I have heard of the book a couple of years back but for some unknown reason, I just never bothered to try to get it my hands on it. Then, I heard a couple of very good reviews and my disinterest turned into a prowl for this book. An unsuccessful one at that, as the book got sold out and was out of print. Lately though, the book got republished and I just put my order.

I found myself reading it in the hours preceding the second leg of the Chelsea semi-final at Stamford Bridge, and it proved to be the best time-killer I could ever have in the circumstances. One minute, I was idle, bored and biting my nails, the next minute I found myself engrossed in Tony Evans’s work. It was like looking through the family album, reminiscing some memories while waiting for a plane carrying people in the same album, you haven’t seen for a while to land.

The story of Istanbul is now popular, legendary and immortalized as much as the Lazarus resurrection. Thousand of stories have been told, hundreds of articles written, but still you never get tired of it. Having said that, this does not make justice to the work of Tony Evans.

Evans retold the story of that particular night in Istanbul, and used it as the main plot. Around it, he weaved tales from previous European Cup triumphs, the mind state of a Scouse football fan, the evolution of football from a working class sport to what is it now and his train trip from Liverpool’s Lime Street to Istanbul.

And he has weaved all this with a skill and artistry reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino, having a similar result to Pulp Fiction.

A copy can be obtained from here, where for every sale, £1 will be donated to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.

I was dreading this situation and position. The season is now over and there is nothing to look forward to. But it was different at the final whistle yesterday. It was a feeling of pain alright, but there was no feeling of emptiness. There is nothing more to look forward to but a night like yesterday exhausted us all and we have been fulfilled in a different way. I still envy every red who was there at Stamford Bridge witnessing it all. Where I was, could never be compared to it, but the feeling could not be too far. Reds standing next to each other, accepting that the journey is now over, it never got to the final destination but the journey still was an amazing one, imprinting in our minds stories to tell.

The first half was not the best way to start and Liverpool were understandably below par. Martin Skrtel got injured, but seeing Sami Hyypia coming in for him does not weaken Liverpool in any way. He’s been there, done it all and is still there. It is weird how today it is not such players who write and publish their biographies. The measurement of virtues have truly changed. And then Liverpool gradually muscled up and grew in stature . And paradoxically the nippy Yossi Benayoun ran diagonally and opened up the Chelsea defense. And he couldn’t hope to have a better recipient of his pass as Fernando Torres concluded all his good work beyond Peter Cech. The temptation and opportunity of finishing them off presented itself after that, and Rafa tried to fuel that by putting the fresh Jermaine Pennant in, but it was extra-time which had to settle everything.

Ryan Babbel found the net, again after being subbed in. He has definitely been the best substitute this season, now it is up to him to start make all the difference from the supposed more privileged situation of being in the first eleven. It threatened to bridge the gap in the result but eventually Moscow proved to be too far away from London for the reds.

From this European campaign the mystical name of Liverpool F.C. rose even higher and its pedigree got even more distinguished, as the consistency under Rafael Benitez in such environment was confirmed and stamped on. It has undone a lot of the stains that the two Americans have perpetuated in front of a sneering public.
The militant city of Liverpool is never too fond of its superiors. Managers aren’t too highly thought of. But the city of Liverpool is much more complex than that. Nothing goes by default. Rafa Benitez, the manager of the football club of the city, like most manager before him is an exception. He is loved and gave us reds a fantastic time on our favourite ride that is European football. While on the pitch, nothing is plain sailing with Liverpool F.C., and long may it continue, it is now time for stability in the corridor of powers of Anfield.