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Greg O'Keefe

ECHO reporter and Everton fan Greg O'Keeffe was six when the Blues last won the title. But with a European tour on the horizon and another season of drama at Goodison Park, he is a determined optimist.

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SEMI-FINAL AND SKY

Posted by Greg O'Keeffe on January 25, 2008 9:51 AM | 

IT’S been a while since I’ve felt so utterly deflated after an Everton game.
Before kick-off I was a bad cliche, sat there going through every possible combination of outcomes in my head.

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My brain said the own goal at Stanford Bridge would make it Mission Almost Impossible, and my heart said...well obviously we were going to beat them with a Phil Neville rocket and shake Goodison to its foundations.
Could have happened too....The smart square-ball from an otherwise underwhelming Arteta to Nev saw the skipper’s shot go tantalisingly close. But for the back-on-form (and what form!) Petr Cech to save.
Anyway, it didn’t happen and we all trudged home, or for a few miserable pints before lasties. I had to be up early in the morning anyway, I told myself unconvincingly.
Ok, so it helps to remember we’ve got all to play for. But Chelsea’s win was depressing on a few levels.
Their injury ravaged side was still immense and crammed with top international players. What chance do teams outside the top four have of making it to finals anymore? (Spurs don’t count because they are financially backed to the same level of the top four sides).
This had seemed a very realistic chance for Moyes to finally add to our trophy cabinet and watching it go up in smoke was tough.
Afterwards, it was also disappointing to hear from mates who watched it on Sky that the Chelsea fans sounded louder and Blues almost quiet by comparison save a bit of abuse for Joe Cole.
Those of us who went the game know that wasn't true.
It was hard but I’m glad we cheered them off at the end because I still reckon this squad will give us happier days, maybe even in places warmer than Walton on a Wednesday.

(Note to the blues fighting eachother towards the end. Get a grip. Or if you want to behave like that, go to Anfield).

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Comments (7)

Greg Murphy wrote...

Simple explanation, though, isn't it? The reason that the Chlesea fans could be heard is the same reason that they couldn't be seen (well those that went): for the TV gantry is directly in front of where they were sat.
If our gantry had been on the opposite side then not only would viewers have had a completely different sense of the atmosphere but they'd also have been able to see the huge gaps in the Chelsea section.

"You couldn't sell all your tickets..." bet that wasn't heard on Sky!

Posted by: Greg Murphy  | January 25, 2008 11:46 AM

Stevo wrote...

Or something more sinister.....

From having the privilege of being invited into the Sky Outside Broadcast van Greg knows only too well that Sky turn the mics up to levels that make the atmosphere sound better to home viewers.

Not that it made any difference to the game at all like, but just thought I'd point it out so next time you're watching Derby vs Wigan on a Monday night you wonder why it sounds like a packed Bernabau.

COYB!

Posted by: Stevo  | January 25, 2008 2:07 PM

Gerry Beckett wrote...

Is there ever a blog written by a BN that doesn't mention Liverpool/Anfield etc? Just wondered.

Posted by: Gerry Beckett  | January 25, 2008 2:12 PM

Alan wrote...

Is there ever a blog written by a BN that doesn't have some Skem head Red commenting on it? Just wondered.

Posted by: Alan  | January 25, 2008 9:46 PM

Towen wrote...

Gerry, feel free to talk us through your brilliant 5-2 win over non-league havant and waterlooville (just 122 league places between the two sides).

Posted by: Towen  | January 28, 2008 2:59 PM

Stuey wrote...

Re: The noise. The singing before the games was immense. Loudest thinkg I've ever heard. It was a nervous affair for us blues but ultimately it wasn't to be. Still massively proud of them though.

Posted by: Stuey  | January 31, 2008 10:13 AM

Craig wrote...

There's actually something more sinister going on with football, at the end of the game petr cech was walking towards the chelsea fans he was still 30 yards away and was looking to get closer to share the win with them, when (you know those guys with the camera strapped to the waist) he was in front of him and another sky guy who told him to start applauding (he was still a far distance from the few chelsea fans that were there) just so they could get a good shot.

Is it just me who feels that its perverse when a director wants to orchestrate Player Celebrations?

Posted by: Craig  | February 6, 2008 12:35 PM

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