11:14 PM
Football
The first match I ever remember seeing highlights of on the television was the European Cup Quarter-Final Second Leg between Liverpool and St Etienne in 1976-77. St Etienne were a powerful outfit who were reigning champions of France and finalists of this same competition the previous season, losing to Bayern Munchen. Liverpool were the English champions and UEFA Cup winners in 1976.
Les Verts won the first leg by a single goal, and this was easily the hardest test for the Reds after an easy victory over Crusaders from Northern Ireland and a comeback win over Turkish team Trabzonspor in earlier rounds. Kevin Keegan gave the Anfield side parity after two minutes of the second leg, but St Etienne replied thanks to Dominique Bathenay, the man who scored the only goal at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in the first leg. Only one goal and the French team would qualify thanks to an away goal counting double in the event of a draw after two games.
Reds fans needn't have worried as the massively underrated Ray Kennedy and then, dramatically, substitute David Fairclough with just six minutes remaining ensured Liverpool's passage on a night that has retrospectively been described as one of Liverpool's most important.
An easy victory (a very easy victory) over FC Zurich in the semi-final meant that Liverpool had reached their fourth European final, but the first final in the big one.
The opponents in Rome would be Borussia Monchengladbach, the West German champions. When I wanted to write about this match in school, I asked my teacher how to spell our opponent's name. Liverpool went into the game having won the League title for the second consecutive year, but they lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup Final four days before the Rome match with "the German team" - a game I conveniently remember little of (apart from a special edition of "It's a Knockout," which Manchester United won as well...). Monchengladbach were also an extremely powerful team, any team that could beat Bayern Munchen in the 1970s absolutely had to be powerful.
This galvanised the Liverpool team who swept forward six minutes later, ending with Terry McDermott's shot defeating Wolfgang Kneib. Liverpool led at half time, but Monchengladbach equalised almost immediately after the break with a fabulous Allan Simonsen long range drive. Just after Ray Clemence saved bravely from Uli Stielike, Liverpool took control. Steve Heighway's corner was headed home by Tommy Smith, who had announced he would retire after the game (he went one more season for Liverpool and one after that for Swansea City), and then Phil Neal finished the game off from the penalty spot after Kevin Keegan had been felled in the box.
Les Verts won the first leg by a single goal, and this was easily the hardest test for the Reds after an easy victory over Crusaders from Northern Ireland and a comeback win over Turkish team Trabzonspor in earlier rounds. Kevin Keegan gave the Anfield side parity after two minutes of the second leg, but St Etienne replied thanks to Dominique Bathenay, the man who scored the only goal at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in the first leg. Only one goal and the French team would qualify thanks to an away goal counting double in the event of a draw after two games.
Reds fans needn't have worried as the massively underrated Ray Kennedy and then, dramatically, substitute David Fairclough with just six minutes remaining ensured Liverpool's passage on a night that has retrospectively been described as one of Liverpool's most important.
An easy victory (a very easy victory) over FC Zurich in the semi-final meant that Liverpool had reached their fourth European final, but the first final in the big one.
The opponents in Rome would be Borussia Monchengladbach, the West German champions. When I wanted to write about this match in school, I asked my teacher how to spell our opponent's name. Liverpool went into the game having won the League title for the second consecutive year, but they lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup Final four days before the Rome match with "the German team" - a game I conveniently remember little of (apart from a special edition of "It's a Knockout," which Manchester United won as well...). Monchengladbach were also an extremely powerful team, any team that could beat Bayern Munchen in the 1970s absolutely had to be powerful.
This galvanised the Liverpool team who swept forward six minutes later, ending with Terry McDermott's shot defeating Wolfgang Kneib. Liverpool led at half time, but Monchengladbach equalised almost immediately after the break with a fabulous Allan Simonsen long range drive. Just after Ray Clemence saved bravely from Uli Stielike, Liverpool took control. Steve Heighway's corner was headed home by Tommy Smith, who had announced he would retire after the game (he went one more season for Liverpool and one after that for Swansea City), and then Phil Neal finished the game off from the penalty spot after Kevin Keegan had been felled in the box.
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