England expects epic encounter

By Peter Sterling

In terms of glory, prestige, potential earnings and the fact that the chance of winning the greatest prize in European club football is ultimately at stake, the upcoming UEFA Champions League semi-finals between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC represent the biggest matches ever played between two English clubs.

Attendance record
One thing they will not produce though is the biggest attendance to see an English side in Europe. That record was set on 15 April 1970 when an estimated 134,000 fans watched the second leg of the European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final between Celtic FC and Leeds United AFC at Hampden Park, Glasgow.

Momentous tie
Memories of that momentous tie, which Celtic won 3-1 on aggregate, and a sprinkling of other all-English semi-finals have been evoked by the pairing of Chelsea and Liverpool in this season's competition. No English teams have met at this stage of Europe's élite tournament in its 50-year history, although there has been one all-English European final which saw Tottenham Hotspur FC beat Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 3-2 on aggregate in the 1972 UEFA Cup.

English semis
But coincidentally, both Liverpool and Chelsea have been involved in the three continental semi-finals contested between English clubs, and even stranger, both sides were playing all-English semis on the same two nights in April 1971, but in different events.

Bremner goal
On 14 April 1971 Liverpool faced Leeds at Anfield in the first leg of their Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi-final - and lost 1-0 to Don Revie's men who won a fiercely combative match with a second-half goal from captain Billy Bremner. The second leg at Elland Road on 28 April was a tense goalless stalemate so Leeds advanced to the final which they eventually won on away goals against Juventus FC.

Same nights
While Liverpool were on their way out of Europe on those two spring nights 34 years ago, Chelsea were securing their place in a first European final in the now discontinued UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. On the same night Liverpool played Leeds at Anfield, Chelsea took on holders Manchester City FC in the first of two games between the clubs at Stamford Bridge in four days.

Holders out
The first was their European semi-final and the holders were on their way out of the competition after Derek Smethurst scored the only goal. City returned to London to draw 1-1 in a First Division match the following Saturday, but two weeks later they again lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Maine Road when Keith Weller struck to seal the capital club's place in the final against Real Madrid FC, which they won after a replay in Athens.

Last occasion
Liverpool also participated in the last all-English European semi when they tackled holders Tottenham in the penultimate round of the UEFA Cup in April 1973. A rare goal from full-back Alec Lindsay had given Liverpool a 1-0 first-leg advantage after a frantic encounter at Anfield on 10 April, but Spurs were confident they could overturn that deficit at White Hart Lane two weeks later.

Heighway clincher
Martin Peters levelled the tie for the London side in the 48th minute and also scored Spurs' winner on the night after 71 minutes. But a goal in between from Steve Heighway was enough to earn Liverpool an away-goals victory and they went on to lift their first European trophy, beating VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 on aggregate in the final a month later.