Up for Grabs Now! By Pete The Thirst.
I’ve always thought Brian Moore was the best commentator in British football. He had a knack for letting the football do the talking then adding a phrase that defined a game. “Up for grabs now” is known by Arsenal fans for one moment at Anfield in 1989.
Here’s an account of my trip to Anfield in 1989 a time when Arsenal were just about to return to the top table of football after a long time as also rans. Will history repeat itself…I sure hope so!
As most will know the football season in 1988/89 was interrupted by the Hillsborough disaster. That day I was in the North Bank watching Arsenal beat Newcastle on a sunny afternoon. As news trickled through on the terraces the assumption was there had been rioting at Hillsborough. News didn’t travel as fast those days. As the disaster unfolded it became clear that football would be put on hold while people were laid to rest.
The football started again, as it always does, with Arsenal in pole position for the league. Things changed: Liverpool had a new purpose to their season and Arsenal started to fold. The Liverpool v Arsenal game at Anfield was due to take place on 23rd April 1989 (I’ve still got the ticket stub) but was cancelled as it was a week after Hillsborough. Instead the league season was extended and the game was moved to become the final match of the season on 26th May 1989. As far as I know it’s the only time the top two teams have faced each other in the final game with both having the chance to win the league. Of course Arsenal needed to win by two!
I had a ticket for the original game, but I was going to struggle to get up to the rescheduled game. It was on a Friday night and I was doing exams at school at the time. Luckily a friend of my Mum knew somebody who was taking a minibus to the game and had a couple of spare seats for me and my mate. Also I didn’t have an exam that day. I’m sure my poor marks in GCSE biology haven’t altered the course of my life too much since!
The chances of Arsenal getting a win let alone a 2 goal victory were remote. Liverpool at the time were virtually unbeatable at Anfield, had won the league many times in the 80’s and had a fantastic side. Arsenal were more industrial under George Graham and hadn’t won the league for 18 years. We went to the game with hope on our side, not much else.
The Friday of the game was a glorious sunny day. The guys with the van wanted to head off early to avoid potential traffic issues on the M1/M6 (wise move) so we set off late morning from Waltham Cross for the evening kick off. The blokes in the minibus were a nice bunch ranging in age from their 40s to us teenagers. We had a kick-about at one of the service stations and then we hit an almighty traffic jam on the M6. As we’d left so much time to get to the game we didn’t miss kick off, but the vast majority of the 3000 travelling Gooners did.
We got to Liverpool and parked up in Stanley Park. The local Scallywags were charging £1 to make sure the tyres weren’t punctured. Real entrepreneurs that lot. Anyway we made it into the away end at Anfield without any bother. When we got onto the visitors terrace there were only a handful of Arsenal fans there, the rest were stuck somewhere down the M6. The visiting supporters at Anfield were given a small corner terrace and some seats next to it in the corner of the Anfield Road end. As with all grounds at the time the fans were crowbarred into a small space with little regard for their welfare. The Kop at the other end was packed with Liverpool fans swaying backward and forward singing away. It was a very intimidating atmosphere.
Before the game the Arsenal players ran out with bouquets of flowers to honour the dead at Hillsborough. This was an amazing touch. Whoever thought that up was a genius. It went down really well with the Liverpool fans, lightened the atmosphere and maybe gave Arsenal something that wasn’t there before.
The game was a blur at the start. Liverpool really had us on the back foot and surely it was only a matter of time before they would score? Somehow Arsenal held it together with some amazing defensive play. We didn’t have much to grasp at that first half apart from holding the Champions to zero goals: an achievement in itself.
At half time the majority of the Arsenal fans arrived and squeezed into the terrace we were on. We went from having a space to sit down to being uncomfortably squashed into a spot where it was hard to raise your hands from your sides. All terraces at the time were the same for big matches – downright dangerous.
The 2nd half started with the Liverpool fans to our left singing about how they were going to ‘do the double again’ (Arsenal did that before them). The atmosphere was bubbling, but we didn’t think we had a goal in us until…Smith scored from a free-kick. The Liverpool players surrounded the linesman right near our corner and pressured him to give offside. I think he was turning but the referee was having none of it and awarded the goal – game on!
As the game approached the final whistle we had a great chance with Thomas, but he fluffed his lines. We thought it was game over as time was slipping away. As we know Thomas was just practising his finishing and deep in injury time flicked the ball over Grobbelaar into the net. There was bedlam in the Arsenal end for the next 30 minutes. I remember the guy next to me on the terrace thanking his God for the victory.
We saw the League Trophy presented and it then dawned on us that we had to make our way back to the minibus and get out of Liverpool with our lives intact. The first hurdle was getting past the mounted police who were meant to be protecting us. One of the coppers looked at us and said “you’re going to get your heads kicked in” as they trotted off into the night leaving the Arsenal fans without any protection. The Liverpool fans approached us but instead of giving us a beating they shook our hands and congratulated us. After Hillsborough I think the Liverpool fans had seen enough and maybe the gesture of the Arsenal players laying the flowers had helped.
Things got hairier once we were heading home in the minibus. A group of youths started throwing things at us when we were at a red light in Toxteth. Without a thought the red light was ignored and we were on our way again. A car tried to run us off the road on the M62, but that was the last problem we encountered.
There was an impromptu party at a small service station somewhere on the M62 where about 100 Gooners gathered and we all did a Conga around the forecourt. I remember somebody taking photos of the event. I’d pay good money to see those. We got back home at about 4 in the morning and my Mum had recorded the match, so I watched the last 10 minutes before heading to bed.
We met up with some of the blokes from the minibus a few times, but fell out of contact with all of them pretty quickly.
At the time I thought I was hugely lucky to have been present for possibly the greatest night in Arsenal’s history. I haven’t changed my opinion over 30 years later.
What a day out that was. One I will never forget!
I loved it Pete, a really good piece. Thank you.
Must have been fantastic to have been there, to witness what has never been repeated in Div One or now the PL, a final day of the season head to head fixture to decide the title.
Lucky you Pete, to have been there.
I watched the match on the telly, and I confess, nearly dived through the screen when the winning goal went in.
I was at work so missed it entirely…..
Afternoon Rico and all,
Thanks for the write up Pete, sounds like you had a pretty good time and fond memories, just one question did the one pound save your Tyres from being let down.
The best commentators, referees and umpires keep quiet and let the game/players do all the talking.
The other thing that I find annoying is the camera showing the crowd and when they return the ball is down the other end. I don’t mind when a goal is scored but during play or a through in no thanks.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11494451/Arsenal-forking-150m-Manchester-United-wages-despite-table.html
Or watching the manager ( Fergie ) chewing gum as the match continues.
great memories of an interesting day trip , of course the “”look after your car mister”” was a regular occurrence on away trips , I remember once at Maine road the kid demanding the money had a screwdriver in his hand and a refusal would have meant a nice deep scratch when you got back . Of course when you did get back to your car the so called guardians had long scarpered never to be seen again .
Of course now living in Norfolk every game is an away game apart from Norwich when they are up but of course you can’t get in for that unless your in the Barclay end with a borrowed season ticket .
Hi Geoff..
It’s nice to save money but more importantly, it’s great to have players who put in and have their mates back covered when things are going wrong,
Just why it was so important to move the likes of Aubameyang etc on. There’s still Pepe to leave too, he’s another relatively big earner.
I reckon it’s the new Gunnersaurus taking less.
Great post Pete, yeah that was one hell of a game, a wonderful evening, it was mental at Highbury Corner where I stood with my family a day or so later when the team paraded the trophy from Highbury to the Town Hall, I always loved those occasions although the Police have made it less enjoyable in recent years with middle class nimby’s causing road closures to not just vehicles but pedestrians so that we’re all corralled into smaller space, can’t be upsetting all the luvvies in Canonbury can we?
Looks as if Partey will be on the bus to Dubai tonight. Ghana need a minimum of two goals in the second half to go through.
Can’t say I’d be too disappointed if he is soon in Dubai. An injury to Partey is the one thing I fear. Well, one of a few. 😂
Martinelli and Jesus start..
Am I watching the wrong one , Martinelli playing well but Jesus I’m not sure that he’s playing.Reckon he could be off soon .
Switzerland 2-2 all the goals there so far.
Jesus off on the hour mark , doubt he will play much more unless it’s dire straights for them.
Martinelli however was their best player going forward and I reckon he will play a lot more now. At least until Neymar recovers.
So, Ramsdale, Saka, Saliba, Xhaka, Jesus, Martinelli and Tomiyasu are still involved, only Partey and Ben White have left their squads, so far no injuries. Only Xhaka has started every game.
The group games served up some surprises and some refereeing and VAR controversies but the excitement levels were due mainly to officialdom rather than scintillating football. Hopefully the knockout stages will see some cut and thrust with all teams going for the win rather than survival.
I can see evidence of some teams easing off from the time wasting tactics in the knowledge that referees are adding ample time to make up for unnecessary delays.
Unconfirmed reports that Gabriel Jesus is out of the World Cup.
Cicero, don’t forget Matt Turner
Ah well , the first one . Jesus out until mid January with a knee injury .
No 2 Tomiyasu , Hamstring apparently
Jesus to have a scan to determine the seriousness of a knee injury. He is unlikely to play again in the WC and could be out until January.
I may have forgotten Matt Turner, but it looks as though he’ll be on his way he tonight. Netherlands two nil up at halftime.
There’s a new post up.