Liverpool Football Club; European Royalty.
There’s just something about LFC in Europe, something magical, something mystical. Anfield on a European night, the optimism, the sense of anticipation, the noise and excitement around the ground in the build up to kick off as the sun sets and the floodlights kick in. Even YNWA feels different on a European night, like an outer body experience. No other club from these shores ‘gets’ European competition quite like us. It’s almost indescribable; we don’t know what it is but we love it!
Our first ever game in European competition was a pre-round tie on the 17th August 1964 against the Icelandic team Knattspyrnufelag Reykjavikur (or just plain old Reykjavik to us) at Laugardalsvollur stadium. Gordon Wallace had the honour of our first ever goal in Europe as the Reds ran out comfortable 5-0 winners grabbing another six in the Anfield return.
This was the team for our first ever European fixture.
Tommy Lawrence (GK)
Gerry Byrne
Ronnie Moran
Gordon Milne
Ron Yeats (C)
Willie Stevenson
Ian Callaghan
Roger Hunt
Phil Chisnall
Gordon Wallace
Peter Thompson
Manager: Bill Shankly
Substitutes: None needed; this was the 60’s, nobody got injured because they were all hard bastards, or maybe subs just weren’t allowed back then!
Anderlecht were up next (the first leg seeing the club wear it’s now famous all red kit for the very first time) and the Belgian club was swept aside, without the Reds conceding a goal over both legs, to set up a tie against the German Club, Cologne.
The Reds brought a goalless draw from the first leg back to Anfield and nearly 50,000 spectators crammed into Anfield for the occasion when, just 5 minutes before kick off, the officials decided to postpone the game due to heavy snowfall on the pitch. It was the correct decision and the fans acknowledged this however the Germans certainly didn’t. After storming the referees dressing room to make their opinions known they kitted themselves up and went on to the pitch and started to knock the ball about amongst each other. It made little difference. Another 0-0 draw followed when the game was eventually played, setting up a replay at the neutral venue of Stadion Feyenoord. The teams again could not be separated, Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead before being pegged back. The dreaded penalty shoot-out had yet to be conceived and so incredibly a coin toss would decide Liverpools fate. Ron Yeats won the toss to help Liverpool advance into the semi finals of the European Cup. Had it not been for the mountainous and giant figure of Yeats perhaps our journey would have ended there. And with one of Anfields greatest nights to follow, perhaps our love for all things Europe might not have been the same had the coin fallen the other way. This 50-50 toss up played a massive part in what we were to go on and achieve in the competition in future seasons. Yeats describes the coin toss here:
"I got in first to the referee and said: ´I'll have tails.´ Lucky for me the referee said ok. Liverpool tails, Cologne heads. Up it went and Christ didn't it stick in a divot. I said to the referee: ´Ref, you're going to have to toss the coin again.´ And he went: ´You're right, Mr. Yeats.´ I thought the German captain was going to hit him. He was going berserk because it was falling over on the heads. He picked it up, up it went again, came down tails. We were coming off and who is standing there but Bill Shankly. I was first off the pitch and he went: ´Well done, big man. I am proud of you. What did you pick?´ I said: ´I picked tails, boss´. I was waiting for the adulation but he just went: ´I would have picked tails myself and just walked away.
That toss of a coin set up a mouth-watering clash with Italian giants Internazionale and provided the Anfield crowd with their first iconic European night just three days after winning our first FA Cup. Shankly had the cup paraded around the pitch prior to kick off and this whipped up the atmosphere to fever pitch. After a scintillating 3-1 victory at home in the first leg the tie would end in controversy with Inter running out 3-0 victors at the San Siro. Shankly was not happy with the validity of two of the Italian sides goals and the general performance of the referee . Our very first European adventure may not have ended in glorious style but it would seem coming so close and missing out in the way we did may just have kick-started our love affair with European competition. The following season added to this new sense of adventure across foreign lands as we navigated our way through to the final of the European Cup Winners Cup. We would again fall agonisingly short as Borussia Dortmund ran out 2-1 winners after extra time at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
The next few seasons would see The Reds forge largely uninspiring campaigns in the old European Fairs Cup before finally tasting continental success in the 1972-1973 season where they brought home the now revamped UEFA Cup to secure the clubs first ever European trophy and a dynasty was born. Tottenham Hotspur were edged out on away goals in the semi final to set up a two-legged final tie against Borussia Monchengladbach, the shining light of a very strong West German league. A Kevin Keegan brace and Larry Lloyd header fired us to a 3-0 win at Anfield which was just about enough as the Reds clung on in the 2nd leg with Borussia leading 2-0 at half time, the legendary Jupp Herynckes helping himself to both goals. Many believe that success in UEFA’s secondary competition lay the foundation for our later unprecedented success in the European Cup with Shankly stating in the aftermath it was ‘Now time for the Big One.’ The following season would see the Club being knocked out in just the second round however as the crack Yugoslav outfit Red Star Belgrade ran out 2-1 winners in both legs. For Shankly, it was to be his second and final attempt at delivering the ‘Big One’.
Bob Paisley’s first season as manager would see us enter the European Cup Winners Cup, again failing at the second hurdle, this time on away goals to the Hungarian side Ferencvaros, but then a memorable campaign followed in 1975-76 when again Liverpool would march all the way to the Final of the UEFA Cup and win. A fearsome Barcelona side including the legendary Johan Cruyff were knocked out at the semi-final stage as Liverpool became the first English side to beat them at the Nou Camp, incidentally we are still the only English club to achieve this feat and have done it again since. The League title was also won this season, meaning the Mighty Reds would get another chance to dine at European footballs top table the following season. The double Uefa Cup success would prove a strong foundation for the future domination of elite European club competition.
Over the following decade the Club would go on to make the European stage their own by competing in five European Cup Finals, winning four of them. The stage for the first of those wins was to be the Eternal City of Rome. To get there they had to beat the Irish side Crusaders, Trabzonspor, St Etienne and then FC Zurich to set up a showpiece finale with a team that were now becoming a familiar foe, Borussia Monchengladbach. But it was the 2nd leg tie at home to St Etienne which really kickstarted our love affair with the European Cup on a night that was to go down in folklore. This would become one of Anfields legendary nights and a story that would be spoken of for generations. Liverpool would bring a 1-0 deficit back from France which was no shame, Saint Etienne were a brilliant side during the 1960’s and 70’s winning league titles and French Cups with regularity. They’d also reached the Final of this competition the season before and ‘Les Verts’ were determined to go one better in this campaign.
55,043 fans packed into Anfield with thousands more locked outside (including my Grandad) to create a wonderful noise and atmosphere, many people who were lucky enough to be in attendance on this famous night still claim it was the best of all Anfield nights. Kevin Keegan gave them all the start they desperately wanted, gliding the ball in from by the Anfield Road/Paddock corner flag after just a couple of minutes played. The French side weren’t here to be moved aside easily though and got themselves a vital away goal when Bathenay scored a corker after 51 minutes played. The ascendancy was now with the visitors and the Reds needed two more goals to progress. The Kop continued to sway and the volume levels continued to grow as Ray Kennedy grabbed a second leaving just the one goal required to book a place in the semi final. Paisley threw the dice one last time and looked to super sub David Fairclough who replaced John Toshack. The substitute recalls receiving no special instructions from Paisley, the canny manager simply knew he would get a chance.
With six minutes to go, Kennedy flicked the ball over the half way line. And Fairclough is onside…this now could be interesting…….FAIRCLOUGH!!!!!!
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnA4hOt6JU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnA4hOt6JU</a>]]>Winning this famous tie would set up a semi-final with FC Zurich with the Reds comfortably cruising into the Final where they would again meet old foes Borussia Monchengladbach. Victory against the Germans had provided Liverpool with their first taste of silverware just four years earlier but, as Shanks said himself back then, now it was time for the Big One.
With the league title already clinched Liverpool were on course for an historic Treble at that point with an FA Cup Final against Manchester United to come on May 21st . After the disappointment of that FA Cup final loss the Reds had just four days to recover and compete in the clubs biggest single game in it’s history up until then.
And so the pilgrimage to the Eternal City would begin. A Soccer Special would see thousands of Reds fans make the trip from Lime Street and back. The flags and banners were made up in there hundreds and perhaps one of the most famous banners to have ever been created was born, while the red and white chequered flag is still ubiquitous on the terraces to this day when the club play in Europe and it’s a lasting tribute to the pioneers and class of “77, players and fans alike.
Perhaps this game was the Club’s greatest ever night. Whilst the foundations had been laid with double Uefa Cup success during the previous five years, obtaining the biggest prize European Club football had to offer really was the cornerstone for future success and an everlasting romance with this particular trophy. Goals from the effervescent Terry McDermott, Shankly’s 60’s Scouse protege Tommy Smith and the reliable penalty expert Phil Neal would ensure Liverpool became Champions of Europe for the very first time and ‘Old Big Ears’ would very much make itself at home in the years to come.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elslazJQBM4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elslazJQBM4</a>]]>The Daily Mirror stated in their match report the following day:
‘Liverpool have done the nation proud. They have done more for our stock abroad in 90 minutes than the millions of words that gush from our politicians mouths’.
That summer would see the talismanic Kevin Keegan depart Anfield and left most Liverpool supporters wondering quite how they’d get by without him. A bloke going by the name of Kenny Dalglish would come in to replace the Hamburg-bound Englnd striker and the Reds would do more than just get by without one of their most famous former sons.
The man who would go on to have a quarter of the stadium named after him helped fire Liverpool into a second successive European Cup Final, this time on home soil at Anfield South. Dynamo Dresden, Hamburg and Benfica were all defeated to set up another huge tie with Borussia Monchengladbach, this time in the semi-finals. They must have been growing sick to death at the sight of the Liverbird hovering above them as their European dreams were once again crushed by the might of Liverpool Football Club. They gave themselves hope and belief this time, bringing a 2-1 lead to Anfield. This hope and belief quickly diminished though as the Reds ran out comfortable 3-0 winners to fix a date with Bruges at Wembley in May of 1978.
Nearly 100,000 spectators crammed into the famous old London stadium (Grandad made it inside this time) to witness Liverpools 99th game in European Competition and 4th European trophy win. With the Reds yet to hit the 100 game mark in Europe, they had already won 4 trophies, better than one every 25 games. LFC were by now European Royalty, joining other illustrious names and multiple winners of Europe’s top competition such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Internazionale, Ajax Amsterdam, no other English side came close to this unparalleled success. Dalglish’s delightful little chip to win the final would see him unofficially crowned, with the Liverpool Daily Post claiming him the ‘Undisputed King’ on the following days back pages.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLSSTA4ugfY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLSSTA4ugfY</a>]]>After securing back to back European Cup success, Liverpool would go on to suffer back to back first round knockouts in the next two seasons; first to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest and then Dinamo Tbilsi. Nottingham Forest had now emulated Liverpool by winning the trophy back to back (in 1979 & 80) so the Reds set out to reclaim what they thought was rightfully theirs.
The 1980-1981 season was one of contrasting fortunes, a miserable 5th place league finish meant it was all or nothing in Europe for Paisley’s troops. Finnish champions Oulu Palloseura, a young Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen side and CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria were all comfortably dispatched to set up a semi final tie with a German club again, this time the former triple Euro winners Bayern Munich. A 0-0 draw at Anfield left the Reds as underdogs heading over to Deutschland. When King Kenny hobbled off after just 9 minutes it looked grim. An historic moment followed as Howard Gayle replaced him to become the first ever black player to represent Liverpool. The story of Howard Gayle is almost a footnote in the history of black footballers in the game but is very relevant to the history of Liverpool, if a little too poignant for some. Gayle would only make a handful of appearances for Liverpool but that one in Munich has earned him a place in Anfield folklore. Howard Gayle had actually stood on the Kop for the first leg and had not even contemplated being involved with the squad for the return tie in Germany. Paisley loved his tried and trusted men in situations like these and, with a mountain to climb, Gayle assumed this would again be the case. So off home he went, miserably walking out of Anfield along with the rest of his fellow fans after the goalless draw. Gayle travelled over believing he was there to simply make up the numbers or in the case of an emergency; Liverpool players seldom picked up injuries at this stage of the season! Paisley pulled the young man to one side after a pre-match meal and informed him of the decision to name him amongst the substitutes.
And boy did the young lad from Toxteth do himself proud. Yet to reach his 23rd birthday, the flying winger tormented Munich constantly in spite of a barrage of rash challenges and sickening racist abuse from the terraces. Gayle appeared to be getting a bit fed up of it all and was starting to lash out in retaliation, picking up a yellow card in the process. The canny Paisley reacted and decided to replace him with the experienced Jimmy Case after 70 minutes. Gayle had only completed 61 minutes but had done the damage,. Like a boxer who has taken body shots all night, the German backline was starting to gasp for air. Ray Kennedy bulged the net with 83 minutes on the clock leaving Bayern needing two late goals to progress. They did managed to grab one back with minutes to spare but the Reds held their nerve and were heading to yet another European Cup Final.
This time it was the mighty Real Madrid who stood in the way of Liverpool winning their third European Cup, a feat still not yet achieved by any other British side. ‘Los Blancos’ had serious European Cup pedigree with titles to prove it that even we couldn’t match and so they believed the trophy was theirs, they were simply there to take it home. They had won the first 5 competitions starting in the mid-1950s but had failed to win a single one since; a wait that was now in its 21st year. They had reached the final twice since their last victory, only to be beaten twice and this time they felt it was their destiny to win. Madrid were not in the mood for being defeated again. But this was a seriously good Liverpool team they were up against, a team that knew how to produce the goods on the biggest of stages. While Madrid may have won more than twice as many European Cups as us, our history in the competition was far more recent and perhaps you could realistically argue greater than theirs; English sides weren’t even invited to the competition in its early years when Real won it year after year. A coincidence perhaps, that they failed to win one since the introduction of Englands finest? Paisleys men were professional and resolute throughout and ran out 1-0 winners; the only goal a late one from Alan Kennedy.
It would again be another 3 years before we competed for Europe’s biggest prize, and perhaps this would be our toughest task to date. A very good Roma side were the opponents but not only that, the game was to be played on their home turf, the Stadio Olimpico. The Eternal City was of course no strange place to Liverpool, it was after all the scene for our very first date with old ‘Big Ears’.
It was a ferocious atmosphere but that didn’t faze Graeme Souness and his team mates; the Scot led them on a lap of the pitch before the game. Some of the players may have been a bit nervous at first but seeing their fearless captain relishing the heat of the cauldron soon put those nerves to bed. The evergreen and seemingly always ever present Phil Neal who scored the 3rd and final goal here in the 1977 final this time opened the scoring early from open play but the Italian champions equalized just before the break. The deadlock would not be broken again and the game went to penalties for the first time in the competitions history. Bruce Grobelaar and his famous ‘spaghetti legs’ bamboozled Roma’s penalty takers, forcing two to miss. Once again, the irrepressible Alan Kennedy was the man, Barney Rubble’s penalty sealing the Cup for Joe Fagan and his side.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ9so4Obhnk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ9so4Obhnk</a>]]>But enough about Liverpools success in Europe back in the 70’s and 80’s, now it was my genearations time; 2005 and the Miracle Of Istanbul. My arl fella was born in 1965, perhaps the very year you would pick to be born as a Liverpool fan if you were to have the choice, such was the array of trophies won over the following two and a half decades. I was 12 years old when I saw the Miracle Of Istanbul and I thought it was the start of another trophy-laden run for my beloved Redmen. It didn’t quite happen though and now I am almost 27, by that age my Dad had seen the European Cup won four times over along with two UEFA Cups and about a dozen English league titles with a fair few FA and League cup wins thrown in. He’d tell me all about those stories and times above, but it was like a myth to me. I’d never seen it, I’d never witnessed it but for some hazy Youtube videos. Those famous Anfield European nights were only the stuff of dreams to me, I had even been deemed too young to attend the emotional return of Gerard Houllier against Roma. But 2005 and the charge towards Turkey was my time, it was finally here. We had looked dead and buried in the final group game against Olympiacos, the legendary Brazilian winger Rivaldo’s goal that bulged the Kop net was a cheeky free kick and we looked down and out. It left us needing 3 second half goals to qualify. Rafa sent on young and inexperienced forwards in Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor as he sought more attacking threat. Hardly the most inspiring names when 3 goals are required but the two youngsters played a pivotal part. Sinama-Pongolle was a constant threat with his quick feet and trickery while Mellor gave us a bigger focal point to aim for up front. The former scored within a minute of coming on, Rafa simply looking down at his watch in reaction the goal. Not a bad sub eh? A long range effort from Gerrard squirmed under the Greek keeper Nikopolidis but was disallowed by the referee before Harry Kewell missed a golden chance from just outside the six yard box, his header straight at the keeper, time was not our friend at this stage. No self respecting LFC fan needs to know what happened next, aw you beauty! I watched this game at home with my dad as we were unable to secure tickets but a huge slice of luck saw us land a pair for the next game against Bayer Leverkusen; this was my chance to witness greatness under those floodlights. It will never be spoken of as one of the great European nights at Anfield but it is certainly up there with my personal favourites. It was the first time I had heard that famous orchestral music being blared out of the sound system. This was different, there was a different smell and a different attitude around the ground. A routine win over both legs set up an emotional tie against the Old Lady of Italian football, Juventus. And this one would most certainly go down in Anfield folklore. A stunning volley from the legendary Sami Hyypia got us off to a flyer and the ground erupted. If a stunning volley from your centre half was a surprise, nothing could have prepared us for what were about to witness. Anthony Le Tallec flicked a hopeful ball up towards Milan Baros but it was too heavy, the Czech striker could only watch it loop over his head. Luis Garcia was on the move and sensed an opportune moment. The ball fell nicely for him and he sent a sumptuous strike over the head of Gigi Buffon, there was nothing £32m worth of goalkeeper could do about it. A late fumble from teenage keeper Scott Carson put the shits slightly up us- he had performed brilliantly throughout- but this was still one of the great Anfield nights. A typical Rafa masterclass saw us grind out a 0-0 draw at the Stadio del Alpi and we were heading into the semi finals of the Champions League and a tie against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
Another typically resolute away performance saw Rafa and the lads bring a 0-0 draw back up to Anfield, advantage Liverpool. If the Leverkusen and Juventus nights were something for my 12 year old self to saviour, nothing could ever have prepared me for what I was about to be a part of now. The ground filled earlier than usual, the noise louder, the tension hung in the air like gun smoke. Outside there was a feeling I’d never experienced before, something very special was about to unfold. The teams emerged from the tunnel to a Red wall of noise and it didn’t stop for the next two hours, it was a pulsating atmosphere beyond my comprehension. YNWA never fails to bring a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye when I visit the ground today but that nights rendition of YNWA was perhaps one of the greatest of all time. It set the tone for the night and from the first whistle to the last, the whole crowd didn’t let up for a single minute. It is somewhat of a cliché to pronounce the fans as the 12th man but those on the terraces that Spring evening more than played their part.
Yet again Liverpool got off to a quick start. Gerrard spun the ball up into the penalty area towards Milan Baros where the onrushing Petr Cech met him and cleaned him out but the ball had broken loose. Luis Garcia was again alert and sensed an opportunity, getting to the ball first. He struck a tame effort goalwards but Gallas couldn’t get back in time, the ball seemed to be over the line by the time the Frenchman got there, the ref looked at the linesman who signalled a goal. Cue utter bedlam and the noise level increased even more. Wave after wave of Chelsea attack followed but our defence somehow kept them at bay. A block from Djimi Traore to deny Lampard from distance eipitomised our whole run that season as he got one of his elasticated legs in the way. Not the most spectacular player on his day but playing like a man possessed that evening. Igor Biscan was another. Jose Mourinho slumped further into his seat the longer the night wore on, it looked like there would once again be glory around the Fields of Anfield Road. Drogba sent a wayward free kick high in the Kop before Lampard took his turn only to be denied by a big Pole in our goal. Kezman came close but somehow he couldn’t get a clean contact on the ball and it wriggled free. SIX minutes went up on the board and then came ‘the chance’. The ball fell perfectly for Eidur Gudjohnson, just a few yards from goal with Dudek in no mans land. The Kop took a breath and gasped. This was it. Dream over. So close yet so far. He caught it cleanly.
WIDE.
Quite how that ball whistled past the post and not end up in the net I will never know, there was a collective intake of breath and for a split second it seemed like the whole ground fell silent in a freeze frame moment. I think I can even still recall the sound of the ball hitting the advertising board and not the back of the net or maybe that’s just my imagination? I STILL expect him to bury it ,even now on replays! This was clearly our time, our destiny. Rafa Benitez and his men rolled back the years, it was just like the old days. All those fabled nights I had been told of; Saint Etienne, Inter Milan, Auxerre, Borussia, Bruges and Barca but now here was mine. My very own story, one that I could tell people about, one that I was a part of. One thing I have learned is that European nights at Anfield are very much reliant on ‘audience participation’ and that the Twelfth Man legend is very real, future fans can all get their own chance to help create their own piece of history too. This is a perpetual state of magic, if the ingredients are there we can all help to weave the spell and the lore will prevail again and again and again . . . . . .
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOR_tlMkKyA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOR_tlMkKyA</a>]]>In 2005 the footballing Titans of AC Milan awaited us in the Final. A star-studded team with no apparent weak links. Nesta, Maldini, Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko. Every name on their team sheet a legend in their own right. Every name on our team sheet about to become a Legend in their own right. Names like Smicer, Baros, Dudek, Traore, Finnan et al would write their own chapter on this night.
Nobody could have dreamed up what was about to happen. Two thirds of the ground seemed to be Liverpool red, Scousers here, there, and pretty much every f*cking where. Liverpool seemed a bit in awe of Milan in the first half with their 3 goals putting pretty much both hands on the trophy. They were playing football out of this world apparently. The delightful Kaka threading ball after ball through to Crespo and Shevchenko. Half time came and we were already in damage limitation mode. Regroup, win the 2ndhalf and do ourselves justice, that was the hope of most Liverpool fans at that point. The fans broke into a defiant chorus of YNWA during the break, and then the impossible happened.
Didi Hamann entered the fray and plugged the gaping hole Kaka had been exploiting at will for the first 45 minutes. The leak was stopped and we could now worry Milan ourselves. A curling cross from Riise was met with the greatest header of all time, the skipper rising to deliver a glimmer of hope. “You never know, you just never know with Liverpool” was the claim of commentator Clive Tyldesley.
Didi, The Kaiser that night, keeps play ticking over and rolls it right to Smicer. Don’t shoot. Don’t you dare fucking shoot- SMIIIIICCCERRR, IT’S IN, IT’S IN. VLADIMIR SMICER MAKES IT TWO GOALS IN TWO MINUTES FOR LIVERPOOL.
It was the sweetest strike he had ever struck, compatriot Milan Baros somehow getting out of the way, allowing the ball to nestle in the bottom corner. It’s on. Oh it’s on now. Milan were rocking and Liverpool were surging forward. Carragher fizzed a ball into Baros who helped it on to Gerrard, closing in on goal but a tug from Gattuso sees him hit the deck. He’s given the penalty, he has given the penalty!! Clive again . . . “Xabi Alonso with the chance to equalize, yes equalize for Liverpool. Oh. Saved by Dida…Xabi Alonsoooo. Mission impossible is accomplished”.
3 goals in surely the craziest six minutes in the history of European Cup Finals had drawn the teams level. The remaning 30 minutes were somewhat of an anti-climax, Milan shaken and in ‘do not lose’ mode and Liverpool on a bit of a comedown after the adrenalin rush of that three goal burst dissipated. The game was to head into extra time and again nothing much happened. Gerrard had now reverted to right back as the fresh legs of Serginho started to cause some problems. He dealt with him expertly, tackle after tackle, block after block. No blade was left uncovered by Liverpools great captain. He rallied the troops and provided the spark to get us back into the game, now he was ensuring that wasn’t in vain, Jamie Carragher was his chief lieutenant and ran his blood to water.
Then it was time to hold our breath once more. Deep into the second half of extra time, a cross came in and landed on the head of Shevchenko, Dudek denying him with a good save. But the ball fell perfectly for the Ukranian, just two yards from goal. Time stood still. He prodded the ball goalwards, towards another European Cup for Milan. Liverpools’ wait was to continue. But then, Dudek raised his hand instinctively. He was on the goal line yet the ball spiralled into the air and over the bar. Dudek rose to his feet, hands on hips, nodded his head, a smirk now appearing across his face. Fate. Destiny. Call it what you want but as soon as that shot was saved, our name was on the trophy. It was all falling into place.
Penalties would again decide Liverpools fate just as they did 21 years earlier at their last European Cup triumph. Again there would be spaghetti legs. Again they would affect opposition penalty takers. Shevchenko stepped up; it was match point Liverpool. Gerrards face started to go white. Shevchenko was bound to score. The Skipper would be taking the penalty kick to bring the Cup back home for good.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEDvtpJX4co" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEDvtpJX4co</a>]]>There has, of course, been a fair share of heartache to go with all the joyous occasions we’ve experienced. Heysel, Athens, Kiev. But each time we get up and we go again. We will never surrender. Heysel 85 was overshadowed by moments off the pitch. In the aftermath of Athens 07 we weren’t too worried because Rafa was taking us places. After Kiev last year we dusted ourselves down, regrouped and went again. We were told our time was up after the first leg of the semi final this year, the tie was over. How fucking dare anyone tell us to lie down and accept defeat. People keep denying the power of Anfield. Why? Where’s your famous atmosphere? There’s our famous atmosphere. Putting the shits right up some of the greatest players of our times. Striking fear into the greatest to have played the game. Messi, Suarez, Coutinho and co were coming over to simply finish the job but Anfield collectively said no, not tonight folks.
We saw the European Cup. Madrid had all the fucking luck. We swear we’ll keep on being cool. We’ll bring it back to Liverpool.
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0GRoWxE31U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0GRoWxE31U</a>]]>Up the fucking Reds.
