Kicking off a series to celebrate Liverpool’s 125th
anniversary, Jeff Goulding looks at 125 defining moments in the history of
Liverpool FC.
It’s 1978. Liverpool are
Champions of Europe and they’re getting ready to face Tottenham at Anfield. All talk in the run up to
this game was of Spurs’ two new signings – the stuff of Panini sticker
album fantasy, Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa.
Tottenham had
just been promoted to the ‘top flight’ and had caused a bit of a sensation by
signing the two Argentine World Cup winners. This was now becoming a trend,
with a number of foreign players gracing the English League. For the Reds,
foreign signings were of the Scots, Welsh or Irish variety
Spurs hadn’t beaten
Liverpool, at Anfield, since the year the Titanic sank, 1912. They were going
to have to wait a while longer too. Within half an hour Liverpool were
three goals up.
Two from Kenny Dalglish in the 8th and 20th minutes had set them
on their way. A third from the great Ray Kennedy had them coasting by
half-time. The Kop was as cruel as it was witty and immediately rubbed salt in
the Londoner’s wounds.
“What a waste of money!” is a cliche chant these days. Back then
it was fairly new, at least to me, and filled with cruel irony. Who knew what
the two Argentine’s were thinking, but as far as Reds fans were concerned,
they’d joined the wrong club.
Liverpool brought on the local lad, David Johnson in the second
half. He’d come to Liverpool from Ipswich Town, after starting out as an Everton player. He enjoyed his best days
playing for Liverpool and averaged a goal every 3 games, before rejoining the
Blues in the early ’80’s.
As the game restarted the men in red moved up a gear. Tottenham,
still reeling from the first 45 minutes, were like lambs to the slaughter and
Johnson made it four almost immediately. He grabbed the fifth ten minutes
later.
This was sublime stuff and the Kop were in raptures, singing
“London Bridge is falling down”. Poor old Tottenham.
No sooner had they finished
celebrating the fifth goal, the players were winning a penalty. Phil Neal,
stood over the ball, hands on his hips and, as he waited for the okay from the
referee, young fans like me were stood, hands clasped in prayer over their
mouths. There was no need for appeals to a higher power, ‘Zico’ never missed.
If the whistle had gone at
that moment, it would have still gone down as one of the greatest games in
Liverpool history. However, the Reds weren’t finished there. They were about to
cap of a mesmerising display by scoring the greatest goal Anfield has ever
seen. That’s how Bob Paisley described it and he’d seen quite a few.
The ball broke on the left hand side of the pitch, facing the
Anfield Road end. Steve Heighway was onto it in a flash. The Kop swayed and, in
the Main Stand, an expectant crowd rose from their seats, sensing something is
about to happen. The noise levels rise, as Terry McDermott races from his own
half and crosses the half-way line. Heighway motors down the wing and looks up.
He spots McDermott’s run.
The pace of the Reds’
attack has caught the Spurs defence out and they look ill prepared to defend
the onslaught. Heighway sweeps the ball towards the penalty spot. At the
precise moment the ball arrives, so too does McDermott. The ball and his head
align like planets in some cosmic dance and in an instant it’s in the net.
It was a goal of sheer wonder, amazement and unadulterated joy.
How did they do that? Surely these men must be magicians. That’s how supporters
like me saw it. The timing of it, the precision and then bang, goal, 7-0.
Game over! But then, in truth, this Liverpool team were so good,
Spurs were probably beaten before they set foot on the pitch.
Liverpool 7-0 Tottenham
2 September 1978, Anfield, Division One
Liverpool: Ray Clemence, Phil Neal,
Alan Kennedy, Phil Thompson, Ray Kennedy, Emlyn Hughes, Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy
Case, Steve Heighway, Terry McDermott, Graeme Souness.
Goals: Dalglish (8, 20), Kennedy
(28), Johnson (48, 58), Neal (64 pen), McDermott (76).
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