Source: Liverpool_Echo
David Fairclough: LFC must avoid another Trabzonspor horror trip
Welcome to Hell 300[LNB]OCTOBER 1976 and Liverpool are through to the second round of the European Cup.[LNB]A 7-0 aggregate win over Belfast part-timers Crusaders has set up a journey into the unknown to face Turkish champions Trabzonspor.[LNB]In contrast to the short hop across the Irish Sea, this next trip took Bob Paisley's side to one of Europe's furthest outposts.[LNB]Nestled on the Black Sea coast of north eastern Turkey it was the furthest flung venture in Liverpool's fledgling travels.[LNB] It was also a journey Paisley's European champions in waiting would never forget.[LNB]'Trabzonspor in 1977 was the worst European trip,' said Ray Clemence some years later.[LNB]'The pitch had rocks all over it. The hotel was awful, we were woken by the noise of farm animals at 5am, the food was terrible and we lost 1-0.'[LNB]In short, nothing went right.[LNB]As Liverpool host the Turkish Cup winners at Anfield tomorrow night ahead of next week's return in the Europa League play-off tie, another player on that trip, David Fairclough, sheds further light on the last time the Reds travelled to Trabzon.
