YNWA

Week two began with me boarding a train on Friday lunchtime this time heading for Liverpool. Bonnie and I came to Liverpool in 2017 for a few days in 2017. It is a beautiful city. This time I was focused on one thing - the Liverpool game at Anfield against Bournemouth, the first home game of the EPL season. I'd bought the tickets from footballticketsliverpool  one Saturday when I was supposed to be writing a sermon, and the email popped into my inbox. I must have signed up at some point. So I checked to see what games were on while I was there and how much they were. Before I knew it I had a "cheap" ticket for Saturday, 19 August 2023 at 15:00. And I had a bit of a plan emerging for the first few weeks on my time away. End of week one, be in Liverpool. Wonderful.

I've supported Liverpool on and off for a long time, since the glory days of Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Bruce Grobbelaar, Ian Rush, and many others, and all those glittering trophies. I once visited a parishioner who have moved to Aotearoa-New Zealand in her 70's (I think) from Liverpool. (She had reconnected and married her childhood sweetheart, and he lived in Tauranga.) I was looking at the pictures on her wall and asked how she came to be in a photo with most of those named above. She was amazed, and I was n her good books from that point on. She was an Everton supporter herself, but had worked for main sponsor when Liverpool won the European Cup - hence the photo. She had family back in Liverpool who now worked for Liverpool FC so she forgave me my choice of club.

In 2017 Bonnie and I did the Anfield tour, which even Bonnie enjoyed. If you get the chance - do it. That watered a seed of a desire to return for a game, if possible while Klopp was still manager. That email was a sign from God - surely. A dream of going to a game at Anfield fulfilled. Wow! And a plan began about what I might do while I had "free time" on this sabbatical thing.

On the Friday night I checked in and headed out to Liverpool One - where Skechers is. I found the Liverpool FC shop and purchased my shiny new shirt for the next day. What size? Do I want a name on the back? If so who? In the end I bought a shirt with Salah on the back because he is amazing, and I love that he lives his devotion to Islam. 

In 2017 Bonnie and I went to a Jamie Oliver restaurant. They are now all closed. But at least in Liverpool One Gordon Ramsey has opened up a restaurant. Wonderful. At this point I was not so much worried about money.

Next day as "the day"! I set off to buy new shoes, and then set off again in said new shoes, and the shiny red Liverpool shirt, allowing plenty of time to get to Anfield. I joined a line of others in their shiny new shirts, we caught the bus and off we went. Funny story. No-one knew when to get off.  After a while I looked at google maps because we seemed to be going the wrong way - we were half way back into town. We were heading back into town. the streets around Anfield are closed for games, even to buses. But the driver did not tell us to get off - he did not drive this route very often and either hated football or supported Everton. In the end I and a few others got off and we walked back up the hill. Not what I was hoping for on my blistered feet in new shoes. 

I made it with lots of time to spare, joined a lined, got to the gate and... no bags. I had hummed and hahed about the bag. There was nothing on the ticket or website about them. But I should have left it at home. Or gone around the corner , taken it off, and worn it under my rain coat. Or ditched it and bought another. Instead i took it to the church all to hand in , a=with all the other out-of-towners who didn't know. A good money spinner for the club and the church - I hope. then back, just in time as they sang "You Will Never Walk Alone". Wow! I would go again just for that. 50,000 people signing is an amazing thing. It is a great song. goose bump moment.

The game did not start as planned. Bournemouth denied a goal from off side, and then scoring all inside the first 5 minutes. and then Mac Allister being sent off in his first home game for Liverpool. Which seemed to help them to be honest. They equalized, and then Salah scored a penalty right in front of me, about 1000 feet below me. I was way up high - near heaven really. Somehow I missed Klopps fist pumps. I have no idea how. But o my goodness there is so much noise. So much joy. so much passion!

Then I waited for a long time to get my bag back with all the other out-of-towners. Waited for a bus, until I remembered my trip up, and asked one of the vendors if buses come through here - not for awhile. The streets are closed! So I ended up walking most of the way back into town before I caught a bus. My poor feet. 

That night I found a busy noisy pub near where I was staying. Ma Boyles Alehouse with scouser pie, apple crumble. Great food. Great music. It was a grand end to a grand day.

The next morning I ubered to the train back to London. My driver is a season ticket holder, with seats right behind the managers block - he showed me his photos of the game. Marvelous. He felt the team played better with 10 on the field, as they did several times during the season - notably against Newcastle a few weeks later. A lovely finish to a great few days. My slightly less shiny shirt waits for its next time going through the gates.