Liverpool 3-2 AZ Alkmaar, European Cup 1981

This was a hugely entertaining tie from the second round of the 1981-82 European Cup. In the first leg, AZ had fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw. The two goalscorers for Liverpool that night, Sammy Lee and David Johnson, were missing from their starting XI for this game. Their places were taken by Ronnie Whelan and a young striker by the name of Ian Rush. The commentator is Martin Tyler.

[@gianpaolodilallo7755]

Deserved Liverpool win against that brilliant Dutch team

[@frankwells7520]

Lots of good players in that Az Alkmaar...Kist, Metgod, Peters... unfortunately the squad was quickly dismantled.

[@davygraham]

tyler implicating dalglish dived something's never change

[@shogdite1636]

The way Dalglish rides that challenge :6;36: 🤩

[@RobCLynch]

Johnny Metgod - probably misspelled - I think ended up playing for Nottingham Forest. Fine player. Az were a good team and a right pain in the bum. They made Liverpool work hard.

[@smashdalde9713]

He did indeed play for Forest under Brian Clough..very good player.

[@waso778]

played also for Real Madrid and Feyenoord

[@paulhollis8879]

Also played for Spurs

[@HK-is7em]

Such gentlemen. Shaking hands after scoring..😁

[@nicolavivarelli4127]

I remember very well this match: watched on tv in Italy. The Kop at the best!!! And King Kenny.....

[@KitCurranRadioShow]

It wasn't lack of interest - The economic recession of 1980-81 hit the city of Liverpool particularly hard, there wasn't a lot of money around for Liverpool fans to attend 2 games in a week at this time.

[@zaidabraham7310]

@distantvoices "Now people are just sheep". Why? Did the human brain change over 40 years? You're an idiot.

[@erniescullion8452]

Is that when Sergio Leone decided and made merseyside version called A Fistful Of Giros from American Fistful of Dollars??

[@erniescullion8452]

I disagree with some of what your saying. Alot of empty seats was to do with Liverpool was very poor in the LEAGUE. 5th finish won the .League Cup won EUROPEAN CUP 1980 - 1981

[@caveman385]

​@@erniescullion8452Very poor in the league in the 80's? Hahahaha

[@caveman385]

​@@erniescullion8452Liverpool won every league title bar 80/81 which was Villa, 84/85 and 86/87 which was Everton and Arsenal in 88/89 by the narrowest of margin, the 80's were Liverpools time, it was down to economic turmoil.

[@elshadjafar2437]

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[@scottallan7931]

how bloody old is Martin Tyler, commentating in 1980 and still in 2018.

[@michaelgriffin7640]

21 last july

[@scottallan7931]

@@michaelgriffin7640 that's what I thought

[@Northerner1966]

Tyler commentated as early as 1974 on Yorkshire TV.

[@rudigero]

Historical match. AZ might not appeal to the sentiment of English football fans like for instance Ajax, but it was one of the best Dutch sides ever. Still, their finest player, the excellent Danish playmaker Kristen Nygaard, seems to be missing. What a pity that there were so many empty spaces in the stands.

[@eamonstafford2056]

I had read that the cost of tickets had something to do with the ground being empty as well. I am in Australia so I wouldn't know whether this was also an issue. Is this right?

[@hassanmonnan7526]

Eamon Stafford economic depression and Maggie thatcher killed the country especially in northern England

[@stanleyjean-mary6382]

ce Liverpool était une machine a gagner. un milieu terrain complet, avec Souness, Mac Dermott, Kennedy, Allan. en attaque Dalglish et Rush l'homme au pied de but. et derrière Neal. Thompson, Hansen et l'autre Kennedy assurait et dire Grobelaar assurait la relève parfaite de Clemence.

[@helenrudd7842]

we won the final against real mardrid in france thanks to a alan Kennedy goal on 81mins

[@walternorthen6836]

Hellen Rudd, I knew about Liverpool`s win in 1981. It is the first time someone informs me about how Liverpool had won it. Thanks.

[@jeffmint5472]

Yar

[@aerial_camera_video_imaging]

Brilliant Liverpool team.

[@alancjones64]

Liverpool team was in transition mode when this game was played. Clemence and Case had already gone. Ray Kennedy went 2 months after this game., Johnson and McDermott at the end of the season and Thompson the season after. This game was a highlight of the first half of the season which looked as if was going to be a terrible one. But after Christmas they found their feet and completed the league and league cup double.

[@epiphilosophy]

Tyler's bias is admirable in its longevity

[@Andre2010]

Lol at the AZ keepers ruined combover in the end!

[@svenbartram2695]

Debateable penalty, but good game which Liverpool deserved to win. Well taken goals by Rush and Hansen and Metgod's goal too.

[@SuperBartles]

Phil Neal really was superb - for a looong time. But you could say that about most of the Liverpool team

[@lfcspectre4335]

That's such odd own goal from Phil Thompson. Never seen anything like before.

[@andreferreira8071]

Zico, Junior and Nunes send hugs (Flamengo 1981 world champion!)

[@gavinbegg6895]

curious to see so many empty seats for a European cup gameI realise unemployment was huge on Merseyside. The crowds at all the grounds were pretty bad at this time,if I remember rightly, 35k was the average at Anfield at this timeIt curious as the decade before there would have been 10k more . Nowadays it would be sold out alsoyet with Liverpools greatest side there is so many empty seats

[@zaidabraham7310]

@distantvoices What does football hooliganism have anything to do with money?

[@smashdalde9713]

@@zaidabraham7310 Nothing.Your point is?..

[@fredjackson9231]

This side would have ripped ath Madrid apart last week

[@parisstromatias637]

Absolutely

[@waso778]

AZ was end 70th begin 80 very good team

[@zahoorkhuddamee1066]

That type of football would be equivalent to non league football these days nutrition and build athletisism is at a much higher level

[@merseydave1]

I was at this game and at that time ... they were called AZ 67 Alkmaar

[@jmmifsud1]

how good was in in those days - the ball actually went forward and not sideways and back to the Goalkeeper all the time. They did not have all 10 players in the box, defenders could actually defend then.

[@erniescullion8452]

Tyler even enjoying Alkmaar

[@gawdhelpus304]

Why not Neal taking the pen ?

[@williamgeoffreyjones3421]

When you could get into Anfield with no problem getting a Stand Seat for about £5

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

Grobboaler look like that lunatic from the 80s classic hill st blues or was it cagney and lacey ?

[@dannysmith3639]

Dogbreath

[@smashdalde9713]

Mad Mick.

[@michaelgrace1298]

See the fan clapping in the kop when az scored

[@jeremyslaney5644]

AZ Alkmaar had been runners up to Ipswich in the 1981 UEFA Cup

[@pablotupone4190]

And in 1980/81 was their best season ever: won double dutch league and dutch cup....

[@albertobaudino1963]

I was thinking about Clemens how long did he play for Liverpool? because in 1971 he was already in goal against Kennedys' Arsenal which then you have Red ...

[@andrewharries122]

Clemence went to Spurs in 82 and lost against Liverpool i league cup but won the FA cup

[@MrKaravaj]

These guys with moustaches looks like 40+, how old were they back then?

[@pablotupone4190]

Maybe younger than 30....remember that, after years at Boro and LFC, souness continued playing...moved to Sampdoria( Italy) and back to Scotland ( Glasgow Rangers)

[@MrIreland4ever]

Lol that area of time were everybody had a 80,a style porn moustache

[@jeanpierregriffier5590]

Biensur on ne revoit pas l exeptionnel but de johnny nous sommes en england

[@Rayk76]

Is that Tyler commentating !

[@adrianblascogarcia5166]

7:05 handicap

[@mimmolasorsa5631]

Quando il calcio era della gente

[@ralfstormbringer3958]

Realy Kop

[@studio-flash]

Are you watching Manchester...sings the kop..but that was the 80's..Manc- chester were pretty poor...

[@tangledweb6949]

They are singing are you watching Nottingham.

[@peterreid9769]

Empty seats galore.

[@johncunningham7145]

I agree I was fortunate to have been that night Economic depression as always the case with the tories I rest my case.

[@lokismig]

AZ 67 Alkmaar

[@stephenreeds3632]

I assume that the Kop were singing The Dambusters because they thought that AZ were German. Oh dear.

[@johnjohn76ify]

So many empty seats?!

[@joshsawyer5650]

johnjohn76ify if I’m correct this is at Anfield and Liverpool as a city were going through a financial recession meaning fans didn’t have enough money to go to games.

[@RobCLynch]

I can vouch for that. There were 4 million people unemployed in the UK and Liverpool were playing almost two games per week. If both games happened to be home games, one would likely see a less than full stadium. The terrace areas - Kop and Annie Road - were always full. The more expensive seats were sometimes not sold out. In the scheme of things, AZ didn't represent a huge European attraction - nobody had heard of them! But people would have to pick and choose which match they would attend in any given week.

[@fifa3008]

anfield empty? whatever next

[@michaelgriffin7640]

apparently so johnathan stamford bridge however has seen high attendances ever since a russian billionaire bought them a few leagues and 1 yes 1 champions league. us liverpool fans are soooo jealous.

[@saltney17]

John Terry Loool Chelsea are tiny and have such a small fanbase

[@Esterhazy1973]

Dalglish dived for the penalty - can see it in his eyes at 2:07. So much for the bollocks about integrity and honesty of british footballers...

[@scudger99]

Dumbfuck.

[@marlonprofaon199]

@John Cornell no, it was a dive. Bit of wimpy one too.

[@marlonprofaon199]

@John Cornell was talking about the dive, not your favourite restaurants...

[@zaidabraham7310]

It wasn't a dive. There was plenty of contact, and Dalglish had to fall over to bring it to the referees attention. But saying that English players are more honest is just blind nationalism. I've seen many English players diving over the years.

[@roberthasudungan1546]

This coming from the Dutch whose player kicked someone in the chest ??

[@qasion]

No black players, interesting. I am sure there were black people in England back then, why there were no black players, I wonder.