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Only County Visit:	Tuesday 9th October 1984
Competition:	Milk Cup – (Round 2 – 2nd Leg)
Result:	Liverpool 2 – 0 Stockport County (aet)
Attendance:	13,422
Away Trip:	34
Away Day:	101
County Line-up	1 Mike Salmon; 2 Clive Evans; 3 Andy Thorpe; 4 Dean Emerson; 5 Tommy Sword; 6 Paul Bowles (12 Steve Buxton); 7 Oshor Williams; 8 Paul Hendrie; 9 John Kerr; 10 Steve Taylor; 11 Tony Coyle
Manager:	Eric Webster
County Visits:	1

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A HEROIC DISPLAY

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A second visit to the Racecourse was sandwiched in between the hike down to Roots Hall, and that most rare of occurrences, a County game at one of the “lords and masters” of the English game. It was a second round League Cup game, and against all odds the first encounter at EP had ended goalless.  Not that I saw that one.  It was our domestic habit to try and get away for a week or so in September, and with the sure and certain knowledge that progress through the early rounds of the League Cup was on the unlikely side a week’s rest in Tenerife was duly booked.  I certainly hadn’t counted on progress but when the draw was made, (and with the flight tickets safely stowed away in the drawer), seeds of doubt began to emerge. 

Rochdale were the opposition in the first round, with a decent chance of getting through.  It came to pass as the Dale exited on an aggregate score of 5-2.  The draw a couple of days later pitched us against Liverpool, with the home leg first, one which I knew I would miss.

By the time for that game came I was in the sun, and faced with the challenge of finding how out things had gone.  No internet then of course, so it was a case of waiting for the English papers to arrive, which was a non-starter.  A game on a Monday evening would have the scores in the following day’s edition but would not appear in the shops in the Canaries until Wednesday afternoon.  It had to be the phone. 

So, having arranged to call the future father-in-law at 10.00, English time, I found a phone box down the street from the hotel armed with more than a fistful of pesetas, (1984 being well before the Euro was even thought of).  Making contact at the second time of asking, the all important question was asked.  The response took me aback.  “They drew nil all”.  Staggered at this unexpected outcome I passed the phone to Julie who went through all the normal stuff about the hotel; weather etc etc. 

My own thoughts were of a trip to Anfield which would start with a level playing field, with the secondary consideration that I hoped we’d manage to put up a good show and not embarrass ourselves. Fifteen days later, back in the country, well rested, and having already taken in a couple of home league games against Bury and Rochdale, the day dawned for the trip to Merseyside.  I journeyed with Phil, who was to be best man at my nuptials a couple of years later.

Much like its near neighbour across the park Anfield seemed to appear out of nowhere approached through a series of terraced streets.  We opted for a seat in the Kemlyn Road stand, almost opposite the players tunnel, and about 15 rows from the front.  Sitting there and taking in the place in the 30 minutes or so before kick-off, the reflection was that this was a bit different.  It wasn’t completely unknown to me as I shall go on to explain later, but certainly different from our normal habitat around Division 4. 

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The famous Kop stood to the left.  Huge in itself, and equally impressive, it seemingly stretched back almost forever. It of course had, and continues to have, a reputation just as big.  At the time it was still all standing and held nearly 22,000 when tested to capacity.     Not that the gatemen that evening were rushed off their feet. 

A League Cup  tie against one of English football’s perennial strugglers was hardly going to drag all the but the most hardy and loyal Liverpool fans from their armchair.   It was their third home game in a week and the fare they had been offered in the weeks before the game had hardly pulled up any trees.  At that point they lay 11^th in Division 1, having lost to Sheffield Wednesday and drawn with West Brom in their two previous games.  Taking away the County following barely 10,000 home fans made their way.   So it was a little strange to see the Kop, normally packed and a swaying mass, pretty sparsely occupied.

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The Main Stand opposite, the one hardly ever seen on TV, with the gantry suspended from its roof, was as plain and absent of character as the Kop was eye catching and impressive.  Many years later I sat in this stand, courtesy of a “spot of hospitality” from a business contact, for a Europa league match.  All I can say is that the seats were hugely uncomfortable, packed together, and with little leg room.  I understand that things may well have changed now, and it can only be for the better.

To our right was the Anfield Road stand.  Previously terraced, a large part of it had been converted to seating, although at the point of the County game a small section nearest to the Kemlyn Road Stand was standing, reserved for visitors.  It was in this spot that I had stood a number of years previously.

Back in November 1975 I ended up taking my youngest brother Jeremy to Anfield to see one of the grudge matches of the English football calendar when Manchester United came to visit.  It was the first game between the two for a couple of years, following United’s stay in the then Division 2 in 1974/75. United had stormed to the top of the League, playing some exciting football under Tommy Docherty.  Liverpool lay fifth so an electric atmosphere was assured.  Electric was an understatement.  The antipathy in the air could be cut with a knife, and just making our way to the ground it was a case of keeping a watchful eye on proceedings unfolding in the surrounding streets, and a more than firm grasp on the tickets which would afford entry. 

We were in the corner of the Anfield Road stand, barely 15 yards from where I was to sit nine years later. Around about 2.15 the tannoy announced that the gates had been closed. Strange that, as it was an all-ticket game. Some of the more uncharitable around us suggested that there was an opportunity for the turnstile operators to make a fast buck by allowing entry on the presentation of cash. But such a suggestion would of course be more than uncharitable ..wouldn’t it?!

Strangely Liverpool attacked the Kop in the first half, with their normal preference to be heading that way in the second stanza.  Half way up the terrace it seemed a decent view, but only until the first attack on goal.  As the ball came across from the Liverpool right the whole crowd, as one moved forward.  Quite how there weren’t casualties is anybody’s guess.  Safe it wasn’t. 

Extricating ourselves Jeremy and I ended up at pitch level right by the corner flag.  A big mistake from a health perspective.  A few minutes later the home side won a corner; the players stationed themselves around the penalty area, and Keegan came to take the kick.  As he approached the flag the barrage started.  The odd coin came winging its way from above, and those United fans who didn’t fancy parting with hard cash began to clear their throats.  Not, I hasten to add, to give the permed one a piece of their mind, but something far more unpleasant. 

With that guttural sound, a steady stream of phlegm and expectorant whistled through the air.  Some of it might have reached the intended target but I wager far more landed well short; failing to get over the boundary wall, and landing on the assembled speccies in the direct line of flight.  We both got covered in the stuff.  Lovely .. not!!  It definitely demanded a shower on the return home and the consigning of coat and jeans to the washing pile.  But before departure the local plod recognised that capacity had been more than exceeded, probably courtesy of the cash admissions referred to above. Jeremy and I were moved and ended up sitting in the gangway of the Kemlyn Road Stand. United were well beaten 3-1 but by the time the final whistle had sounded my Morris Minor was heading along the East Lancs Road. Recalling the whole afternoon recently, Jeremy summed thing up. “T’was mayhem without rules and todays H&S champions could run a two week residential course based on that afternoon’s events alone”.

Nine years on and the atmosphere was less than frenetic.  Avoiding humiliation was the objective.  Achieving it was surely out of the question.  But County so nearly did.  Liverpool emerged with an array of household names – Grobbelaar; Lawrenson: Neal; Nicol; Gillespie; Kennedy; Wark; Whelan; Dalglish; Robinson; Walsh; Sub Molby.  The Hatters had the usual threadbare squad.  Six of the team that turned out were fixtures for the season playing in the majority of games, and Osher Williams would have made it seven had he not departed for Port Vale within a month of the game.  It was a side which would, at the end of the season, have to go cap in hand with a re-election plea.  Liverpool, the reigning champions at the time, would go on to be runners-up – 88 places above County.  

And yet, despite the odds, County put up a magnificent performance.  Having held out against the much vaunted Liverpool attack at Edgeley they repeated it.  0-0 at the end of 90 minutes and it hadn’t only been a case of heroic defence, they had looked positive going forward.  It did tell in extra time, however, as goals from Whelan and Robinson, broke County hearts.  So near and so far.

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But that made it two League Cup games in the gilded halls of top clubs on my travels.  We’d been cheated at Old Trafford and only just beaten at Anfield.  Two great performances.  When the County fans normal ports of call are more humble surroundings, seeing the lads at places like this, and putting up a good show, does go some way to easing things.

January 2017

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Postscript – July 2020

Re-reading these pieces which I crafted a while ago, (in this instance nearly three and a half years), I was reminded of another trip to Anfield to watch a County team. This time the Youth side in the FA Youth Cup, coming up against the might, and cream, of the country’s emerging players. County had beaten Watford and Tottenham to get to this stage.

In the game played on 5th February 2001, we lost 3-1. A decent County following tjhat evening saw the game from The Kop, the only part of the ground that was open. I am indebted to ‘GoGoGoCounty’, (the website of County’s historical advisors), for reminding me who played that night. Within months Fraser McLachlan; Andy Thomas; Peter Wild and Andy Welsh were to make it into the 1st team. Rob Clare, (who also played), already had, having made his debut earlier that season. Twelve days after the Anfield game he played in an FA Cup 5th round tie at Tottenham.

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Postscript – February 2021

February 3rd 2021 marked 56 years since an FA Cup 4th Round replay with Liverpool drew 24,000 to EP. I wasn’t there but long time County fan Des Hinks was. He has written about his memories of both games – the first of which ended in a 1-1 draw. Unblieveable – as the reigning League Champions were held at Anfield by a team rock bottom of the whole League, and which had got only 12 points from 28 games that season. Des’ piece can be read here – ‘An Epic FA Cup Tie’

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VISITS

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Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Away Day
Tues	09/10/84	Milk Cup	Round 2 – 2nd Leg	Liverpool	L	0	2	13,422	101

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ON MY JOURNEY WITH COUNTY AROUND 180 GROUNDS

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Previously – ROOTS HALL Next stop – TURF MOOR