Reuters Soccer Blog
World Soccer views and news
A European night at Anfield is a trip back in time
I had heard a great deal about the fabled Anfield atmosphere on European nights but nothing quite prepared me for my first visit.
Quite a night I chose as well. The 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in what was the first meeting on Merseyside between the two European powerhouses will sit high on anybody’s list of magnificent Anfield occasions.
The atmosphere on the day of the match was great, as hundreds of Real fans took in The Cavern district and Liverpool’s impressive waterfront but it was the walk to the stadium that brought home quite what the European Cup means to Liverpool fans.
Huge banners were paraded through the terraced streets that surround the looming stadium. Boarded up shopfronts displayed murals of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, two of the club’s greatest managers, although I didn’t see one of Rafael Benitez (well, he is yet to bring the league title back to Liverpool).
