Here's how Liverpool fans celebrated first Premier League title in 30 years

Three Liverpool fans — across generations — celebrate the end of the club’s three-decade-long wait for the English title.

Published : Jul 10, 2020 11:41 IST

Mike Nevin has held season tickets since 1982 and has been going to Anfield since 1978-79.
Mike Nevin has held season tickets since 1982 and has been going to Anfield since 1978-79.
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Mike Nevin has held season tickets since 1982 and has been going to Anfield since 1978-79.

Mike Nevin, 53, Liverpool

I knew (Manchester) City had to win the game at Chelsea. I went to pick up a friend who is an ex-professional footballer from Liverpool. He had been going through a bad time where his career had finished and didn’t know what was coming next and was suffering from depression. So, I told him, “Let’s go to Anfield just in case City don’t win.” We were driving in the car and we were a mile away when Chelsea got the win. We went straight to Anfield. I really wanted them to win it that night. It just felt unreal.

I have got season tickets since 1982 and I have been going to Anfield since 1978-79. My son, my father and I all have season tickets and we all wanted to be there to see Liverpool win the league, but because of the (coronavirus pandemic) situation, we were all apart.

What was great about that night was getting to Anfield and getting to celebrate with the Anfield community. Anfield is such a poor area and very few people living around the area get to watch the football because the average fan can’t afford the tickets. So the people around the surrounding area got a chance to celebrate and this moment was a reward to the local community.

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To be fair, the rules and regulations went out of people’s heads when we won the title. Because of how the crisis is being handled by the government, and since the lockdown was approaching the end in the area, people were just swept away by the emotions. And the scenes were fantastic because there were people who had not seen friends for months and this was a chance to see them all. Anything can happen to you at any time, but this benefited people’s mental health to get out and celebrate for a couple of hours.

I was at Anfield when we last won the title in 1990 and you can’t compare that win to this year. Liverpool’s title in 1990 was the seventh one I had seen live in nine years. I wouldn’t say we were bored, but we were complacent. I distinctly remember we won the title with three games to go after a win against Crystal Palace at Anfield and I drove back to the city centre with my dad.

We went to the local pub and had three pints of lager and got some fish and chips on the way home to watch Match of the Day. It was a normal night but a happy night and you have to take into consideration that was the year after the Hillsborough disaster. That really changed our view of what football was.

One of my favourite quotes is, “Football is the most important of the unimportant things in life.” Football is great, but when compared to life and death, it’s not that important. Everyone at Liverpool will tell you that Hillsborough kind of dominated our mentality. In the last 30 years, Liverpool came close about five times to winning the league. We have been close and you could think that there was a curse. But it wasn’t a curse, the club was mentally damaged by Hillsborough and it has taken 30 years to recover.

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Patrick Newton, 19, Liverpool

As a family, we have supported Liverpool across generations. It has been 30 years and to finally do it, to win the league, it’s special for me. I have now seen Liverpool win every trophy there is to win. The league title is one thing I hadn’t seen us win and to see that is special.

I live locally near to Anfield, and when we won the league, I went there and was in the middle of it all. I saw the red mist over Anfield and I heard the celebrations echoing around the city from where I was.

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“I saw the red mist over Anfield and I heard the celebrations echoing around the city from where I was,” says Partick Newton (right).
 

I think the mood around Liverpool was the disappointment of not having to watch the team at the stadium due to the coronavirus. But due to the circumstances, you can’t be mad about it. Regardless of it, clearly it hasn’t stopped people from celebrating and taking in the moment.

When (Jürgen) Klopp came in, people had the idea that this might be the man to change the tide. The last five years he has been here, you can see that he understands the supporters, the city’s culture and the club. That’s huge for Liverpool fans to see someone understand that passion of supporting Liverpool football club. Jürgen Klopp is among the greatest man I know, pretty much.

 

Babak Riahi Sohzabi, 30, London

The last time we won the league in 1990 was the year I was born! Relief. Emotional. Amazing. Just the best feeling in the world (to win the Premier League title). It’s the best feeling I have had seeing Liverpool win a trophy. I have seen us win the Champions League before and don’t get me wrong, last year’s Champions League was amazing, but the Premier League is the big one for Liverpool.

If I am completely honest, having to play the matches behind closed doors doesn’t bother me. I just wanted us to get the hands on the trophy. It’s not ideal, but it’s a pandemic and there’s nothing much you can do about it.

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For Babak Riahi Sohzabi (below), Jürgen Klopp is an absolute legend.
 

Celebrations were very limited with the lockdown rule in London. But I think there will be a better time when things get better. I am sure they will do a parade, which I am planning to go to.

Klopp is an absolute legend. I think they should make a statue of him. Before he came to Liverpool, we were in shambles. I don’t know if anyone realised that because we are a massive club. Klopp has transformed us from a club which finishes eighth to look at us now — champions! We won it by a country mile, and not nicking it by two points.

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