WEMBLEY 1978. No need to fly this time. We all piled on The Special at Lime Street and off we went.
I went with a load of Liverpool fans this time; it seemed everyone I knew at the time went to watch Liverpool. Those were the days when alcohol was allowed on the trains. For one lad, who we think drank an entire bottle of rum on the way down, the game was over before a ball was kicked.
It seemed to me we sang all the way to Wembley, so much so I remember some lads telling us to "save our voices". When we arrived in London we made for a pub called the Village Inn in Wembley. A pub we were to get to know very well in future years, so often did Liverpool get to finals.
I had arranged to meet my dad there. I was made up he was there. He hadn't gone to Rome the year before and couldn't get a ticket for Liverpool winning the FA Cup for the first time against Leeds in 1965. This was a great night for Liverpudlians everywhere and he'd met people he'd not seen for years around the ground.
I remember standing outside the pub with him, the roads packed with Liverpool fans.
I think it was estimated more than 70,000 Liverpool fans went to Wembley for this final against Bruges.
My ticket was actually for the Bruges end, which was full of Liverpool fans.
It seemed the whole of Wembley was red and white.
Think of the recent semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield, only bigger. We had the upper hand over Bruges all night but only scored the one goal. A cracker by Kenny from a great ball by Souness.
We were in heaven. Champions of Europe twice in two seasons.
Kevin Keegan had departed for Hamburg but we'd actually improved!
Wembley that night was special, inside and outside the ground.
