I think you have it spot on there. I remember a couple of years back a French lad I went to a few games with, here in Germany, was talking about how he heard that Liverpool were peoples second team and how most English football fans respected them, etc. Oh boy, was that a mistake on his part.
For the rest of the journey he got a lesson and then some, think he regretted saying anything lol . My main point being how we all reacted to the slip, how the slippy song was sung at every single ground the season after, how most footballing communities rejoiced in that event. As you put it, his eyes were certainly opened that day.