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The plan: to take in as much football as possible in a four-day jaunt to Liverpool. Aston Villa had been in my particular sights since New Year's as the fixture I most wanted to attend. They were flying - so were we - and once Sky moved it for its Sunday showpiece match, it was settled. Only three days needed off work and good news hopefully from the Manc fixture the weekend before to get us in the right frame of mind. My partner in this adventure would be fellow LFCNYer Chris, who thankfully is as much of nut as I am with respect to this sort of stuff and was just as eager to get in the games.
So the schedule was this - AFC Liverpool on the Saturday afternoon we arrive, Villa at Anfield on the Sunday, finished off with LFC Reserves facing Southport away in the semifinal of the Senior Cup on Tuesday night. Heaven! Didn't forsee being able to do this again anytime soon so might as well go for it, exhaustion be damned. Right? Right!
We touched down in Manchester on Saturday the 21st around 9:45am local time, about 40 minutes behind schedule. Chris, as a committee member, was responsible for picking up the match tickets for all us LFCNYers who came over that weekend (new rule for all supporters' clubs apparently) so we figured get them Saturday, and meetup with everyone at The Grapes pub on Mathew Street Sunday before the game. Despite the delay, we were still on schedule for the 10:40am train, which would get us to Lime Street right before noon. Hopefully there'd be no real line at the ticket office to worry about as we needed to get back to the hotel, drop our bags then catch the bus to Prescot for the AFC Liverpool match at 3pm.
(Just a passing note - my 4th trip in three seasons and no lie - raining in Mancland upon touchdown every single time! And just as big a no lie, it was sunny - or certainly not raining - by the time I stepped out of Lime Street station. You try telling me that's just coincidence...the man upstairs clearly knows the score!)
So we get to Lime Street, catch a cab - off to Anfield with everything ticking along on schedule. Well, typical "best laid plans" 'n' all - got over to the ground to find the ticket office closed?! What did we know - seems it's common knowledge that as the match had been switched to the Sunday, the ticket office will close on the Saturday to allow staff one day of the weekend off. Well, not the worse thing but it did mean that we'd now have to come back over Sunday morning at 9am to get the tickets. And *really* pray too many other people wouldn't be doing the same as we needed to be all the way back at Kings Dock by 10am to do our Beatles tour.....
Ah, well - with our schedule freed up a bit now, we took a taxi to our home for the next few days. Expedia had a really good deal running for the Atlantic Tower - 4 nights for under $400 including full breakfast each day - so that's where we were staying. That is most definitely a deal considering the few places you can find in the city for under $100 a night book up pretty much as soon as the fixture list comes out in June. Smack in the middle of the city centre is convenient but I personally love being by the docks. What a view to look forward to every day - couldn't have asked for better.So after unpacking and a quick freshening-up after the long trip, the real fun begins...off to Prescot to watch AFC Liverpool take on Norton United in the first leg of the Vodkat 1st Division Trophy semifinal. Had a quick listen to FiveLive before heading off for the bus though and was greeted with the first good football news of the day - Portsmouth leading Everton 1-0. Yes!
We caught the 10A bus from James Street and off we went. I was really looking forward to this as I'd been in touch with AFC Liverpool's marketing director Paul Manning through the LFCNY forums. He was very helpful with info and I was hoping to have the chance to say hello while out there. The club has also done an incredible job for such a nascent organiztion - average turnout is good, their website is impressive and they've been brilliant about getting the word out about themselves, and they look certain for promotion (fingers crossed) first time out. Lastly, if nothing else, you have to take your hat off to them for the brilliant Hillsborough commemorative shirt they've issued for sale and that players have been wearing this half of the season. A classy mark of respect, and with proceeds going to the HFSG, HJC and Anne Williams' Hope for Hillsborough campaigns, it's something that "big brother" LFC would've done well to emulate, to be honest.
The bus let us off in front of the Crown & Anchor pub just as promised on the website - which, once you take a right at its corner, the ground practically smacks you in the eye being less than 50 yards away. Still 20 minutes to kickoff so we had a quick pint in the C&A - of course we did! - then made our way down.
There were about 200 people in the ground, clearly 98% AFCL supporters with banners flapping and songs in the air. "AFC ... LI-VER-POOL ... AFC ... LI-VER-POOL" - fabulous. We took up a spot in the main stand - and it was all standing thanks! - near the halfway line and right down front. I will tell you right now as it's been too long since I've seen a match from this sort of vantage point - I was in a state of bliss. Cold - but in bliss!
Why you may ask? Well, personally speaking, I think we sometimes forget how sanitized the experience of watching the game has become. I bow down to very few in my love for the Mighty Reds and am always grateful to have the opportunity to watch them play period - even if it's just on the box, much less watch them in person. It's special for so many reasons and it's a buzz like few others. But I'll be honest, there is nothing like being right on top of the action; you hear it all and feel it all. Of course the standard of play is not as high but I could care less - you'll never feel that same level of immediacy and adrenaline in the most thumping one-sided Liverpool win. Not saying I'd trade that - or anything - for my Reds, but you can certainly understand the appeal.
Their manifesto is well worth a read - and they've won me over for sure.
I won't really give too much of a match report - you can read all the details here. But suffice it to say the non-league Redmen came from behind to take a 2-1 scoreline into the away tie. And a brilliant winger wearing #7 and a imperious centrehalf with a blond shock of hair wearing the #4 shirt - deja vu or what?
Had a great chat with many in the stands and it was there over the tannoy that the next bit of great news for the weekend filtered in - Fulham 2 - Manchester United 0. Murphy with the first - Scholes and Rooney sent off. And Chelsea go down to Spurs.
Waaaaaaa-heyyyy!!
It was a brilliant day and a brilliant way to begin the trip. Pretty much the best that could possibly have been hoped for. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the city centre, smiles on our faces and anticipation for the evening - and the next day - to come. By the way, the second leg of the semifinal is tomorrow (Mar. 4) at 10am our time; right before the Fulham match. I'll definitely keep my ears/eyes open for the result.
More to come - part two up as soon as I can manage!
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