Pride and Passion The Official History of scotland Football

 

Ian Rush Testimonial Liverpool Celtic Glasgow

6 Decembre 1994

Anfield Road

 Liverpool's sharpshooter supreme Ian Rush scored with a bumper pay-out as Anfield paid homage to its greatest soccer striking legend. A crowd of 25,856 grossed club record receipts for a testimonial of around $500,000 for the 33-year-old Welshman who has become as identified with the red of Liverpool as any player of the past 25 years. Stig Bjornebye, Steve McManaman and a Mark McNally own goal put Liverpool three ahead at the interval with second-half strikes from Phil Babb and Neil Ruddock adding to the pain for the Bhoys. Six minutes from time, Rush, himself, set the perfect seal on a night of glorious memories when he stabbed in the final goal at the Kop end, where he has been a hero for a decade and a half. Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson, Alan Kennedy, Joey Jones and Ronnie Whelan were among the past wearers of the famous Liverpool red who paid their dues to their former teammate by taking part in a celebrity game before the start of the main event. The 8000-strong Celtic contingent played their part as the two sets of supporters joined together in a standing ovation for Rush when he entered the Anfield arena he has graced so magnificently since joining as a 19-year-old from Chester in 1980. The party was joined when Kenny Dalglish - as much of an idol at Parkhead as Anfield - came out of retirement to reform his celebrated partnership with Rush for the second half. At the final whistle, Rush walked his personal lap of honor to round off the night. The Liverpool skipper told the crowd: "It's been such an emotional night for me. "I'd like to thank the Celtic supporters who've come such a long way to be here. And I'd also like to say thank you to the Liverpool fans, not just for tonight, but for the 14 years you've looked after me - you've been magnificent and I will love you always."

Home International Championship 1977 England Scotland

4 Juin 1977
Wembley Stadium

"Another afternoon of British rubbish." (Disenchanted voice in Wembley Press Box)

 Whatever pleasure Scotland goal from winnig a dreadful matc was spoil by by the hordes of their puerile, drunken fans who invaded the Wembley pitch at the end to celebrate by breaking both sets of goal-posts, ripping out the nets, and cutting out pieces of turf to take home as trophies of their triumph.

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1980 1981 Liverpool CSKA Sofia

Kenny Dalglish Portrait Of A Natural Footballer

                                 

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1984 1985 Liverpool Panathinaikos

Demie Finale Aller
10 Avril 1985
Anfield 

 Merseyside was enjoying its finest hour of European and domestic success. Everton were top of the first division, Liverpool second. Both clubs were in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Everton were into the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. There was a real possibility of four of the most prized trophies in Europe ending up in Scouse hands. Liverpool were relieved to have avoided Juventus, the Italian giants who had already beaten them in the Super Cup, albeit under atrocious weather conditions in Turin. With Juventus pitched against the French champions Bordeaux, a Liverpool/Juventus final always seemed the likely outcome. It was the first time Liverpool had ever entertained Panathinaikos, although the Greek champions had travelled to Merseyside once before, when they knocked Everton out of the European Cup quarter-final in 1971.

Division One 1985 1986 Chelsea Liverpool Decisive

3 Mai 1986
Stamford Bridge

 As the crowds gathered at Anfield on a bright Saturday afternoon in mid-August 1985, it was not to herald a new season of football but rather to mourn the past season for Liverpool. It was a mere three months since the tragedy of Heysel and had been the most traumatic period to date for the club. An intense debate had swept through Parliament and the media about the problems of football violence while the Merseyside police were conducting a thorough investigation into the riot. Culprits were found and dossiers handed over to the Belgian authorities. In Belgium itself, the Government coming under increasing criticism, had been forced to resign and call a general election. Politicians on Merseyside and in Turin crossed the channel to help heal the wounds and pay their respects but the memories of those who had suffered or lost innocent friends and relations could never be erased. Not surprisingly, the European Football Association took the sternest action possible, banning English clubs from playing in Europe indefinitely and imposed a further ban of three years on Liverpool.

Kenny Dalglish Blackburn Rovers 1993 1994 "The Boss"

 Blackburn chose the right season to win promotion from the Second Division. They went straight into the new Premier Division after winning a Wembley play-off final against Leicester City. The last Premier spot was not decided until 25 May, more than two weeks after the Cup final. Rovers' David Speedie was brought down in the penalty area, and Mike Newell scored from the spot for the only goal of the game. Blackburn's appearance in the top flight will be their first since 1966. There were two ironies in their achievement. Their late chairman, Bill Fox, as president of the Football League, had fought tooth and nail against the new Premier League, which his club were now joining. And Kenny Dalglish, their manager, who had been lured to Blackburn by retired steel magnate Jack W'alker, with the help of £5.5 million to spend in the transfer market, found himself returning to the pressures of the top divi-sion, which had forced him to give up the Liverpool manager-ship only 15 months earlier.

Division One 1984 1985 Newcastle Liverpool

 

FA Cup 1990 1991 Blackburn Rovers Liverpool

3e Tour
Ewood Park
5 Janvier 1991

Liverpool, League champions and First Division leaders, were within a minute of an inglorious FA Cup exit. Blackburn Rovers, 19th in the Second Division, were leading 1-0 when the ball squirted out of play on the left flank of their defence. An obliging ball-girl returned the ball to Steve Nicol, who threw it to Ray Houghton. His cross went over Gary Gillespie, who was baulked by a defender, and flew agonisingly off the foot of Blackburn right-back Mark Atkins into his own goal.

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1983 1984 Liverpool Benfica

Charity Shield 1983 1984 Everton Liverpool

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1973 1974 Celtic Atletico Madrid

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1980 1981 Liverpool Aberdeen

16e de Finale Retour

Anfield Road
5 Novembre 1980

History records this tie as the only ever meeting of those two great managers Bob Paisley and Sir Alex Ferguson. Aberdeen boasted the talents of Miller, McLeish, Leighton and a fiery young red head called Strachan and had managed to break the Old Firm stranglehold on Scottish football.  With the away goal in the bag the Reds sat about the second leg in confidence. It took some thirty eight minutes though before the Reds opened up their account thanks to a Willie Miller own goal. Phil Neal swept one home before half time as well and the tie was all but over. Dalglish and Hansen completed a 4-0 rout which meant the Reds had won far more easily than they had planned when the draw had been made.

Coupe Intercontinentale 1981 Flamengo Liverpool

Coupe Intercontinental 1984 Independiente Liverpool

9 Decembre 1984
National Stadium Tokyo

Liverpool's visit to Tokyo for the World  Championship in 1981 had been an unhappy experience. Squeezed into the middle of a poor sequence of results, and after an arduous journey half way around the worldT Bob Paisley's team had been out-classed by an exciting Brazilian team full of flair and dash. The prospects seemed little brighter three years later. Liverpool, struggling in the middle of the table and with only six wins to their credit in 16 matches, were finding goals a rare commodity. In addition, they were going to play the Argentinian team, Independiente, the first time footballers from Argentins and Britain had faced each other since the 1982 Falklands War.Independiente, boasting seven Argentinian internationals and one Uruguayen, were playing their sixth World Club Final (a record), having won the competition once before, in 1973, In Argentina, they were known as 'Los Diablos Rojas', the Red Devils, and had won the South American Club Championship more times than any other club. They were a formidable proposition but this time, at least, Liverpool were to give a better account of themselves.

Coupe des Clubs Champions 1984 1985 Liverpool Austria Vienne

 

Super Coupe 1978 Anderlecht Liverpool

Charity Shield 1979 Liverpool Arsenal

Wembley Stadium
11 aout 1979

The Charity Shield match was between 1978/79 Football League champions, Liverpool, and 1978/79 FA Cup winners Arsenal.It was business as usual at Wembley as Liverpool continued where they had left off at the end of the previous season by once again illustrating why they were regarded as the best team in England.This time Arsenal were the victims as Bob Paisley's ruthless winning machine produced a performance that must have chilled every topflight manager to the bone with a crushing 3-1 success.New signing Avi Cohen watched on from the bench and must have wondered if we would ever get a game as a Terry McDermott double and one from Kenny Dalgish left the FA Cup winning Gunners soundly beaten.Not even a consolation goal from cup final hero Alan Sunderland could raise Arsenal spirits as the Reds ran out worthy winners.As the full-time whistle blew to bring a welcome end to the Londoners' misery, Liverpool stepped up to claim their fourth Charity Shield outright.It would set the tone for the remainder of the season as the Reds surged to yet another League Championship, with McDermott picking up both the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards.

Division One 1985 1986 Liverpool Everton