A warmish day saw me heading up th M6 for our trip to scouseland, I set off quite early as with all other 'glory hunting' supported teams,one has to get there and find a parking space before the fans from London,Dorset,Yorkshire and Ulan Bator get all the best spots and even then when I got there at 11.30, parking places were in short supply.
I was quietly confident about the game on the way up, after all we do quite well up at Anfiels (it's at Stans we have problems) but as I walked past Stanley Park on the way to a little know pub called the Midden I got more concerned as the Liverpool fans were all confident of giving us a beating, similar to the one they handed out to Derby!
As I strolled in to tup to the pub I passed the many cheery faced kids playing in the roads, while their mothers chatted , actually the kids were sitting in the road and the mothers wee screaming at each other from across the street, about something...surely someone should make a soap called St Dominicos Grove, it is a lovely place!
Don't get me started on the City of Culture,it's one of the places I hate visiting , anywayin the pub watching the rugby with Doogie and Celtic Bill both jocks and season ticket holders, we were the only bluenoses in a sea of red and the main reason I go there..its an ordinary and friendly little boozer, no frills and cheap!! unlike the Arkles, which was already full of liverpool supporters from all over the country and four or five bluenoses..I just loooked in and carried on to the Midden.
After a good chat and a few shandies we headed to the ground, finally inside we found our seats, just as Gerry Marsdens voice echoed around the ground to be joined in by all the liverpool fans..'not as good as at Celtic Park' said Celtic Bill and he was right, from that moment on the Liverpool fans were so quiet it was like a graveyard.
Liverpool started brightly and had the majority of the play but,they never really threatened a few long shots and lots of 50 yard passes. Pennant received a good hand from the travelling bluenoses, except for a few people who booed him..why? we made a load of money for him and Liverpool have turned him in to a better player...he still can't find anyone with his crosses though!
The bluenoses were in fine voice, although in our section we spent most of the first half up and down like yo-yo's and the cops and stewards did thier best to get us to stay seated but, eventually gave up.Liverpool must have more Police and stewards at games than any other club, mind you with their past history, I'm not surprised.
During the half time I said hello to a few 'noses Badger,Spoon and I saw some of the MIB/SHA people.
As the teams came out for the second half I wondered if the blues would be able to withstand the expected charge from Liverpool, surely the reds would up their game?
The blues fans were in good voice and a couple of hearty KRO's echoed around a quiet Anfield, still the mighty and much talked about Koppites sat on their hands (or should I say voices..)Blues had one or two half chances and we began to believe that we could get something out of the game. When 'Rafa' brought on Crouch, I felt a lot better as they would revert to 'hoof' football and we can handle that and that's what they did.
The bluenoses, urged the boys to hold out from the airial bombardment, with another KRO and the final whistle went by this time and a good ten minutes beforehand Anfield was populated by lots of red seats as the liverpool supporters went back to Dorset, London and Ulan Bator.
The team played well and Kelly,Jerome, Larsson, Ridgewell, Taylor played really well..Only one worry in a good team performance, McSheffrey has done nothing since January to warrant a place on the team and many noses, around me anyway, felt the same way, judging by their comments during the game and Brucie had a couple of words with him during the second half.
So I headed down to Warwickshire, with my blues flag in the back window, totally ignored by the hundreds of cars with Liverpool shirted drivers heading for Ulan Bator.
KRO
murph |
