October 31 , 2007 The soul of Liverpool in 50 momentsTony EvansIt ' s impossible to do a definitive list of what makes a football club and itsfans what they are . Millions of small events - and some big ones - cometogether to build up a sense of culture . Everyone ' s list will be differentand some will give more value to certain events . If you ' re a Liverpool fan , though , you should know about these things . And maybe it will hint at thejoy and pain supporting Liverpool has brought me over the years . 50 Hell ’ s angels , February 26 , 2002 There was plenty of apprehension for any British fans going to Istanbul in theearly years of this decade . After all , two Leeds United fans were stabbed todeath in 2000 before playing Galatasaray and the locals ’ ‘ Welcome to Hell ’ banners had sent shivers down Manchester United spines . However , Liverpool ’ svisit to Gala in the second Champions League group was different . Thevisiting fans ’ approach was summed up with a banner ; “ Welcome to hell myarse . If you think this is hell , try the Grafton on a Friday night . ” The Grafton is a nightclub , famous for ‘ grab - a - granny ’ nights , where innocentyoung scallies find themselves at the mercy of predatory Liverpooldivorcees . But the attitude was perfect : no fear , no aggressiveconfrontation and a slice of humour . It sums up the best attributes of themodern Liverpool fan . And , since then , every time the Reds have played inIstanbul , the local supporters have joined their party . And this is theessence of this list . The culture of football is about more than players andmanagers – in ten years , most of them will have moved on . It exists andgrows through the supporters as much as the team . 49 John Houlding creates an alehouse team , March 15 , 1892 The strict Methodists who formed St Domingo FC – later Everton - were nevergoing to get on with the brewer who ran the club from the Sandon pub . Houlding owned Anfield and argued with his colleagues over the rent andtheir refusal to sell his sparkling ale at the ground . When the schismoccurred , Everton decamped from Anfield as reigning champions , Houldingformed a new club , Liverpool . Without Houlding , we might all support alittle club and have serious thirsts … 48 Red all over , November 1 , 1964 Bill Shankly had a brainwave – to discard the team ’ s white shorts and wear allred . He chose Ron Yeats for his experiment . After training , Big Ron was sentto put on new shorts . Shankly liked what he saw : “ Christ son , you look aboutseven foot tall , we ’ re going to play in all - red from now on . ” Every playergrew a few inches when they listened to Shankly and dressed in red . Anothersmall step on the path to greatness . 47 First post war champions , 1947 If ever a city need a boost after the Second World War , it was Liverpool . Bombed heavily , the city was in ruins and short of supplies . The team wasn ’ tthough . Billy Liddell provided Jackie Balmer and Albert Stubbins with theammunition to shoot the Reds to the top with a team fit for heroes . 46 Red Stars and falling stars , autumn 1973 Fresh from winning the Uefa Cup and the title , Shankly went into the 1973 - 74 European Cup campaign with high hopes . Red Star Belgrade showed Liverpoolhow far they had to go to be successful , however . The side from what wasthen Yugoslavia snuffed the Anfield challenge out at the first hurdle , winning both legs 2 - 1 . It was time for more creative thinking from Shankly . He realised that a traditional British centre half like Larry Lloyd , whoplayed in both legs , was a liability in Europe . Lloyd was soon on his wayout of Anfield , replaced by the more ball - literate Phil Thompson andLiverpool were back on the path to glory . The hapless Lloyd would eventuallyget his consolation – two European Cup medals with Nottingham Forest 45 Howard Gayle in Munich , 1981 Bayern had come to Anfield , got a 0 - 0 draw in the semi - final of the EuropeanCup and headed home to plan the trip to the final in Paris . Things got worsein the second leg of the Bavarian capital when Kenny Dalglish was injured inthe first 10 minutes . on came Gayle , the club ’ s first black player of themodern age , bringing some Liverpool 8 attitude with him . Bayern kicked him , he kicked back – harder - and , when his heroic performance was finished andhe was substituted , the German side were in trouble . Ray Kennedy scored lateto finish them off and though the home side levelled the score , Liverpoolwere through . 44 Watford 1 Liverpool 0 , FA Cup sixth round , February 21 , 1970 The 1960 s had been good to Merseyside . The Beatles ruled the world andLiverpool were on the rise . By 1970 , the Fab Four were gone and it lookedthe same fate for Shankly ’ s team when they were humiliated by Watford , whowere struggling a division below Liverpool . But Shanks knew how to changehis tune : out went Ian St John , Ron Yeats , Roger Hunt and Tommy Lawrence – the old stagers . In came Kevin Keegan , Steve Heighway , Larry Lloyd and RayClemence . The 70 s were looking up , suddenly . 43 Robbie Fowler ’ s protest , Liverpool v Brann , Cup - Winners ’ Cupquarter - final , March 20 , 1997 “ It may seem strange and even unfair . .." Too bloody right . EvenUefa knew in its statement that it was wrong to fine Fowler £ 900 after hedisplayed a shirt supporting sacked Liverpool dockers while celebrating hissecond goal in a 3 - 0 win . Through the dark days of the 1990 s , as footballplayers lost their link with the fan on the terraces , Fowler remained one ofus . Would Shankly have done it ? Yes . It is not only goals we remember . Incidentally , Fowler was also banned for a goal celebration that mimickeddrug - taking . Paul Merson was lauded for admitting taking real drugs . Strange . Unfair . 42 Kop takes shape , 1906 A mound of earth on Walton Breck Road was created for the growing numbers offans to watch the team . It was called the ‘ Spion Kop ’ after a battle in theBoer War six years earlier . It was not the only Kop – low hill in Afrikaans – nor the first . But it would become the greatest . 41 Wimbledon 1 Liverpool 0 , FA Cup Final , May 14 , 1988 The pinnacle of Wimbledon ’ s climb from non - League to Cup winners will beremembered as long as football is played . And yet the victory would have hadless resonance had the opposition been any other side . Liverpool werearguable the best team in Europe and played like it until Peter Beardsleyhad a goal disallowed by the referee , Brian Hill , who awarded the subsequentfoul against Wimbledon . Still , funny how we ’ re there for the historicmoments . 40 Take it as red we ’ re Liverpool , 1899 After the break with Everton , the new club in the city wore blue - and - whitehalved shirts . Then , just as the 19 th century came to an end , Liverpooladoped red shirts – Everton switched from pink to blue . Shortly after , theReds took the Liver Bird , the symbol of the city , as part of the badge . Thedie was cast and there would never be a need for a ‘ People ’ s Club ’ stylerebranding of the team associated with the city . 39 The American take over at Anfield , March 28 , 2007 After months of uncertainty , George Gillett and Tom Hicks confirmed theirtakeover of the club . Those who expected Glazer - style protests wereconfounded . The fans are welcoming , if cautious – as long as the new boysdon ’ t mess with the traditions of the club . 38 Dalglish resigns , February 22 , 1991 Sir Alex Ferguson , with characteristic obscenity , says his greatestachievement is “ knocking Liverpool off their f ****** perch ” . When KennyDalglish resigned as manager after Liverpool threw away a quartet of leadsin the 4 - 4 draw with Everton in the FA Cup , the team were top of the league . Dalglish left , emotionally in tatters , another victim of Hillsborough . Manchester United filled the vacuum created by tragedy , that ’ s all . Butexpecting humility from Ferguson is too much . Grim years loomed ahead . 37 Panorama , 1964 The Kop had been making a big noise for some time , but it came to the nation ’ sattention with the BBC ’ s Panorama featured the crowd singing on a programmecalled ‘ The Other Mersey Sound ’. Afterwards , the whole nation wanted to belike the Kop . Why wouldn ’ t they ? After all , any terrace that could sing ‘ Anyone who ever had a heart ’ and ‘ She loves you ’ like that . .. The Koprocks . 36 Liverpool 1 AC Milan 2 , Champions League final , Athens , May 23 , 2007 Mass bunk - ins and ticket snatching hit the headlines in the aftermath ofdefeat but , while the glare of publicity focused on the minority ofwrongdoers , the massed body of Liverpool support stood , almost to a man , andapplauded Milan on their lap of honour with the Cup . William Gaillard hadobviously nipped back inside to get the prawn sandwiches while this wasgoing on . 35 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 0 , Uefa Cup final , first leg , May 10 , 1973 The game kicked off on May 9 and , with the German side looking comfortableafter 27 minutes , the match was abandoned after a torrential rain storm . Thenext night it was 10 p at the gate on the terraces and Shankly had noticedthe opposition ’ s weakness in the air . John Toshack , who had been left out 24 hours previously , was selected and caused havoc . Liverpool took a three - goallead to Germany – just as well , as Mönchengladbach won 2 - 0 in the secondleg . 34 The end of an era , July 12 , 1974 The unthinkable news shocked the city . Shankly had resigned . People wept onthe streets while the great man gave a strangely composed press conferenceto announce his departure . A sad day but Shankly ’ s spirit would never leavethe club . 33 1978 - 79 Where do you start with a season like this ? The 7 - 0 rout of Tottenham Hotspurat Anfield ? The 3 - 0 victory at Old Trafford ? one of the finest teams ever toplay in England cruised to the title with crushing dominance . Four defeats , 85 goals scored and a mere 16 against . Ah , but Arsene Wenger ’ s Invincibleswent a season unbeaten in 2003 - 04 , you say . But did they have the Europeanchampions in the division ? A stunning year in more competitive times . 32 Liverpool 1 FC Bruges 0 , European Cup final , May 10 , 1978 Not much of a spectacle but doubling the tally of European Cups meant a greatdeal to fans of the Reds . And it made a point to Kevin Keegan , who had leftAnfield the previous summer “ for the challenge ” and joined SV Hamburg . “ Whatgreater challenge , ” Kenny Dalglish , who arrived from Celtic to take overKeegan ’ s No 7 shirt , asked , “ is there than to retain the European Cup ? ” Bythe time Kenny jumped the advertising hoardings to celebrate his winninggoal , Keegan was long forgotten . 31 John Barnes signs , July 19 , 1987 There was some resentment among Liverpool fans when the club was linked withBarnes . The knee - jerk reaction was to assume it was a matter of race . Itwasn ’ t . Barnes had flirted with Arsenal when Dalglish ’ s interest was clearand there was a general feeling that the Watford winger did not want to cometo Anfield . All doubts disappeared when the Kop saw him play . Part of a team – alongside Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge up front - that rivalled thegreat Liverpool sides . 30 Liverpool 5 Alaves 4 , Uefa Cup final , Dortmund , May 16 , 2001 After such a long time off the big European stage , it was only fitting thatLiverpool should renew their trophy - winning ways in such dramatic style . onthe perfect stage , Dortmund ’ s Westfalenstadion , Alaves ' Delfi Geli scored agolden own - goal in a see - sawing match to add the Uefa Cup to Liverpool ' sknockout treble of the FA Cup and League Cup . The travelling Kop were backin Europe in big numbers . The way “ You ’ ll never walk alone ” resonated aroundthe best football stadium in the world created one of the game ’ s greatsounds . 29 Shankly ’ s first title , 1964 Promoted in 1962 , Shankly was never one to sit around mid - table , especiallywith Everton winning the league in the Reds ’ first year back in the topflight . His ambition was to create a ‘ bastion of invincibility ’ at Anfieldand the plan was coming to fruition . Manchester United , the mainchallengers , were beaten 3 - 0 on Merseyside in March and Arsenal werewalloped 5 - 0 to seal the trophy . Five years after arriving at the club , Shankly was ready to take on Europe . 28 How to handle defeat , 1971 on the train back from London after losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final , Shankly asked Brian Hall , a university graduate : “ Who ’ s that chairman withthe red book . ” Hall was bemused . “ You know , in China . ” “ Mao , ” Hall said and Shankly changes the subject . When they arrived inLiverpool , Shankly addressed the crowds waiting outside the Town Hall . Afterpraising their support and behaviour at Wembley , he surveyed the crowd withpride . “ Even Chairman Mao has never seen such a display of Red strength , ” hecrowed . You still wonder why we ’ d follow him anywhere ? 27 Athens ticket fiascoNothing could shake Liverpool supporters ’ loyalty . At least that was thetheory until the club allocated tickets for the Champions League final thisyear . Thousands of season - ticket holders were left disappointed by thebizarre distribution method and fewer tickets than expected appeared toreach the fans . Rick Parry , the chief executive , exacerbated the problem byrefusing “ to play the numbers game ” . The mess prompted a protest march andanger . Banners complaining about the allocation have since been suppressedat Anfield . So much for the 12 th man . 26 Liverpool 0 Everton 0 , League Cup final , March 25 , 1984 During the dark days of Thatcherism , a match in London was as much a politicalstatement as a football trip . Thousands of ski - hatted Scousers , Blue andRed , disgorged from trains into Euston station singing in support of theMiners and Liverpool ’ s Militant Council . Scouse power in action . 25 Liverpool 2 Leeds United 1 , FA Cup Final , May 1 , 1965 A year earlier , the Shankly revolution had delivered the title , but Liverpoolwere still the poor relations in the city . Everton , the Mersey Millionaires , still had notions of superiority . The stick that they used to beat theirKopite neighbours was that Liverpool had never won the FA Cup . on May Daythe Cup came home to Anfield , courtesy of goals from Roger Hunt and Ian StJohn . The balance of power had shifted on Merseyside for ever . 24 Liverpool 1 Real Madrid 0 , European Cup final , May 27 , 1981 , ParisTo really play with the big boys , you need at least three European Cups . Afterall , small clubs can win two – Nottingham Forest , FC Porto , ManchesterUnited . This was the hat - trick in the Parc des Princes , against one of thosebig boys . Alan Kennedy completed the job with a late goal at a time when noteam in Europe relished playing Liverpool . 23 Replacement on the cheap . Dalglish signs , August 10 , 1977 Kevin Keegan leaves for £ 500 , 000 . In comes Kenny Dalglish for £ 440 , 000 . Aplayer like that and money left over ? Deal of the century . Genius from BobPaisley in buying the greatest player to grace Anfield . 22 Celtic v Liverpool , April 30 , 1989 The first game after Hillsborough was a friendly in the truest sense of theword . Instead of selling Liverpool fans tickets in a block , Celtic speadthem all around Parkhead in small groups , without any segregation . Liverpoolwon 4 - 0 but nobody cared . When the whole ground sang You ’ ll Never Walk Aloneat the end , everybody in the stadium cried . Those who lack faith in footballfans should have been there that day . 21 The Kop fights backThe game is becoming increasingly globalised with foreign ownership and fansfrom all corners of the world but , worried about the dilution of Liverpoolvalues , a group of supporters got together to create a movement devoted toprotecting the soul of the club . Reclaim The Kop started on January 1 thisyear and aims to educate newcomers to supporting Liverpool in our ways andkeep our culture distinctive . A force for the good in the 21 st century andthe first wave in a new fans ’ movement . 20 Juventus 0 Liverpool 0 , Champions League quarter - final , second leg , April 13 , 2005 A flashpoint game . At Anfield the Juventus Ultras showed their contempt forLiverpool ’ s apologies for Heysel by turning the back on the conciliatorymosaic . There followed dark threats about vendettas in Italy . The second leglooked as if there was bound to be trouble . However , the Liverpool fans inItaly kept a low profile and behaved almost impeccably . The match ended in a 0 - 0 draw , which sent Liverpool through after their 2 - 1 victory at Anfield . But , more importantly , there was no violence . The best result . 19 Everton 0 Liverpool 5 “ And we played the Toffees for a laugh and left them feeling blue , 5 - 0 ! ” Aglorious day at Goodison . The home side , with Glen Keeley on loan fromBlackburn Rovers playing in defence , could not match a rampaging Liverpoolside . Dalglish tormented Keeley for 20 minutes until he was sent off andthen Ian Rush ran wild , scoring four . A day still celebrated in songwhenever Reds get together . 18 Emlyn Hughes ’ magic touch , May 1977 Back from Rome with the European Cup , the players , er , celebrated . When herose to address the crowd Hughes appeared a touch unsteady on his feet . Carrying an injury , no doubt . “ I want you to sing a song , ” he said . “ Liverpool are magic , Everton are tragic . ” It was , indeed , the soberest ofnotions and , recognising that , the red hordes sang it back . Meanwhile , TerryMcDermott , more ahead of his time than Martin Peters – 30 years in fact – was answering the call of nature and splashing a group of nurses . The nexttime they ask for a day ’ s slice of a footballer ’ s salary , we ’ ll send Terryround . 17 Liverpool 3 FC Bruges 2 , Uefa Cup final first leg , April 28 , 1976 Another of the great comebacks . Two down in the first 12 minutes , Liverpoollooked out of it for an hour as the Kop built up a head of steam . Then , in awild five minutes , Liverpool shot into the lead with Ray Kennedy , Jimmy Casescored before a Kevin Keegan penalty sealed victory . The Reds were one downto an early goal in the second leg , too , before Keegan equalised from a freekick . Europe learnt early that you can ’ t relax when in front againstLiverpool . 16 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 , Champions League semi - final , second leg , Anfield , May 1 , 2007 They ’ d seen it all before . This time Chelsea would be ready . Surely . Er , no . The Anfield storm blew Jose Mourinho ’ s team away , again . They were lucky totake the match to penalties as the other three sides of the ground joinedthe Kop in creating a hurricane of noise . 15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Liverpool 3 , May 4 , 1976 The Black Country has seen nothing like it . Untold thousands of Liverpoolsupporters descended on Molineux in anticipation of seeing the victory thatwould secure the title . Wolves , fighting relegation , had other thoughts , andwent ahead early on . But the relentless pressure wore the home side downand , just when safety looked in sight for Wolves , John Toshack equalised . Kevin Keegan got a second and Ray Kennedy provided the icing on the cake . Thousands of Scousers poured on to the pitch to celebrate . Soon they wouldbe invading Europe in similar numbers . 14 Liverpool 1 AS Roma 1 ( Liverpool win on penalties ) , European Cup final , May 30 , 1984 A night of great tension and violence , remembered by the television audiencefor Bruce Grobbelaar ’ s crazy - legged bravado during the penalty shootout andby those who were in Rome for the sustained assault on Liverpool fans beforeand after the match , events barely reported in Britain . A day that showedhow ugly European football could be . It would get worse . 13 Last day of the Kop , April 30 , 1994 The terraces were about to become history at Anfield but the Kop had one lastfling when Norwich City arrived for the final day of the season . Designateda ‘ Flag Day , ’ the old terrace rocked like on the great nights as the gamewent on barely noticed in front of a full house . An era was ending but , inthe vibrancy of the flags and banners , a new age was starting . The ethos ofthe Kop could not be as easily demolished as those concrete steps 12 Liverpool 3 Everton 2 , FA Cup Final , May 20 , 1989 What should have been a festive occasion was overshadowed by events five weeksearlier . An exciting match but better remembered for the collective sadnessof a city . ' Abide With Me ' sung in a Scouse accent was a first – normally itwas only our own communal songs - and the eeriness of the minute ’ s silence , broken only by the cackle of police radios , lives in the mind longer thanthe action on the pitch . 11 Liverpool 3 Everton 1 , FA Cup Final , May 10 , 1986 A year earlier , Kenny Dalglish had taken over as manager amid the debris ofHeysel . Seven days before the first all - Merseyside Cup Final , theplayer - manager had scored the only goal against Chelsea to take the titlefrom under Everton ’ s noses . Now , on a frenzied day in the old stadium , Everton took the lead and Liverpool looked about to disintegrate when JimBeglin and Bruce Grobbelaar squared up . Then Jan Molby took over , Ian Rushscored twice and the Double was secured . And the trains , coaches , minibusesand cars rolled northwards still decked in red and blue with little hint oftrouble . Sadly , it could not happen now . 10 Johnny Todd at Anfield , Liverpool v Toulouse , August 28 , 2007 You know it as the Z - Cars theme . It is the song that Everton run out to atGoodison Park . It is anathema across Stanley Park . When 11 - year - old RhysJones was shot , the city was appalled . At Anfield , they showed their respectfor the young Evertonian – and the anger at the killers – by playing histeam ’ s song . Driven by Tony Barrett , a local journalist , the ensuing show ofScouse solidarity at once moved and inspired pride . 9 Heysel , May 29 , 1985 Drunks , anger , charges , dead bodies . A sickening night , forever shrouded in afog of tear gas and fear . Uefa ’ s choice of stadium set up a disaster , Liverpool fans did the rest . A night few can look back on with pride . A lowpoint . 8 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 , Champions League semi - final , second leg , Anfield , May 3 , 2005 After a 0 - 0 draw at Stamford Bridge , Jose Mourinho brought his side northconfident that they would reach Istanbul . That was until they met the wallof noise waiting at Anfield . After four minutes , Liverpool were up by adisputed Luis Garcia goal that Chelsea claimed did not cross the line . Didthe crowd ’ s ferocity influence the referee and linesman ? only they know butanyone who was there as the six minutes of stoppage time ticked away knowsthe meaning of the word atmosphere . 7 Winning and losing , 1989 Seconds to go at Anfield and another double looming . Although the team are 1 - 0 down to Arsenal , unless the London club score a second , then the title iscoming home . Then Michael Thomas gets the run of the ball , get clear throughon goal and delivers the championship to Highbury in the final seconds ofthe season . Anfield is stunned into silence . Then , a voice says : “ You knowwhat ? Worse things happen . We know . ” Two months on from Hillsborough , thousands of voices said the same thing around the ground and no tears wereshed for a losing team . Arsenal and their fans were visibly shocked by theirreception . 6 Liverpool 3 St Etienne 1 , European Cup quarter final , 1977 Things were going so well . Just 1 - 0 down from the away leg , Kevin Keeganevened the game up in the first minute . The place exploded – the gates hadbeen locked more than an hour before kick - off and the anticipation had beenbuilding . Then things got tight and , after half - time , when Fabien Bathenayscored from distance , everything seemed to be going wrong . Ray Kennedylifted hopes with a headed goal but , with 10 minutes left , Liverpool wereout on away goals . Enter David Fairclough , supersub . With six minutes left , Kennedy knocked the ball long . It seemed that the rake - thin Fairclough couldneither outrace the St Etienne defence , nor stay on his feet as the centrehalf bundled into him . Yet he did , and struck the ball towards the goal . Itseemed to bobble yet it found the net . Chaos . The roof almost came off theKop . The old ground would not shake like this until Chelsea arrived nearlythree decades later . 5 Truth Day , Liverpool v Arsenal , FA Cup third round , January 6 , 2007 Kelvin McKenzie , short of publicity , decided to recycle his Hillsborough lies . The BBC , mistaking bombast for opinion , decided to give the man an outlet ontelevision . The Kop responded by spending the first six minutes of thisBBC - televised tie standing up and displaying a mosaic saying : The Truth . During this time – the game at Hillsborough was six minutes old before itwas stopped – the crowd chanted ‘ Justice for the 96 ’. The teams , reduced tobit - part players , wandered around the pitch unnoticed . It was a protest thelike of which has never been seen before at a football ground and , watching , I have never been prouder . 4 Liverpool 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 , European Cup final , Rome , May 25 , 1977 They came every way they could to the Eternal City , more that 20 , 000 fanatics , some taking a nightmare five - day train journey that would today provoke ahuman - rights lawsuit . What they saw was an immense performance from KevinKeegan against a fine German side , stunning goals from local boys TerryMcDermott and Tommy Smith to set up a victory that was sealed by a Phil Nealpenalty . They danced in the streets and fountains and waved those redchequered flags with glee . European adventures come no better . 3 Half - time , Liverpool v AC Milan , European Cup final , Istanbul , May 25 , 2005 “ That ’ s it . Game over , ” Andy Gray said , unable to keep the tone ofsatisfaction out of his voice . Of course , no one in the Ataturk could hearthe television commentary but , at 3 - 0 down as the break loomed , Liverpoollooked beaten . Then , with the players trooped down the tunnel , someonestarted singing You ’ ll Never Walk Alone . It started hesitantly , with anundertone of anger , but suddenly turned into the ultimate assertion ofculture and belief . When it finished , the tension had lifted and the 40 , 000 Liverpool fans were no longer broken and defeated , even if the team was . Didthis act of faith inspire the subsequent comeback from the team ? If itdidn ’ t , they don ’ t have a shred of soul between them . 2 Bill Shankly arrives , December 1 , 1959 The man from Glenbuck came to Anfield , via Huddersfield Town , to find a clubin almost terminal decline . Mired in the second tier for five years , Liverpool were going nowhere . “ Quite a character , ” the local paper mused . But it was a little bit more than that . This was year zero : nothing wouldever be the same again . In the book Here We Go Gathering Cups in May , JohnMaguire , one of the writers , says : “ Who knows what type of person I ’ d be nowif that Scottish fella hadn ’ t walked into Anfield on a cold December day in 1959 … ” Maguire was not even born when Shankly left the club , but heunderstands his legacy . It would be a perfect ending if this was the mostimportant moment to Liverpool fans . If only . 1 April 15 , 1989 . HillsboroughFirst the objections . Why is this more important than Heysel ? It is not a caseof one set of dead being more valued than another . People were called toaccount for Heysel – not enough , sure , but an attempt was made to apportionresponsibility . People were jailed , the Belgian government held an inquiry . Officials lost their jobs . There was justice of sorts . That disaster wouldnot have happened without the dreadful behaviour of Liverpool fans . Weaccept that . It was a peculiar set of circumstances that , removing any onelink in a causal chain , could have been avoided . Hillsborough was different . It could have happened to anyone – ask TottenhamHotspur fans , who had a lucky escape when they played Wolves in 1981 . But it happened to us and , instead of trying to get to the bottom of theproblem and ensure the safety of fans , those charged with the protection ofthe public found it easier to blacken the name of innocent supporters – alibel that lingers on today . The consequences linger with the lies – thelack of standing , the prohibitive ticket prices . And knowing the sectariannature of football support and its uncritical biases , it was easy toconvince people that we stole from our own dead and urinated on the bodiesand the police . Would you do it ? Then why are you happy to believe I did . This was not just Liverpool ’ s disaster , it was all supporters ’ disaster . Andno game is worth 96 bodies – or 39 . The most important moment in ourhistory . Let ’ s hope the 96 get justice one day , then maybe it will beknocked off the top . http : / / www . timesonline . co . uk / tol / sport / football / article 2778185 . ece