By LFC Vancouver member Keith L Perkins, 16 May 06.

The end of the Premier League season marks the beginning of the silly season, also known as the opening of the transfer window. Some clubs have already jumped in with major signings, including Chel$ki, who have paid some gazillions of dollars in transfer fees, plus bazillions of dollars in salary, to bring Michael Ballack into their already overpacked squad. Meanwhile on Merseyside, the activity has been pretty quiet.

Last year at this time, we were getting ready to say goodbye to several players that Rafa had determined to have no long-term future at Liverpool. This is always a difficult time for those of us who get somewhat used to a player being around for a long time, and it can come as a shock to hear that they are now on their way out. But this is football, played at the very highest level possible, and Liverpool FC have always said that success must come before sentiment. So it was that Smicer, Biscan, Baros, and others were being shown the door while others such as Dudek said he would stay and fight for his place in the squad even though he knew that Reina was coming in and would be Rafa’s number one choice.

Reina was one of the first to arrive, followed soon after by Peter Crouch. That was a surprise signing to say the least, but the majority of supporters have taken him to heart and can see Rafa’s wisdom in bringing him into the squad. Bolo Zenden came over from Middlesbrough on a free transfer, which is an easy way to add to the squad without breaking the budget. One other major signing of last summer was the most important of all (see other article for more). That of course was the new contract given to Steven Gerrard after he was already on his way out, probably on his way south to join the evil one.

The rumours of possible new players came thick and fast as the weeks of summer dragged by. Names like Kuyt from Feyenoord and Essien from Lyon were put forward as transfer targets, but none of them went any further than the rumour stage. Almost every player that was reported to have put in a transfer request, or was nearing the end of their contract, was said to be interested in moving to Anfield to join the European champions. Figo was one name, but it seemed more like a method of levering a better contract out of Inter Milan that a real desire to play for the Reds. In those cases, we are better off without them, no matter how great they might appear to be. At the very last minute, Michael Owen’s name came up as a possible transfer from Real Madrid, but the asking price was just way too high. Simao Sabrosa of Benfica was one more, but that fell through literally within hours of the transfer window closing. Who will be the rumoured names this year? Your guess is as good as mine, especially if your list includes Owen, Simao, Bellamy, Defoe, Bent, Gallas, Benayoun, Alves, Torres and Joaquin, amongst the many others that have already been linked with Liverpool.

The real question is: who does Rafa want? That’s something that we won’t know until the official approach is made to the player concerned. We know that Rafa has identified several areas that need strengthening, some of which are obvious. A proven striker that can provide us with 20 goals minimum has to be one of the top priorities. A right-sided midfielder is also high on the list, even though we have managed to put Gerrard out there (temporarily) without sacrificing anything in the middle. That initially came as a result of Zenden’s injury early in the season, but became almost permanent by necessity. Supposedly, we also need another central defender. That may not be so crucial with Paletta on his way, and Agger already here. But, as always, Rafa knows best and will do what is needed, even if we don’t know why he’s doing it.

One thing we do know is that Rafa wants to have a large enough squad to be able to rotate players. That doesn’t just mean having a large squad, but means having the “right” players that can come in and out of the starting line-up without affecting the performance of the team as a whole. Rafa’s analogy of the table with three good legs perfectly describes the need for a fourth player to “fit” with those other three. The trick is to find the players that can provide the options necessary for the various types of play, whether domestically or in Europe, while accepting their role as a squad player instead of as an automatic choice in the starting eleven. Some players don’t accept the idea that they have to sit on the bench every third or fourth game too easily and can become problems. One of those types of players was reported to be Cissé, although he has recently stated in the press that he wants to stay at Anfield. Unfortunately, Rafa may have already decided his fate and is ready to negotiate the best possible fee for his transfer out. The money raised would then be available for Rafa to purchase the players that he wants. We might have to say goodbye to quite a few of our own personal favourites, but again that’s football – we have to accept the reality of the harsh decisions that have to be made, or we can watch other clubs pass us by as they rise up the table instead of us. Perish the thought!

There are bound to be many names put forward over the next few weeks, especially as the World Cup gets closer. Managers always say that they want players to be signed before the World Cup begins, but also admit that it’s not always possible to do that (if only Houllier had waited a while before signing Diouf and Diao back in 2002). There are also bound to be many surprises in the names put forward, and even in the ones that we eventually sign. We may not understand the thinking at times, but as I always say: “In Rafa we trust.” So let him do what has to be done.

Drop us a line and let Keith know what you think of this article

By LFC Vancouver member Keith L Perkins, 17 May 06.

After last year’s Champions League Final, we all said much the same thing: there could never be another final like that one. Last Saturday’s FA Cup final was definitely not like that night in Istanbul in so many different ways, but it came really close. I really expected this to be a one-sided match, with us taking an early lead and then comfortably holding on until adding to the score as the opportunities arose. A reasonable prediction, or so I thought, was that we would win 3-0. I should have remembered that this is the FA Cup final, and this is where magic can (and often does) happen. There’s no such thing as a favourite and an underdog in these; how many times has it gone against the odds? In the back of my mind was a list of “upsets” including the infamous ’88 final. The less said about that one the better. But still, that was then and this now, with a different team and a different attitude. Surely that could never happen again.

The crowd at LSPH made this an even better atmosphere than last year, with over a hundred Reds collectively going through the range of emotions from despair to ecstasy. If you saw the match (which I’m sure the vast majority of you did) then you don’t need me to tell you what happened. If you didn’t see it, then I won’t waste time in a vain attempt to describe it – wait for the DVD and see it for yourself! There were so many occasions that I thought this just wasn’t going to be our day, contrasted with signs that it was still our destiny to lift the cup, no matter how many hurdles we had to overcome. One new member (Ste) said to me after Gerrard’s first to make it 2-2: “This is Liverpool FC, and we just don’t lose after coming back from two-nil down.” I truly, deeply, passionately, wanted to believe that; but there were many moments when my faith was severely tested. A handful of Hammers fans were brave enough to join us and had the lack of sense to start singing anti-scouse songs at the ninety minute mark. They thought that we were beaten, but should have known that while this isn’t Anfield, this is still Liverpool FC; and we don’t admit defeat until the final whistle. We all know that a match lasts ninety minutes, with injury time added on. They seemed to have forgotten that. And so it was that we erupted into paroxysms of joy, while they fell absolutely silent, as Gerrard’s 35 yard screamer of a goal went into the net. A few times I thought we might just take it in extra time, but that was not to be. For the second consecutive year we had the heart-stopping tension of penalties to decide it. We had to be confident though; we discussed how many times we had won or lost a final on penalties and came up with three wins, no losses. Add to that Reina’s reputation as Europe’s best spot-kick stopper and sure enough the cup should be ours. We scored three out of four; they missed by the same margin. Another year, another final, another trophy, another victory parade. This is becoming a habit that we hope continues for a long time to come.

This is our last newsletter for a couple of months, but there should be quite a few announcements to come, so check the website from time to time. Over the next few weeks, we should be getting the “Official” part of the “Official LFC Supporters Club, Vancouver Branch” sorted out. We have the paperwork and all of the documents in place. What we need to do next is get a few people involved in the running of the club. If you would like to volunteer some time then please let us know; we can use all the help that we can get. We’ve had a few suggestions for summertime activities, but we would like to hear from as many members as possible on this. Let us know what you would like, whether that’s a gathering at LSPH to watch a world cup match (Spain vs. England would be perfect if it should happen), or a picnic, a Whitecaps match, or you name it. We’re not psychic so you’ll have to actually tell us. At some point we’ll be asking for money for memberships for next season. This will probably be $20 each, and we will have a list of member benefits to go with it such as discounts at various places.

Finally, I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this newsletter each week. I’ve enjoyed writing articles that hopefully entertain even if they don’t inform. Thank-you to those of you that took the time to send along a few comments – I really appreciated them. Stay in touch, I hope to see you several times over the summer, and I hope your country wins the World Cup (as long as your country is England of course). Cheers for now, take good care of yourselves, and always remember that being a Red means: You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Drop us a line and let Keith know what you think of this article

By LFC Vancouver member Paul Gill, 17 May 06.

On the way in to the final, I was thinking it was 50/50 between us and West Ham. I don't buy it about favourites and I rate West Ham as a team as well. Cup finals are a one-off and you never know.

And I also knew going in, thinking of Birmingham, Alaves, Arsenal, and AC Milan that we don't win easy. Except against Man Ure in the Worthington Cup final 2003, but Man Ure don't count, heheh.

2-0 down and we didn't turn up. I have to blame my fave LFC player Xabi Alonso. He's usually a colossus but he clearly wasn't fit. He was passing like a colourblind man and it was hurting us, it hurt us for both goals, along with his lack of defensive tracking back on one of those goals. Riise wasn't at the races and even Stevie G wasn't passing very well. A player's first FA cup final can sometimes shake them up a bit, mentally. Pepe and Momo took a while to get going and weren't as solid initially. Though Momo sure did get going after the first half hour, what a player! The occasion really hit some of us, and the fatigue of the season hit us later on in the game. It was played at a relentless pace and both teams were really going for it which made for a hell of a spectacle. "Best FA Cup Final In Living Memory" is the title even some older fans are giving the game.

West Ham played well and had some great chances (Ashton just missed in the first half) and I thought it was their day. So did the Hammers at the LSPH, they were pretty cool other than the small-time "Sign On" idiocy...why not sing and support your team instead of wasting your air on us? Either way, Stevie wasn't having it! The poor Hammers were almost mute after that, as mute as Old Trafford (and that's pretty quiet!).

I've also finally learned to not ever, EVER, think Rafa's substitutions aren't on. Again, I was like "HAMANN for CROUCH? We need a f*cking goal here!" but as in Istanbul, Rafa proves me a tactical idiot! I'm also not going to question Rafa's signings either after my Crouch doubts (though I won't bet against Crouchy, right Russ?). Rafa could resign Heskey and I wouldn't complain right now. In Rafa I Trust.

Great way to end our season, great time, great atmosphere. Can't wait for more.

Season Overview/Moro vs Cisse

It's funny how much easier it is to talk about things when they're not going well than when they are. I can't say anything bad about our midfield or our defence, they were outstanding. Weaknesses like say, Riise's defensive skills were compensated by an effective offside trap and zonal system. The swapping of offensive players in midfield left our opponents confused if they were man-marking. Peter Crouch really made a tough customer upfront and though he had his off games, he overall was a real handful. Maybe he won't start as much but I think Rafa got Crouchy to sort out our domestic away form and sorted out it is. We had no target man beforehand as Baros would pull a Darren Huckerby imitation when he got the ball and run blindly at the corner flag (sometimes. But Baros' inconsistency and selfishness is what cost him, among other things).

With the highlights (God's return, the FA Cup win and run to the final, spanking Arsenal in the league) came lowlights. The Man Ure away game comes to mind, we thrashed them. Chel$ki in the league as well. And the goalless runs we had, both at the beginning of the season and in the late winter/early spring. Crouch was out of form, as was Cisse and Morientes who was coming back from injury. But it seems to me one or both of Moro and Cisse are on their way out. A contrasting tale as well.

Morientes: Who wasn't excited when we signed him? Powerful in the air, world class skill, a great goalscoring record in Spain (and France), a cultured player's player. The Betis fans were BOWING at him when they were at Anfield, he's really highly regarded. But for some reason or another, he's not doing it. Loads of weak shots and headers and snatching at chances and just looking a yard slow when it comes to getting in positions. Amazing for little flicks and touches but not so much when he's in the box for some reason, Fowler really showed how it's done and Morientes is a clear candidate for being pushed out the door if the price is right. This is questionable as he's not in the Spanish World Cup squad.

Cisse: Who wasn't excited when we signed him? Powerful on the deck, faster than Owen, a great goalscoring record in France, real world class potential. The French press were full of praise for the man and he's a god in France by all accounts. But for some reason or another, he's not quite doing it here. Loads of powerful shots but straight at the keeper, shooting on sight, not the most predatory when it comes to getting in position. Bad control and first touch, usually. Played on the wings and is hit and miss, really inconsistent. Relies on pace and a bit one-dimensional. A candidate for being pushed out the door if the price is right, especially if he has a good World Cup.

See what I did there? I'll leave this to Rafa. Guess it depends on who we get in as well as who wants to buy.

Time to enjoy a summer off and hope the anticipation till next season doesn't kill me. Hope you all have a good one.

Drop us a line and let Paul know what you think of this article

By LFC Vancouver member Keith L Perkins, 17 May 06.

A great part of Liverpool’s success in the 70’s and 80’s was the attitude that once the last match has been played and the season is over, then preparations must begin immediately for the next season. The modern game does not really make a distinction between the playing season and the off season. The players may have a chance for a break, but the club management will be working hard at building up the squad. It may well be the off season, but hardly a week goes by without some news coming from the club. For that reason, I no longer think of the last game as being the end of the season, but instead simply think of it as one continuous process with the off season acting as an overlap from one season to the next.

The 2004-05 season finished on an unbelievable high with the magical and memorable success in the Champions League. One of the key factors in that success was the inspirational leadership of Steven Gerrard as team captain. From the qualifying round goals against AK Graz, to the “you beauty” goal against Olympiakos, to the one that began that incredible comeback against AC Milan, he was the one that led by example. There are only a few players like this in all of Europe, and we are fortunate to have him on our side. For most of that season, the one question on most of our minds was would he or wouldn’t he? That is, would Steven Gerrard stay at Liverpool or would he go elsewhere in search of success. He supposedly came close to leaving in the previous summer (2004) but the victory in Istanbul should have put an end to the speculation. In fact, Stevie G. himself answered the question at a press conference immediately after the final (sitting proudly with “ol’ big ears” beside him) with “How could I leave after a night like this?” It should have put an end to any suggestion that he would even consider leaving Liverpool. But, strange things seemed to happen over the next few weeks and the announcement came that he was going. Within hours of that, the decision was reversed and now he was staying. Never mind the nasty comments and the questioning of his loyalty; he was now here to stay for good, to win trophies for Liverpool and no one else. It was now up to him to prove his loyalty to the club and the supporters by leading his team to victory. That began on July 13th, 2005 with a first round Champions League qualifier against lowly TNS. A hat trick in that first match was the start of a very long season for Liverpool and especially for Steven Gerrard.

The season that started way back on July 13th, 2005 finally came to an end on May 13th, 2006. Ten months, or three hundred and three days later we have played sixty two competitive matches. We managed to set new club records for Premier League points (eighty two), consecutive clean sheets (eleven), and consecutive Premier League wins (nine) and consecutive wins in all competitions (twelve). In those three hundred and three days we travelled to Wales, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Monaco, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Portugal, and finally to Wales one more time. We made it through the three Champions League qualifying rounds with relative ease, scoring 14 while conceding 3. Our first chance for a trophy came early in the season at the end of August. A 3-1 come from behind win against CSKA Moscow gave us our third UEFA Super Cup. That’s one trophy already, with possibly more to come.

The season can be broken down into two main parts, the first part ending with the turn of the year. Our Premier League play was nothing to shout about in the first few matches with only our second goal, and first in open play, coming in our fifth match (at Birmingham). The critics were out in force and claiming that we were in crisis, couldn’t score goals, couldn’t win away from home, and would have trouble finishing in the top four. 7 points from the first five League games looked dismal, but in fact it was an improvement over results against the same clubs from the previous season. The season was then said to be over when we lost 4-1 at home to Chel$ki, even though we had held them to a 0-0 draw a few days earlier in our second Champions League group match. Rafa refused to dwell on those setbacks and insisted on looking forward; only considering the next game, forgetting about the last. A few weeks later we went on an incredible run of results, with only four goals conceded in 15 games, the last 11 of those being clean sheets which set a new club record. The only bad part of this was that one of those two defeats was in the first game of the League Cup, and the next match after that run of 15 was a loss to Sao Paulo in the World Club Championship. There go two chances at trophies, but at least we already have one; and the FA Cup will start soon after this, as well as the second round of the Champions League.

2005 ended with a 2-0 win against Newcastle where some Owen character didn’t even get near Reina’s goal, then a 3-1 win at Goodison, and a 1-0 win at home over West Brom to end off the year. January 2nd was the start of the new-year, and the start of a serious slump. Such things happen to even the best teams and it was nothing foreign to us. The difference between a good club and a great club is how they deal with the slumps. Once again the critics were out in force, pointing out how we were a team that couldn’t score goals, and the goals that we did manage to score were coming from midfielders or defenders. A draw at Bolton, a draw at home to Birmingham, a win over Spurs, an FA Cup win at Pompey, and a loss at Man Ure took us into early February. The only real bright spot was in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. A stunning come from behind 5-3 victory over Luton should have been the turning point, lifting us up out of the doldrums and ready to sail on to more victory. But the wind was taken out of us with that unlucky loss at Old Ratford. Two weeks later and we went down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, then lost 2-0 at Charlton. This must turn around soon or the season really will be over for us.

A 1-0 away win at Wigan seemed to do the trick, followed by a hard fought 1-0 home win against Arse-nil. Then, oh joy of joys, a 1-0 win at home to put Man Ure out of the FA Cup. There’s no stopping us now. Or is there? The Champions League resumed with a trip to Benfica where we saw a replay of our earlier trip to Old Ratford. The 1-0 loss was a harsh blow, especially as we lost Momo for who knew how long after his eye injury. We came home and scraped out a 1-0 win over Man City and a dour 0-0 draw with Charlton. This was not looking so good and so really it was not a shock when Benfica came to town and knocked us out with a deserved 2-0 victory. That hurt of course, but at least we still have the FA Cup and should be able to concentrate on our league form. Arse-nil took advantage of our low spirits and beat us 2-1 at Highbury the library. Surely it has to come to an end now.

It sure did, with a midweek match at home to Fulham. 5-1, with goals from our strikers at last! A 3-1 win at Newcastle the following Sunday took us to our next FA Cup match two days later; the quarter-final match at Birmingham. An unbelievable 7-0 result. This definitely marked the end of the slump and the start of a fantastic run to the end of the season. We were unbeatable from this point onward, knocking off Chel$ki 2-1 in the FA Cup Semi-Final, Everton 3-1 at home, 1-0 away at Blackburn, as well as wins over Bolton, West Brom, West Ham, Aston Villa, before finishing off the season with a 3-1 win at Pompey. Our strikers were scoring, we chased second place right down to the last match of the season, and finished in third place with 82 points. For most clubs, that’s it for the summer; but we still had the FA Cup final to look forward to.

Meanwhile, amidst all of this excitement, Steven Gerrard was picking up awards including the PFA Player of the Year. A good choice, if you ask me, even if I am biased. Stevie G. means more to LFC than any of the other nominated players mean to their clubs. The heart and soul of Liverpool FC would be one way to describe it; there are many others. Of course, then we have to face the critics once again who say that Liverpool is a one man side, that without Stevie we could not perform. Of course he’s important and is responsible for a great deal of our success over the last two seasons; but he’s definitely not the only player out there. Just ask Everton how we play when he’s not on the field! Liverpool FC has always been bigger than any individual. That’s “The Liverpool Way” and Stevie knows this as well as anybody does. The difference is that Stevie is Liverpool through and through. I can’t imagine him giving his all for any other club the way that he does for us. His work rate is matched only by his skill, and his leadership qualities are second to none. When it comes to the big games that demand the big performances, he’s the one to look to first. Would anyone doubt that he would be man of the match at Cardiff?

What a match that was (see other articles). “A cup final to end all cup finals.” “The best ever.” “The day that football was the winner.” So the headlines read the day after. What a performance yet again from Steven “Captain Marvellous” Gerrard. That was an end to the season that rivalled the excitement of the end to last season. Now comes the hard work of finding the players that will lift us that one or two notches higher for next season.

So there we have it for this year. 303 days, 62 games, 104 goals, 34 clean sheets, 82 Premiership points, 9 points behind first place, a third place finish putting us into next season’s Champions League, and two more trophies for the cabinet. Gerard Houllier had us believing that his five year plan was on course as he led us to fourth place in 2000, third place (and three trophies) in 2001, and second place in 2002. Climbing up the League one step at a time was fine with us and we couldn’t wait for the 2002-03 season to start. That should have been the one where we finally returned to our natural position as Champions. But it all fell apart before half of the season was over, with a fifth place finish and an inadequate consolation prize of the League Cup. Rafa has taken us from fifth place in the League last season, to third place this season. Could it be that his plan is on a faster track and that he’ll be taking us up two steps at a time? I can hardly wait for next season to find out.

Drop us a line and let Keith know what you think of this article

By LFC Vancouver member Harinder Braich

Pre Game Jitters

I awoke on the morning of the great day with a stinking headache and nausea. A premature, anticipatory hangover? Maybe, but more likely unbelievable tension and butterflies.

I was pacing up and down the house, waiting for 10.30am so I could set off. Eventually it was time. I put my LFC top on, packed a spare one for my friend, and stole my boy's LFC pillow case - it was the closest thing I could find to a flag, after the shop assistant at Soccer Cents told me that they hadn’t had much LFC stuff come in this year....

My wife asked if she should put my boy's old, and now-too-small LFC kit on a teddy bear and give it to me as a mascot. Sounded like a good idea, but it was soon turned away, when she came down with LaLa the f*cking teletubby all dressed in red. Mickey Mouse wasn’t doing it for me either, so the idea along with the cuddly was tossed.

Got dropped off at the skytrain by the mrs, with the sound of my 2 yr girl shouting "COME ON LIVERPOOL!!!!" as a rousing send off. It was a f*ckin special day.

I sat on the train, and thought to myself, “What would I do now, if the train broke down??” It didn’t bear thinking about. I got half way - should be there soon. The tension was mounting. Just leaving Patterson station and the train stops dead. No problem, that happens sometimes. Then a few mins go by. Cold sweat starting. Looking at my watch anxiously. Still time if we get going soon. Then the F*CKIN TRAIN STARTS GOING BACKWARDS!!!!!!!! Now I am in a panic. We are back at Patterson station, and I am thinking how long a cab would take from there to downtown. The announcer says one side of the tracks is busted, but trains would move on the other side. Let’s get f*ckin going!!!!

Eventually we get to Stadium station and I run all the way to Dix, and make it in time. Not a good start.

Tomasz, Anuj and 2 other guys I have never met are there, sitting in the restaurant section looking like they are ready for a nice sit down meal, with a bit of football thrown in for fun. First thing I do is tell them all that they can get the f*ck up and move down to the bar area where I will be free to jump up and down like a maniac. They are reluctant, but I pull out the old "those are our lucky seats down there" and there is no more objection.

We move down to the bar area, and its F*CKIN GAME ON............

Destiny shows her face

She is beautiful, but unbelievably cruel. She tears out your heart, leaving you feeling that all is lost, and then, broken, crestfallen men are brought back to life, as she washes away all the pain in 6 magical minutes.

Its kick off time, and I am trying to hang the pillow case underneath the TV. I am standing on the chair about 2 inches from the telly. I can’t get it to stick. "Get some tape from the bar" I say. I am standing there with the flag trying to get it to stay, and the whole world comes crashing down around me. I nearly fall back off the chair. I slap the TV. I am quickly told that the goal is all my fault because I never got the flag up in time. I accept this blame, and tell my fellow red brothers, that I will take that burden to my grave if we lose.

Milan are pissing on us now. 2-0, then 3-0. Kewell limps off looking like the biggest pratt in the world. "Good riddance" we say. But wait, it just gets worse - Vladimir F*ckin Smicer is coming on!!! "It’s all over now" we say. But one lone, crazy, Slav voice amongst us tells us Smicer is gonna do the business, and we shouldn’t worry. We laugh. "if Smicer scores, Tomasz, I will kiss you" I say.

Its half time and we have just been given a lesson in football. "There’s always the season after next" we say. We are genuinely afraid of being routed. I tell myself that if it goes to 5, I am walking out and going home.

Abusive text messages and voicemails are pouring into my cell phone.

2nd half. Mere mortal tacticians in the bar all chip in with the predictable "we have to bring Cisse on" line. But wait, what’s this? We are 3-0 down in the Champions League final, against the best defensive team in the world, and what is Rafa's plan? To bring on a defensive midfielder. We shake our heads in disbelief. A little while later, we would be shaking them again in disbelief, shock, awe and astonishment at the tactical masterstroke of the century. Who else would have done that? It defies all logic, but it changes the game, beautifully.

Stevie G scores. At least we have a goal, and we have something to cheer about. It doesn’t take the pain away, but at least we have a goal. 2mins later, the bar erupts. "What’s going on? WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON????" is all I can say, again and again. Tomasz gets a juicy kiss.

Four minutes later, Stevie G goes down. PENALTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But then we see the ref arguing with the LFC players!! Has he not given it? Confusion reigns, but not for long.

Xabi??? where did Xabi come from to take the penalty? He never took one for us all season. What a man. What a hero. What cojones. BUT HE F*CKIN MISSES!!!!!!!!!! Head in hands, but just hold the f*ck on, he only goes and blasts the rebound in. We have all died and gone to heaven.

Every time Sheva gets the ball, he walks through the LFC defence like they aren’t there. Milan have scored 3, but their best player has yet to register, and is looking hungry. Very worrying. Lo and behold, 2 minutes from injury time, Sheva score......hang on, how the f*ck did Dudek.....hang on again.....how the f*ck did Dudek stop that???? My only explanation is that Pope John Paul (an LFC fan) was looking out for his fellow pole, from above.

The rest is glorious, unfathomable, joyous history.

A Double Glenmorangie please!!!!

The original plan was always to have a few bevvies during the game to settle the nerves and enhance the enjoyment. But after the first goal, I was in no mood for drinking. By the third goal, I was contemplating suicide, not copious consumption of alcohol.

Once the final whistle went though, after the impassioned embraces, a few laps round the pool table, jumping off chairs and screaming at the top of our lungs, a trip to the bar was long overdue.

"Got any Glenmorangie?" I ask the barman. He looks and pulls out a bottle with about 1 and a half shots in it. "You better look for another bottle, cos that ain't gonna do sh*t for me." He pulled out a brand new bottle and poured me a double.

It was time for a toast or two. "To Rafa. To Liverpool. To the beginning of a new era". On it went.

A few more drinks, and then we heard that the Lennox pub on Robson was full of LFC fans so we made it over to there. We were treated as homecoming heroes. Cheers, hugs, high fives, lots of songs and lots of drinks followed for a couple of hours. We had all never crossed paths, but we all talked like old friends, reminiscing of the good old days, of the miracle we had just witnessed, of Rafa, of our hatred for Manchester utd. It was great. All the while I am thinking "please, I just wanna see one scumchester fan. Just one."

About 5ish, the barmaid comes up and tells us to keep it down, as people were coming in to "enjoy their cocktails"!!!!! Cocktails???? What the f*ck? So much for laid back west coast folk. F*ckin uptight pricks more like. We decided that they weren’t gonna get any more of our money, but we sang some more just to piss her off, before moving on.

We heard that the manager of Fogg n Suds further down Robson was a Liverpool supporter. How this information was forthcoming, I don’t know, but it seemed that day that we knew the whereabouts of every LFC fan in Vancouver.

We proceeded to start walking down Robson Street and were singing at the tops of our voices. Reaction was mostly bemused, sometimes knowing and appreciative and a little bit of bitterness as well.

We passed the courthouse and saw that a crowd had gathered to watch some musicians playing some crappy jazz sh*t. We decided to cross over and take a closer look. There was a lovely bit of open space between the crowd and the musicians, which we proceeded to fill up and dance a little jig for the crowds.

All the while, I am on the search for a scum shirt. Please, let me see one. We carry on walking and then there he was, a poor Japanese tourist wearing his manure shirt. We sang our hearts out to him, but the poor kid looked like a startled rabbit. It wasn’t very satisfying.

We finally got to Fogg n Suds, after picking up a few more LFC fans on the way, and sure enough the manager comes out wearing his LFC shirt. A place we could home for the night we thought....."Sorry lads, we can’t sit you all together. You’ll have to sit at separate tables" What the f*cking f*ckity f*ck was that all about. He should have been stripped of his shirt there and then, but we told him to where to put his separate tables, and then proceeded to move on to Mahoney’s.

En route, my prayers were answered - another manure shirt!!!! This time, he looked like a wanker. We stopped. "Are you watching Manchester? Are you watching? Are you watching?" was being bellowed out right in his face, and he hated it. It made my day complete.

We took over a few tables on the patio and started to sing and dance and drink in earnest. Again, the barmaid comes out and asks us to "respect the other guests". No problem. Wild eyed and drunk, I proceeded to ask all the nearby punters if they minded us singing. "No no, not at all" was the standard if somewhat nervous response. Good enough for me.

We drank and drank, and then drank some more. The game was on again, so we watched the whole thing again, and drank some more. I was kissing the TV every time rafa came on. Then the call to do some red shooters, so we did, and then we drank some more.

Then another manure fan comes my way....But he was generous and gracious and wished us well. He was there with his LFC friend, so he witnessed the whole party. By the end of the night, he was sold on LFC, and told me he had never had this much fun with his manure buddies, and that he was a red now. I told the rest of the crowd, and we sang some more. We did a conversion ceremony for him where he kissed the crest on my LFC shirt. We have photos.....Does it get any better?

We drank some more. It was after midnight, but I am not sure how much after midnight. A girlfriend was here to pick one of the boys up and somehow get him home. I thought I would get a lift the skytrain, so we said our goodbyes to the remaining red fans, and went on our way. But it was too early. Then the inspiration. Let’s go to Commercial Drive and look for some crying Italians!!!! Brilliant!!!

We drove us down Commercial, and we were hanging out the window waving our flags and shouting at passers by. Nice, but not nice enough. Let’s find an open bar on Commercial and "speak" with some crying Italians. Toby's was still open, so we walked in singing. No crying Italians. Sh*t. They were all crying in their beds I suppose. So we drank some more. And then, finally, it was home time.

What a day, what a f*ckin day. Unforgettable, unimaginable, unbelievable. A truly magnificent occasion from start to drunken end. I will never forget it.

Thank you Rafa.

Vivo la Rafalucion.

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