Liverpool FC.

We were dogshit in the 96 cup final but after the first half in Basel I don't think anyone was expecting us to fold like that.
Hopefully we'll actually have a spine the next time we get to a cup final.

[★deb★, please ?]

Villa semi last year at Wembley hurt most.
Not a final I know. I was expecting to trash them.
I would have been more sad losing to Villareal than to fucing Seville.
Only mad now, no sadness

[Clayton Bigsby]

Sevilla hurt because of the abject surrender. I can take a heroic loss, but such capitulation in a major final is not something I've ever associated with Liverpool FC.

[LFCEmpire]

The Basel one by a long shot! Seeing Liverpool going out with a whimper was difficult to say the least.

[Icky]

1977
1996

[Thomas]

1996. I was 11 years old, watched the whole day on the tele. Remember now walking down the garden at my parents house in floods of tears after the final whistle

[MightyRedLFC]

This last final hurts me the most. Everything in the world was going to be righted after winning this. We were back in the champions league, back in the winners list, we have Klopp and the whole tides of fortune seemed to be turning. Although the league went to shit we had great runs in the cups and some performances to take heart in. It seemed that the Europa league was a rising from the ashes when LFC finally started awakening from its slumber, instead we were left with nothing. Not even Europa league for next season. The only shining light left from the season is Klopp. This one fucking hurt.

this

[paulrazor]

it can really fuck you up for the start of the summer

id be still buzzing if we won

[Alf Garnett!]

Aye it was right up there.

The abysmal everything that we were in the 1996 final vs Utd & the other '77 Greenoff too.

The 1-2 Nicholas final too done my head in.

Back to Sevilla tho & missing out on competing in the CL is huge,also locking horns with Real in the super cup in august would have been great.

Amongst the rest are the loss to AC in 2007,the rest are archived/deleted from memory.

[mikeb58]

it can really fuck you up for the start of the summer

id be still buzzing if we won

True that, after any big defeat can't wait for the next game to put it right, this one is different of course, got whole summer to stew over it.
Had we won I'd be watching a DVD now on how we did it, the glorious victories on the way,
crowds meeting the team bus etc etc..now still got the feeling of how bad that 45 minutes where.

Haha..depressing  myself now, often wonder if it ruins the players summer too?

[paulrazor]

Haha..depressing  myself now, often wonder if it ruins the players summer too?

  id say so but a good chunk are gone to the euros

[kaesarsosei]

I think there's good arguments that the most costly defeats in our history were 1996 to Utd in the FA Cup, and this years Europa League.

In 96, we had won the League Cup the year before so going on to win the FA Cup the next season would have been clear progress to say nothing of putting a dampner on United. It would really have put us up there with them because don't forget, the FA Cup was more important in those days too. As it was, from then on Roy Evan's teams never really looked decent again.

But I actually think this seasons's Europa League final is the worst defeat in our history, worse than 85 and 2007. The fact we don't even have European football now and all the recruitment problems that will bring plus issues with keeping a large squad/young players with enough playing time, have no trophy (and its still the third most important trophy a club side can win in Europe), the stigma of losing 2 finals in 3 months, the question marks over Klopp's final record....this defeat hurt me more than any other.

[Barrowred]

In no particular order, they all hurt like fuck

77 - 8 years old and cried my eyes out
85 - Couldn't really get my head round us losing a European cup final
96 - Watched this at Pwllhelli Butlins camp, it was my stag do . We watched it the big concert room. Our group was between the Liverpool and Manc groups. At the end we had to vacate pretty sharpish as the bottles started flying between the two groups . Fucking awful game compounded by them winning, that French twat scoring the winner and me being dressed as a Brownie!
2015 League cup - The result spoilt what was a very good weekend in London, performance wasnt to bad though
2015 Europa -  Can't believe we turned in such a bad second half performance but we should have put the game to bed before half time

Suprisingley 2007 didn't hurt as much as it should have done as I thought we were going to be competing for it on a regular basis. How wrong was I

[storkfoot]

1. CL final 1985 - Platini's penalty wa for a foul on Boniek OUTSIDE the box. Well outside. Plus the numerous assaults on our players by the italian defenders which the referee did not call.
2. FA Cup Final 1996 - the less said about it. I reckon if we'd won that, Evans would have remained for a long time, won the league and we would have retained some sort of Boot Room legacy.

I can only assume that you were very young in '85 and could not understand the enormity of what went on before kick off. That result, above all others, did not mean a jot.

Rest in peace to all 39 Juventus fans who lost their lives that day.

[storkfoot]

1. CL final 1985 - Platini's penalty wa for a foul on Boniek OUTSIDE the box. Well outside. Plus the numerous assaults on our players by the italian defenders which the referee did not call.
2. FA Cup Final 1996 - the less said about it. I reckon if we'd won that, Evans would have remained for a long time, won the league and we would have retained some sort of Boot Room legacy.

1. CL final 1985 - Platini's penalty wa for a foul on Boniek OUTSIDE the box. Well outside. Plus the numerous assaults on our players by the italian defenders which the referee did not call.
2. FA Cup Final 1996 - the less said about it. I reckon if we'd won that, Evans would have remained for a long time, won the league and we would have retained some sort of Boot Room legacy.

I can only assume that you were very young in '85 and could not understand the enormity of what went on before kick off. That result, above all others, did not mean a jot.

Rest in peace to all 39 Juventus fans who lost their lives that day.

[sempi]

I can only assume that you were very young in '85 and could not understand the enormity of what went on before kick off. That result, above all others, did not mean a jot.

Rest in peace to all 39 Juventus fans who lost their lives that day.

That was possibly the lowest point for me as a fan.
I was ashamed, and I got in after the wall had collapsed. We never knew until we got back to the U K,  that people had died. We were never going to win THAT game.
In fact I stopped going for a couple of seasons, and then just as I started to enjoy footy again, along came  Hillsborough..
And even though we beat EFC, in the final that year, I felt shame again, thinking  that the final should never have been played.

[So… Howard Philips]

Not a final as such but the 2-0 to Arsenal in 1989. It felt like a final after playing so many games in such a short time. It was 1-0 on the radio as I pulled onto my drive just as Thomas scored. Haven't been able to listen to the match when driving ever since. I was strangely confident straight after 2007, we played well, had a good manager and the new owners were promising investment and a brand new ground.
 How wrong can you be! Almost straight away stories started about H&G hogging tickets and accommodation, Rafa walking the streets, Snoog Doggy Dog and other crap