Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TOSH: MY RIOTOUS WINNER
JOHN TOSHACK can still remember his goal which led to a first-ever victory for Liverpool in the Nou Camp — it nearly started a riot.
At the final whistle, cushions and then seats were raining down on the pitch with the locals unhappy at witnessing Barcelona’s 1-0 eclipse in the UEFA Cup semi-final first leg in March 1976.
Liverpool drew the return leg at Anfield and went on to claim the trophy against Club Bruges, after also winning the First Division championship.
Toshack was the club’s top scorer that season with 23 goals.
Now the Kop legend (below) is hoping his old side can repeat the feat in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
“I remember the night well,” he said. “A Ray Clemence long clearance, Kevin Keegan flicking it on and Toshack — 1-0.
“Later on, with Barcelona unable to grab an equaliser, some of their fans started chucking cushions on to the pitch.
“It did cross my mind that maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t scored — we’d have a better chance of getting out of the ground in one piece.
“The situation wasn’t helped by Joey Jones throwing them back into the stand until our manager Bob Paisley warned him that he was in danger of causing a riot.”
Jones readily admits his part in the Barcelona bust-up.
The former Wales full-back, now aged 64, recalled: “I was one of the substitutes on that night against Barcelona.
“The dug-outs at the Nou Camp weren’t covered in those days.
“When Tosh scored, we started getting hit with all sorts of things.
“At the end of the game their fans started throwing cushions then bits of seats.
“I started flinging the cushions back.
“I was getting quite good at it, seeing them skim off Barcelona supporters’ heads.
“Suddenly Bob Paisley came and grabbed me by the collar and told me to stop before I caused a riot.”