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Standing on the pitch at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, 1977, was one of the proudest moments of my life. I scanned the massed ranks of red and white, hoping to see a few mates or my two brothers, Frank and Dave, who were amongst the 26,000 that travelled over. It was an incredible sight. It seemed a far cry from the days when we used to get the number 86 bus, then the 27, to Anfield. Like most young scousers back then I served my time in the ‘Boys’ Pen’ watching great players like Peter Thompson, Ian Callaghan and my hero, Tommy Smith. At every home game we’d try and bunk out of the pen into the Kop. We’d wait till the copper moved away from the fence, then bail over and join the swaying crowd and deafening noise. Over the years I travelled home and away to places like West Brom and Walsall – fitting the match around my job as an apprentice spark and my amateur football career.

While at South Liverpool I was spotted by Tom Saunders and, after a two-week trial, agreed to sign as a semi-pro. I’d play two mornings a week at Melwood then head straight to a building site in the afternoon. Most of my mates off the sites went to the match. It was a welcome diversion away from a tough job with poor pay and poor conditions – following Liverpool could do that; take you away from it all. I finally made my debut in April ’75. It was a fantastic feeling being named alongside Toshack and Keegan. I ran out in front of the packed Kop where I’d stood for so long. The raw passion and pride that they felt was a natural part of me; there was no way I was going to let them down. Two years later – on that incredible night in Rome – I stared at the red masses who had gone to unbelievable lengths to make the journey. If things had turned out differently, I know for a fact that I’d have been right there in the middle of them waving a chequered flag. That’s how it is when you’re a fanatic – you’d do anything and travel anywhere to watch Liverpool. I’d have died for those fans that night. I knew exactly how they felt because they were me – I was them.

Jimmy Case, Liverpool 1972–1981