Day 18 - Favourite Game

Istanbul. I remember exactly where I was, in the TV room of the Lorron Hotel along with Aaron, Liam, James, Shane, Josh (who was supporting Milan), Calvin (other LFC fan) and our only male teacher Mr Collingwood.

The build up was brilliant, it was amazing watching all the shows on telly about the road to Istanbul, but as soon as we won the semi, I knew I would be on our school trip during the game. It was heartbreaking, but the next day at school I asked the headteacher and she said she’s make sure we could watch it. 

It was at a time where I got Match Magazine every week, I still have the Istanbul special edition in it’s plastic case somewhere, we bought two. One to send to me in the post, and one just incase something happened to the other one. I read the build up all day long for it. 

Of the 60 people who were on that trip, that’s the only people who watched the greatest Champion’s league final in History, fools.

When Traore committed that foul, we were all right on his back, but by the end of the game, we all loved him, because he showed so much commitment to the team.

We all wanted Liverpool to win, it’s not like we all hate everyone like everyone seems to now, all of us there were together as a force screaming on Liverpool. Except Josh, he’s part italian, and felt like being different. Every time there was goal or a throw-in or something we beat him up.

Then Crespo scored his first, our dreams were slipping away. That handball, should’ve been given as a penalty, but then Crespo scored that brilliant chip, Dudek had been left with no defence and we were 3-0 down. 

That 15 minutes was so quiet mainly. Me and Calvin were sitting too close to the telly. And I still remember two of the boys there asking to leave to go play the quiz. Our teacher, who is a Hull fan btw, gave a massive lecture to the two boys who wanted to go. Saying how it is wrong to give up and leave just because your team is losing. This speech really meant something to me, he didn’t let the boys that wanted to leave go. He made them stay and they whitnessed the greatest comeback in History.

I still remember mumbling YNWA to myself under my breath. I can honestly say I didn’t think what was about to happen was possible.

I remember Gerrard’s header like it was yesterday. Riise’s perfect cross, and we all sort of gasped as Stevie leaped and powered one of the best header’s I’ve ever seen past Dida. That’s when that glimmer of hope appeared, it was made look so simple, and that image of Gerrard moving his arms geeing up the team was iconic. Yes we can. We can do it. And we had faith.

Smicer’s goal was a brilliant finish as well, I still remember watching the replay seeing how brilliantly Milan Baros had done to get out of the way of the shot, I always liked Vlad and it was his last LFC game, and he was ecstatic after that goal went in. 

Our reactions were like OMG. We’re nearly there, within a few minutes we’d gone from 3-0 to 3-2. I believed and we all did. 

Stevie went over very quickly for the penalty, but it was a penalty. I have the utmost respect for Gattuso, but it was cynical. Then we danced around a bit. Just before Xabi stepped up I said ‘Xabi will bury this.’ Then I remember someone saying, ‘No chance, Dida is amazing’. They were right. There was at short space of time we hand were on head and we thought the chance had gone, then he slid in and buried it. Madness, I remember just thinking, fuck this. It’s not big enough in here, burst into the main room of the ‘hotel’ where everyone else was doing a quiz, with another boy dancing around shouting 3-3! 3-3! XABI ALONSO! XABI ALONSO! WE’VE DONE IT! WE DID IT! The other boy is a die hard Leeds fan, but I still remind him about this, and I’m proud of the passion he showed, our headteacher just glared at us and we trudged off. Not quietly, I danced back to the TV room shouting WALK ON! WALK ON!

We were there, I hugged everyone in the room, then beat up Josh. I feel like I have a connection with everyone in that room, just being there for a moment of history. 

Then it went to extra time, they’d got rid of the stupid Golden or Silver goal rule. Just another 30 minutes of football. The extra time period is a bit of a blur for me tbh, apart from THAT SAVE. Fucking hell, I still don’t know how he did it. I just remember thinking, shit we’ve lost, then just looking around like huh? It was bloody unreal. 

Then it went to penalties, we all stood arms round eachother in the room, Serginho stepped up, and our teacher said “Who gave him a knighthood” Then he skied it, and one boy said “The queen should give Rafa a knighthood if he pulls this off” He really should have got one. Then good ol’ Hamann stepped up, my favourite ever german. And he buried it, with a broken toe. Loved him so much, played the final through injury, and was amazing the whole time he was on the pitch. Then Pirlo’s penalty was saved, brilliant save. I MEAN PIRLO, HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG! I was so excited I could barely breath, I could smell ol’ big ears.

Cisse came next. Who my friend had on his shirt, he buried it. Everyone patted him on his back. Then Tomasson, scored, eugh. Boring. Riise was next, everyone was certain he would bury it, just trademark belter. But he placed it and the giant that is Dida got it easily. I still love Riise, felt so sorry for him.

Kaka buried it. No doubt about if he would score, always been an amazing player. And then Vlad, with his last kind as a LFC player, buried his, to put us on the verge of glory. Sheva stepped up, one of the best players in the world at the time. And he went down the middle, Jerzy psyched him out, and even though he went the wrong way, that brilliant left hand saved it. 

We went absolutely nuts. I was so close to crying but I didn’t at that time. Everyone else in the year group had to go to bed, and when they tried to get in to watch extra time they weren’t allowed. It was so funny. It was the best game I’d ever seen, and it was amazing watching Liverpool bring the trophy home for the fifth time.

I tell this story all the time, people must get bored of hearing it, but I never get bored of telling it.

WE WON IT FIVE TIMES, WE WON IT FIVE TIIIMMMES,

IN ISTANBUL, WE WON IT FIVE TIMES!