You know, here in Croatia women are not supposed to watch football, understand football... it's „men's thing“. We're not supposed to know anything about football. We're women, what the hell would we know about that?!
That opinion is still here, you can imagine how it was 10-15 (and more) years ago.
I've always loved football, since I was a little girl so I watched some games but couldn't talk about that - I was a girl...
But my love for LFC started few years ago. And yeah, a lot of you will say I'm not a true Red.
Well... You're wrong!
I think we're watching World cup 2006 when I saw Torres and Gerrard and I had to know where they are playing. Than Torres came to Liverpool, Gerrard was already there and it began...
Watching them, how they play, passion they have, skills they have, and the fans... I can't explain, it's just something you feel. I fell in love with everything.
Like I said, I've always loved football, but something was missing, I didn't feel anything.... Until I started watching the Reds.
At the time I was going trough some bad period in my life and I needed something to hold on to, and they were there... and they had the Anthem: You'll never walk alone... I wanted to be part of that and never walk alone...
Now you'll say that the other clubs also have that anthem, I know, but this one... Red one... it's mine!
(editor note; Y.N.W.A was first on the KOP, from Liverpool band ; Gerry & the pacemakers, before anyone else!)
My sister is also a Red, so we watched them, we cheered, we sang with them, we cried with them and we said: one day we'll go there, one day we'll be part of them, one day we'll be their strength.
At first, guys in that bar where we watch games didn't take me seriously, they thought it was all about Torres, because he's cute and I'm „only a girl“, but through the time they have realized I know more then just to recognize „cute footballers“ and now I'm „one of the guys“, the only girl who watches football, and the only Liverpool fan. All of them are some Barca fans or Real Madrid or Mancs, and I fight with them. Always. Especially for last two seasons.
They used to ask me every summer: „What will you do now if Torres decides to go? Will you cheer for another club?“
They didn't understand... I was “only a girl”.
Then, last year, in March 2010 I started to urge my sister that we should go to Liverpool. We started to plan our trip, watched dates and games to fit in our free time from work and we decided to go from 8th until 12th April, so we could watch Benfica and Fulham games. We booked flights but we couldn't find free hotel in that time because of horse races (John Smith’s Grand National) everything was full. I decided to ask some of my facebook Red friends if they known some hotel, and I was right, Red Family is always there for you. We had reservations for hotel, Premier Inn on Albert Dock. We bought tickets for games on some internet site and it was done!
We couldn't believe, we're going to Liverpool!! We're going!!
My sister couldn't sleep or eat, I didn't feel that way because I had too much work to do until than, didn’t have time to think about that until the day before trip... I finished my work and I had to pack myself. I couldn't believe, my wish is coming true, I'm packing for Liverpool!!
Guys in the bar were jealous, of course. „Where did you get money for that?!“ They didn't look at themselves... We don't drink, we didn't party every weekend, we don't put our money on silly betting... If you put all that money on one pile, well... you'll have money to go somewhere you want to. Of course, I couldn't tell them that.
8th April early in the morning... a taxi came: „To the airport please.“
Around 5pm we arrived on John Lennon Airport, we still couldn't believe...
Nice scouser in front of the airport helped us to get a bus to Albert Dock. We couldn't speak, we're just sitting in the bus with our eyes wide opened, scared to blink not to miss something. Bus stopped, Albert Dock... we're here. We're dragging our bags to the hotel to check in. It was hard to understand the accent, it was strange, but beautiful to us, and they were nice, tried to speak slower so we could understand.
Quick in the room, we were tired but we couldn't sit there for a second! View from window direct on Royal Liver Building. We quickly eat something and finally put on our red shirts for the game. Taxi came and we're on the road to Anfield!! Everywhere on the streets you could see red shirts walking, we were proud... proud to be in red shirt (taxi driver was Evertonian, of course).
Taxi stopped in front of Anfield, we came out and stood in front of Paisley gates, shaking, we couldn't move or speak. Just stood there with big lump in our throats and trying not to cry in front all those people.
Finally, some voice in my head told me to get my camera from my bag to take some pictures. I was shaking so much I couldn't get camera out for a while. I tried to take some pictures but my hands didn't want to listen to me. My sister didn't even try. I said to her: „Lets move few steps, inside the Gates, we're in the way.“ She said: „I can't.“
It was like we are not worth to come so close, to step inside Anfield. But we did it. With shaky legs we walked to our seats. I took some pictures, but they were blurred, I couldn't stop shaking.
Stadium was packed, flags were there, YNWA started... and we sang, with tears in our eyes, holding our scarves, still shaking...
Players came out, Rafa... It was unbelievable! And we were there, part of those voices in YNWA, Gerrard song, Torres bounce, Rafa song, FOAR...
And we won 4-1, I love that result (remember mancs?).
After the game some nice steward took pictures of us and with us and we slowly walked out.
We went out through the Shankly gates... another amazing experience... We took some pictures and than walked to honour victims of Hillsborough.
We never felt that way, full of impressions we came in the hotel and get on the internet to share that with our Red friends in Croatia.
We had two days to explore the City. Not enough, but we've been on Anfield Tour and Museum, Beatles Museum, Bus Tour, Liverpool Eye... but we fell in love with Albert Dock so we spent most of the time there, or around Anfield.
Oh yeah, the LFC Museum... we walked inside, taking pictures, reading everything and than we step in one room and there was manc game when we beat them 4-1. I went to one corner of the room and watching „something“, with tissue on my face. Than I turned around, my sister was doing the same thing in another corner of the room. We looked each other and said: „We're not normal, let’s hope they have no camera here“. Right. Then I run in another room, it was dark and I was thinking: “Nobody can see me here, I can wipe the tears“, but that was „Istanbul Room“?!! On the big screen they were showing the game, my sister came and I said: “Omg, I can't handle this!“ So we stayed there a little while, until we get enough pace to came out.
11th April, Fulham game. The same excitement but we came 3 hours before the game so we could catch the whole feeling. Atmosphere was a little quiet, not like on Benfica game and it ended with a draw... Every hope for Champions League was gone...
Red river of fans walking in silence with their heads down, just like us...
We were supposed to meet a fellow Red in the Albert after the game, but we were not in the mood, so we went to Docks and just sat on the bench, staring in the water. We were devastated...
13th April, we're leaving but we promised: „We'll be back!!“
We fell in love with the City, our Liverpool home... it's special...
I won't write about everything what happened later, we all know that. They pushed Rafa out, pride and fight for our club, black shirts, and that „poor nice man“ who couldn't handle this big club... time I have erased from my memory.
But we have new owners now, the King is back, Mascherano and Torres have left, but we're getting stronger!
Now I want to answer that question guys were always asking me about Torres: „Do you see me cheering for Chelsea now?!“
And I want to make it clear that I don't hate him. Those 4 - 5 days of transfer window when it was announced he wanted to leave I couldn't eat, sleep or do anything... I couldn't believe.
But for all you haters there: he gave the best for us, he was the fastest striker in our history to score 50 goals, he gave his heart to us and that was the hardest decision he ever made, it was a wrong one, but he had to do it to make us go forward. He knew that... Only thing I resent him is that he didn't say goodbye to us, but I don't think he could do it, it was to hard... So I'm telling to all haters there: „He'll have my respect for everything he's done for us. He's a great player, great lad and good luck Nando but we're going up no matter what!“
(ed; 2011) And spring is here, we're planning a trip again!
This time we decided to travel on 10th May, booked hotel, again Premier Inn, found flights, but we didn't know if we will get the tickets for the Spurs game. My Red Brother helped with advices and we bought them on LFC online sale.
Week before trip my health troubles began... Two days before trip sister’s... Emergency, doctors... we're scared: „Why is everything against us?!! We're waiting this for whole year and now everything could fall apart!!“
We didn't go on 10th May like we planned, but we went on 12th May at our own risk...
We're tired, didn't sleep for days, or eat... scared... but our Red Brother was there to watch over us.
He took us to Cavern club, even though we have meet him for the first time we didn't have any doubts about him, after all - we're family. We've talked, danced, had a great time and he escorted us to the hotel.
Earlier that day my sister and went to LFC store to buy some stuff and we went to Jamie’s Cafe Sports Express for a lunch. We're a little disappointed because it didn't look like we expected, there are no football pictures or shirts on the wall... just some big tv screens with Sky sport on. But a meal was good.
Weather was bad, it was raining, wind was strong and it just didn't let us enjoy time around the City.
Next day after spending some time in town, in the evening we went in the pub in the old PumpHouse with our Red Brother, and he told us some great stories about the games and fans, and it was great for us because we could talk about our club without fight and we shared some things and it just crossed my mind: „This is what we're all about. It's not just the Club, it's us - we're the one's who's special!“.Around midnight he escorted us to the hotel, and we agreed to meet before the game in front of the Kop so he can show us around.
15th May, Spurs game. Weather is still bad but we're excited. We meet with our friend in front of the Kop, exchanged scarves and he took us to Sandon pub. It's bigger than we expected, but it's quiet - that we didn't expect. Everyone were just standing, or sitting and talking, but it's ok, we're moved from the rain and in Albert's you couldn't step in from the crowd, but that was because it's „singing“ pub, and small one.
And finally time to go to Anfield... We're excited, King Kenny just got his 3 year contract: „We're gonna beat them!“
It wasn't like the first time we came here, yes we're shaking but everything was against us so we're just waiting what will come next... and it came... we got beaten in our own yard... we're sitting close to the Spurs fans so we couldn't hear the Kop, everything was too quiet (except the Spurs fans)... I was thinking: „C'mon!! Let's sing to them, we're Liverpool!! Don't just sit there!!“ But nothing...
And then: Lap of Honour. Our first one to see live, it was great. We still have something to be proud of even if we lost a game. You could see the players were disappointed, tired... but we gave each other a big clap saying we'll be there for them and they clapped back to us for that... game over.
Again we meet with our friend, he was disappointed too, our heads were down again and than he said: „Remember, through the wind and the rain... This time next year... we'll be champions!“.
17th May early in the morning, it's still dark outside... last look through the window on Liverbirds... we're going back home.
On the way to airport taxi driver was an Evertoninan, again. I really can't remember what were we talking about because I was trying to get that lump out from my throat, but my sister has told me we were talking a lot so I'll believe her...
We stood in front of John Lennon Airport and I was thinking: „This time, next year... We'll be back!“
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