Has Anfield '89 set the bar for all sporting drama?
I think that match is the most dramatic conclusion to a sporting event in recent memory. I'd like to think my narrative above would rekindle the passionate fire that burns in your memory banks, that my prose enabled the ghosts to flood with colour and sensation once more, but if not, I'll have a crack at outlining why I've made such a bold statement.
In all cataclysmic sporting events, there is normally a David and a Goliath. There needs to be extraordinary circumstances and odds involved to sear an indellible mark into your psyche. There aren't many events that even the sports layman can recall, but I'd hazard a guess at Utd Vs Bayern in '99, Dennis Taylor Vs Steve Davis in '85 and The Miracle of Medinah Ryder Cup in 2012, to name three. These events, if shown on a highlights reel even in a Primark on Saturday, would return a high percentage of recollection, in my humble opinion.
There are those moments that are paired permanently with a phrase, which is " Where were you when? " which is normally reserved for disasters or tragedies. These titanic tussles also have this idiom latched to the side of them as they are endlessly shown on TV, referred to in conversation etc. They changed the sport for the better. Utd Vs Bayern didn't quite have the odds stacked against one team or the other, but the ending, the curtain call, was on a par with Anfield. Taylor Vs Davis reached a standard that will never be reached again for snooker. The Medinah Ryder Cup had the greatest comeback in history for the hotly contested golf tournament.
There are other sporting moments that shine brighter than others. The reason I listed the ones above along with Anfield '89 is because of the sheer drama that wasn't extinguished until the very last drop of excitement had been wrung out, not until the final seconds did you know where victory's head would rest.
In all the events aforementioned, the prize that was dangled above the competitors as they fought with every fibre of their being was 'Up for grabs' ( sorry, couldn't resist that one ) until the fat lady had warmed up her vocal chords and had emitted the first note of her song of finality. Fans who had this level of tension inflicted upon their suffering tickers by the unfolding events were unsure to watch or comically put their hands over their eyes. In all these match-ups, the angst, drama, white knuckle ride was significant enough to lull non-watchers into its web of agitation. Everyone of all persuasions could view them and enjoy the suspense.
Anfield '89 had every ingredient needed to concoct the perfect broth for the audience. The travelling fans, the pub-going fans, the TV viewing fans, all experienced the full spectrum of feelings that only a labour of love can bring. Once in generations will a game come even remotely close to recreating how finely balanced the trophy was, even until the last minute. How glory rested on a precipice the width of a shaved ant.
How lucky we are to have this happen to our club. To end the iron-grip holding the League, to win it in such mitigating circumstances. All variables that eventually pointed to distinction for the Gunners. As I mentioned previously, it is a daubing in the halls of your mind in permanent marker, something you can never rid yourself of, a memory that will always make other incidents, once the flames of passion have dulled to embers, pale into comparison.
To be fair, I don't think my innards could take watching a match of those parameters. My aorta is already screaming blue murder every time I scoff more cooked animal carcass. I also know this as whenever I hear Brian Moore nigh-on SCREAM those immortal words, my heart skips a beat. I don't want another title decider like this. It deserves its place as head of historic, dramatic conclusions. Plus, not many other sporting events have warranted a film surrounding its happenings.
It seems it is past the time to wrap this up. Time to watch Fever Pitch for the umpteenth time. I do hope you have enjoyed this tour down Nostalgia Avenue, where the tickets are free and you always win the prize. I look forward to your feedback.
@JokmanAFCTell us what you think! If you agree, or have a different view, please leave a comment in the comments section or why not write a response or your own article on YouWrite?
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