Liverpool FC Forum

[Rafa D]

I don't know if your all aware of the new Strongbow advert thats getting an airing on television at the moment? A man goes into a pub and orders 2 pints of lager and a pint of Strongbow. He takes a sip of the Strongbow and his face lights up with utter satisfaction and is accompanied by possibly the longest "Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" I've ever seen. The effects of this magical pint of Strongbow lasts for a couple of hours just off one mouthful of it.


Personally I don't believe any of it. Strongbow, whenever I have had it, has just brought back drunken memories of sitting in Birkenhead Park, chasing the birds and acting stupidly so I tend to stay away from it. However I have had the look of the guy ever since Tuesday night but mine has not come courtesy of some alchololic beverage.


This "aaaahhh" factor for me started when Agger blasted in a well worked freekick and my face has been the same since. Admittedly I have had regular top ups since that point. Firstly with us actually going on to win the game, Robben missing a penalty, Mourinho's laughable " we were the better team", the Mancs booking their flights, then going out without a wimper, the memories of 2005 flooding back, the gloating in work and finally Rick Parry having a go back with his " he must be very happy with his Carling Cup for a £500m investment". I swear since Tuesday not even Hook himself could take away my happy thoughts.


I came on here around this time a week ago and the place was full of negativity - Agger, Rafa and most other players come in for some heavy criticism, some harsh, some fair. We played nowhere near our level that night. Some people thought that was our level but I knew the boys had a whole lot more to give and the tie was not over, especially with the magic of Anfield on European nights.


Ever since that night at the Bridge, I have been gearing myself up for the return at Anfield. We had to do it. For the players, for the fans, for the new owners, for the old owners and for the manager. I watched the re-runs of the 2005, could we do it again? I'll admit for the first time in Rafa's reign I had my doubts about whether we could progress and they were serious doubts. I showed a positive front to opposition fans and fellow reds - "believe" was my key word, however my own heart was telling me something different. We had beat them in the previous 2 years at the same stage in different competitions, surely they would come out blazing, determined not to let it happen again. The law of averages, Sky's insistence on the "dream final", the Mancs and the Chavs fighting it out for all the other cups, the dogged determination Chelsea had shown all season, the fact we were chasing the game. It seemed too much was against us and I genuinely feared for our Champions League challenge.


Tuesday came and although most of the day is a blur, the main memories stand out. Standing in the courts square with fellow reds, the waver after wave of songs, the feeling from 2 years ago started to stir. We got to the ground like most peopel around the 6pm mark and we were in there ready to go around 7pm. Anfield was filling up and the Chelsea fans didn't have a hope of outsinging the redmen in the entire build up to the match. You'll Never Walk Alone was spine-tinglingly loud and you felt the passion that every fan was singing it with. You just knew, Anfield was ready for some magic but would the players deliever?

The game was pretty much a blur, we had the better chances and done much more with the ball than Chelsea's long punts up field. The Kop was in full voice and the rest of the ground joined in to make it a a fortess of noise. When Aggers goal went in, the place went ballistic, I remember throwing everything I had in my hand at the time ( a drink and my phone up in the air, I ended up out on the steps about 6 rows back by the time we calmed down the slience from the Chelsea end said everything - "FU.CK OFF CHELSEA F.C, YOU AINT GOT NO HISTORY" was being directed at them from every seat in the ground and I think then, they realised just what was about to unfold again.

Whatever Mourinho says, their was only one team that looked like winning that night and that team was playing in red, we hit the bar, had a goal disallowed and generally do a lot more in the final third. The fans had delivered and so had the players. When it came to the penalties the whole ground was swaying and shaking to YNWA and the ring of fire, this truly was going to be a major test for the boys in blue and they failed miserably. Pepe proved once again what a World Class keeper he is and the players shown they have the testicular fortitude to keep calm and send us into our 7th European Cup Final.

Once again Rafa had made the people happy.

I sat down in my seat at this point and looked round at all our magnificent supporters. We'd done it again. Everyone had wrote us off and Anfield had come back with a vengence and for me, its give me the chance to put a few wrongs right.

Not many of you are aware of the fact that 2 years ago next month, when we were in the Attaturk 3 - 0 down at halftime, I got up and walked away. All my life I had heard the stories of the glorious days and here I was thousands of miles away watching my dreams go up in smoke, it was my lowest ebb, and while the fellow reds around struck up You'll Never Walk Alone with all their heart - I left and walked away. I got about 30 mins away when a local told me and another guy from Ireland who had left that it was 3 - 3. I felt like twating the cu.nt to be honest. "fu.ck off mate" was the response, until I realised he was being deadly serious. SHI.T!! My body crumbled. It took us about another 20 mins to get back just as the extra time kicked off. I literally was in tears at this point, how , when, why? There was thousands of questions going through my head, the rest of it was just a blur, I was still overwhelmingly happy when we won but it didn't feel the same. I'd left when others had stayed , I didn't feel right, I felt for some strange reason like I'd let them down.

So everyone who went on Wednesday - Thank you. Because of the roar of the Kop and the Anfield faithful, you have give me the chance to right a few wrongs, put things straight. And thats why this final in Athens on 23rd May 2007 means so much to me. We HAVE to win it.

I am not a religous man, in fact I don't really believe any of it but the fact we have beat Chelsea in the Semi's and got Milan once again in the final, it feels like someone's giving me a second chance, and I know that this time I'll do the right thing, and maybe, just maybe we'll be coming home as the

CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE.

Again.

For the 6th time.

Thank You.

[Redbilly1960]

Rafa-Dodd.....Top Man, great post from the heart.

[Moop123]

What an absolute fantastic post!  Just read this while listening to Alan Balls' funeral service on TV downstairs - have a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye!!!   

[EddieC]

Brilliant post Rafa-Dodd. Don't worry, you'll get your redemption!

[account deleted by request]

Try not to feel to bad about it Rafa, if I had been lucky enough to go I have no doubt I would have left as well mate. I watched it at home, stopped watching as the third goal went in, and only started watching again when my son told me Gerrard had scored.

This time we will get it right and do it in style 

[Lucky]

Really moved by your post, Rafa-Dodd. This afternoon I watched the highlight of 2005 CL final, and now reading your post, I do believe we can do it again. This time just enjoy every moment of it. Athens will be red!

[LFC #1]

Good post Doddy and fair play to you for admitting what you did in Istanbul on here, although I don't agree with it I can understand it.

[daxy1]

hang on d!ck licker didnt you say the mancs were goin to win the cl a few weeks ago?
we want an appology off you now you little scroat!
and a pm telling me about what your gf likes (as if i dont know)    

[Ace Ventura]

Good read that mate, i wasnt lucky enough to go to Istanbul couldnt get anytime off work.
i work in town so tried to watch it somewhere over here, by the time i finished at 5 i couldnt get in anywhere to watch it, had to go back over to Birkenhead, watched the first half in the beach, which was heaving but 3-0 down at halftime stormed out in the worst mood ever.
Walked around for a bit and ended up thinking i'll have to watch the rest so wandered up the cross to Yates's i heard a big cheer as i was outside, that was Gerrard's goal...game on.
Yates's was full of kids and birds so thought f'ck this, lets go to one of the others...as i was walking along the cross heard another roar....Smicers goal    missed them both, so in the end i settled in Sonnys on the cross, the worst of all the boozers and half empty.
We all lose faith at times lad, yours was just more expensive 

[Lucky]

Well, daxy1, I remember Rafa-Dodd did in some thread have apologized for his saying manc would win the CF and explained that he's just drunk then and so on. Don't be too hard to him. This lad is trying to be getting better.

[Rafa D]

daxy1 your a legde with that ferry number.

Cheers


you co.ckhead!

[kunilson]

great read that.....what you did reminded me of what happened to me, although i wasn't in Istanbul.
Although at that point in my life, there were other reasons for my walking out the pub at half time. I had every intention of coming back, but not expecting what id come back to 15 minutes into the 2nd half.....and seeing the 3-3 scoreline i couldn't believe what i had missed, and it pisses me off because of the group of lads i watch games with im the one who always believes. wrong time for me. annoyed at myself too.

I thought watching the FA cup final yesteryear with my life back in order and my support as strong as ever put things right again. But how great it would be to sit through the whole of this final and to watch us win it would be.....cannot wait.

[daxy1]

daxy1 your a legde with that ferry number.

Cheers


you co.ckhead!

mate get to crete

Raffadodd told me he's stayin in a place called cockodopolis it's the gay capital of greece thanks but no thanks mate 

[ConnO'var]

Brilliant read Rafa lad..... you're not the only one mate..... I was half a world away watching the game in the wee hours of the morning.... My heart broke at 3-0 down..... Couldn't watch anymore.... my boy refused to give up but I couldn't take it anymore and went back to bed..... he woke me up at 3-3 but I'd already missed all 3 goals..... Something I'll regret for years to come.....

No chance of the same thing happening this year..... I vow that my eyes will be glued to the damn screen through thick and thin.....

Come on you red men!

[tubby]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh