From the moment we landed at a small airport some way from the city, it was clear that it was going to be a long and difficult day.

Parameditary police and combat fatigues and riot gear met us and loaded us onto buses.

Those of us who were hoping to see the Sistine Chapel complained

until we saw the reception we got on the ring road.

Carloads of youth in cloth-topped fiatts,

shadowed the coach alongside,

while an occupant popped up through the roof

to fire a flare or hurl a brick at the bus,

all at motorway speed.

Well, that is Tony Evans writing in his fantastic fan memoir, far foreign land,

detailing experience of Liverpool fans abroad.

And he's talking about 1984, of course, and he's talking about the European final.

And in the first half of our podcast,

Jonathan was set in a scene for us of Liverpool season in 1984,

which we'd seen a transition to manager Joe Fagan.

And a slightly difficult season,

though they've won the League Cup and then they've won the League.

So it's all ended rather well.

They've had very different approaches to Roma in preparing

for this massive European Cup final, which is essentially an away game, because UAE have

designated Rome at the Olympic Stadium as the venue for the final. So Liverpool going in as

underdogs into Jonathan, what we can all agree is a hostile environment. Yeah, extremely hostile.

...