Ghost goals, shaking stands, and the nearest of misses – celebrating 20 years of the eve craved by a generation

Of the great Anfield occasions, Sunday April 27th 2025 could be unsurpassable. However, on the 20th anniversary, here's the story of the night I thought could never be topped.

My friend Peter Bryne took this when we both worked for Mercury Press. Mercury had it’s bucket of blood from me, so I have no qualms about using this photo..

You do it too, don’t you? Despite the countless times you’ve seen the replay, you still worry the net is going to ripple and the away end is going to erupt.

It’s the Liverpool equivalent of the 1970s John Carpenter slasher movie you’ve seen a-hundred-times-or-more.

The great mystique of those classics is the lingering fear Michael Myers is going to get Laurie this time, just when you think she’s safe.

Our Michael Myers is a Milky Bar Kid-looking Icelander named Eidur Gudjohnsen, appearing four minutes into stoppage time; offering a final scream before the end credits.

You watch through fingers and end-up strewn on the ground like the exhausted Jamie Carragher as the shot – an absolute gimme – skews wide. And exhale.

Don’t make me watch that again, he could score next time and that’s just too much to contemplate.

History changed in that one moment. Without that miss there’s no Istanbul, no 3-0 deficit, no half-time You’ll Never Walk Alone, no Milan players celebrating in the dressing room, no “hello… hello!”, no miracle double save from Dudek and no channelling Grobbelaar’s wobbly legs. None of it. The lore of the football club is missing perhaps its greatest ever tale.

Today, May 3^rd, is the twentieth anniversary of Liverpool vs Chelsea in the second leg of the European Cup semi-final in 2005. Over coffee this morning my wife said: “It’s nice that you’re writing about something you have so much to say about!”

A different May 3rd is also our wedding anniversary…