World of Chig   

26.5.05


Sexy Stephen Gerrard scores. Picture (c) BBC Sport.

I'm sure Chig wasn't the only non-Liverpool fan who became a Scouse Red just for tonight as I settled in front of the TV to watch the Champions' League Final from Istanbul. And boy oh boy, what a game! One goal down to AC Milan within seconds, and 3-0 down at half time, Liverpool looked crushed. But they refused to give in, and, incredibly, pulled back the whole deficit within ten minutes, ending the game 3-3. Then extra time, and no more goals. Penalties, and AC Milan missed the first two, leaving Liverpool to eventually win the game 3-2 on spot kicks. For once, English football has WON a penalty shoot-out. Incredible! And now it's the lead story on ITV's News At Ten Eleven.

I've heard 'You'll Never Walk Alone' played on both Radio 1 and Radio 2 today, in the lead-up to this match, which was amazing enough. When did Gerry & The Pacemakers last get daytime airplay on Radio 1?! You could almost believe the inspirational Anfield anthem song really did give Liverpool hope and saw them through.

Liverpool FC are the champions of Europe, for the fifth time, which means the cup will never leave Anfield; they get to keep it. How absolutely bloody fantastic! It could hardly be in a more poignant week, with the twentieth anniversary of the dreadful Heysel disaster coming up this Sunday, 29 May. That day saw 38 Italian fans and one Belgian killed, as a wall collapsed during a crush, caused as Liverpool fans advanced on Juventus suupporters.
Coming just a few days after the Bradford fire, this confirmed 1985 as the darkest hour of English football at the time. (The Hillsborough disaster was yet to come.) Let's hope that tonight's amazing Liverpool performance has acted as some kind of catharsis for the club, while not forgetting those who died so pointlessly twenty years ago. Congratulations lads. Well done you Reds!


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