England-Scotland Day 17 (Part 2) – Matchday at Anfield

19 April 2010

This was the day we were looking forward to and one of the highlights of our England-Scotland vacation, i.e. watching a English Premier League (EPL) game at Anfield, home ground of Liverpool Football Club.

Decked in our red Liverpool home kit, we took our dinner at Cafe Sports England, a family restaurant owned by one of our favourite Liverpool player, No 23 Jamie Carragher. There were others there, some similarly dressed, so we knew they would be also heading to Anfield later.

There was a line of taxis waiting outside when we left the restaurant. These drivers were smart. They know where to source for business.

We alighted at the Kop end of the stadium, where we were 2 days ago to take the Anfield Stadium Tour. There was already a small crowd there at 6.30 PM. We bought an additional scarf from the Club Store.

Outside Anfield with our scarf from Athens (where Liverpool played in the Champions League Finals. We lost !)

Father and son with LFC scarf outside Anfield on match-day.

Stalls selling souvenirs across the stadium.

Inside Anfield stadium at Kop end, before heading into the stands. With our new LFC scarf bought at the Club Store.

At the Kop end of Anfiled before start of game.

Putting the binocular we bought at Lake District to good use.

 

One of the many flags. We heard that Fernando Torres would not be playing as he was still in Spain, recovering from injury and also all flights were cancelled because of Icelandic volcano eruption.

Banner of Bob Paisley.

Players warming up. Club emblem at the center circle. It will be removed before the start of the game.

All set for the start of game.

Start of game. Stadium filled.

Before the players come onto the pitch, the fans would sing You’ll Never Walk Alone, scarves held high and then the giant flag was moved across the Kop stand.



Watch the traditional passing of the giant flag before the game from where we stood.

Liverpool attacking the Kop end.

Fans at the Kop end stood for almost the entire match once the game started. We only sat during half time. Cheer leaders amongst the supporters ensured that singings were co-ordinated and the Kop sang for most parts of the game.

The game was a one-sided affair, as the home team took the lead and then add another. So there was not much tension in the crowd.

I managed to video the 3rd goal.



Liverpool 3 - 0 West Ham. Kyrgiakos scores the third goal for Liverpool from a Steven Gerald freekick.

As per tradition again, we sang the Liverpool anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” again, just before the final whistle.

Then the final whistle came and it was time to find our way out of the crowded stadium and try to catch a taxi back to our apartment. We followed the crowd out of the stadium and into the streets, like sheep, without knowing where we were heading. We managed to flag a taxi, a short while later, along a main road quite a distance away from the stadium. What a day!