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In honor of the long-anticipated unveiling of the new Main Stand at Anfield, LFCTV has put together a documentary about the history of the stadium entitled, somewhat predictably, “This Is Anfield.” The documentary is set to be available for subscribers at 8pm BST on Sunday September 18. Among other things, it will include an interview with Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, in which the Scot reminisces about what Anfield meant to him as a player and a manager of the club over such a long period.
The man who would go on to be one of the greatest — if not the greatest, full stop — to wear the shirt talked about what it felt like seeing the iconic “This Is Anfield” sign before his first ever game for the club.
“We were playing Newcastle in the first game I played,” recalls Dalglish. “We drew 1-1 at Middlesbrough in the opening league game and on the Tuesday night Newcastle came.
“There was a boy called Tommy Craig, who was the first £100,000 teenager, who I had grown up with. He actually never grew up much – he was only about 3’2’’!
“We played for Glasgow schools together and then for Scotland schools when we were 15.
“He was in the Newcastle dressing room. We came out to come down the steps and we got to the ‘This is Anfield’ sign. I said, ‘That’s supposed to frighten you’. He said, ‘Yeah’. I said, ‘I’m terrified!’
“That was it, we went out and Ray Kennedy knocked one through in the second half, I went on and scored. It was special from that day onwards.”
King Kenny and his steamrolling Reds of the 1980s are part of the intricate patchwork fabric that makes up Anfield, and Dalglish tried to describe the feelings it engenders in the Liverpool faithful.
“It has been a special place – the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the friendship, the loyalty and respect the people have for each other in and around the place,” he says.
“It’s a special football club and a special stadium.
“It’s fantastic we’re staying at Anfield, fantastic we’ve got the extension to the stand, but even more fantastic that the people are going to remain the same with the same outlook and philosophy.”
The ruckus of 8,500 more voices in the new Main Stand helped propel Liverpool to a win on Saturday against Champions Leicester City. With any luck, it will be the first of many.