An army amassed just like centuries before,in a city made famous by sieges of yore.
Where Constantinople and Byzantium once stood,
A new army now did descend like a flood.
An army of thousands in livery of red, liverbirds on their chests and a dream in their heads.
With smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts,
of hope a new era was waiting to start.
Stood on the north tribune I looked all around,a sea of red swamping
three sides of the ground.
Flags scarves and banners that covered the crowd, a show of red
strength to make Chairman Mao proud.
I surveyed the scene in awe and in bliss, how could we fail on a stage
such as this?
I reckoned without an AC Milan team, with the class to make nightmares
out of our dreams.
And so it transpired in a half straight from hell, a Maldini sucker punch
straight from the bell.
With two blows from Crespo five minutes apart, Milan drove a dagger
through Liverpool's heart.
We staggered and reached the refuge of half time, our worst fears were
realized, 3-0 behind.
Ashen-faced Reds with their heads in their hands, slumped in despair
on the steps of the stand.
An anger rose in me, but not with the team, where was the 12th man?
was Chelsea a dream?
We had to show pride, try to lift them somehow, we'd come too far
to give up on them now.
Somebody somewhere had shared the same thought, my faith was
restored in our famous support.
YNWA grew in strength, as did I, and I sang, as if it was for the last time.
Looking back now I can't honestly say, that as I sang, I thought we
would find a way to come back, but I wanted the whole world to see,
we still had pride, we were still Liverpool FC.
That chorus will live on in legend and and lore, Cruyff said he had heard
nothing like it before.
Maradonna said it made him convert to a red. Luis said it spurred them to
rise from the dead.
Then came the reverse of our first half ordeal, six minutes of mayhem
that didn't seem real, six glorious minutes that none will forget, when
Stevie and Xabi and Vlad found the net.
Milan came again but at each turn we foiled, once more a siege played
out on Istanbul soil.
As the seconds ticked down, the redmen stood tall, though their
muscles screamed stop, they ploughed on through it all.
Then came the moment god's will become known, the ball fell to
Shevchenko with Dudek left prone, with the goal at his mercy, our pole
somehow saved, someone from above must have smiled on the brave.
It was then that it suddenly all become clear, Milan realised that this
wasn't their year. Alongside the reds stood an ally to great,
There was no resisting the power of fate.
So when the game entered its final test then,they bore the demeanour
of half beaten men.
Defeat after so much no player deserved, but while Milan's men wilted
the reds kept their nerve.
And when Andrei's nemesis foiled him once more, the night air was
pierced with a deafening roar.
Destiny fulfilled all that was prophesised, and I hugged all around me
with tears in my eyes.
The redmen all met us, celebrations they led Carra the lionheart,
Gerrard the red. Sami the mighty, the sturdy Hamann, Dudek and all,
heroes to a man.
And Rafa our moses. by his guiding hand, led us all back here to this
promised land. When the road became hard no excuse did he use,
and when all seemed lost here his genius shone through.
Emotion flowed down from the stands like a shower, as we watched
Stevie lift that old trophy of ours. You'll never walk alone once again we
did sing, as we all heralded the return of the KINGS.
Now on the bus back to Taksim I went, my voice was in tatters, all
energy spent, utterly drained but smiling ear to ear, I thought back to
the road that had led me to here.
As a boy I had watched all the legends parade, as they conquered all
Europe and history was made. As the years passed, now no longer
watched a screen, I thought I'd never see what my elders had seen.
I wondered if my eyes would yet see the glory, and whether in years to
come I could tell stories of great Anfield nights and of crusades abroad,
when the mighty Reds put Europe's finest to the sword.
2004 then turned into 05, and finally all of my hopes came to life,
it seemed fate was with us right from the start, it happened as if it
was written in the stars.
I watched from the kop on that December night, the pivotal moment
when dark turned to light. Four minutes from failure, then hope was
restored, we all dared to dream when, Stevie G scored.
Echoes of the past rang as clear as a bell, the late kop end goal, the
same scoreline as well. My generation loved tales about way back when,
but now we now had our own ST ETIENNE
I was there against Juve when ghosts of the past, 20 years in the
waiting confronted at last. The Kop spelled out friendship in red and in
white, and I silence we remembered the fallen that night.
The whistle blew and the silence gave way, to a whirlwind of noise that
blew Juve away. I saw a red tide almost swallow them whole,
And I saw LUIS GARCIA'S 30 yard goal.
I saw Chelsea get their come-uppance at last, on a night at Anfield that
might not be surpassed. The primeval force of the kop in full cry, for 96
minutes the noise wouldn't die.
96 mins for 96 souls, they surely were watching the drama unfold.
For something divine intervened on our side, 'cos I can't explain how
Gudjohnsen shot wide.
The kop danced long after the players had gone, the glory of years
passed remembered I song. And when we were thrown out we danced
on outside, around Shankly's statue long into the night .
And now I had witnessed a moment so rare, it's and splendour
were beyond compare. A moment in sport we may not see again, a
moment I'd waited so long to attain.
Istanbul was for one night, heaven and earth, so special you can't put a
price on it's worth, I give thanks I was one of the privileged few,
I was there and saw all our dreams come true.
A banner I'd read and there saw it again, 'my eyes have seen the
glory,' it proudly proclaimed. Four symbolic stars were emblazoned
thereon, I could now say 'me too' when the 5th one was won.
I've seen the Kop's legacy upheld and enhanced, and seen us win when
no one gave us a chance. I've seen us rise up and be crowned Europe's
best, if it's the last match I see I'd still think myself blessed.
Took some typing that, its for all those who have not read it,by the way its not mine
just copied it for you all to see, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
« Last Edit: Sep 06, 2009 10:12:21 pm by MsGerrard, Reason: Spelling and Grammar checked »
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