It's taken me a few days to be able to write about the final. Rhys was dressed in his first Liverpool kit and because he gets frightened of the footy, when someone scores and we all jump round and go mad, I decided to watch it in Liverpool centre with a few mates.The traffic was manic coming home from work. There were queues outside all the pubs by 4pm. What were we going to do. I got the train in, met Dowie and Dwez and we tried about 20 pubs. All full. We ended up in the Rose and Crown, down some side street. If Dowie is good at one thing, it's knowing his side streets.
It was even packed in there, people from everywhere, all over the UK and loads of Irish around. The pub was tiny and the atmostphere was electric. One and a half hours before kick off, you couldn't move, it was 100 degrees and everyone smoked!
Everyone was excited and hopeful. Pints were being passed back from the 3 deep queues at the bar, the change sometimes too. The songs were being sung and it was the next best place to be after Athens. Then it was kick-off. A decent andpositive start. More beers, more missing change. The heat and the nerves made us drink more and quicker. That's dangerous when you're in the company of some of the heaviest drinkers in town. Nice though. Then a very, very unlucky moment for Liverpool and we were a goal down. But hey, we were three down by this stage last time. We'll easy pull it back. The second half was tough. Liverpool were the better team. Everyone who squeezed past me to go the toilet stood on my feet too. I smiled at first but after a couple of hundred times it was beginning to piss me off. Then it was 2-0. Disappointing. The songs continued though but I couldn't see a way through. Rhys's Uncle Rob, Uncle Philo, Pickles and Kev were all there somewhere. I was gutted but the beer was nice. A goal back but only a few minutes to go, can they do it, we were all desperately hoping they could. Could they, tey did it last time.... No, game over. I got out. I couldn't watch them collect there runners up medals, too painful. I sat outside on the kerb, people starting to flow out. My shoes were filthy now as well, what a bad night!
Only in Liverpool would strangers come up to you and make sure you're all right.
'Don't worry mate, they'll be back next year'
'We've won it more than any other British team'
'How come your trainers are so dirty'
These were just some of the comments. Someone moon'd at me and insisted that I took a photo. I did.
We were beaten but the spirits were high. Higher than I would have imagined. People were stopping us in the streets and just talking about it. We were all so gutted though, it was all over. A few more pints were in order. Then a kebab. Which one looked least raw, chicken or alsation?
Chicked was best, aginst Dowies belief. I couldn't possibly have any more bad luck.
Then on to the train home. Even there everyone was singing Liverpool songs. On all the platforms, on the carriages, everyone trying to cheer each other up. Only in Liverpool I thought.....
Liverpool V Charlton, last game of the season.
Rhys is 4 months old and has yet to celebrate his first Liverpool Cup win...
Maybe next season, just maybe......
