GARETH Roberts winds back the clock 40 years to this day in 1977 – Liverpool’s first glorious European Cup victory in Rome.
First, Dave Kirby recalls the journey to Rome for the final, a gruelling return on a rickety train across Europe, while John Mackin remembers the mood in Liverpool, before and after the match.
Broadcaster and journalist John Keith then joins us to talk about the trip over with the players, the game itself and what it all meant to Bob Paisley and Liverpool – the team, the club, the city and the fans.
Loved that, the first game I called myself a Liverpool fan was the 77 cup final. Great to hear the appreciation for Keegan and especially Kennedy who were 2 great players.
All the guests were funny and informative but love John Keith, any chance of some more from him ?
Finally thought Gareth was really good, so often (not on here) the interviewer spends more time talking than the person he or she is interviewing , asked the right questions and got some great anecdotes.
Well in Gareth, and thanks for a really enjoyable hour.
I became a red during this season, there is no fixed date I was only 6 yrs old but in the Lakes depending on where you lived you had Granada kick off and my grandad bought the Express with the Liverpool reports of John Keith. I remember watching the St Etienne game on sportsnight and realised the team in red were the same team as the one on Granada kick off (I recognised Kevin Keegan) and my grandad told me that Emlyn was from Barrow, it didn’t take much more to convince me that this team was for me. I remember watching the cup final at my uncles and he supported the Mancs; John Motson had just finished telling everyone that there was a saying in football that Liverpool were at there most dangerous when they were behind when Jimmy Case swivels and blames it top bins. United somehow bundle it over the line and Emlyn is then climbing the steps in LFC’s best ever away kit (my first and to this day only full kit age 10) to receive his losers medal and as far as I am concerned that’s that.
Three days later and my grandad is arguing about having to watch coronation street instead of football. What football I ask, (remember I am only 6) the telly is switched to Barry Davies (the best of the TV commentators ) describing a sea of red and white flags and a banner about Joey eating the frogs legs, watching the Suisse roll and now hes munching gladback, (that meant absolutely nothing to me ) and before you can say ‘what a way to end a career’ we have ‘ Emlyn Hughes with the smile of the season and the trophy of the season’.
The night after and its Granada reports on the steps of St George’s hall and Bill Shankly is warning Keegan and David Johnson not to go head first over the Scaffolding. They look a great set of lads, mad as a box of frogs but all looked after by that softly spoken uncle that said if he’d have won the treble people would have said he was being greedy. How could you not fall in love with the reds after all that.