BACK-TO-BACK TITLESPaisley knew how much the season had challenged his
side and he was rightly proud of their endeavours. In the
club’s ‘official annual’ in 1981 he wrote: “It has been a very
demanding season and with the problems we have had to
overcome it’s been a good one.
“In my opinion the football we played in the middle of the
season has not been bettered by any Liverpool team in my
experience.
“When you are involved in a marathon series of matches
as we were against Nottingham Forest and Arsenal it is a
tremendous mental drain and it affects players.
“Despite the fact that we lost in the semi-finals of both
League and FA Cups we can look back on the season with
satisfaction and it was pleasing to see lads like Sammy Lee,
Colin Irwin and Avi Cohen respond when they were thrown
into the team near the end.
“At the end of the day we have won the League in the right
manner...winning more matches than anyone else, scoring
more goals and conceding the fewest.”
The Reds received their trophy from Bob Lord, the League’s
senior vice-president ahead of Ray Clemence’s testimonial
against Anderlecht the week after their final league game at
Middlesbrough.
And then, as was ‘the Liverpool Way’ in those heady days,
the shimmering silverware was taken back to its familiar home in
the Anfield trophy room.We did it...again!