Walk On!
Thursday, May 26th, 2005Well, tonight started off good, went exceedingly poorly for a short while, and then finished off in a flurry of fantasticness that is still going now.
For those uninterested in football, you can give up now if you wish! I am of course writing about Liverpool’s triumphant return to dominance in European club football after 20 years in the wilderness by defeating AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final held in Istanbul tonight.
Tonight I perched myself on the sofa, chilled Tiger beer at the ready, hot and spicy phone out pizza in hand and sat down to watch the football. Now, this is not something I normally do, mind, it’s usually reserved for special occasions such as World Cup Finals, FA Cup Finals and so on. I wouldn’t want you all thinking I’m a footy beer and pizza monster! The last time I actually watched Liverpool play at Anfield, was a European Cup Semi-Final against Panathinaikos in 1985. I was 14 years old. We won, 1-0 if I recall correctly and the team headed off to play at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium. I was still at school… a trip to Belgium to watch the final was way out of my league, though some of my friends went.
I’m sure some will be familiar with the events, but on 29th May 1985 (almost 20 years to the day), Liverpool played Juventus in the European Cup Final. A day on which hooliganism reared it’s ugly head, and due to a number of factors (the hooligans being one) a wall collapsed in the stadium and 39 people lost their lives. I remember watching this all unfold live on TV. I don’t think the memories will ever leave me. A result of this was disaster was that English clubs were banned for 5 years from European football. Liverpool were banned for an additional 2 years. Another consequence of that night would be that I would never return to Anfield to watch my beloved team play.
So, armchair supporter as I now am, it was with great hope and excitement that I sat down to watch the European Cup Final (albeit under a new name) that I’ve waited 20 years for. I’m normally a red wine drinker, but somehow, Tiger Beer and pizza seemed to fit the bill more aptly. Kickoff arrived, and 50 seconds later my head was in my hands as Milan went a goal up. It wasn’t a disaster I kept telling myself as there was a whole game ahead of us to level the score. 45 minutes later I was crying into my beer.
By now AC Milan had put a total of 3 goals in. A side bristling with the quality of Milan don’t allow teams to come back from that. They truly battered us in the first half. I was beginning to think that we could be looking at 7 or 8 by the finish. The commentator mentioned an epic night of European football in the dim and distant past that finished 7-3 and I thought perhaps he was tempting fate. In the second half, 5 glorius minutes saw Liverpool score 3 times to even up the game which was such an event in itself, that I no longer cared if we won or lost. Coming back from the dead in such a way was enough to make my night, and should Milan get a fourth, I would console myself in the fact that we almost did it. As it happened, Milan didn’t get a fourth. Extra time ensued, and then it was the lottery of penalties. Jerzy Dudek, the Liverpool goalkeeper relived the glorius 80’s by paying tribute to Bruce Grobbelaar and doing the old wobbly legs routine - which had the desired effect and had Milan shooting into the rafters. And then it was over. Liverpool were once again Champions of Europe, and I haven’t stopped dancing yet.
I actually have a photograph of me aged 7 years old in 1978 in the Anfield Trophy room holding the European Cup. I’ve got to try and dig that out and scan it so I can attach it in someway to this post 
edit: duly found, scanned and attached - enjoy!
(cue music)
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of the lark… walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown… walk on… walk on… with hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone… you’ll never walk alone.
