The whirlwind of change football has gone through in the last one and a half decades is impossible to deny. Perhaps whirlwind is a mild word to describe the massive transition the beautiful game continues to go through since the turn of the century, which has caused every football fan worth his/her salt to sit up and take notice. However, there are some things that continue to stand the test of time, oblivious to the might of transition.
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One such glorious example is Liverpool Football Club.
Founded in 1892 by John Houlding, the Merseyside outfit along with generations upon generations of players and supporters have been the architects of some of the beautiful game’s greatest moments.
Such was their strength under club stalwarts Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan, that the Reds achieved near unrivalled domination in English football for nearly quarter of a century. In its distinguished 125-year history, Liverpool have won 18 league titles, seven FA Cups, five European Cups and eight League Cups (a record) amongst other notable silverware – exemplifying Anfield’s aura.
The road to these victories created innumerable cherished memories for the Liverpool faithful. Here’s tracing the five greatest moments in Liverpool history.
#1 The arrival of Bill Shankly
Decades before a Scot arrived at Manchester United to spearhead nearly 25 years of unprecedented success, 1959 saw Liverpool appoint their own legendary Scotsman in the form of Bill Shankly, who changed the face of the club forever. The iconic Reds manager arrived at a time when Liverpool were languishing in the Second Division for five torrid years.
During the time of Shankly’s appointment, Liverpool were in complete shambles both on and off the pitch, with a squad full of underwhelming players and a stadium and training ground desperately in need of upliftment.
Shankly ordered a complete overhaul as soon as he took charge. The pitch was remodelled, key signings in the form of Ron Yeats and Ian St John were made and promising young talents like Roger Hunt and Gerry Byrne were promoted over the years. Needless to say, success soon followed.
After lifting the Second Division title in 1962, the Reds began their domination in the first division, winning a total of three league titles during Shankly’s reign as manager. Shankly’s time at Liverpool also saw the club win two FA Cups, four Charity Shields and one UEFA Cup.
Besides a plethora of trophies, Shankly also left the Liverpool faithful with a host of iconic quotes, immortalising him in the process. The Scotsman’s enormous contributions to Liverpool were recognised with the erection of the Shankly Gates in 1982. Of all his achievements, Shankly’s biggest one was leaving a permanent impression on a club that continues to hold him in the highest regard even today.
#2 The first European triumph in 1977
The massive void left by Bill Shankly’s departure was more than filled by the astute leadership of his assistant Bob Paisley, who voraciously built on the success Shankly ushered in for Liverpool. Out of all of Paisley’s brilliant success, the most important one probably came on May 25th, 1977 when Liverpool, who were the English champions, faced off against German champions Borussia Monchengladbach in the European Cup final in Rome.
Terry McDermott gave Liverpool the lead in the 28th minute, but an Allan Simonsen goal after half-time saw Monchengladbach level the playing field. However, goals from Tommy Smith and Phil Neal (from a penalty) in the 64th and 82nd minutes sealed the game for the Reds, who won their first European Cup, much to the joy of their fans.
The 1977 victory was the first of an astonishing five European Cup triumphs for the Merseyside club. Paisley went on to win a further two European Cups making him the only European manager to win the trophy on three occasions until his record was equalled by Carlo Ancelotti in 2014.
#3 The Miracle of Istanbul
Manchester United may have executed the greatest Champions League final comeback of the last century against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou, but it remains to be seen if the Old Trafford outfit or any other club for that matter betters Liverpool’s ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ in this one.
Milan entered the final as firm favourites and justified their tag after just one minute as they opened the scoring against the Merseyside club through Paolo Maldini, who capitalised on Andrea Pirlo’s free kick and volleyed the ball past Jerzy Dudek. Rallied by the goal, Milan soon began an onslaught and a Hernan Crespo double in the 39th and 44th minute respectively looked to have all but won the Cup for the San Siro outfit.
However, nobody could have been prepared for what came next. Liverpool emerged from the tunnel after halftime looking like a team with renewed vigour and goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso dramatically turned the tide for the Merseyside outfit.
Milan were unable to break the stalemate despite their onslaught and the match went to extra time and finally penalties where the brilliance of goalkeeper Dudek saw three of the Milan penalty takers miss their penalty kicks. Smicer, who had changed the game after coming on as a sub at halftime tucked in the winning goal, to euphoric cheering from the Liverpool faithful.
A club that had lost all hope in the first 45 minutes now held the most coveted trophy in Europe for the fifth time. Such was the jubilation back home that the Liverpool players were cheered on by one million supporters during the open-top parade on their return.
Champagne flowed like water, with an estimated 10,000 bottles sold on the day after their triumph. Liverpool’s record fifth European Cup resulted in them being allowed to keep the trophy, which is now proudly housed at Anfield. The win was one for the history books and is an undoubtedly proud moment for the club.
#4 The 1989 FA Cup Final
The emotionally charged 1989 FA Cup final clash between Liverpool and Everton just five weeks after the tragic Hillsborough Disaster, which saw 96 Liverpool fans lose their lives, witnessed moments of great solemnness as well as heartening scenes from both sets of fans. The atmosphere before kickoff was simply touching, with both sets of fans breaking into beautiful renditions of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Abide With Me’, which struck an emotional chord with every single football fan all over the world.
The two Merseyside clubs showed the world that unity and love triumphs over even the most bitter of rivalries. With flags of both clubs proudly displayed by both sets of fans, the Scouse crowd showed everyone that at that moment there was no Liverpool or Everton, just one United Kingdom standing in solidarity with each other.
The match itself, which saw a minute’s silence observed, was nothing short of brilliant with both sides equally sharp. Goals from John Aldridge and Stuart McCall saw the match drag into extra time before a brace from Ian Rush, which cancelled out McCall’s goal in extra time, sealed the match for Liverpool. Liverpool’s nail-biting victory was thrilling, but what really stole the show was the enchanting displays from both sets of fans.
#5 The 1984 European Cup Final
A list of the greatest moments in Liverpool history is incomplete without a nod to the 1984 European Cup final between the Reds and AS Roma. The Merseyside club were received with extreme hostility in the Italian capital, which gave them all the more reason to want to beat the Italians. Liverpool showed their ambition by going one up, courtesy of a goal from Phil Neal, in the 13th minute.
However, their happiness was short-lived and Roberto Pruzzo soon equalised for the Italian outfit in the 42nd minute. The morale of the Roma players was extremely high after half-time but the stubborn Liverpool defence refused to budge, resulting in the match spilling over into extra-time and eventually penalties.
Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar’s ‘spaghetti legs’ technique unnerved the Roma penalty takers, resulting in two saves which ultimately proved decisive. Liverpool scored all but one of their penalties, which won Joe Fagan’s side the European Cup for the fourth time.
