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      This Game In History

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      This Game In History
      Sep 25, 2021 12:29:55 pm
      This week we're off to Brentford for the first time in almost 75 years. That will be well documented. But what happened the last time we played Brentford? When people speak of the 89 Cup campaign, they talk about the semi final and the final for obvious reasons. But neither would have happened without the quarter final against Brentford in March 89 at Anfield.

      It was our only home game in the cup campaign that season. I wasn't there on that grey cold and soggy Saturday afternoon. In fact I didn't even know where Brentford were situated at the time. But the Division 3 side took their full allocation of tickets looking for an upset. We were about 10 points off the top of the table at the time, so maybe the cup would be our best chance to win something this season. McMahon put us 1-0 up at half time, but it wasn't until 3 late goals wrapped up the tie, most notably another Barnes special.

      I finally saw the highlights of the game 18 months later. Unable to see the game at the time, I had to make do with watching Forest beat the mancs in one of the other quarter finals. Fate would dictate that the next round would see us play Forest for a place in the final, but that has it's own story.

      We won the cup that year for the fourth time, but never faced Brentford again in any competition until now. Its our first visit to London this season, and it should be a routine three points for the first time there since WWII.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #1: Sep 25, 2021 01:01:21 pm
      Always interesting to learn more of our history. Thanks for sharing!
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #2: Sep 26, 2021 02:03:39 pm
      This week we're off to Brentford for the first time in almost 75 years. That will be well documented. But what happened the last time we played Brentford? When people speak of the 89 Cup campaign, they talk about the semi final and the final for obvious reasons. But neither would have happened without the quarter final against Brentford in March 89 at Anfield.

      It was our only home game in the cup campaign that season. I wasn't there on that grey cold and soggy Saturday afternoon. In fact I didn't even know where Brentford were situated at the time. But the Division 3 side took their full allocation of tickets looking for an upset. We were about 10 points off the top of the table at the time, so maybe the cup would be our best chance to win something this season. McMahon put us 1-0 up at half time, but it wasn't until 3 late goals wrapped up the tie, most notably another Barnes special.

      I finally saw the highlights of the game 18 months later. Unable to see the game at the time, I had to make do with watching Forest beat the mancs in one of the other quarter finals. Fate would dictate that the next round would see us play Forest for a place in the final, but that has it's own story.

      We won the cup that year for the fourth time, but never faced Brentford again in any competition until now. Its our first visit to London this season, and it should be a routine three points for the first time there since WWII.

      The season of Hillsborogh.

      Was at the Brentford Cup game with my dad. With the anny rd being given to the away fans, we were in the Kem.

      What can I remember about the game - John Barnes was F***ing awesome.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #3: Oct 01, 2021 10:49:45 pm
      1986 is remembered for many things, Challenger, Chernobyl, Argentina winning the World Cup, and Madonna letting us know she was a True Blue. But it's also known as the year we won the double against the blues, and it started on Easter Monday on March 31 at home to City.

      Monday afternoon football is long gone these days, replaced by Monday Night Football, even though we had to wait until 1996 before we had a EPL game at home on a Monday night. But back in the 80's and 90's, there was a full league programme on Easter Monday, after another full league programme on Easter Saturday. Nowadays there would be uproar at such a schedule, back then players just got on with it no questions asked and no rotation expected.

      After drawing 0-0 on the Saturday at Sheffield Wednesday, the City home game gave us an opportunity to go top. Steve McMahon did the job with the goals to give us a routine 2-0 win, which was payback for the loss in the away game at Christmas. When the neighbours could only draw 0-0 at the mancs, we had wiped out a 8 point gap to them in mid February to now lead the table on goal difference at the end of March. Of course, it wasn't quite as simple as that, as they still had a game in hand. When they lost it in the last week of the season, we finally had the winning of the league in our own hands. Dalglish took his chance to win us the league, then Rush won the cup for the first time since 74, and added the Screensport Super Cup in September. The Charity Shield finished as a draw with no penalties, and was the only trophy we were willing to share.

      The season had started with the club's name in the headlines, the team in transition, and Kenny getting questioned. But the year ended with 3 trophies and on an open top bus. If only every year was as successful as that.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #4: Oct 02, 2021 02:31:00 pm
      It actually started after we lost to Everton at home.

      Grobbelaar squirming a shot under him for The blues to go 2 up. Then followed a 12 match unbeaten run with Kenny scoring the winner to win the league at Stamford Bridge.

      Then Rush did his usual against the Blues at Wembley and the Cup Double was ours.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #5: Oct 24, 2021 01:57:17 pm
      In the 8 years to March 1990, we had won everything we entered. League titles, League Cups, European Cups to Screensport Super Cups, even got to a World Club Cup Final. But some other things had never changed. Thatcher was still British Prime Minister, the Tories were still in power, and we had never won at the toilet against the mancs. Barring the cup semi final win against Forest in 89, the experiences were ones to forget. We went in front, we dominated games, we got the odd draw some years, but never won. Our record against them in the previous decade home and away, was not fun, so with the first game there in the 90's, it was time to finally do something about it.

      The game itself featured some memorable goals, Barnes scored the first and we went 2-0 up in the second half, we had some rare breathing space. It didn't last long as Whelan scored the type of own goal he couldn't score if he tried it 100 times. But after the usual nervous wait, it finished 2-1 to us and after 8 long years, we finally had a league win there, and a big three points on the road to regaining the league title. Sadly, it was the golden sky in the annual storm trips there would be, in the years that followed. Try as we might, draws let alone wins were hard to come by. It would be 10 more years before we won there again, and we've had a win % of less than 20% in the years since. But we go there once a year every year, more in hope rather than expectation, that we have something to celebrate instead of wondering "if only" again.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #6: Oct 30, 2021 01:40:53 pm
      Until last season, home games against Brighton were 3 point bankers. They were the perfect opponents for us in the last game of the season in 2018, as with their survival already confirmed, they took the day off and we headed for Kiev, knowing we didn't need to win there to qualify for next season's European Cup.

      Back in the day however, the games were less frequent and straightforward. In 1983, they came here on their route to the cup final, while getting themselves relegated along the way. So they were not seen here again until 1991, as a Division 2 side for the fourth round of the cup. After a goalless first half, 2 early second half goals put us on top and on course for a derby tie in the next round. But it was a side on the slide and we couldn't hold on, so the 2-2 draw meant a replay 4 days later.

      Replays are considered a burden these days, but we were grateful for one in the last round, where a last minute equaliser at another Division 2 side in Blackburn allowed us to get the replay at home and get the job done. 1991 was the last year in the cup with no penalties to decide replays, with the replays themselves played before the next league game. So we made the long trip down to Brighton, took the lead again, but couldn't hold on again and found ourselves behind this time. Eventually we got the job done in extra time and won 3-2, and the derby tie at home was on. That also went to a replay, which led to Kenny resigning, and elimination in the second replay. Penalties have got rid of second (and more) replays nowadays, but home games against Brighton are now an annual event again.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #7: Nov 30, 2021 08:10:29 pm
      So the annual northerly hop over the park has come round again. Time to be reminded just how depressing a place it is, to the extent that the away team now has to get in and out of the place from the car park outside. Not just us though, everyone else gets the same treatment nowadays.

      Back in November 1982 Brookside had just been launched on Channel 4, and a few days later, it was time for us to go over there and play the away fixture. Bob had recently announced his intention to step down at the end of the season, but the team were determined to give him a memorable last visit across the park. Although the opposition were so far behind us on the field at the time, they may as well have been across the Mersey. For reasons best known to themselves, the main camera angle at the ground was changed that summer, so any tv viewers would be treated to an overhead view of the action on their pitch, for the next three years.

      After 6 minutes, Hansen put Rush through and he put us in front, and after that, it was one way traffic. He would score a second half hat trick as well, taking full advantage of us playing against 10 men by that stage. It would have finished 7-0 if two other goals were not disallowed, but we had to settle for just 5-0 on the day. It was and is, our biggest away win in the derby, and our third win there in 4 seasons, but our last there for 3 years. After such a comprehensive win, it was inevitable that our home game later in the season would be as flat as a pancake, finishing in a goalless draw. But we were just using it as preparation for our next League Cup Final against the mancs the following week. Having won that, and wrapped up another league title, Bob got the send off he deserved.

      Back in 1982, the derby was known as the "friendly derby" with no segregation. In more recent years though, segregation is enforced, whatever friendliness there was has dissolved, to such an extent that chanting about Hillsborough has now infected the fixture. On the pitch, Mane got our last winning goal there 5 years ago. Hopefully, it won't be much longer before we're heading back home with another 3 points in our pocket again.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #8: Dec 04, 2021 01:55:07 pm
      Having recently lost the home game which nudged Hodgson another step towards the exit door, we went to Wolves in January 2011, in the bottom half of the table. Kenny was  back in place for the game, which would soon dominate the front page as well as the sports news.

      The game itself saw a rare away win at the time, with Torres scoring one in each half, and a Raul Meireles volley from 30 yards to add a bit of gloss to Kenny's first win in charge for 20 years. But that was not the end of the story. Wolves thought Torres first goal was offside, and didn't appreciate that Sian Massey didn't see it. She didn't see it because it clearly wasn't offside, and so there was nothing to talk about. The Sky presenters found something to talk about however, only it was about Massey herself. That eventually led to both Gray and Keys getting sacked having presented football at the station since Day 1.

      On the pitch, it was Torres last ever goals for us. Without Rafa there to coach him, he had little patience for Hodgson and even less for Kenny, he just wanted to win more trophies. 7 days later, he put in a transfer request and left on deadline day. Wolves stayed up by the skin of their teeth for another season, while having repaired some of the damage from a broken campaign, we needed one win from our last two games to make the top 4. In the end, we missed out on both European competitions and didn't get back into the top 4 until 2014, long after Kenny had gone.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #9: Dec 04, 2021 02:12:38 pm
      Having recently lost the home game which nudged Hodgson another step towards the exit door, we went to Wolves in January 2011, in the bottom half of the table. Kenny was  back in place for the game, which would soon dominate the front page as well as the sports news.

      The game itself saw a rare away win at the time, with Torres scoring one in each half, and a Raul Meireles volley from 30 yards to add a bit of gloss to Kenny's first win in charge for 20 years. But that was not the end of the story. Wolves thought Torres first goal was offside, and didn't appreciate that Sian Massey didn't see it. She didn't see it because it clearly wasn't offside, and so there was nothing to talk about. The Sky presenters found something to talk about however, only it was about Massey herself. That eventually led to both Gray and Keys getting sacked having presented football at the station since Day 1.

      On the pitch, it was Torres last ever goals for us. Without Rafa there to coach him, he had little patience for Hodgson and even less for Kenny, he just wanted to win more trophies. 7 days later, he put in a transfer request and left on deadline day. Wolves stayed up by the skin of their teeth for another season, while having repaired some of the damage from a broken campaign, we needed one win from our last two games to make the top 4. In the end, we missed out on both European competitions and didn't get back into the top 4 until 2014, long after Kenny had gone.

      You forgot Torres telling someone to F**k off with a hand gesture in the warm down!!
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #10: Jan 19, 2022 08:45:25 pm
      In 1988, the League Cup semi final was still a two legged tie, as was the first round. As clubs couldn't play in Europe at the time, nobody complained. Nowadays, everyone hates the two legged ties, and many have little time for the competition itself.

      But when we played Arsenal at home in the second round in October 88, there was a full house watching full strength teams leaving everything on the pitch. One of Barnes famous dribbles put us ahead early in the second half, but we couldn't hold out, and it finished 1-1. So it went to a replay, which couldn't produce a winner either. Nor could the next replay, so the tie went to a third replay, at Villa Park, and the teams were by now completely fed up of seeing each other, with 2 more games still to come in the league. They took the lead in the third replay, and this time we equalised. There was another last minute goal between them in the season, only it came from John Aldridge in the League Cup instead of Michael Thomas. So we won 2-1, and after 3 weeks we had finally done enough to get through to the next round.

      That came the following week at West Ham, but there was no comeback from being three down by half time, so it was the end of the road in the competition that year. It took another 6 years to win it again.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #11: Feb 09, 2022 11:11:24 pm
      After the near misses of the last two years, we started the 1997-98 season expecting another title challenge. The first home game of the season was against Leicester, and with no away fans to bother us because of the Anfield Road redevelopment, a routine home win was expected. So the 1-2 loss was a bit of a shock. We took just 1 point from the first two games, and it was the beginning of the end for Roy. The title challenge never got going, the European run lasted two rounds, and the FA Cup didn't even last that long.

      By the time Leicester arrived here in April 99, things had only got worse. Roy was long gone, a new man was in the hotseat, but we slid further into mediocrity. Leicester won the game in the last minute, and to show us how far we had fallen in the past two years, the mancs won their European semi final against Juventus on the same night. Things had to change.

      We didn't qualify for Europe at all, so Gerard began his overhaul of the side and the set up that summer. He said himself it wasn't a revolution, but standards needed to improve. There was no title challenge, but we pushed Leeds all the way to the line for a top 3 spot and European Cup qualification. It might have been successful, if Leicester hadn't arrived with 3 games to go and won again. Having not beaten them at home since 1995, they were a real bogey side to face. So who did we call upon to put it right? There was only one man deemed suitable for the job, so Emile Heskey was signed up. His two goals got us two 1-0 home wins against Leicester in the next two seasons, we qualified for the European Cup both times, and life was back to normal. We have never lost at home to them since.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #12: Apr 22, 2023 01:25:44 pm
      For the first time in 25 years, Forest show up here where their record is as bad, as ours is at their ground. There should only be one outcome so.

      Back in 1978 though, they turned up on the back of a 42 game unbeaten run. Terry McDermott put a stop to it with 2 goals either side of half time, which was some compensation for the European Cup elimination earlier in the year. The European Champions of the past 5 years met at Anfield in May 82, but in one of the last games in front of a standing Anfield Road End, our 2-0 win put us on the brink of League title No. 13, while they headed for mid table.

      One of Kenny's first wins in charge was against them in 85, and in April 87, I was in residence for the 3-0 home win which just about kept our title challenge going for the time being. In 1988, the teams played each other 3 times in 11 days, with 2 league games and a semi final in the cup. While our bogey record continued against them away from home, the semi final and home league game more than made up for it. It was 5-0, it should have been more, but only one more point was needed to bring home League title No. 17. And when they returned the following year, a late Aldridge penalty gave us a 1-0 win, and the chance to retain it. But that's all it would be.

      With no improvement in the away form over the following years, it was only the home fixture that brought any kind of joy, before Forest headed from mid table to the first division. When they returned, the New Year's Day fixture in 96 saw an early hangover from 2 early goals. When the response came, Collymore showed why we signed him the previous summer, and we won 4-2.

      By the time October 98 arrived, they were a club rotating from one division to another, and we were experimenting with joint managers, who started the rotation policy. It took a while for the players to adjust to the fact that in the middle of a Uefa Cup campaign, there would be less game time than they were used to. Michael Owen still destroyed the newly promoted side 5-1. Roy left the stage to Gerard within weeks, and Forest left the EPL stage altogether until last summer. So today, there really should only be one outcome.
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #13: Apr 22, 2023 02:34:38 pm
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhwWS3FoQ2g&ab_channel=DaveWaller

      Beardsley the 'artful dodger' destroyed them..
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      Re: This Game In History
      Reply #14: Apr 26, 2023 01:16:34 pm
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx97LGqGap8&ab_channel=TheEmiratesFACup

      One of the best finals...what a thump by Gerrard...'ave it '..

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