Here's the report from our 2007 Friendship trip to Gladbach, Germany.OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE LIVERPOOL FC &
BORUSSIA MG - EINE GANZ BESONDERE FREUNDSCHAFT
LIVERPOOL FC &
BORUSSIA MG - A VERY SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP
LIVERPOOL FC SUPPORTERS 2007 FRIENDSHIP VISIT TO MOENCHENGLADBACH Please see video below of our 30th anniversary Friendship
trip in May 2007, to see our friends from Moenchengladbach in Germany.
BORUSSIA MG and
LIVERPOOL FC - A VERY SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP,
The Friendship lives on BORUSSIA MG and
LIVERPOOL FC -
EINE GANZ BESONDERE FREUNDSCHAFT.
Die Freundschaft lebtLiverpool FC and
BorussiaMoenchengladbach- a very special Friendship
The history of the friendship.There is a special friendship that exists between Liverpool and German Bundesliga Club Borussia Moenchengladbach (BMG) that has existed between the two clubs and particularly the supporters since the famous European Cup Final in 1977 in Rome when Liverpool beat the reigning German Champions at that time 3-1 to win the European Cup for the first time in the eternal Italian city of Rome.
Almost 30,000 Liverpool supporters made the trip to Rome via car, boat, train and plane. At the time Gladbach were without doubt one of the best teams in europe with world class players like European footballer of the year Simonsen and of course their captain and German national defender Berti Vogts.
It was of course the very last match for Liverpool's best player at the time Kevin Keegan, who gave one of his best ever displays in a red shirt. He tormented his man marker Berti Vogts so much it eventually led to Vogts bringing him down in the penalty box which led to a penalty converted by Liverpool right back Phil Neal to make it 3-1 and that is how the match finished with Liverpool lifting the European Cup for the first time in their history.
The following season Liverpool were to meet Gladbach again in the European Cup semi-final, and after Liverpool suffered a 1-2 defeat in the first leg in the Germany in front of 66,000 fans,with a late goal from Rainer Bonhoff after a mistake from Liverpool keeper Ray Clemence. In the return match at Anfield in front of 51,500 supporters in a packed and pulsating Anfield Liverpool overran Gladbach with a unbelievable performance and ran out 3-0 winners, winning the tie 4-2 on aggregate.
After these games a special friendship was formed between the two clubs and as I said earlier, also the supporters, this resulted in Liverpool and Borussia supporters holding yearly friendly matches between the fans and also every season since 1992 to the present day, during the winter German break approximately 100 to 150 Gladbach fans travel over to Liverpool to support the Reds at a match at Anfield.
Last year, 2007, the Gladbach supporters took the decision not to travel as the only games available for them to see were the home matches against city rivals Everton and Premiership champions Chelsea, because they are both massive matches the Gladbach supporters decided not to travel as they believed it would have been unfair to take tickets from regular Liverpool fans in such important matches. I think this is a fine gesture and proves they are true football supporters and also true Liverpool fans.
Last year, 2007, on the 25th May it was the 30th anniversary of the European Cup Final in Rome between Liverpool and Gladbach, and the Borussia and Liverpool supporters organised a petition which was presented to officials of both clubs for a 30th anniversary rematch to be played.
I believe it should also be remembered that the Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters after the tragedy of Hillsborough, collected the sum of approximately 21000 Deutsch Marks (approximately £8000) for the Hillsborough families, a truly remarkable gesture that should NEVER be forgotten and that for me reveals they are a really a fantastic club with superb fans.
On the 9th May this year, Liverpool supporters travelled to spend a weekend with our friends from Borussia and see the last home match of the 2007/2008 season, Borussia Moenchengladbach versus FC Freiburg.
Graham Agg (Friendship trip organiser 2007 & 2008)
BORUSSIA MG and LIVERPOOL FC - Eine ganz besondere freundschaft
BORUSSIA MG and LIVERPOOL FC - A very special friendship For more information on this special friendship please read below:-
30th ANNIVERSARY FRIENDSHIP VISIT
BY LIVERPOOL FC SUPPORTERS
TO MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY
LAST YEAR - 2007 The weekend of Friday 18th May to Sunday 20th May 2007, Liverpool FC supporters went on a 30th Anniversary Friendship visit to Moenchengladbach, Germany. The visit by the Liverpool supporters was to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the 1977 European Cup final in Rome between Liverpool FC and Borussia Moenchengladbach. The weekend was an outstanding success, the Friendship is as strong as ever and it is my opinion, the Gladbach supporters are alongside Liverpool supporters the best supporters in the world.
The trip involved a stadium tour, a meeting with Christian Ziege, ex-Liverpool player and now the current Sports director of Borussia, and taking in Gladbach's last home game of the 2006/2007 season. Before and after the match Liverpool FC supporters were in a all day party at the Borussia fan house. My thanks go to the Gladbach fan liasion officer Thomas "Tower" Weinmann and Gladbach Fan Project superfan Jonny Polcher, whose hospitality as always was second to none.
Every year since 1992 Gladbach supporters have travelled to Liverpool to support the Reds during the German Bundesliga winter break. What also needs to be remembered, is the fact that in 1991, the Gladbach supporters collected 21000 Deutsch Marks(approximately £8000) for the families of the Hillsborough disaster, a truly fantastic gesture that should NEVER be forgotten.
30 Liverpool supporters made the trip to Moenchengladbach which was organised by me, Graham Agg, with superb help from Pat Link and Gary Johnston. We handed out Friendship badges and a plaque with the Liverpool crest and the words emblazoned across "EINE GANZ BESONDERE FREUNDSCHAFT" which means in English "a very special friendship".
The Friendship trip was also fully embraced by Liverpool Football Club who sent me a paper plaque signed personally by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez with the words "to Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters club".
I want to thank all Liverpool supporters who made the trip for being superb ambassadors for Liverpool Football Club and the City of Liverpool. We made many friends in Gladbach and already the wheels are turning ready for making plans for our next visit this year.
I and four other Liverpool supporters, Gary, Pat, Kevin and Ronald had the amazing opportunity 15 minutes before Gladbach's last home match of the 2006/2007 season to unveil a special Friendship flag we had made to convey to our German friends our feelings about the special friendship between the two clubs and the two sets of supporters. Unbelieveably I also had the chance on the pitch with a microphone in hand to say a few words in German to the 50000 Borussia supporters who were in the stadium. I conveyed to them in German(I speak fluent German, having lived there for 9 years) that the friendship had lasted 30 years already and hopefully it would last another 30 years at least. I then wished them all the best for the following season after their relegation this season.
I then told them we had something to show then and we then unveiled our specially commissioned Friendship flag, which was greeted with a massive roar and the singing of "Liverpool, Liverpool" and finally a perfect rendition of "you'll never walk alone".
It is a moment I and all Liverpool supporters will treasure for the rest of our lives. It was simply amazing.
Best wishes, Graham Agg(2007 FRIENDSHIP TRIP ORGANISER)
To see the VIDEO unveiling of our flag and myself saying a few words to our fantastic Borussia MG friends please click on the link below:-
TO SEE VIDEO CLICK HERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEunDp58Wh0
The Friendship lives on
- BORUSSIA MG and
LIVERPOOL FC - A VERY SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP, BORUSSIA MG and
LIVERPOOL FC -
EINE GANZ BESONDERE FREUNDSCHAFT.