In Istanbul… we won it fives times… On May 25th 2005, Liverpool Football Club
enjoyed possibly its finest ever moment. Trailing 3-0 at half-time in the Champions
League Final, the reds emerged from the dressing room for one of the greatest
comebacks of all-time. In just six second-half minutes the score had gone from 3-0 to 3-
3, thanks to goals from Gerrard, Smicer and Alonso. A nervous extra-time followed, but
thanks to the heroics of Jerzy Dudek, and his (or Grobbelaar’s) ‘wobbly legs’, Liverpool
won the shootout, and the Cup.

The new Reebok shirt for the start of the 2004/06 was a much simpler affair than
previous efforts. The all red body with only a tiny amount of white under the arms made
this shirt an instant hit with the fans. The shirt will always be remembered fondly as the
shirt that was worn in Istanbul. Just thank the lord that AC Milan didn’t win the toss and
we had to wear our yellow away shirt…

This shirt was worn by Milan Baros in the game verses Newcastle United in April 2004.
It is very interesting because this shirt is the 2004/06 design but has 2003/04 sleeve
patches. The reason for this is that for the last game of every season the team wears
the following season’s shirt. This shirt was therefore from the first ever game Liverpool
played in whilst wearing this shirt. Baros was a very direct attacker, one who finished
top scorer at Euro 2004, and lord knows how good he could have been if God had
actually granted him the ability to look anywhere but at his feet.

Like spotting a rare panda, here is a sight that even the most regular matchgoers may
never have witnessed; Milan Baros looking up.

There were two versions of this shirt issued; a large Carlsberg for use in the English
Premier League in 2004/06, and a small Carlsberg version for use in European
competitions and the English Premier League in 2005/06. The Large Carlsberg version
should have a logo that is 27cm wide and NO ‘playdry’ logo on the right sleeve. The
small Carlsberg version is often faked and collectors are advised to avoid this piece.
Genuine match worn shirts in the small Carlsberg variety generate very little interest
and often sell for close to, or under, £100gbp. The only exception to this rule is for
genuine one-off cup final shirts like the Istanbul and Carling Cup Final shirts, which
whilst having small Carlsberg logos, still maintain their value.

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