Apologies to those who've heard all or part of this before. Beyond 70, repeating yourself comes with the territory.
My first game was a ghastly 1-1 draw against Barnsley, December 10 1955, watched from the Boy’s Pen, freezing cold, windy, ball in the air 70% of the game. Two matches before we’d beaten Fulham 7-0, so some come-down. Sound familiar?
Memorable games before I left the UK in 1973:
2-1 loss to Man City who were high in div 1 back then, us in div 2, a 5th round replay on a snowy pitch, the famous disallowed Liddell equalizer, ref blew the final whistle when the ball was half way between his boot and the net.
1964, the highs and lows of football. Loss to Swansea, Feb 29th in the 6th round, our second season back in div 1 and we looked like world-beaters, Swansea in the second division. They scored twice in two minutes in the first half, I was right behind the Kop goal and remember Gordon Milne’s face as he fished the second out of the net, that ‘I don’t believe this’ look. Ronnie Moran had a chance to equalize with a pen in the 80th minute, blazed it over the bar, nearly took my head off. Salah last Saturday.
Then just seven weeks later we beat Arsenal to win our first league title since 1947. I got into the ground just after 12, I think the Kop and Paddock gates were shut at 12.30, all gates closed before 2 for a 3pm kick-off. Jam packed and bedlam. More penalty drama, Lawrence saving one at minute 29 with us 1-0 up but looking very jittery at the back. After that we settled down and went on to win 5-0, the last half hour of the game one huge party.
2-1 win over Spurs, 5th round replay 1968. Tickets sold mid week before the game and all gone when I was still half a mile from the front of the queue. I was in digs on Anfield Road back then, could see the glare of floodlights from my bedroom, hear all the commotion from the ground. After five minutes, couldn’t stand it any longer, walked to the ground looking for scalpers. Got a Paddock ticket at below face value from a guy wanting to get in there himself with his last one. Came out onto the terrace just as Hunt, on the edge of the box right in line with me, volleyed it in to the roof of the net. Ecstasy.
One of the very few advantages of old age is you’ve had a chance to learn how to take the rough with the smooth, helps you through a season like this one.