Taking Sides: Liverpool vs Everton

2005
Wales win the Grand Slam in Rugby
The Pope Dies
Liverpool lose in the League Cup final to the eventual League Champions that year (Chelsea)
Tiger Woods wins his ninth major by winning the US Masters
Champions League ????

Prince Charles got married
Ken and Deirdre got married
A new Doctor Who was appointed
Norwich and Crystal Palace were relegated from D1
Liverpool won the European Cup

A general election.
Steve Winwood's "Valerie" had been a hit only a year earlier.
A man from Bolton is very popular (Tony Knowles).
Scott Walker has reputedly finished a new LP.
Liverpool go out of the European Cup in the quarterfinals.

Brighton relegated
Tories win election

(JtN: I may text you later if I'm up for watching this in town - depends how late I work...)

The usual thing if a team or its fans muck about to the extent that a game can't be played to its conclusion is to award the match by the score of 3-0 to the innocent party. I expect this to be the outcome of the Inter-AC debacle. I dunno what would happen if a side aiming to recover a 1-5 first leg deficit went 2-0 up with 20min left and then the opposition all trooped off the pitch in some spurious protest.

One of my colleagues here, who glories in the name of M@x 0rlando, is Italian and a Juve supporter. I think I'll resist asking him to join me.

(* - in a loose sense)

(actually I was listening to Behind Closed Doors just a couple of hours ago, as it happens)

The Liverpool run must be stopped but I find it difficult to imagine one elite Premiership side sticking it on another for a fourth (or perhaps fifth) time in one campaign* (OK, LFC beat EFC four times in 86-87, if you count the "Super" Cup) even if there are 31pts between them in the table. No, I fear a similar scenario to last season when Arsenal beat Chelsea three times in domestic competition (and always by the odd goal) before coming unstuck in the Euro two-legger.

(* - tho' 0-0 Stamford and 1-1 Anfield would do it).

Still, Jellybean now has more midweek fixtures at the business end of the season to spread his hobbling squad around. Got to be worth some dropped league points.

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20050413/i/r2950699042.jpg

PS - you saw in Biscan and Alonso why Liverpool fans (at least the ones I've spoken to) really don't fear the loss of Gerrard. They rather not, but it's not the end of the world, and after Houllier's attempts to build a team around one man, they aren't so keen to repeat it.

(they=Liv)

Um, they won, didn't they?

1965:
There was a five in the year.
Jonathan King was in the news.
Some other stuff happened, eerily prescient of this year. (Spooky).
Liverpool lost in the European Cup semifinals.

well done pool. can you imagine if they won the champions league? i still find it unlikely, but they've proven me wrong at every turn.

Basically, the FA can choose to nominate them as the fourth English representative in the 05-06 CL ahead of whoever does actually finish 4th in the Prem. And they will. There's no 5th CL place for England (or anyone) just cos someone outside the top four wins the damn thing.

If Liverpool do win it (highly unlikely) I'd feel very sorry for Everton if they finish 4th don't get into the CL next season. But it'd be even more scandalous if the FA didn't nominate the holders.

Martin, I've never heard it, that song.

!!!

I told you, I think, that Liverpool would be this year's Valencia.

I didn't really believe it though.

I would love Jellybean to get one over Miseryguts Mourinho, the Portuguese Plonker of Old Porto Town.

I had a Didier Drogba dream. Sounds like a song title for the Foxgloves.

I'm worried about your circulation, Chris.

Congratulations to Liverpool, and their supporters.