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He wouldn’t have been too happy with the team’s form
tailing off, however, such was their commanding lead.
Eleven points clear of Watford at the end of the season,
the Reds were only mathematically sure with four games
to go on a weekend both they and Manchester United
lost. Liverpool actually lost five and drew two of their last
seven games in still one of their most dominant league
seasons.
Three-in-a-row arrived under the seventh LFC manager
to win the top-tier title. Joe Fagan’s debut campaign of
1983/84 also ended in League Cup and European Cup
glory.
Having lead from the front since November and with
fellow challengers dropping points all around them, four
draws and one win from their last five was more than
enough to win the league by three points with first place
secured in the last-but-one game – a stalemate at Notts
County. It was a third different runner-up too, with results
again going against United to see Southampton pip them
to second.
The last league game saw the Anfield crowd stage a
sit-in celebration after the traditional lap-of-honour. “That
was very emotional and something I did not expect,” said
Joe, with captain Graeme Souness adding: “I have never
known that after one of our championship wins. They
have given us a tremendous send-off for Rome.”
Two years on, enter the most successful top-tier player-
manager of all time and the first of three league titles
under Kenny Dalglish.
THE FIRST BACK-TO-BACK TITLES SINCE THE TWENTIES
ARRIVED IN 1976 AND 1977, AS DID A FIRST EUROPEAN
CUP, WITH A DRAW AT HOME TO WEST HAM PUTTING
TWO HANDS ON THE TROPHY WITH A GAME TO SPARE
Kevin Keegan with fan club in 1977
1980: Phil Neal, David Johnson,
young fan and championship trophy
1982: Phil Thompson (right) with
old Reds team-mate Ray Clemence