Author Topic: RAWK Advent Calendar #19: Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool 1999  (Read 7710 times)

Offline BreakfastPercy

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RAWK Advent Calendar #19: Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool 1999
« on: December 19, 2013, 12:38:47 am »
In the grand scheme of things this was a fairly unremarkable game. Sure there were four goals, our future striker partnership lined up on opposing sides, and there was a goal from familiar pain in the arse and honorary Evertonian Tony Cottee. In the midst of European Cups though, it was unremarkable. To me though it has a little special place in my history supporting the Reds, and I've drafted my Dad in to explain why:

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"Football is special. And none more so than when father and son share their first competitive match, dad's team hosting his son's team at home. This was the case on the 18th of September, 1999 when the pair went to Filbert Street.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/XT6TkZ22SLA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/XT6TkZ22SLA</a>


I'm sure my Dad will still have the ticket stubs from this game, and the rest, as he's always been meticulous in preserving little things like that for posterity. A household with divided football loyalties is not exactly a rare thing, in fact when we look back to the days of the 'friendly derby' it was cherished. But given Leicester's fascination with Division 1 (Division 2 for the older ones and the Championship for the younger ones), it's not a rivalry we've managed to stoke the fires of very often!

Filbert Street was a great footy stadium, at least in my memory. You'd be bouncing along past terraced houses and before you knew it lace curtains gave way to that bright green turf. The old ladies in the houses pretended the constant stream of prying football fans wasn't interfering with their TV program, and we didn't care because it was that football buzz that threatened to lift you up and over the rooftops.

We were in the Leicester end for this one. I had my jacket zipped right up to my neck and as we filtered through the turnstiles I became acutely aware of the red shirt underneath. I was like a mini version of Donal MacIntyre when he infiltrated the Chelsea hooligans, only this time if Donal got discovered it was likely his Dad who'd have had his head kicked in.

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The only slight blemish on what promised to be a perfect afternoon was that we were in the Spion Kop. Not a great place for an 11 year old lad who supports Liverpool. A lone LFC supporter hiding amongst the pack animals that surged and swayed and snarled, growled and spat.

It was a proper Home end that one, I remember it. They were all blokes who you could identify by the number of ridges in the fat that joined their skinhead and a big lumbering body evolved perfectly to be a lager vessel. The alcohol ban at football stadiums had long been in effect by then, but I seem to remember the streams of lager (and piss) that would trickle down the steps after a goal.

Leicester went ahead and as the Kop (not ours, Leicester's) became more and more involved there wasn't a man left seated. A poor steward in a yellow jacket tried asking for people to sit down, quietly enough so that nobody heard. He glanced across at me, by this time stood on my chair and still barely able to see. I think he took pity on me and my Dad and left us to it.

Two goals from Owen, including a penalty, saw Liverpool go in ahead at the break.

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How you weren't punching the air and screaming at the top of your lungs I don't know. I was proud though.
It was just basic survival instincts in hindsight. I remember sort of glancing inwardly, aware again I had my Liverpool shirt on. I think I even shouted something pro-Leicester, hamming up my part so that I could get away with the fat grin I had watching Mickey Owen grab those goals.

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Such control. The venom, the vitriol, the unadulterated pure hatred was ever present. And none more so than in the first half when Owen was clattered in the Leicester penalty area -he looked to be knocked out. The kop was screaming for him to be dead - the same fans that had applauded his goal for England some 14 days earlier...
I remember quite a bit of racism too. Leicester has always (used to) had an uneasy relationship with multiculturalism because of its large Asian population, though that can be said of anywhere to an extent. Filbert Street was your old school terraced stadium and the Spion Kop was full of old school Leicester fans. Liverpool Football Club is often at the heart of debates on tribalism in what is a relatively sanitized football atmosphere these days, hoping an England player was dead wasn't even the half of it then.

The second half was spent watching Liverpool get more and more uneasy on the ball, in contrast to me as I actually relaxed a little in the bear pit of Leicester fans. I had the goalie kit Sander is wearing including socks and shorts, so I guess that'd make me a 'full kit wanker', though I promise it never went beyond the back garden. In the end a Liverpool win was too good to be true, but a draw probably better...

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A delightful equaliser from Muzzy Izzet on 88 minutes saw the points, but more importantly a father and son memory, shared."

Offline Hinesy

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Re: RAWK Advent Calendar #19: Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool 1999
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2013, 12:48:55 am »
This is what I love about this series. Proper match going memories. ta BP :wave
Yep.

Offline The 5th Benitle

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Re: RAWK Advent Calendar #19: Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool 1999
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2013, 11:38:21 am »
This is what I love about this series. Proper match going memories. ta BP :wave
Yep, really enjoyed that. I only went to Anfield once with my late father and it's a great memory despite us losing the game that day.

Offline Hinesy

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Re: RAWK Advent Calendar #19: Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool 1999
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2013, 12:04:04 am »
Bump for Christmas
Yep.