Steve Bruce....he’s got a big fat head....he’s got a big fat head...he’s got a big fat head.
Mine may be the only choice from the Hodgson Era of Darkness in this festive series but it was a timing thing. I had turned 40 earlier in the year and my ever loving in laws had clubbed together to send me and my boy to Anfield for a game of our choosing. However, while they were generously coughing up for flights and hotel, the matter of tickets was left to me to sort, a task I delegated with equal generosity to my buddy Steve (toomanysteves on here) who was joining us with his girl Rosie. Steve duly sorted us for a home game vs Sunderland and off we chugged.
So there we are, in the fucking Kop, which was a first for me while the boy was utterly rapt. Nine years old, sitting in among a bunch of foul mouthed Scousers, watching Torres and Gerrard in the flesh. Dreamland.
The first thing he learned was that the Kop gets off its feet with regularity, which meant him hopping up on the seat to get a view. The second thing he learned was that his father is a sensible sort, as said father told him that while we were in the ground, he could swear all he wanted. He let loose at one point and then guiltily looked around, as if someone was going to nab him for it.
So anyway, this goal. Ref gave Sunderland a free deep in their own half and then this happened.
https://www.youtube.com/v/0p08ugDV7G8As you will have noticed, Michael Turner passed the ball in a somewhat lazy fashion back to the Sunderland keeper, chap called Mignolet, and evidently underestimated the distance involved. Or possibly felt that he was merely coaxing the ball back for his keeper to then place and whallop. Who knows? Along comes Torres advancing, somewhat sheepishly, on the poor unmanned keeper and then sulkily crossing to Kuyt who manages to make a simple finish look hard won.
Not much of a goal, all other things being equal but on this occasion, there was more. We in the Kop could all plainly see the then Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce, potatoesque of head and Mancly of heritage, remonstrating with the ref for what he irrationally saw as a questionable decision. At this point, we felt it opportune to remind Mr Bruce of his cranial features. As me and my boy hollered out, I looked at him, eyes shining, head back, aloft his seat and swaying with the Kop and I thought, well, fair play to the in laws. This is a good present.
https://www.youtube.com/v/Tp7Vjprp944