“Desert Island Kicks” is a pale imitation of the legendary “Desert Island Discs” format. I’m looking to nab answers from footie fans from all corners of the globe and all walks of life.
You’re stranded on a desert island, what footballing memories would you take with you? I want you to pick a game, shirt, goal, player and piece of turf from a stadium to take with you to a desert island, oh and you’re allowed one luxury too.
Next up, from the red side of the city, is Paul Tomkins of The Tomkins Times. You can also find Paul on Twitter @paul_tomkins.
GAME:
Tough to choose. I narrowed it down to three. Liverpool’s 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in 1988, which just happened to be on my birthday. The 4-3 victory over Newcastle in 1996, more on which later. And the 2005 Champions League Final in 2005 – which, of course, has to be the winner. The whole trip was fantastic, and it’s a memory that will warm my cockles for the rest of my life.
SHIRT:
One of Mickey Quinn’s old Newcastle shirts. Would be handy to double as a tent, and possibly a landing strip (no pun intended).
GOAL:
John Barnes’ second in the 4-0 win over QPR in 1987. The way he changed direction when going past England stalwarts Terry Fenwick and Paul Parker would have given most players a double hernia. It’s also notable for as yet uncapped David Seaman looking bemused as he fished the ball out of his net. It started on the halfway line when Barnes won the ball – unusual for wonder goals – and it ended with supreme composure.
PLAYER:
Jason Lee. His haircut might encourage more pineapple growth on the island. He also had a talent for making things out of nothing – given that he made a professional career as a footballer without any ability, maybe he could engineer an escape.
PIECE OF TURF:
I actually possess it, albeit little more than a bit of caked mud and scraps of grass. In 1996 I won a competition in FourFourTwo to take penalties at half-time at Anfield. It just happened to be the aforementioned classic against Newcastle. I’d had a fair few pints of Carlsberg in the hospitality suite by half-time, so I was pretty chilled. I hit the inside of the post with my first attempt, and, suddenly feeling the pressure, put the second narrowly wide. I had one kick left. My third and final attempt was blasted into the top corner, with avoiding the humiliation of failing to score at the Kop end spurring me on. Once home, I scraped the turf from my boots and put it in a little jar.
LUXURY:
The European Cup that Liverpool got to keep. A handy vessel, and also possesses a useful reflective surface. Above all, something wonderful to look at.
