‘Better than giving birth’: Liverpool fans celebrate winning first title in 30 years
Supporters defy coronavirus restrictions to flood into city and descend on stadium to toast an end to three decades of hurt
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Your support makes all the difference.In the end, perhaps, this wasn’t exactly as Liverpool fans would have dreamed it: with the city’s pubs closed, with the stadium shut up, with their team not even playing.
The club won its first football league title in 30 years on Thursday night after rivals Man City lost to Chelsea.
But, if it was a slightly surreal climax to a wholly surreal season, it did little to dampen celebrations here.
An estimated 2,000 supporters turned up at Anfield bearing flags, fireworks and flares, while hundreds more piled into city centre parks and squares. Cars could be heard beeping all across the city. A cardboard cutout of manager Jurgen Klopp was doing a roaring trade in being hugged.
They knew, fans said, they were stretching coronavirus lockdown rules to their absolute limits. They knew they were ignoring the calls of both manager Jurgen Klopp and local authorities to toast the success at home. But this was a moment in their city’s history, they argued, that was simply too big to be experienced on the sofa.
“Pandemic or not, mate, I’m 21 and this is the first time I’ve seen Liverpool win the title – so no way am I staying at home,” said Michael Pinnington, a railway worker, four pints in and preparing for a long and loud night. “It’s dampened it a little bit, what’s happened. But ... we’ve won the league. Nothing can spoil that. It means everything to me. I’ve been waiting for it my whole life.”
He himself was out with five or six mates. “Can you imagine if this was normal times?” asked one, Jo Stewart, also 21 and a railway worker. “The whole city would be here.”
“Not Everton fans,” interjected season ticket holder Pinnington.
“Fair play, mate,” came the instant reply. “Three quarters of the city.”
It was not just Anfield where people gathered. The city’s famously lively Concert Square got so busy as the night progressed that police moved in to move people on – something they did not do later at Anfield – while crowds also took over Sefton Park and Chavasse Park.
At the latter, located by the city’s waterfront, groups sat in pre-chalked out socially distanced circles, listening to radios, refreshing Internet feeds, and watching on buffeting mobile screens. Once or twice, they burst into a rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Drinks were sprayed into the air as at news of Chelsea goals.
“It’s not exactly the normal, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now,” said Mo Abdul, a 25-year-old research and development scientist. “I took the afternoon off work today just to spend time in the city and soak it up. Days like this don’t come along very often.”
A pause. “Although hopefully they’ll come along more often in future.”
Ah, yes.
The reason, above all else perhaps, that this was so special: the fact it ended that three-decade wait for the title.
When Liverpool last won the league, the Premiership did not yet exist, Sky Sports was going by the name The Sports Channel and didn’t show football, and only five members of the current squad had been born. Back then, they were the most successful club in English football history and had finished in the top two every year, bar one, since 1973. Safe to say, no one here – indeed, no one anywhere – saw a sudden 30-year hiatus happening.
“It’s been a burden,” said builder Andy Boylett. “I was six when we won that last title. I remember it but only just. And the city has been in the shadow of that ever since.”
How so? “Because Liverpool is famous for football – other things too but football – and for having this great club. And, for most of those 30 years, we haven’t been great. That’s hard to deal with. It’s hard to be in the shadow of the past.”
The moment, now it had come, he said, was strange, nonetheless.
“Obviously, the gap in the season and games being played behind closed doors, it’s not exactly how you’d want it, is it?” he said. “But it doesn’t matter in the end. We’ve won it, that’s the most important thing. It won’t say anything about coronavirus in the history books. It will just say champions.”
More to the point, says Adam Lally, with just the hint of a wink, fans got to celebrate more traditionally last year after the club won the Champions League.
“Everyone was getting good and bendy in the pubs then,” the 19-year-old apprentice remembers. “The bus parade, brilliant. So, we’ve done that. Tonight, fine, we’ll do it all outside. Glorious weather anyway.”
He was, he said, as happy as he could ever remember being. “Mate, I want to say it’s better than giving birth but I’ve never done that. So, until I do, I reckon this might be as good as it gets. It’s boss. Absolutely boss.”
His friend, student Aiysha Griffiths agreed. “I can’t put it into word, really. I’m speechless. I’ve had my dad talking about the old glory days all my life. Now, at last, I know how it feels.”
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