Featured: "Walsh sinks former club (1985-86)" by Dave Usher

[tlw content]

 

When Luton Town visited Anfield on October 26th 1985, Paul Walsh was on the transfer list after failing to secure a regular starting place with the reds following a £750,000 move from the Kenilworth Road club a little over a year earlier.

 

Walsh had slapped in a transfer request, having been dropped three times that season by player boss Kenny Dalglish, and in the week leading up to this game he'd been strongly linked with a move to German side Hamburg.  But Liverpool were in no rush to sell the former 'young footballer of the year', and an injury to Ian Rush meant that the gifted Londoner was restored to the side for the visit of his former club.  Walsh was a man with a point to prove, and quickly fired the Reds into a two goal lead, before missing an excellent chance to claim a hat-trick soon after.

 

Steve Foster and Mick Harford got Luton back on level terms in the second half, before Walsh teed up Molby for the winning goal.  After the game Walsh still felt his future lay away from Anfield, saying "One game doesn't change my situation." But it did, as even though Rush returned for the next game, Walsh retained his place in the side as Dalglish relegated himself to the bench.

 

The livewire striker then went on a phenomenal run of form, hitting the net 18 times before picking up a season ending ankle injury in a game with Manchester United at Anfield.

 

 

 

Season:  1985/86 Opposition: Luton Town Result: 3-2 Scorer(s): Paul Walsh (2), Jan Molby (pen) Venue: Anfield

 

 

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[Stickman]

Used to love Paul Walsh and his contribution to that double season should never be forgotten..

The best game I ever saw him play was against Everton in a league cup game in 87 when he was totally unplayable....

I also remember him scoring the equaliser against the Mancs with his chest in an F.A.Cup semi also at Goodison with virtually the last kick of the game.....I just remember everyone going beserk.....

He was an unlucky player though as he always seemed to pick up injuries just as he was getting established in the side....

[William Morris]

There was one occasion when there was a little bit of open dissent from The Kop aimed at Kenny for not picking him. Nothing vitriolic or anything like that, this was Kenny Dalglish after all.

Just that before one game for which he'd been dropped, a long and loud chant of "there's only one Paul Walsh" went up. A minor reminder to Kenny that we thought he deserved to be in the team at that time.

Very good player, Luis Garcia reminded me a bit of him.

[StevieMax]

A true great, but often overlooked. I think that he was top scorer in the double season.

[aws]

Dave's waited very patiently before posting an article about Walsh.

[Frank Dacey]

I saw his first home game against West Ham, he scored within a minute. Unfortunately, that was the season after Souness had left and we were a long way off our best and then Kenny became player manager and got another season out of himself. As Stickman said, he was often injured, which didn't help him establish himself.

[tlw content]

He did have his injuries, but it didn't help that he spent 6 weeks having treatment with an ultrasound machine only to find out that it wasn't even plugged in.

 

It's in here for anyone who hasn't read it before:

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/index.php/articles.html/_/fe/interviews-features/the-forgotten-number-seven-r22

[stringvest]

wasn't that sound then was it?

[s(k)aturation]

Used to love Paul Walsh and his contribution to that double season should never be forgotten..

The best game I ever saw him play was against Everton in a league cup game in 87 when he was totally unplayable....

I also remember him scoring the equaliser against the Mancs with his chest in an F.A.Cup semi also at Goodison with virtually the last kick of the game.....I just remember everyone going beserk.....

 

I remember listening to that live on the BBC World Service with the late, great Peter Jones calling it.

I started jumping around the loungeroom in my pyjamas like a twat at 2 in the morning.

[Razoray]

This just came up on my timeline. Great finish. Probably never fulfilled his potential but Walshy was a classy player.

 

We battered Austria Vienna 5-2 on aggregate and I just checked, they finished 9 points ahead of Rapid Vienna that season, who the mighty Everton beat to won the ECWC. 

 

[YorkshireRed]

I went to this game. Somewhat bizarrely, given I’m from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, my school ran trips to Liverpool games a few times a season and this was one of them. 
 

There was a French teacher, and big Liverpool fan, who used to arrange them. Mr Day was his name. Never taught me French, but did help with my match going education. 
 

It was the day after my thirteenth birthday as well, so was probably some kind of present. 

The West Ham game he scored in, mentioned above, was another one. 
 

As was Spurs first win at Anfield since the sinking of the Titanic. 
 

Always liked Paul Walsh.