How did Liverpool become the bigger club?

[Dalziel Kane]

That's a lot of garbage for a start. British teams were brought to the fore in the 1980s by their activities and behavior abroad and at home, but it was going on elsewhere as much as this country was involved, such as in Germany, Czechoslavakia, Italy, and Holland being some examples. But if say Milan and Sampdoria have a riot and lives were lost, would it even make a ripple in UK tabloids or warrant any media attention here. We can argue about it all we like, but once the bottom line is, we were denied a very good chance of not only winning the European Cup but maintaining that fine side into the 1990s. Kendall may well have stayed also.

 

All water under the bridge, and it's not good crying over spilt milk, but that's the way it is. All English clubs being banned from 1985 was indeed harsh. Why should others suffer as a result of some stupid fucking supporters. Still irritates to this day, no sense in lying.

[MikeO]

But if say Milan and Sampdoria have a riot and lives were lost, would it even make a ripple in UK tabloids or warrant any media attention here.

 

Loss of life anywhere on the Heysel scale would've been covered globally, and it wasn't the tabloids that banned us so local coverage is a bit irrelevant.

 

It's right though that fan behaviour was equally bad (often worse) in many parts of Europe.....confrontations such as the one at Heysel happened often, but not at decrepit stadiums where walls fell down and killed people.

[Dalziel Kane]

The state of the arena in Brussels that year was just as much at fault as a section of supporters were. I remember Alan Hansen talking about it some years ago when the players did a tour of the stadium before the game and there was pieces of rock just crumbling, and the stadium was in a state of disrepair. Supporters of both sides, just got hold of pieces of debris that were available and used them as objects of menace towards each other. The Belgian Police lost control of the situation in a rapid amount of time. The stadium should never have been used or even considered that year for a Final game or fixture of such magnitude.

 

Once again, unruly fan behavior was not just restricted to the British Isles at the time. Incidents were going on in domestic leagues in Italy, Germany and Eastern Europe, but we simply didn't get to hear about them. Thankfully domestic and overseas (Europe), soccer violence is greatly reduced from say 25 or 30 years ago, even if it is still apparent or sporadic in areas.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/can-everton-afford-to-take-gamble-needed-to-join-europes-elite-8228806.html

[StevO]

Good article.

[ForevertonZA]

I like not being top 3, if we become to successful we will just accumulate all the disloyal pieces of s* supporters that abandon their club and just move on to the next winning club cause they like to support a winning club. I love how Everton has loyal passionate fans because the fans of EFC support the club because we love their football not because they win every PL, Cough* Manchester United *Cough

[Dalziel Kane]

I've never known any Evertonian to 'abandon club and move on to the next winning club because they like a winning team'. Never heard of such a thing, and that covers a lot of years from as recent as the dire mess under Smith and even when Kendall was about to be fired before the great success after 1983. Saying that I remember years ago when the shite lost a game (to Coventry) at Anfield back in the 1980s and a Liverpool supporter I knew at the time, decided that was enough and went for another side ?!

 

The club has been successful, but we've simply faded a bit from view from our previous stature, although once again Moyes takes accolades for getting the club back into the spotlight with some very fine finishes in the league.

 

Right now and at this moment in time, and I was reading a shite page the other night and there was a lot of - 'we won the game, we won the game, we scored three goals to their two' - they were adamant they had indeed been winners that day - the fact of the matter is, that between the Mersey sides right now, we are better equipped to do better than the other, and I know which side I'd rather be on.

[ForevertonZA]

I've never known any Evertonian to 'abandon club and move on to the next winning club because they like a winning team'. Never heard of such a thing, and that covers a lot of years from as recent as the dire mess under Smith and even when Kendall was about to be fired before the great success after 1983. Saying that I remember years ago when the shite lost a game (to Coventry) at Anfield back in the 1980s and a Liverpool supporter I knew at the time, decided that was enough and went for another side ?!

 

The club has been successful, but we've simply faded a bit from view from our previous stature, although once again Moyes takes accolades for getting the club back into the spotlight with some very fine finishes in the league.

 

Right now and at this moment in time, and I was reading a shite page the other night and there was a lot of - 'we won the game, we won the game, we scored three goals to their two' - they were adamant they had indeed been winners that day - the fact of the matter is, that between the Mersey sides right now, we are better equipped to do better than the other, and I know which side I'd rather be on.

 

I never said that Evertonians abandon their club, I said that I meet too many people nowadays who support the team that won the league the year before. I don't want that to happen to Everton, that would ruin the whole thrill of supporting a team like EFC. So I am 100% happy with us in the top 7 - 5, I don't want us to become a ManU or a Chelsea. Just my opinion.

[tordav]

Hello

I cant say I am an an Everton fan but definetely

I am an Everton sympathiser and supporter from Florence , Italy, probably one of the few in my country. I am since the 80's. Dont ask me why I did not choose to wear a Man United or Liverpool shirt as many usually do in Italy. I dont know...I simply liked the passion and the history of EFC. I often read this website but never wrote before.

I just give you my opinion about this topic because , as I already said, I am often sorrounded by people wearing LFC shirts in my city, also when I attend the games of my local club, Fiorentina.

 

I think that, despite the bigger amount of honours LFC have, the fact that they hold the name of the city of Liverpool is very relevant especially for the non British football fans who love following the EPL.

 

The majority of people ignore that Everton is the first football team of Liverpool and you cant imagine how many times I have tried to explain it to my friends.

 

So, even if we are in a better league position, it seems they remain more fashionable abroad.

 

By the way I dont really care: I Iike Everton for the loyaly of the fans, who had many ups and down and never abandoned the club.

When Fiorentina played at Goodison I was of course in the away end...never ever experienced such a huge noise before.

 

I also visited Anfield for a champions league game liverpool-Fiorentina and the atmosphere was not so great although most of my friends were so excited and expected something special.... Italian fans are genuinely impressed by the myth of Anfield, the Kop and "You'll never walk alone" so LFC is admired and respected everywhere while Everton are not well known.

 

good luck for a great season!

[Blue 250]

Hello

I cant say I am an an Everton fan but definetely

I am an Everton sympathiser and supporter from Florence , Italy, probably one of the few in my country. I am since the 80's. Dont ask me why I did not choose to wear a Man United or Liverpool shirt as many usually do in Italy. I dont know...I simply liked the passion and the history of EFC. I often read this website but never wrote before.

I just give you my opinion about this topic because , as I already said, I am often sorrounded by people wearing LFC shirts in my city, also when I attend the games of my local club, Fiorentina.

 

I think that, despite the bigger amount of honours LFC have, the fact that they hold the name of the city of Liverpool is very relevant especially for the non British football fans who love following the EPL.

 

The majority of people ignore that Everton is the first football team of Liverpool and you cant imagine how many times I have tried to explain it to my friends.

 

So, even if we are in a better league position, it seems they remain more fashionable abroad.

 

By the way I dont really care: I Iike Everton for the loyaly of the fans, who had many ups and down and never abandoned the club.

When Fiorentina played at Goodison I was of course in the away end...never ever experienced such a huge noise before.

 

I also visited Anfield for a champions league game liverpool-Fiorentina and the atmosphere was not so great although most of my friends were so excited and expected something special.... Italian fans are genuinely impressed by the myth of Anfield, the Kop and "You'll never walk alone" so LFC is admired and respected everywhere while Everton are not well known.

 

good luck for a great season!

 

Hello David, I don't think you are far wrong, carrying the name of the City is probably an advantage, the district of Everton doesn't have the same weight to the uneducated.

 

I can remember the 70's where suddenly Liverpool was the place to be (football wise) sometimes there were 5/6 liverpool players in the England squad, pundits jumped on the bandwaggon.Shankly inspired them, Keegan won more penalties than probaly any other player in the history of the game.They rode their luck, thy rode it well and built on it.

 

A couple of inspired buys....Keegan, Dalglish, Rush then a couple of boyhood Evertonians Owen and Fowler scored more goals than you could shake a stick at, kept it all rolling along nicely.Some really good players wanted a piece of that and they could obviously pay the decent wages.The rest is history, many a team rolled over at Anfield out of fear.

 

To be honest they did very well, and won a lot of trophies.....but they also had plenty of luck.Gerrard is probably an example of the type of luck a team needs.Could well be the best player of his generation, he's inspired and dragged them to numerous trophies.

 

Sadly he now seems past his best, whilst they have spent mega millions in the past couple of years Everton finished above them last season and have played far the better football this season......maybe the luck has run out, lets hope their money doesn't as well.