We should avoid the subject of Heysel though. It has become the biggest excuse in the History of Football. We have let a succession of owners, managers and players get away scot free from their inadequacies and instead blamed Heysel.
Quite rightly they were banned for longer than the rest of English team but it didn't stop them in their tracks the way it has stopped us. We have been stuck in a rut since the mid 80's. Potentially our finest hour was snatched away from us because of the European ban but it is no excuse for the chronic mismanagement that has occurred since then.
Instead of taking a good hard look at ourselves and the way the club has been run we look for the easy way out and blame them for 30 odd years of failure. Until we stop taking the easy way out and stop blaming Heysel we will never move forward. Maybe if we put more energy into driving our club forward instead of attacking their lot then we might finally move forward.
If I recall correctly it was one extra season. When they then qualified for Europe the BBC followed them live in every round and actually called the programmes 'Liverpool in Europe'. No wonder they don't think that they did anything wrong.
Liverpool in Europe
BBC One London, 18 September 1991 19.00
Synopsis
Edit
Liverpool v
Kuusysi Lahti
Live coverage from Anfield of Liverpool Football Club's much-awaited return to European competition, six years after the disaster at Heysel. Tonight they take on Kuusysi Lahti of Finland in a UEFA Cup first round tie. Manager Graeme Souness , who won three European Cup winner's medals as a player at Liverpool, has now to emulate the feats of past managers Bill Shankly , Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan. He has already invested millions in international players of the calibre of Dean Saunders , Mark Wright and Mark Walters in the hope that their experience with the Wales and England teams can be put to good use. Kuusysi were Finnish champions in 1989 and 1990, and the team enjoyed a memorable run to the European Cup quarter-finals in 1988. Liverpool's last success in Europe was when they beat Roma on penalties seven years ago to win the European Cup for the fourth time. They have won the UEFA Cup twice before, in 1973 and 1976. Introduced by Desmond Lynam , with commentary by John Motson and Trevor Brooking.
TV presentation John Shrewsbury Editor Brian Barwick
(Highlights tonight at 10.45pm) ● STEREO
: SPORT: page 14
Contributors
Unknown: Kuusysi Lahti
Unknown: Kuusysi Lahti
Unknown: Graeme Souness
Unknown: Bill Shankly
Unknown: Bob Paisley
Unknown: Joe Fagan.
Unknown: Dean Saunders
Unknown: Mark Wright
Unknown: Mark Walters
Introduced By: Desmond Lynam
Commentary By: John Motson
Commentary By: Trevor Brooking.
Editor: Brian Barwick