Jeff Goulding - We Conquered All of Europe: Red Odyssey II

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2019

Pitch Publishing

A2 Yeoman Gate

Yeoman Way

Durrington

BN13 3QZ

www.pitchpublishing.co.uk

Jeff Goulding, 2019

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A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library

Print ISBN 978-1-78531-599-2
eBook ISBN 978-1-78531-604-3

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Dedicated to the Reds we lost along the way; Gerry Byrne, Tommy Lawrence, Ronnie Moran, Peter Thompson, Tommy Smith, Lee Walker, Peter Nolan and Jimmy Fitzmaurice

Rest in Peace, Red Men.

I have always set out to chronicle the history of the club through the lens of the people who built it, served it and supported it. In attempting to tell the stories that shaped this era, I have drawn on many peoples experiences and perspectives as well as my own.

So, to former players Jamie Carragher, Jimmy Case, John Barnes and Johnny Wheeler; and supporters Ray Carrick, Phil Roberts, Ian Byrne, Tony Zeverona, Steven Scragg, Matt Ladson, Terry Murphy, Joe Goulding, Sean Macgregor, Graeme James Strain, Sue Taylor, Dave Usher, Lee Walker, Peter Kenny Jones and Katie Price, I thank you all for your time and for sharing your thoughts and experiences of playing for and following our beloved club.

I published Red Odyssey: Liverpool FC 18922017 in order to celebrate the 125th anniversary of what I believe is a magnificent footballing institution. As I drew down the curtain on that tremendous epoch, laden with drama, intrigue, great victories and crushing defeats, tragedy, comedy and of course trophies galore, I suggested we were merely pausing for breath.

Of course, we all suspected that even more thrilling stories lay in wait for us, and we were right. I just didnt expect there to be so many, in such a short space of time.

The last four years have seen new heroes emerge. Old foes have faded from view, only to be replaced by new villains. And, with Jrgen Klopp at the helm, we have experienced a thrill ride of heavy metal football, breathtaking highs and lows and eventually the euphoria of another great victory.

In my first book, I pointed to Klopps remarkable leadership powers, particularly in the aftermath of defeat to Seville in the UEFA Europa League Final in 2016. I pointed to the enormous talent in the squad and marvelled at how Anfield itself had been transformed.

Players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Sadio Man would pick up the mantle and take the club to new heights, I suggested. And of course, I knew that the supporters would continue to create their own stories and drive the club on to ever greater success. They would do so regardless of any setbacks that came their way. At Liverpool we never walk alone and always carry hope in our hearts.

That I felt this way at the end of the book was a surprise to me. In it I described my own journey from youthful optimism and devotion to the club, to cynical middle age. Somewhere on the way to my fifth decade on earth, I had almost fallen out of love with Liverpool FC. However, writing the book and discovering how wonderfully rich its history is, had helped me to rediscover what it was that made me fall in love with it all those years ago.

People and stories, memories and passion are the lifeblood of this great club; not money or buildings or branding. Anyone with an affection or affinity with Liverpool Football Club knows that our supply of these is inexhaustible. No defeat on the pitch or calamity off it can blow us off course, because we are Liverpool and we will always have dreams, songs to sing and stories to tell.

Our rivals mock us because they will never understand this fundamental truth. When others lose a game or a final, they are crushed. Yet we can revel in the occasion. The journey is as glorious as the destination for us. It always will be, because in the adventure we find new heroes and create new stories to pass on to the next generation.

The last four years have only served to strengthen my belief in this fact. How else can we explain how Kopites were able to rejoice in their experiences at Wembley, Basel and Kiev, despite witnessing disappointing defeats. How did we all find the strength to keep singing our songs when others sneered at us. Its because we love the ride, no matter where it ends up. We know that if we support and believe, we will get our rewards eventually.

In this sense, the people who follow the club today find themselves in perfect harmony with its manager and players. Klopp has spoken continuously of creating new memories and moments for the supporters to enjoy. In recent years we have certainly been blessed in this department.

Seville may have inflicted heartache on us in Switzerland, but the memories of Lovrens late winner against Dortmund and the humiliation of United in that epic two-legged Europa League battle will keep us amused forever. On the road to Kiev we witnessed incredible scenes, home and away and have joyous memories that will always eclipse the pain of losing the final.

We have rediscovered the old ways. When I grew up on the Kop, in the 1970s and 80s, it was the most natural thing in the world for us to serenade the players, one by one. We invented new songs with relentless regularity. Somehow, we lost that art through the barren years of the 90s and the rampant commercialism of the noughties. As I reflect on the Klopp years, I am struck by the explosion of new songs. From the wonderfully haunting Allez, Allez, Allez to Were going to Madrid, the songsmiths on the Kop have reached new heights.

When Jrgen Klopp noticed that Bobby Firmino didnt have a song of his own, he simply ordered one and the supporters dutifully obliged. Bobbys song is one of the best created. It joins similarly brilliant, and quintessentially Liverpool, ditties crafted in honour of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Divock Origi.

We have found a way to enjoy football again, no matter what happens. We are not just supporters now. We have become believers again. And, at the end of the 2018/19 season we received our reward. We have now conquered all of Europe.

The first book took in 125 years of Liverpool history. This one encompasses just four. However, so rich are the stories, they fill almost as many pages. You will read of our European adventures, the great games as well as the despair of defeat. Youll see how the bond with our manager and the players he leads has been tested and forged in the fire of conquest and loss.

However, Red Odyssey II: We Conquered All of Europe will give you the whole story. In its pages you will witness a transformation of spirit, attitude and the reclaiming of belief. The sweet taste of victory sometimes masks the bitter despair we sampled on the road to glory. So, this book will take you from moments of doubt to the dawning of belief, and eventually to the promised land of Madrid and that epic homecoming, remembering every step of the journey.