Today I'm going back 39 years to 1982 and another curtain-raiser to a new season with the Charity Shield at the old Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 82,500. The 1982 edition of the Charity Shield featured League Champions Liverpool against FA Cup Winners Tottenham Hotspur.
The game took place in an era when Liverpool were the pre-eminent club in English football. Basically they swept all before them from the late seventies and throughout the eighties and I have to say that I got tired of them winning almost everything and of them beating Spurs on almost every occasion that we played them. The distaste of Liverpool's dominance still lingers to this day for many non-Liverpool fans of my generation and that feeling contributes to a bit of a siege mentality for Liverpool fans who seem convinced that everyone wants their opposition to beat them. But they're right!
Inevitably it would seem, Liverpool won this game albeit narrowly by one goal to nil. The only goal came as a result of spurs allowing Liverpool defender Phil Thompson of all people licence to stride up the field with the ball unchallenged before playing a superb through ball to Ian Rush who took the chance with characteristic aplomb.
And "who were the Champions at the end of the season?" I hear you ask. Er, Liverpool! Weren't you paying attention? See above! Tottenham had a relatively good season too by their own moderate standards finishing fourth and qualifying for the following season's UEFA Cup which was to be a significant competition for them in 1983/4.
CRB Match No. 184
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