Phil Thompson: Liverpool FC's Europa League clash with Trabzonspor brings back memories

REDS legend Phil Thompson starts a regular weekly column from today - below are some highlights from the Kirkby-born defender's decorated career as a player, coach and manager at Anfield Show Caption nullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnull YOU may have read David Fairclough's vivid account of Liverpool's most recent trip to Trabzonspor in last night's ECHO; as someone who was also involved in that fixture 34 years ago, I can tell you it was every bit as bad as it sounded.Turkey is one of the most testing places you can play football and we found that out to our cost when we went out there for a second round European Cup tie that none of us will ever forget.Tom Saunders, our old chief scout, had been out before we travelled to check Trabzon out and he booked us in to the best hotel in town - if I told you a two-star box in Benidorm was more palatial, you will get the picture. What made the trip worse though was the fact I got a stomach upset after contracting food poisoning the night before the game and, to this day, I've no idea how I managed to get through it.Aside from feeling on the verge of death all the way through those 90 minutes, the one thing I vividly remember from being out in Trabzon was the noise and passion from the home fans.While I'm sure Trabzon has changed beyond recognition since my last trip there, I don't believe the fervour of the city's supporters has diminished and Liverpool will have to be at their best to get through to the Europa League group stages.Roy Hodgson will be stressing the importance of getting a good result tonight but, even if that happens, I don't for a moment expect there to be any complacency in the return - it's simply not the way Liverpool do things.

Source: Liverpool_Echo