The Miracle Of Istanbul - Please Read

[The Erectile Banana]

I'll get back to you with a pm if thats alright.

The funny thing is i remember every detail apart from actually watchin the game! Just felt like 90 minutes of my life had dissappeared. 24 hours before hand ****ting it like never before.... the days and nights to follow carried a feeling ive never felt in my life, and would count myself a lucky cunt if i ever got to feel it again.

Cheers mate. Much appreciated.

mate, am very happy to give you my story but I suspect that just mine would come to a few thousand words as it was such a magnificent day and that when you consider the "whole event" which for me started in work the day before with a lot of banter between 3 reds and many many mancs (worked in Knutsford at the time) through the early morning cab to the airport, the full day in Istanbul (including the best official passport stamp I've got which states under reason for travel "CL Final"), meeting up with mates who had travelled from all over inc China and Italy, the match and all the emotion and the plane back and then finishing up at the homecoming parade

have you considered just a small part of the day? otherwise I suspect you may still be reading peoples stories on the day of the deadline

as I'm writing this I suspect the Juventus away game including mine and g/f's lucky chippy routine was more humorous

I'm looking specifically at the match itself and say the few hours before and after it. I would love to write something more wideranging but I don't have the time or the word count required. What'd be great is if you could concentrate on the period around the match, but if you have any other great details like the passport stamp then please include them. I know it's a subject we could all write endlessly about and I really appreciate all contributions.

David.... when does your paper have to be in by?

Not until next month but I'd like to have people's stories in as soon as possible so I can go through them and collate the best bits.

Watched it with my bro...a utd fan ..after waxing lyrical about Milan's finesse, skill and experience..as they shot into what everyone expected to be an unassailable lead..he then pessimistically began stating at 3-0 "this isn't over yet", while i was hysterically shouting at him..."don't be ****in stupid, your only saying that because your terrified LFC would win it you ****".

He got so worked up as each goal went in...as did i, me scared to believe....him scared to believe....mumbling things like...."there's only one winner here now"...while i still refused to believe we could produce such an amazing...unprecidented European Final Win.

Anyway, needless to say it was an eventful evening, which i'm not ashamed to say descended into a glorious slanging match, him with his "lucky lucky ****ers" jibes, and his "Dudek was well off his line" dismay, and me....well, i just didn't care what he said, i was invincible...bullett proof...

he couldn't hurt me with words about football....Look, LOOK!! what Liverpool fc just did.

And thank **** we did eh.

Cheers mate.

[The Erectile Banana]

I struggled for a ticket and tried all the usual avenues but to no avail, all my mates were boxed off one way or another and with just one week to go resigned to not making it.

On the Friday before the final I got a call from a good mate who said one of their party had to drop out and did I want to take his place on the VIP trip, flying out with the players not involved, wives & girlfriends, 5 star hotel, VIP hospitality before the game, and ticket in the VIP section

I told him to **** off, it wasn't funny & put the phone down

He rang me straight back claiming it was not a joke and chance of a lifetime, all legit via The Club

I couldn't afford anyway I tell him but he says its £800 odd all in and that's less than some of my mates have paid going on Pov Airways, but I had to decide there and then.

I gave him my credit card details, taking the gamble of my life, I was either going to Istanbul in style or my credit card was about to used all over South East Asia buying high price electrical goods and expensive carpets

Monday morninng the posty delivers a letter from LFC, inside is the itinery just as he described, flight tickets from Speke Airport, match ticket to be collected on the flight and one of these hang round your neck passes to "The Golden Horn Club" I **** you not.

Well I'm leaping round the house like a loon, kids looking at me with that "stop embarassing me "look . I'm going to Istanbul in style

Get to the airport circa 4.30am on the 25th of May after a night of little sleep, if I have to be up really early for something important I keep waking up every hour checking the clock, & this day was important

JLA was packed to the rafters with reds and a nervous expectation was in the air when I met up with my mates and the rest of the party who were all good blokes as it turned out

Our flight indicates boarding and we are ushered into a small private lounge / terminal were Pelegrino, Le Tallec, Pongolle, Warnock, Whitbread, Morientes and a few others plus Kewells Mrs, Montse and all the other WAGS. ****in hell I can't believe this

We land in Istanbul and as we enter the terminal they are playing YNWA over the tannoy, good omen I think

The coach journey from the Airport to our hotel was amazing as the motorways embankments were lined with thousands of people waving at us, loads with red scarfs and the traffic was really really mental. Our hotel was out on the coast an hours drive past the Attaturk Stadium which we saw in the distance as we passed. I remember thinking at the time that it was in the middle of nowhere.

Threw our bags in the room, quick shower & down to the bar for a couple & a bite to eat.
Morientes was in the lobby and was happily taking to anyone & people were getting photos with him , well it was rude not to wasn't it and I didn't want to hurt his feelings

The thing that I would regret was we couldn't make it to The square, looked great and the lads have since told me loads stories, said they buzzin all day off the atmosphere Effs & Kebabs

Eventually we get on the coach to go to the stadium, my nerves start tingling and 5 minutes in the songs start at the back of the coach, 5 minutes after that the coach is rocking all the way there

The coach parks up about half a mile from were we need to go, and we start walking along the pavement of a road that is desserted of traffic when the first surreal moment of the day happens.

As me and my mate are walking we here police sirens in the distance behind us, we look round and see travelling at some pace police outriders & this huge black Mercedes. As it gets near us the car slams on the brakes draws level with us and the rear window winds down, and this smartly dressed bald bloke in his 60's puts his arm out to shake hands.

"I'm Mayor something or other Welcome to Istanbul" and hands me & my mate his business card" and with that roars off

We just looked at each other and then pissed ourselves laughing it was so bizarre

With my Golden Horn Pass round my neck I head into this huge marquee about 2 hours befor kick off and it was very impressive, huge buffet, hot food, free drinks huge TV screens. Warnock sat next to us to eat his food and he was saying how pissed off he was not to have made the squad, he felt he had done enough & had mixed emotions about being here. I have to say he was a really down to earth bloke.

The french duo Le Tallec & Pongo were moody little ****s and looked down on everyone who wasn't in the squad

After the food we got some drinks & I was stood next to Morientes watching highlights of previous European Cup goals,it was weired watching him watching himself scoring a goal on the TV. Also caught a glimpse of Marradona but he was surrounded by minders

An hour to kick off and it was all very nice in the prawn tent but I wanted to get in the ground now and savour the build up plus I wanted to be sober for this, the biggest game I'd ever been to

Got to my seat and behind me I could see Thomo in a box giving an interview, the next box along was McMannaman doing similar

We all know what happened in the game, and to tell you the truth I can't remember much of the first half other than their 3 goals

Half time we just sat there stunned, texts from Blue****e & Manc fans were coming through taunting me.

The YNWA just before the start of the second half was the best I have ever witnessed or been part of

Then the six crazy minutes, once we scored the second I knew we would get another, you could see & feel the Milan side collapse and the 50 odd thousand Liverpool fans on all three sides of the ground were at fever pitch making a deafening noise, you really did belive we were going to win it at that point

I couldn't watch Xabi's pen so I had my back to the pitch watching Thommo looking out, heard the sigh & thought oh no only to be replaced a split second later by thunderous cheering, leaping, dancing. I looked up could see Thommo hammering the glass.

Extra time went on for ever & I just wanted it over & pens, we looked knackered

Pens, I'm never good watching these but when Sheva went up my nerves were shot & them the best feeling I've ever had in football, all around went mental, watching the lads on the pitch celebrate, hearing us sing "Champions League you having a laugh" to all those knockers back home

Seeing Stevie lift the cup, unbelievable from were we were some hour and a half before, we seemed to stay in the stadium celebrating and hugging strangers for what seemed like hours, but oviously wasn't

As we head out of the stadium to try & find our coach loads of young turks in Stewards vests were begging us for scarfs, badges anything with LFC on. We just handed them all over WTF we won

The coach trip back to the hotel was extremely quiet which sounds odd looking back but I think everyone was exhausted and probably trying to come to terms with what we had just witnessed.

I got my phone out, turned it on and text after text of congrats was coming through from home,family, from mates, work collegues and I felt so proud reading them.

As for the texts I got at half time from all the gob****es, I just slowly deleted them without replying with a feeling of contentment, I didn't need to rub it in,I knew how they would all be feeling

We finally arrived back at the hotel about 3.00am can't really remember but we all grabbed a pint and ordered champagne and the hotel staff witnessed the party of all parties as 500 plus reds celebrated winning the European Cup for the 5th time, ours to keep and in such dramatic fashion so far from home.

With about 2 hours sleep we were back on to the coach heading for the airport, as we slowly exited the hotel we had to stop by some road works, suddenly all the construction workers stopped and started applauding us, then the rest of the street joined in, it was a mad feeling

The coach we were on went strainght through the gates of the airfield and to a private room away from the main building and we boarded very quickley and apparantly took off straight after the team plane as all the WAGs wanted to be on the parade

I slept all the way back, got off the plane, jumped a cab home to an empty house, wife had taken the kids to watch the homecoming, I was just too knackered, so I put the telly on and pressed play on the video(do you remember them) and prayed to god the Mrs hadn't ****ed the recording up. I 'm happy to report I am still married

That is fantastic Stanbull. Cheers for that.

[The Erectile Banana]

Bumpity bump.

Please keep your responses coming.

[ronanm]

I watched it in my ex g/f's house. 2 minutes in and Traore hauls down one of the AC Milan players - "You can't fdo that in a CL final" I screamed at the TV. "Well they are not going to score from it..." but befores she finished the sentence the ball was in the back of the net. I said "I don't want to hear another word out of you until half time."

[The Erectile Banana]

I watched it in my ex g/f's house. 2 minutes in and Traore hauls down one of the AC Milan players - "You can't fdo that in a CL final" I screamed at the TV. "Well they are not going to score from it..." but befores she finished the sentence the ball was in the back of the net. I said "I don't want to hear another word out of you until half time."

Keep 'em coming please guys.

[The Erectile Banana]

Come on lads!

More stories please.

[The Erectile Banana]

BUMP.



Come on, don't be shy.

[The Erectile Banana]

Please keep your stories coming guys.

They don't have to be essays. Any memories or recollections are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

[The Erectile Banana]

Guys,

Still want to hear more of your stories.

Please send them on.

Thanks.

[Matt]

Keep 'em coming please guys.

Come on lads!

More stories please.

BUMP.



Come on, don't be shy.

Please keep your stories coming guys.

They don't have to be essays. Any memories or recollections are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

Guys,

Still want to hear more of your stories.

Please send them on.

Thanks.

I knew I'd forgotten to do something...

[Matt]

I was a student in Leeds at the time and luckily had a pub job where I met two other Reds; one from Darlington and another from Leicester. The lad from the Midlands had always struck me as a bit of a part-timer, but he owned a car and when he bought tickets for the Olympiakos game at Anfield I certainly wasn't going to complain. It ended up being one of the best atmospheres and matches I'd experienced.

For the knockout stages, we had our choice of several pubs within a hundred metres of each other. One or two had proven to be unlucky places over the past few years and one was downright cursed. This of course had nothing to do with Liverpool generally being ****e.

So with our pub picked I donned my new Carradona t-shirt for the Bayer Leverkusen game and downed a shot of JD before the game to settle the nerves. This was a routine I repeated for each game that followed. For the final, I went out for a wander at about 5pm with my mp3 player blasting out various LFC tunes and then went to meet my mates at the pub. For big games, the pub used to open a small room upstairs that had a bar and capacity of about 100 people; to get a seat you had to be queueing up at about 7pm so we duly got there in time and finally got a decent seat facing the big screen. There must have been over 100 people in there wearing red, making an absolute racket.

Much of the rest of the build-up was a blur, possibly to do with making my way through the four pints I'd bought myself to last the first half. When Maldini scored, I remember for the first time thinking 'maybe we don't actually get to win this' and I spent the half time break with my head in my hands. My Red Leicester mate said with a pseudo-grin (yes a ****ing grin!) "it's either going to be the most incredible comeback ever or we're going to get smashed".

I watched the first few minutes of the second half feeling numb and could only muster a clenched fist when Gerrard scored. To be honest I'd stopped believing but when Vladi Smicer drove in the second I was up and hugging randoms. When we won the penalty I lost my voice screaming and there was absolute bedlam when it went in. Other than Riise's effort shortly after and Dudek's wonder save I don't remember much else about the rest of the game.

After the unbelievable penalty shootout everybody who could get to a chair or table was standing on it, dancing and singing 'We are the Champions' and YNWA. My manc-supporting housemate found his way into the room and gave me a hug which was really quite nice of him. Had it been the other way round I'd have felt more like throwing a windmill in his direction

[The Erectile Banana]

Cheers Matt.

Anyone else, please feel free to share.