I swear to you, I didn't get this from one of Stig's articles, this is real!
“It was not a case of us, the players, celebrating for our fans. We were celebrating together. We were as one. It was our victory, all of us together.
“Everything after that is hazy in my memory. We were out there celebrating on the pitch for maybe an hour. The game finished at 12.30 am local time, so it must have been about 1.30 am when we eventually made it back into the dressing room.
“After all of the hurly-burly and the high drama that had gone on out on the pitch, when we got back to the dressing room everything went strangely quiet. There was a hushed atmosphere.
“I sat reflecting for a moment, when I saw the Liverpool chairman David Moores come in. He had a big smile on his face and tears were running down his cheeks.
“I watched as he made his way across the room, shaking hands and hugging people as he went along. When he got within earshot I leaned over to him and said, ‘chairman, I need to see you in my office for a moment.’ I gave a surreptitious nod towards the showers.
“He stood with me in the shower room looking confused, but he tolerated my odd behaviour. We had become pals because we had something in common. We were the only two people in the club who smoked. Having bundled him in I said, ‘chairman, I need a cigarette; quick, let me have one of yours.’ He looked at me as if I had asked him to let Milan take the cup home. ‘But Kaiser,’ he said, with the whispered sense of urgency of a naughty schoolboy, as if he would be in trouble if anyone heard, ‘I can’t do that. What if Rafa comes in?’
“Unbelievable. I was now speaking with a whispered sense of urgency, but more because I was gasping for a cigarette than through fear of being found out. ‘Chairman,’ I said, ‘you own this ****** club. Remember? If he comes in you just say “Kaiser’s having a cigarette" and we take it from there. OK?’
“He reluctantly agreed and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Eventually, I stepped into a shower cubicle and the chairman lit both of our cigarettes. We both took a long, long drag and then we just looked at each other for what seemed like an age, him with tears running down his cheeks, shaking so badly that the ash from his cigarette was falling to the floor at will. We stood looking at each other in total disbelief.
“Not a word was spoken. Because there were no words that could describe what it was that we were feeling."
Hamann on Aftermath of Champions League Win
posted on 25/1/12
Lets get one things straight.
Alcoholism is not a disease...its an addiction. Its like smoking which is also an addiction. Its a persons choice to drink in the same way its someones choice to take drugs and its someones choice to smoke and its someones choice to be homosexual.
Nobody poured alcohol down Bests neck, he chose to drink, and chose to become addicted to it. In the same way its peoples choice to smoke and become addicted to tobacco.
posted on 25/1/12
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 25/1/12
Let me explain the word ''addiction'' Now this is coming from someone that was addicted to cigarettes. When I was a smoker, the first thing I did in the morning was have a smoke, and the last thing at night was..have a smoke. At one stage I used to get up in the middle of the night..to smoke.
Alcoholics do exactly the same thing..they have a drink first thing in the morning..and last thing at night, and may even get up in the middle of the night for a drink.
Alcoholism is not a disease..like smoking...its an addiction.
posted on 25/1/12
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 25/1/12
Comparing cigarette addiction to alcoholism is ridiculous.
Alcoholics feel like they HAVE to drink. it destroys their body and their mind. It is a disease. I smoke and have never felt like I had to smoke, to deal with depression or I had to smoke because of any other reason than I crave the addiction.
Again for people who don't know what they're talking about, just visit the AA website.
posted on 25/1/12
comment by There'sOnlyOneReds (U1721)
posted 1 minute ago
Comparing cigarette addiction to alcoholism is ridiculous.
Alcoholics feel like they HAVE to drink. it destroys their body and their mind. It is a disease. I smoke and have never felt like I had to smoke, to deal with depression or I had to smoke because of any other reason than I crave the addiction.
Again for people who don't know what they're talking about, just visit the AA website.
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I have for the last 17 years or so smoked socially when I have a drink. But I have never been addicted. I am fortunate in that I don't have an addictive personality/genetic make up. However, there are those who aren't as fortunate who do feel like they need to smoke in the same way as alcoholics feel they need to drink. They can also get depressed in the same way.
I wouldnt say that it is as bad as alcoholism, but they do share many characteristics.
The bottom line is no-one forced Best to drink. He could have stopped if he had wanted to enough and taken that second chance he got.
posted on 25/1/12
comment by Elvis (U7425)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by There'sOnlyOneReds (U1721)
posted 1 minute ago
Comparing cigarette addiction to alcoholism is ridiculous.
Alcoholics feel like they HAVE to drink. it destroys their body and their mind. It is a disease. I smoke and have never felt like I had to smoke, to deal with depression or I had to smoke because of any other reason than I crave the addiction.
Again for people who don't know what they're talking about, just visit the AA website.
------------------------------------------
I have for the last 17 years or so smoked socially when I have a drink. But I have never been addicted. I am fortunate in that I don't have an addictive personality/genetic make up. However, there are those who aren't as fortunate who do feel like they need to smoke in the same way as alcoholics feel they need to drink. They can also get depressed in the same way.
I wouldnt say that it is as bad as alcoholism, but they do share many characteristics.
The bottom line is no-one forced Best to drink. He could have stopped if he had wanted to enough and taken that second chance he got.
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Throughout history many people have wanted to stop but couldn't that's why we have groups like AA. Alcohol damages the mind, it becomes a disease, as you want to stop and go into depression because you can't, which in turn, turns you to alcohol, to deal with it. It's a vicious circle. This is heightened when you have a lot of money.
posted on 25/1/12
comment by There'sOnlyOneReds (U1721)
Throughout history many people have wanted to stop but couldn't that's why we have groups like AA. Alcohol damages the mind, it becomes a disease, as you want to stop and go into depression because you can't, which in turn, turns you to alcohol, to deal with it. It's a vicious circle. This is heightened when you have a lot of money.
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We all know this.
Still doesnt mean you cant stop. My personal view is that Best owed it to the family of the donor to stop drinking.
posted on 25/1/12
comment by Elvis (U7425)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by There'sOnlyOneReds (U1721)
Throughout history many people have wanted to stop but couldn't that's why we have groups like AA. Alcohol damages the mind, it becomes a disease, as you want to stop and go into depression because you can't, which in turn, turns you to alcohol, to deal with it. It's a vicious circle. This is heightened when you have a lot of money.
---------------------------------------
We all know this.
Still doesnt mean you cant stop. My personal view is that Best owed it to the family of the donor to stop drinking.
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I completely agree with that. I was angry with that at the time, more for the people on the waiting list who George jumped ahead of.
posted on 25/1/12
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator