Football

Introduction

 * Peel first became interested in the sport when at public school in Shrewsbury, playing in the right-wing position. He continued to play unofficially, for example for the Radio 1 team, but did not follow professional football until he began supporting Liverpool FC. He also followed the fortunes of Ipswich Town (also referred to by him under their nickname 'The Tractor Boys'), since Sheila was a fan.
 * When asked to name a luxury as part of his contribution to Desert Island Discs, John chose a football and a wall to kick it against.

Liverpool FC

 * Peel began supporting Liverpool in 1950 at the age of ten when they played Arsenal in the FA Cup Final and lost 2-0: this caused him to place a ban on that team's supporters coming to Peel Acres (with the exception of Robert Wyatt and Alfie), which was "lifted" in the mid 1990s.
 * His long-standing idol from the team was Bily Liddell, whose portrait hung in the dining room at Peel Acres: an autograph signed on a newspaper flier by the player was kept in his father's old desk and John referred to it as 'perhaps the most sacred item I own.'
 * Sheila relates that when they first moved to Suffolk, John was a regular attendee at Liverpool's home ground of Anfield, until work commitments prevented him from doing so (although he made half-hearted attempts to get a season ticket when William was at university). They were both present at the Heysel Stadium Disaster on May 29 1985 at which 39 people died. He did not go to another match for four years as a result.

Known Fixtures Attended

 * JP more often than not detailed the football matches he had been to, with his reactions.
 * May 29 1985: Heysel Stadium, Belgium, 1985 European Cup Final. Despite the tragedy mentioned above, the match was played to avoid further violence (although it is clear that Peel and Sheila had already left for their own safety). Juventus won 1-0 after a penalty by Michel Platini.
 * 30 August 1999: Ipswich Town vs Barnsley. 6-1 win for Ipswich.

Matches Mentioned

 * Peel was fond of offering his view on (mainly) his team's performances, either post-match or sometimes during his shows.
 * 19 December 1992: Liverpool vs Coventry City, a 5-1 defeat. "I mean, I know man was born to suffer, but there's got to be a limit."
 * 04 December 2002: While Sheila and Alexandra were at Anfield watching Liverpool vs Ipswich compete for a quarter-final place in the Worthington Cup, JP was following the game whilst on air. His team's poor performance drew despairing criticism, i.e. "Do you know what I'd do? I'd say, you've got to earn the right to wear those red shirts, and until you do, then you can play in grey, or some other colour." Liverpool eventually won 5-4 on penalties.

You'll Never Walk Alone
Main article: You'll Never Walk Alone


 * The second act ballad from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel was adopted by the Liverpool FC fans as an unofficial anthem in the early 1960s. It held great significance for John, generating in particular (unrealised) plans for an LP of cover versions by session bands.

>UNDER CONSTRUCTION


 * Footnotes