That time we saw a Liverpool F.C game...

"You'll never walk alone...."

 

This one is long overdue, but I guess you could say I was saving the best for last.

If there is one thing that sums up our experiences in the UK, sitting in the Kop at Anfield Stadium to watch a (winning) game with Liverpool F.C has got to be it. And there's a certain Liverpool supporter on the other side of the world that we have to thank for that.

We were down to our final 5 days in the UK before we had to board that flight home, and our chances of seeing a live football match were slim to none. Then we got an email from the friendliest, most generous people we met in our trip. Andy and Sue were the people we stayed with in Oxford in around October last year, and this time they offered us to come to Liverpool to see a home game at Anfield Stadium.

A Liverpool supporter through and through, Andy was the best person to show us what a football match really was in England. So it was arranged- two final nights in Oxford, with a road trip to Liverpool to watch the home team (and sorry Sue, but I'm not  talking about Everton!) take on Swansea. It is safe to say we were a bit excited to have the experience, and Andy really made sure it was one we won't forget.

The day started with a road trip to Liverpool with one of Andy's friends. The 3 hour drive from Oxford to Liverpool made me realise just how passionate they are about their football- recounting stories from when their team took out the cup in Istanbul in 2005, they spoke like it was only yesterday that they saw their team win the European cup. I've only ever heard one person speak about football like that, one of my Dad's work friends (who coincidentally is a huge Liverpool supporter)... We have since put him in touch with Andy and now he has someone to share his love of Liverpool with.

With Andy for some pre-match talk

Before the afternoon match we joined Andy's football friends at a bar for lunch. Liverpool had been having a bit of a dry spell up until that game and so they were all expecting the worse for the match up with Swansea, and telling us not to expect a win. If only they had been a bit more optimistic, because it turned out we bought some Australian luck with us that day. Oh, and did I mention that we met this guy:

Ian St John is a bit of a Liverpool legend, we were told. He played for Liverpool for 10 years from the 60s. I don't think we quite grasped just how much of legend he is at the time, but a quick google of his name now brings up pages and pages of results. On the Liverpool FC website, it says he was responsible for one of the "single greatest moments" by scoring an extra-time goal to take out the FA Cup in 1965. Sheesh, that sure does give a player a legendary status. He signed a copy of the game day book for us, an impressive souvenir to remember the day.

Famous ex-players aside, there was one thing that we had actually prepared ourselves for that day- the game. We had Andy's membership passes (again, we can't thank him enough) and so we were seated right in the Kop. Before the match he had described what happens when the Liverpool anthem 'you'll never walk alone' plays out through the stadium. The home crowd chant the words in unison. "It gives you goosebumps," Andy had said. Well he wasn't lying.

Hearing the crowd sing along and having the Liverpool flag pass over the top us, we knew we were in for something special. Turns out that was a 5-0 win to Liverpool.

I don't think we could have gotten a better football experience if we had tried. That day easily goes down as one of the top memories of England, and was a high note to end our trip on.

Cheers for everything, Andy and Sue.