AROMA OF CORRUPTION
THE dogs in the street knew Dundee United would never qualify for the European Cup Final.
And they spent all night barking a symphony just to make sure.
Liverpool entertain Roma tonight in the Champions League semi-final, just 24 hours short of the 44th anniversary of the match that broke Billy Kirkwood’s heart.
The Italians will play in the last four for the first time since their 3-2 aggregate victory over United in a tie still mired in controversy.
Four years ago Paul Sturrock wrote to UEFA president Michel Platini demanding medals for his team-mates after a plot to bribe French ref Michel Vautrot with £50,000 was exposed. The offer was sanctioned by Roma BY GARY RALSTON president Dino Viola and confirmed by his son Riccardo in an interview with Italian TV.
Viola junior said: “Roma gave a middle man 100 million lire destined for referee Vautrot. That is true.”
The Tangerines won the first leg at Tannadice 2-0.
And they came within 90 minutes of an appearance in a final that was being held on Roma’s own patch, the Olympic Stadium. Roma won 3-0 with the decisive third goal coming from the penalty spot and although no evidence exists that Vautriot was handed the cash Viola set aside, the demands from SFA secretary Ernie Walker for a UEFA probe fell on deaf ears.
Kirkwood, now youth coach at Rangers, played in both games and knew the odds were stacked against Jim McLean’s side reaching the Final against Liverpool when they arrived at their hotel before the game and couldn’t get a wink of sleep.
He said: “They posted dozens of security guards and police around the hotel, most of them with dogs but I believe they spent the night mistreating their animals.
“They did nothing but bark and squeal for hours on end and it was designed to disrupt our preparations. We didn’t get a great sleep on the eve of the game as a result.
“The intimidation intensified when we reached the stadium and John Holt was hit square on the napper with an orange.
“The second leg kicked off in the afternoon and I know the broadcast feed to the BBC blanked out for five minutes at the start, so viewers missed a great chance for Ralph Milne.
“Who knows what might have happened had that gone in? In truth, even if we were still leading 1-0 they would have been allowed to score four and progress. If they needed to net six that day it would have happened.
“In the end their third came from the penalty spot. Hamish McAlpine still says it should never have been awarded but I think the ref got it right. It doesn’t matter, after being got at he would have awarded it regardless.
“We were caught up in it all and didn’t do ourselves justice but it didn’t excuse their behaviour at the end of the game when they went for wee Jim and Walter Smith.”