LOFTYBILL
New Signing
- Messages
- 73
- Reaction score
- 37
Liverpool away midweek League cup 1978 game turned out to be a great day out despite the inevitable 2-0 defeat. As per usual we travelled up on the normal train from Euston. I don't remember if alcohol was still allowed on BR at that time but if so would definitely have had a skinful on the train. For some reason by the time we had walked along Scottie Road to the ground there was only me and a mate left from the usual contingent. I'm pretty sure we had consumed a fair bit of beer by this time and in a show of bravado we decided to head for the Kop. Just along from the famous stand in Walton Breck Road there is a pub, I think it is called The Park, not sure of that though. It was at least an hour and a half to kick off, maybe more, when we deposited ourselves at the bar in said pub. We half expected to get a kicking as soon as we opened our mouths but instead a large much older guy next to us became all matey. It turned out he was a docker and for the next hour or two we exchanged rounds with him including chasers. Needless to say we could barely stand up by the time this genuinely friendly scouser led us into the Kop before kick off. Where we stood to the right of the goal and about half way up the stand was pretty packed and by halftime, the game had passed us by in an alcoholic blur in which we both if I remember rightly had taken to singing Chelsea songs raucously, our new friend had exited stage left. My mate suddenly had the urge to empty his bowels and decided that the rumours of people pissing in your pocket gave him the right to bypass the toilets and do it where he stood on the terrace. I wasn't quite as out of it as he was and noticed that the locals were not too happy with his decision so I grasped his arm and dragged him up to the back of the stand before we got a right pasting. During the second half we stood behind the Kop choir, basically hundreds of young kids, and gave them a taste of our own melodic chanting (sic). Again we were befriended, by a ginger headed youth ( from Birkenhead) who seemed to be amazed that any Chelsea fans had ventured onto his hallowed turf. After the game the young scouser took us for a drink at an Everton pub hidden in the middle of the tower blocks alongside Scotland Road. Outside the ground their was some scuffling and a few bricks thrown and Arkins winked at us as he ran past the Kop no doubt looking for a bit of 'action', most of the regular away support then knew each other by sight if not by name or on speaking terms. We managed to top up our depleted reserves in a couple more pubs before catching a late train back to the Smoke. All in all a great day out.