Walking On – And There’s Hope In Their Hearts

by Brian Kennedy

(first published in the July 2011 Liverpool friendly match programme)

As an Arsenal fan my favourite memory of Liverpool is the 26th of May 1989… about 9.34pm! Now before you Liverpool supporters among the crowd tonight throw our highly acclaimed programme away let me explain why!
The closest race in the history of English football had a spectacular if unfortunate end for Kenny Dalglish’s team that season, and indeed you will never have a Premiership title go as much down to the wire that it took that Michael Thomas’ injury time winner to decide the fate of the title. However one of the enduring memories of the night was the gracious applause George Graham’s Arsenal side received on the final whistle on Merseyside.
I think deep down you know that the Kop end enjoy and appreciate good football and spirit, so when a side comes to Anfield needing to win by two clear goals on Liverpool’s home turf, the ‘Pool fans, however hurt they must have been (after all Hillsborough was still fresh in the memory), still found it in themselves to applaud the achievement of Graham’s men.
It’s annoying because – well, they are gracious in defeat!
That’s something I and most fans could never do.
Had it been an injury time goal for Liverpool at the Emirates in the last of the 3,420 minutes of a League campaign you can be sure a trip to the nearest tree (via a DIY shop for some rope and a stool) would have been the only answer.
We all hate losing – so to immediately turn around and applaud the team that’s just robbed you of an emotional double, well that takes doing.
Maybe it’s why you hear “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the end of games irrespective of the scoreline.
I’ve always maintained a footballer’s life is one of getting paid for a hobby with massive fringe benefits thrown in, but essentially they don’t exist without us – the fans. All too many of them forget this and some, I’m sure Liverpool fans will tell you, don’t deserve such an anthem being sung to high heaven on a Saturday (sorry I meant Sunday since Sky have ruined everything) afternoon.
Is football a matter of life or death? Well, to many yes! Mr Shankly’s comment may have seemed like a flippant metaphor but that sentence epitomized the attitude at Anfield. Despite title after title there never seemed to be laurels to rest on when the Scotsman was about.
Shankly was from a poverty-stricken area of Glenbuck in Ayrshire where you either went down the mines or starved, but the dream of being a professional footballer would ultimately get him out, and his thankfulness of this, his roots and sense of humour moulded the man who went on to create such a great dynasty at Liverpool.
Football is a religion on Merseyside, and each Saturday thousands came to worship at their temple Anfield with Shankly conducting this 90 minute mass which usually ended in a handsome victory.
To Shankly football was more important than breathing. Though a well worn sign over the players tunnel might not strike fear in too many hearts anymore there was a time when “This Is Anfield” faced the away team and you knew it would be a torturous ninety minutes, roared on by a fearsome home crowd; that when a European battle came to town it would raise the roof off of the famous old stadium.
Every so often they got it wrong – Roy Evans’ somewhat disappointing tenure, though a member of the famous boot room. Old habits die hard. Of course this season they had to endure their biggest nemesis overtake them in League Championships and it may be a while before the Premiership trophy comes to Anfield, however it won’t be for the want of trying under Dalglish.
They’ve slipped from the top four and played in the second tier European competition, but it still doesn’t stop an unflinching faithfulness from their fans who still believe in their players, manager and ethos, and as much as they might need a bigger stadium it would be sad to see Anfield close.
They have had their share of black days. Who can forget Heysel, or the suffering of fans and families at a football game in Hillsborough on the 15th of April. Somehow Bill’s words meant little that day.
True to form they stayed loyal as a matter of principal and refused to buy a newspaper that blackened their name. And regardless of what happens next season they will still believe in their side and sing at the top of their voices a song from the musical “Carousel” that they adopted over 50 years ago.
Will they win the title? I don’t think so but remember anything’s possible in football.
Djimi Traore has a Champions League medal.