My Liverpool Home (43 page)

At a ceremony in March in Glasgow he is made a Freeman of his native city by the Lord Provost, Robert Gray, and two days later Dalglish wins his 100th Scotland cap in the 3–0 win over Romania. Before kick-off he is presented with a solid silver cap, with nine-carat gold braiding, by Franz Beckenbauer, as a gift from the Scottish FA, and Dalglish takes over as captain for the night from his former Liverpool team-mate Graeme Souness.

A Scottish testimonial match for Dalglish at Hampden Park in May between an Alex Ferguson-managed team of home-based players and an Anglo side under the guidance of Tommy Docherty draws a crowd of almost 30,000. Dalglish scores for both sides as Docherty’s team run out 5–2 winners.

A knee injury forces Dalglish to withdraw from the squad for Mexico, preventing him becoming the first Briton to play in four World Cup final tournaments after his appearances in West Germany (1974), Argentina (1978) and Spain (1982).

1986–87

Dalglish’s champions and FA Cup winners draw 1–1 with double runners-up Everton at Wembley in the Charity Shield. He goes on as a second-half substitute, with Ian Rush scoring a late equaliser.

Dalglish also makes a substitute appearance against his former club Celtic in the desert clash of the British champions for the Dubai Super Cup. The game finishes 1–1 and Liverpool win 4–2 on penalties.

Liverpool reach another final in the League Cup competition, newly sponsored by Littlewoods. Ian Rush puts Liverpool ahead but two Charlie Nicholas goals give Arsenal a 2–1 victory, ending Liverpool’s 144-match unbeaten run in games in which Rush has scored. Dalglish’s 72nd-minute introduction as substitute for Paul Walsh sets a new record of 15 Wembley appearances with one club.

Liverpool, who open up a nine-point lead over second-placed Everton on 18 March, finish championship runners-up to their arch rivals who finish with 86 points, nine more than Liverpool.

Dalglish makes his 102nd and final Scotland appearance in the 3–0 win over Luxembourg at Hampden on 12 November. A save by visiting keeper John Van Rijswijck denies him a record-breaking 31st international goal. Andy Roxburgh’s succession to Alex Ferguson the previous July makes him the sixth Scotland manager of Dalglish’s illustrious career following Tommy Docherty, Willie Ormond, Ally MacLeod, Jock Stein and Ferguson.

1987–88

The season when Dalglish becomes very much the manager rather than the player, making only two appearances, both as a substitute. But he has the satisfaction of seeing his team storm to Liverpool’s 17th championship and their second under his command. A 1–0 home win over Tottenham clinches the title after they equal Leeds United’s record of 29 First Division games unbeaten from the start of the season, the run ending at Everton in March.

Liverpool, favourites for another Double, are on the receiving end of one of the all-time upsets when they lose 1–0 to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final after a John Aldridge penalty is saved by Dave Beasant, the first-ever spot-kick failure in an FA Cup final at Wembley and his first in 12 penalties for Liverpool.

Dalglish is named Manager of the Year for the second time.

1988–89

Another season of appalling tragedy for Liverpool. Their FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough is abandoned after six minutes following crushing at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium in which 96 supporters die. A fortnight later Liverpool play a Disaster Appeal game at Dalglish’s former club Celtic which raises more than £300,000. Dalglish plays at Parkhead on an emotional occasion, his first start for Liverpool since a pre-season friendly in Copenhagen in July 1987, and scores in a 4–0 win.

After long deliberation about their FA Cup future in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, Liverpool continue in the competition and beat Forest 3–1 in the re-staged semi-final at Old Trafford to book an all-Merseyside Wembley meeting with Everton. Ian Rush steps off the substitute’s bench to score twice in extra time and give Liverpool a thrilling 3–2 win and surpass Dixie Dean’s 19-goal Mersey derby record.

An incredible climax to the season six days later sees Arsenal snatch the championship and deny Liverpool the Double with an injury-time goal from Michael Thomas at Anfield. The London club win 2–0 to go level on points (76) with Liverpool and with an identical goal difference (37). But they are champions on superior number of goals scored (73 to 65).

1989–90

Liverpool sweep to their 18th championship, their 10th in 15 seasons and their third of Dalglish’s five-season managerial reign. A 2–1 home win over QPR in April secures the title, making Liverpool the first club to be champions in four consecutive decades – 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The championship success sees captain Alan Hansen equal Phil Neal’s all-time record of eight title medals as a player. It is also Dalglish’s eighth, five as a player and three as player-manager.

The following Tuesday evening, 1 May, Dalglish makes his farewell appearance as a Liverpool player as 72nd-minute substitute for Jan Molby in the 1–0 home win over Derby County. He is involved in the move for Gary Gillespie to score the only goal. At the end, following the championship presentation, he throws his No 14 jersey into the Kop from where his 13-year-old son Paul is watching, wearing Michel Platini’s Juventus shirt.

Dalglish is named Manager of the Year for the third time.

1990–91

A crowd of 30,461, paying estimated receipts of £150,000, turns out at Anfield to salute Dalglish for his testimonial game between Liverpool and Spanish club Real Sociedad whose team includes former Liverpool star John Aldridge and two other English players in Kevin Richardson and Dalian Atkinson. Dalglish plays for 75 minutes, laying on the passes for Liverpool’s first two goals in their 3–1 win, before being replaced by Peter Beardsley. As he walks off the pitch he gives his famous No 7 jersey to 76-year-old wheelchair-bound Eileen Leffler.

The football world is stunned on Friday, 22 February. With Liverpool top of the league and engaged in an FA Cup fifth-round marathon against Everton, Dalglish makes the shock announcement that he is resigning as manager. His last game in charge, less than 48 hours earlier, is the pulsating 4–4 draw with Everton in a Goodison Park replay. Ronnie Moran takes over as acting manager.

Playing Career Record

Liverpool FC