Does anyone remember Gary Sprake throwing the ball into his own net???
Then the Kop bursting forth with "Careless Hands" by Des O'Connor...!
Since we've got plenty of very thorough historians on here, it's probably a good place to set the record straight on this famous incident. It's one of those that's registered very clearly on my not-always-reliable memory.
Sprake threw into his net just before half time. The game was winding down to the half-time whistle, players going through the motions. Sprake went to throw the ball out to one of his defenders, maybe Hunter, noticed that player was being closed down, and changed his mind a split second too late. He tried to change his side-arm throwing action into one that would re-gather the ball into his own chest, and completely bolloxed it, throwing the ball clean into his own net. It was one of those, "Did I just see that, or did I imagine it?" moments. Sprake was a memorably scatty goalie, brilliant one minute, a clown the next. The Kop responded by chanting his name, after about 10 seconds of absolutely stunned silence. But the Des O'Connor coup was completely down to the fella who put on the half-time music, and who selected "Careless Hands" for his first play. It's always held up as one of the classics of quick scouse wit. I don't recall the Kop joining in, just pissing itself laughing.
Perhaps the part of the whole thing that sticks in my mind is Bremner coming back to Sprake as the half-time whistle went, to console him. The Liverpool-Leeds games of that era were played in a spirit which has gone largely unmatched since. No quarter asked or given, no prisoners taken, but a great feeling of hard-nosed sportsmanship. Any chance, Wooltonian, you can put together an article on them?
As for YNWA, can't dispute the scholarship here. I do recall the Gerry and the Pacemakers recording often going onto the loudspeakers shortly before the game during the sixties, and the Kop taking its cue. Also, for some odd reason, the Supremes "Reflections" was often the last record played just as the players were coming out at this time. No idea why, but it's remained one of my favourites ever since.