The fair city of Cardiff has inadvertently played an occasionally significant role in some key moments of Liverpool history.
The football club bearing the city’s name were Bill Shankly’s first opponents as Reds manager when the iconic Scot began his transformative 15-year spell in charge in December 1959, stunning Anfield with a 4-0 victory.
Over forty years later, the Welsh capital became Liverpudlians’ home from home for much of the first decade of the new millennium as, with Wembley Stadium being rebuilt, English football’s domestic cup finals were moved to the Millennium Stadium, Liverpool winning the first and last showpiece occasions held there as well providing their supporters with a host of treasured memories in between.
So there was a certain sense of irony that the Reds’ first match at the newly-rebuilt national stadium five years after its eventual reopening in 2007 come against Cardiff City and it proved to be a momentous landmark in LFC’s modern history with the club securing their first piece of silverware since standing on the brink of bankruptcy less than 18 months previously.
A penalty shoot-out triumph against West Ham United after an epic 120 minute tussle which had ended 3-3 had given Liverpool their seventh FA Cup triumph in 2006, Rafa Benitez’s second major trophy in as many seasons after arriving from Valencia but the promise of those early campaigns under the Spaniard was fatally compromised by the wrecking-ball ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
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With the club’s debt imposed by the deceitful Americans’ leveraged buy-out spiralling out of control in the summer of 2010, Benitez was sacked and replaced with Fulham manager Roy Hodgson and by autumn, creditors Royal Bank of Scotland were forced into a legal battle to reconstitute the board of directors in order to allow a sale to proceed.
After a dramatic week of legal proceedings that October at the High Court in London and in Texas with the threat of administration looming, Boston-based Fenway Sports Group (then known as New England Sports Ventures) completed their £300m takeover to give hope for a brighter future, with the return of Kenny Dalglish as manager - initially on a caretaker basis to replace Hodgson - the following January further fostering hope of better days ahead.
The legendary Scot was given the manager’s job on a permanent basis that summer and by the following February had already engineered the Reds to the brink of silverware after Exeter City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Stoke City, Chelsea and Manchester City were seen off to reach the League Cup final.
Their opponents would be a Cardiff City side lying sixth in the Championship who had got past Oxford United, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Burnley, Blackburn Rovers and Crystal Palace to reach Wembley and, although Liverpool were enduring an indifferent league campaign which ultimately would be a major factor in Dalglish’s dismissal at the end of the season despite also reaching the FA Cup final, the expectation was that the Reds would surely be able to see off lower-league opposition to lift the three-handled trophy for a record eight time.
That they eventually did but not until after an eventful and dramatic Wembley occasion which in some ways was a fitting metaphor for the turbulent period Liverpool were gradually emerging from.
The showdown with the Welsh side provided a number of intriguing narratives ahead of the match, not least of which was Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard potentially doing battle with his cousin Anthony who was among the Bluebirds squad.
Having grown up together in Huyton, Anthony had signed professional forms with Everton after coming through the Toffees’ academy set-up but the centre back was unable to break into the first team at Goodison, spending four years with Walsall after loan spells with Accrington Stanley and the Saddlers before moving to Cardiff in the summer of 2009.
The Liverpool skipper spoke before the game of his pride at how his cousin had fought back from the heartbreak of being released by Everton in 2005 when he found himself "crying into a beer" at a beach resort in Mexico as his cousin led Liverpool's astonishing Champions League final comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul as well as his hopes the Reds’ return to Wembley would herald a new dawn of success at Anfield after the torrid period the club had recently been through.
"I'm five or six years older than him, but I knew from a young age he was going to be a good player", the elder Gerrard said.
"I used to have a kickabout with him from about four to 10 or 12, and he was really good. Everton picked him up really quickly so I knew he had a really good chance.
"He loved footy and every time he had a chance to play, he was out there with the lads, who were bigger than him as well. He's a tough kid.
"I'm hoping this is just the beginning for us. It would be stupid to win the Carling Cup and then rest on our laurels.
"I honestly believe winning this cup will be the catalyst for a successful period for the club. It will certainly give us the belief and confidence to deliver more.
“Every time I played for Liverpool at Cardiff and led the team out there, there was a bit of me thinking ‘if only this was Wembley’. Don't get me wrong, we had some great days in Cardiff and I've got some fantastic memories of playing at the Millennium Stadium.
"But I'd have preferred to have won those trophies at Wembley.
“When growing up as a kid, I dreamed about playing in cup finals at Wembley. Then when I became captain of Liverpool, I dreamed about leading the team out there.
"To finally get the chance to achieve that will be amazing. I've experienced both the old and the new Wembley and I can tell you it's a very special place.”
Dalglish knew all about the national stadium’s unique brand of magic having made his Reds debut there back in August 1977 in the Charity Shield against Manchester United and concluded his debut campaign in English football there by chipping home the winner against Belgians FC Bruges in the European Cup final.
In advance of what would be his 21st Wembley occasion as a player or manager, he spoke about what the historic venue meant to him as well as his admiration for his fellow Scot in the opposing dug-out Malky Mackay, whose impressive impact in south Wales after his arrival from Watford the previous year had seen him rewarded with a new contract the week before the final.
“I don't have any real definitive memory other than the 89 Cup final because of what it meant to so many other people in the city," Dalglish admitted.
"Wembley is special for anyone who goes there even if it is not for a cup final. It was a place we visited pretty regularly and everybody at the club is trying to get closer to those days than what has happened recently, when we have not been a contender for many of the competitions. The club wants to be challenging more often than it has been in the past.
"I think there is more to the club than winning trophies, but we did win a lot of trophies and every club that wins a trophy is making a bigger name for itself. Somebody once described Liverpool to me as 'very good winners' which is really difficult. It is really difficult when you're a winner to be friendly, amiable and respectful but I think that is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid this club.
"Malky was impressive at Watford before he moved to Cardiff. He's done a fantastic job already because Cardiff have had their share of financial and ownership problems, but they seem to have come through that. I suppose you could say there are similarities between what Cardiff and Liverpool have been through in the last 18 months or so but Malky has taken them forward and got his reward."
Mackay himself admitted he had grown up idolising his opposite number and had been at Hampden Park as a youngster to see Dalglish be presented with a ceremonial final Scotland cap by German legend Franz Beckenbauer.
“He was my hero and everyone else's", Mackay said.
"Liverpool were the best club in Europe at the time and he was their best player. Obviously we are underdogs but we have a chance in the final. Maybe only a one in 10 chance but that's still a chance if you turn up motivated, fit and organised and I think I can promise that.
“This is a group of players who are all willing to work for the jersey and of course we will have the backing of 35,000 to 40,000 mad, mental Welshmen at Wembley.
"If I am honest, we are probably exceeding expectations in the league, given the size and inexperience of our squad, but a cup final is a day out. I want to be greedy, so I'll settle for winning the Carling Cup and finishing as high up the league as possible."
Another intriguing back-story ahead of kick off was Liverpool’s Welsh forward and boyhood Cardiff fan Craig Bellamy, who had scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Manchester City to send the Reds to Wembley, and had returned for a second spell at Anfield the previous summer after a season-long loan spell with the Bluebirds.
"I certainly won't celebrate if I score”, he claimed.
“I tried not to against Man City, I tried to hold myself back. Really I didn't celebrate that much but in the occasion and the moment you get a little bit carried away. I have no aspirations of celebrating. But I have to be on the pitch first and foremost before I think about scoring.
"It will be a strange situation as it's the first time I've ever played against them. It's not something I've looked forward to doing, to be honest. My father's a big Cardiff fan and it's the club I used to go to when I was very young. I set one ambition in my life to play for them and I was able to do that."
For Liverpool’s new owners, it was an opportunity to see some tangible return on their investment a little over a year after taking over and managing director Ian Ayre told how principle owner John W. Henry and chairman Tom Werner would be traveling from America to be in attendance at Wembley.
“John and Tom will arrive on Sunday and they are very excited about it,” Ayre said.
“They know what being back at Wembley means to everyone associated with the club. It’s going to be very special and they are looking forward to being a part of that.
“This is a club built on such fantastic history and we had such great success at the old stadium. Now we want to write some history at the new Wembley.
“I’ve really felt a buzz around the city this week. Just walking around Liverpool I’ve had so many people stop me to tell me how much they are looking forward to getting back to Wembley. It’s nice to see everyone with a smile on their face and a spring in their step.”
Finally the time for talking was over and tens of thousands of supporters converged on Wembley, divided of course by their tribal loyalties and desperation to see their team return home victorious with the cup but united on this occasion by a common cause.
Only weeks earlier, the S*n newspaper - reviled and vehemently boycotted throughout Merseyside and beyond ever since its repugnant and untruthful allegations about Liverpool supporters’ behaviour during the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 97 people were unlawfully killed - had launched a Sunday edition and, with the much-awaited Independent Panel report into the disaster due to be published later in the year, thousands of leaflets were printed and distributed for those who wished to make their point, the Reds being joined in their disdain for the hated publication by their Cardiff counterparts who had boycotted it since appalling coverage of the death of Bluebirds fan Mike Dye, who died after suffering head injuries at a Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley the previous September.
Dalglish sprang something of a surprise in his team selection by naming Stewart Downing in his starting eleven, with Craig Bellamy left on the substitutes bench against his former club, the Reds boss packing his side with the six major signings who made up the bulk of the £108m he had spent on rebuilding the team.
Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez were given the chance to continue their burgeoning partnership in attack, with Downing and Jordan Henderson in support. Charlie Adam partnered Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield, with Daniel Agger, who had missed the previous weekend's FA Cup fifth round win over Brighton & Hove Albion, preferred to Jamie Carragher in central defence alongside Martin Skrtel.
For Cardiff, Anthony Gerrard was only named on the bench so would to wait and see if he would come up against his cousin but the Bluebirds were able to count on the services of former Celtic and Rangers forward Kenny Miller in attack supported by 6 foot 3 Benin striker Rudy Gestede in attack as well as future England keeper Tom Heaton in goal and the Chester-born custodian was forced to rely on his woodwork after only two minutes to prevent Liverpool making the perfect start.
Steven Gerrard embarked on a typically lung-busting 70-yard break through the centre of the field and after feeding Downing on the left, the winger teed up Glen Johnson who curled a 20-yard effort beyond Heaton which crashed off the underside of the crossbar and out again, Gerrard following up being unable to keep his attempt from the rebound under the crossbar.
Dalglish and his men would have been praying for an early opener to settle them down and, although they continued to press for an opener with Carroll looping a header wide from Adam’s cross, Mackay’s tactical set up with the presence of Gestede off Miller started to cause problems and, after Don Cowie’s smart flick had presented Miller with a sight of goal 16 yards out from which he blazed over, the underdogs stunned Liverpool by taking the lead on 19 minutes with a simple but well-worked move which highlighted clearly the danger they posed.
Martin Skrtel could only return Kevin McNaughton’s right wing cross back to the full back who fed Miller on the edge of the box just outside the box and the Scot’s smart through ball inside Jose Enrique found the onrushing Joe Mason who calmly slipped the ball past Pepe Reina to put the Championship side in front.
The Cardiff fans at the other end erupted in delight with the travelling Kop rocked with the realisation yet again their side would have to do things the hard way if the cup was to be wearing red ribbons by the end of proceedings.
Liverpool had the bulk of play and possession but their ability to create clear openings was hampered by the threat they now had been made very aware their opponents possessed.
Carroll and Enrique fired efforts high and wide before muted appeals for a penalty after Henderson’s cross struck Andrew Taylor on the arm were ignored and Adam drilled narrowly past the post.
Stewart Downing had not lived up to expectations following his summer £20m move from Aston Villa but he rose to the occasion, arguably putting in the best performance of his Liverpool career to date and came close to creating a leveller before half time, steering in a teasing cross which Henderson and Gerrard narrowly failed to get on the end of, with Carroll after a neat one-two with Suarez and Gerrard again being denied by last-ditch tackles as the first half drew to a close.
Dalglish opted not to make any changes at the interval but, after Cardiff created the first chance of the second period when Miller dragged wide from 20 yards from Cowie’s backheel and Suarez was denied by a low Heaton save, he introduced Craig Bellamy just before the hour mark in place of an out-of-sorts Henderson who had just received a yellow card for a rash tackle and it paid almost immediate dividends.
Carroll got his head to Downing’s right corner and his header was flicked onto the post by the lurking Suarez, only for Martin Skrtel to gather the loose ball on the edge of the six yard box and fire home through the covering defenders on the line to the relief of the massed ranks of the travelling Liverpudlians behind the goal.
The Slovakian almost grabbed a second with a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining when he volleyed straight at Heaton after an Adam was only half cleared, the Cardiff keeper also saving well from a Downing 25-yarder with Suarez also going close after wriggling past Hudson in the box.
With nerves tautening all round the ground as the match entered the final ten minutes, the Welsh side issued a warning of their own when Ben Turner sent a towering header a yard wide from Cowie’s cross before two minutes from time Kenny Miller wasted a golden chance to win the cup, volleying over the crossbar from 15 yards after Cowie’s pass found him unmarked and with the goal at his mercy.
A relieved Liverpool girded themselves for extra time with old warhorse Jamie Carragher replacing Agger and, after Suarez twice and Carroll had gone close, Dalglish opted for another big-game performer from the bench Dirk Kuyt to replace the big Geordie striker and the Dutchman - still searching for a first medal in his sixth and final Anfield season - delivered when it mattered yet again three minutes into the second period of extra time.
Receiving the ball from Glen Johnson midway inside the Cardiff half, Kuyt advanced towards the penalty area before firing a shot wayward enough to be potentially endangering the corner flag. However, Anthony Gerrard - on as a 99th minute substitute for Mark Hudson - could only divert the ball back in the direction it had come and Kuyt, displaying the nose for goal which made him so loved amongst team-mates and supporters alike, despite being off-balance and appearing to fall backwards, opened himself out to plant a first time shot from 16 yards inside Heaton's near post to put Liverpool in front for the first time all afternoon.
The Reds only had a dozen or so minutes to hold out but Cardiff inevitably threw everyone forward in a bid to save themselves and, after Kuyt was forced to clear off the line from Filip Kiss after Pepe Reina flapped at a corner, the Dutchman was unable to repeat the feat from the resultant flag kick and Ben Turner bundled in the equaliser with a minute left to force a penalty shoot-out.
Liverpool had missed five spot kicks already that season but, as the teams gathered themselves after 120 minutes of pulsating action to figure out the running orders, nerves may have partly soothed by the Reds' generally excellent record in major shoot-outs having lost only two of the 13 they had competed in since their first in Rome back in 1984, as well as seeing Steven Gerrard win the toss to ensure the kicks would be taken at the old Tunnel end of Wembley where the Reds fans were housed.
So mouths dropped open all over Wembley and beyond when Liverpool's talismanic skipper stepped up first only to see his effort brilliantly tipped on to the upright by Heaton.
Jaws would get yet wider when, after Kenny Miller wasted the opportunity to put the underdogs in front by crashing his shot against the opposing post Gerrard had hit, Charlie Adam blazed Liverpool’s second kick so far over the crossbar it could have put air traffic controllers at nearby Heathrow Airport on alert.
Don Cowie capped a fine personal performance by producing the first successful kick of the four taken to put the Bluebirds in front and Dirk Kuyt again showed his ice-cold temperament by finally getting Liverpool on the board before Rudy Gestede smacked his effort against a post to restore parity.
Stewart Downing, Peter Whittingham and Glen Johnson all converted meaning Anthony Gerrard stepped up for the final of the regulation five kicks each knowing he had to score to force sudden-death but could only screw his shot wide of Pepe Reina’s right-hand upright, ensuring the final’s decisive moment was provided by a Gerrard albeit not the one many people would have expected.
With wild celebrations breaking out across the pitch and all over Wembley, the Liverpool captain took the time to comfort his distraught cousin before joining his team-mates and, after climbing the steps to receive the cup and banish one of the most tortuous of Anfield trophy droughts, spoke of his mixed emotions at how events had played out.
“It is always cruel when it goes to penalties because there has to be a loser”, he said.
“It happens and I have mixed emotions. It was always going to be the case that one of us would be sad and one of us would be celebrating.
“Obviously, I am delighted to have won the trophy but I feel for Anthony and Cardiff. It doesn't matter what I say to him. I know that he will be down.”
The victory propelled Dalglish into the pantheon of managers alongside Joe Mercer, Bill Nicholson, Don Revie, George Graham, Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho who have won a clean sweep of English domestic trophies after finally adding the League Cup to his haul from his first spell in charge at Anfield but he typically brushed off any focus on himself and asserted his hope and belief that this first success for a side still under renovation may lead to more.
“We have won it, we will really enjoy it and it will give us a wee flavour to come back and do it again.
“It must give you a taste for more — that doesn’t mean to say it’s going to happen, but it can have an impact. Everyone has worked as hard as they can to take the club forward. We have won a trophy today but that is not us finished.”
As jubilant Liverpudlians celebrated seeing their team as winners again less than 18 months after their club’s very future was in jeopardy, hopes inevitably turned to whether this might be the first step towards the club’s new owners being able to restore the Reds to greatness and end the club’s long wait for a league title in the same way their presence had helped end the Boston Red Sox’s 86 year wait for a World Series.
No-one was under illusions a long road still lay ahead if that was to be achieved however with the club’s new top brass expressing their relief their new charges had managed to just about get over the line and underlining their commitment to getting Liverpool back to where they belonged.
“I feel a wreck so I can only imagine how our fans feel”, principal owner John Henry said.
“The penalty kicks were torturous. We’re so happy for the supporters. They were the loudest I’d ever heard.
"So much has been said and written over the years about Liverpool FC off the field so it’s great to be finally getting to the point where we can talk about what’s going on on the field
"We look at it as the first step in what we’re trying to accomplish, putting the club back to where it has historically been. Our supporters have been through so much off the field, to win the silverware for the first time in six years is to bring back the kind of excellence they are used to.
“This is just the start and we still have a long way to go. We had so much to learn in a year of all aspects of the sport and we’re still learning.”
Chairman Tom Werner, who joined Henry in the dressing room for the post-match celebrations, added: “I hope this is a statement, even though it’s only one marker it gives us the enthusiasm to move forward.
“Hats off to Cardiff. They played us very hard and beautifully. Kenny really deserves an enormous amount of credit and having got that first trophy now we can move on.
“There was a lot of pressure on Kenny today so we’re relieved for him because the expectations were so high. It’s a wonderful day for him. We gave him a big hug.
“It was a nerve wracking afternoon but a wonderful result. We’re just so pleased for our fans, so many of them were here today.
“It’s a great day for Liverpool and towards the end my nerves were shot. I didn’t watch the final few penalties, I just heard them!
“Our goal is still to reach the Champions League but this has been a big day for us. It’s a privilege to be involved with Liverpool.
“This is our eighth win in this competition and we’re hungry for more silverware. I hope this is a statement, even though it’s only one marker, but to see the joy on the players’ faces, it gives us the enthusiasm to move forward.
“There will be a party tonight. We thought there might be a parade but the players have to go off to internationals. But we’ll be having a party.”
