redbeergoggles wrote:I thought I might tell you about one of my first introductions to this great institution we call football ,and more importantly
Liverpool Football Club ,
May the 8th 1971 started like any other Saturday in our house ,I got up and raced downstairs to watch the Bananasplits, only on this ocasssion to be confronted with the absolute shock of a full living room ,Dad my Uncle and neighbours had all decided to congregate at our house ,exactly why this strange occurrence was taking place I was at a loss to explain .
I watched in fascination as ring pull after ring pull was sounded on the opening of each can, and quickly jettisoned into a small brass bin that sat by the fireplace,my Mum made butties in the back kitchen ,my Dad had lifted me up and sat me on his knee ,this in itself was a freak happening ,my Dad was a hard man ,and shows of affection such as these were rare in the extreme .
We watched that box in the corner of our room avidly one and all ,sucked in by the anticipation of what was to come .
I can remember my Dad telling me to sit back and get ready to see the the greatest football team in the world ,I was 7yrs old the concept of football and its glories were being weighed up in my head against the Bananasplits and the prospect of missing the Arabian Nights .I can remember leaning back and looking up at my Dads face ,a picture of contentment ,something very big and momentous was about to take place, that much was obvious even to a 7yr old .
I can recall the match kicking off to a Crescendo of noise albeit not as loud as the unsettling din that was taking place around me ,shouts of "CMON YOU REDS" , anyway the match got under way and everyone in that room seemed to develop a trait of sitting on the end of their chairs ,finely balanced so as to launch themselves into the air everytime Liverpool came close to scoring .
No goals came in normal time which to all gathered was frustrating to say the least.
Then it was extra time and in the 92nd minute Stevie Heighway scored and our tiny living room suddenly became a dance floor ,I was picked up and swung from person to person like a trophy ,sack the Bananasplits if this was what football could do ,then exactly 9mins after that, Arsenals sub scrambled the ball over the line with one of the scruffiest goals you will ever see ,Eddie Kelly I will always remember this fellas name as our house echoed with his name ,we lost a lampshade and a coffee table in the melee of legs that ensued .
Finally on 111 mins Arsenal scored and the room went quiet ,Charlie F*cking George as he was refered to by the angry hoardes that day
I watched that man laying on the floor his arms splayed out until one by one his team came to celebrate with him ,I watched my Dad hastily retreat from the room his face ashen with sheer disbelief ,the room emptied ,as I stared at the telly watching our fallen players being consoled ,while Arsenal's danced around in euphoric celebration .
I was totally and utterly bemused by what was happening ,but still fascinated somehow rooted to the spot ,finally I managed to drag myself away ,the house was completely empty ,there was a strange eerieness that surrounded me ,I could hear someone sobbing in the back garden ,this unusual day was summed up completely when I discovered it was my Mum .
I had heard my Mum cry before but never over football ,you see while everyone had flew into tantrums and rages ,what had completely escaped me ,is my Mum loved with a passion that team I had just watched beaten .
It was that day I realised the importance of football, and specifically the emotions , however extreme the followers of this great team were entitled to show .
I am now in my 40s and have experienced the full gauntlet of emotions ,that go cap in proverbial hand with following this great club ,but that day in 71 will remain especially vivid, as to my eventual awakening to the passion football can inspire .
redhayesy wrote:redbeergoggles wrote:I thought I might tell you about one of my first introductions to this great institution we call football ,and more importantly
Liverpool Football Club ,
May the 8th 1971 started like any other Saturday in our house ,I got up and raced downstairs to watch the Bananasplits, only on this ocasssion to be confronted with the absolute shock of a full living room ,Dad my Uncle and neighbours had all decided to congregate at our house ,exactly why this strange occurrence was taking place I was at a loss to explain .
I watched in fascination as ring pull after ring pull was sounded on the opening of each can, and quickly jettisoned into a small brass bin that sat by the fireplace,my Mum made butties in the back kitchen ,my Dad had lifted me up and sat me on his knee ,this in itself was a freak happening ,my Dad was a hard man ,and shows of affection such as these were rare in the extreme .
We watched that box in the corner of our room avidly one and all ,sucked in by the anticipation of what was to come .
I can remember my Dad telling me to sit back and get ready to see the the greatest football team in the world ,I was 7yrs old the concept of football and its glories were being weighed up in my head against the Bananasplits and the prospect of missing the Arabian Nights .I can remember leaning back and looking up at my Dads face ,a picture of contentment ,something very big and momentous was about to take place, that much was obvious even to a 7yr old .
I can recall the match kicking off to a Crescendo of noise albeit not as loud as the unsettling din that was taking place around me ,shouts of "CMON YOU REDS" , anyway the match got under way and everyone in that room seemed to develop a trait of sitting on the end of their chairs ,finely balanced so as to launch themselves into the air everytime Liverpool came close to scoring .
No goals came in normal time which to all gathered was frustrating to say the least.
Then it was extra time and in the 92nd minute Stevie Heighway scored and our tiny living room suddenly became a dance floor ,I was picked up and swung from person to person like a trophy ,sack the Bananasplits if this was what football could do ,then exactly 9mins after that, Arsenals sub scrambled the ball over the line with one of the scruffiest goals you will ever see ,Eddie Kelly I will always remember this fellas name as our house echoed with his name ,we lost a lampshade and a coffee table in the melee of legs that ensued .
Finally on 111 mins Arsenal scored and the room went quiet ,Charlie F*cking George as he was refered to by the angry hoardes that day
I watched that man laying on the floor his arms splayed out until one by one his team came to celebrate with him ,I watched my Dad hastily retreat from the room his face ashen with sheer disbelief ,the room emptied ,as I stared at the telly watching our fallen players being consoled ,while Arsenal's danced around in euphoric celebration .
I was totally and utterly bemused by what was happening ,but still fascinated somehow rooted to the spot ,finally I managed to drag myself away ,the house was completely empty ,there was a strange eerieness that surrounded me ,I could hear someone sobbing in the back garden ,this unusual day was summed up completely when I discovered it was my Mum .
I had heard my Mum cry before but never over football ,you see while everyone had flew into tantrums and rages ,what had completely escaped me ,is my Mum loved with a passion that team I had just watched beaten .
It was that day I realised the importance of football, and specifically the emotions , however extreme the followers of this great team were entitled to show .
I am now in my 40s and have experienced the full gauntlet of emotions ,that go cap in proverbial hand with following this great club ,but that day in 71 will remain especially vivid, as to my eventual awakening to the passion football can inspire .
top post mate, i'm in me 40's to & can relate to what you went through, especially the 'banana splits' absolute quality viewing!
the traditions of having yar mates round the house have stayed with me, & would rather have a house full of mates with the beer,butties & sausage rolls on the go rather than watch a game in the pub! it's a better atmosphere cause at least you know you won't have to listen to some so called LFC fan come out with a tw@t comment to wind you up with etc.
my son is being shown this very way of life, like we where educated to aswell, it's just un-fortunate for him that he is deprived of such classic's like 'the banana splits' also
redbeergoggles wrote:No recollections to share then people ? ,no memories of bygone era's I was interested in learning posters lineage in pertaining to this family we call Liverpool Fc ..
redbeergoggles wrote:No recollections to share then people ? ,no memories of bygone era's I was interested in learning posters lineage in pertaining to this family we call Liverpool Fc ..
NANNY RED wrote:Do you know what though one of the funnies memorys i have was when we played the bitters at Main Rd in the 77 saeson. Wed all gone together on the old football specials us an them an one of our lads who is a bitter had the tickets, When we arrived at Manchester Piccadily the was police everywhere trying to seperate us , THey made uswalk on seperate sides of the street, The amount of fans both red an blue who where shouting to the bizzies hang on hes got me ticket was hysterical. The bizzies couldnt believe that each sets of supporters had there matesor familys tickets It was only when we all decided to start singing Merseyside Merseyside , that they eventualy gave up . the jokes across the rd to each other though was great.
What a difference now though
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