Highlights of the League Cup semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Third Division Walsall at Anfield in February 1984. Thanks to distantvoices for this video.
Great to see this. My first proper match, as an 8 year old, with my dad and his Walsall supporting workmates. Sat in the family bit in the main stand and my abiding memory is coming up into the stand and being mesmerised by the pitch under those weird floodlights across the Kemlyn Road stand.
Manager Joe Fagan was so concerned he actually made his way down to the dugout. I used to like the liverpool Manager and chairman sitting in the stands during the games. It always reminded me of the kremlin bureaucrats looking down on those old soviet union show of strength parades. Another great upload, Dave.
Gerontocracy I loved Joe but when Kenny took over it did have a bit of a cultural revolution to it. Joe and Bob before him were no spring chickens and from a different era. I think our younger support found them a bit uncool and Flash Ron at Old Trafford with their more media attractive team did grate a bit. Joe's team were aging as well with the 'boorish' Neal as captain, Barney, Souness even Kenny over 30. Joe's fall out with Johnston could be seen as a generation thing as if Joe did not understand the Aussie beach boy. I know younger fans who sided with Johnston who was seen as cool and had the youthful energy the team needed. New signings Wark and MacDonald looked like the white slip ons with cardie crowd at the Grafton. Joe even said the club was run in a 'communist style with a small 'c'. Anyways in came Kenny as manager - Johnston got his place back, the young Nicol & Beglin replaced Neal and Kennedy, McMahon and Molby aka Rambo (trending) and ultra cool Paul 'Nik Kershaw' Walsh up front
@Randy Borstol great summary and insight. Surprisingly, although we won the treble we had the lowest points tally of the 3 back to back titles. We were just about on the right side of our peak, but you're right: we were an aged side.
Cheers mate, (Dave) not often u see Liverpool play without their famous trio, especially one in particular, the king!, and the class off sounness and the very very dependable lawrencen, thanks for the memories 👍Dave,, john Martin, carlingford Sydney Australia 🌏
That 2-2 equalizer looked miles offside to me by the way. Good effort from Walsall, mind. Most top-flight teams would have realised the jig was up after the 2-1 at Anfield in those days, let alone little Walsall.
Who do you think is offside? Rush possibly but he's not interfering with play, and it's not possible to see where the left back is when Whelan heads it, as he's out of shot and may be goal side of Rush.
I was there. A week later I left the UK and eventually ended up in Hong Kong. Listened to the second leg on long wave in Finland. Have you got video of that second leg? Collapsed wall and all. This match is one of my best ever memories as a Walsall fan. Cheers!
It was just a special programme with highlights as far as I know. I certainly don't remember it being live, and the recording I have is just these highlights.
This was the first season that had live games in the UK. The BBC and itv had 5 league games each (yes FIVE) . There was one live game in rounds 3 to 6 in the fa cup plus the final (neither semi final). However the league cup had no live games apart from the final which was shown live for the first time. In Europe, only the European cup final was live. The cup winners cup final was only live if a British team was involved. This season was also the first time the UEFA cup final was shown live, although only the second leg...they didn't want to overdo things lol. Very different times.
Euro 84 completely bypassed me. I remember a holiday in France the following year where I got a plastic football with Coup D'Europe 84 on it, and thinking it referred to the final in Rome...
Only TWO games were shown live. The deciding group game between Spain and Germany. And the final itself. The powers that be at the time thought live TV football would never catch on.
