In Liverpool football means everything, our families are born to be red or blue , luckily my family is LFC through and through. When I gave birth to Becks one of her first teddy bears was an LFC bear, My Hubby called him Zombie Bear. For her first professional photographs it was no cute or frilly outfits, we had her in her Liverpool kit.
So what does it mean to be a Liverpool fan? I have been lucky enough to attend finals, huge games at Anfield even private parties with Liverpool players old and new. I have cried rivers of tears for the club, I have sobbed for our 97 and every single person who was affected by that day. I will never forget that day its a part of me.
My city loves football it doesn’t matter if you are a red or a blue, football runs deep.To be at Anfield is so special its almost a spiritual experience, standing shoulder to shoulder singing at the top of your lungs not caring if it’s bitterly cold or the sun is shining down on us at our fortress Anfield.
When Becks was a baby every single kit that came out she would have and Graham would teach her the words to all the songs, her favourite was John Arne Risse or who let the dogs out. Yes I had a toddler who was finding her voice making the dog noises as Graham sang along with her. As my Hubby was managing the club store at the time she had LFC dummies, bottles and her absolute favourite the bears.
The club released a bear only inches or so high, just a red bear but she fell in love with him and she named him Reddy, she took him everywhere. Reddy went with us to Rome, Florida. Sorry I’m writing this as I’m watching the UCL Final, that fuck up around the 41st minute when it was clearly keepers ball distracted me and raised my blood pressure. Back to Reddy, as well as trips abroad he went with her on family camping & caravanning holidays too.
We got her Reddy when she was a baby and even to this day he goes everywhere with her , including when she went to University and her summer job this year. It was on a family caravan holiday with her cousin that Reddy got left behind, she was distraught , this bear means everything to her and with no way of getting him back we had to go out and buy her a new one so that we could post him back to her with a story of his adventures in Wales.
LFC runs through so many memories good and bad, the worst was in a funeral car going past the club on the day of Nans funeral. She loved Liverpool, I remember any time I was at a game I would call her so she could experience it with me. The night of the LFC v Chelsea European night at Anfield with the goal that everyone was Uni sure about. She was watching the game at home and I was at the ground, so of course I called her for her expert opinion. Nan said it was a goal and that was good enough for me, Nans word was final.
I was fortunate enough to attend the FA Cup final 2000/1 season , also travelling to Dortmund for the UEFA cup final. I have listened to my Hubby cry down the phone saying that the game couldn’t be over when he was in the Ataturk in 2005 for us to go on and win in spectacular fashion.
Unfortunately the more Myalgic Encephalomyelitis took a hold of my life the more I had to give up and as I can’t watch a LFC game without shouting at the TV, watching my beloved Red Men just wasn’t something I could do. Having an illness that takes both mental and physical exertion, converting it to exhaustion and pain left me no option. As well as something that I love, it also meant sacrificing something that we did as a couple, that has been very hard. I didn’t try and stop my Hubby, I don’t think I could if I had tried, which has led to many lonely nights as Graham watched football in another room.
Tonight I was all set to spend another night alone while every other LFC fan is behind our team but I just couldn’t do it again. It’s not been easy to watch so far but when is a big LFC game. With the help of a Lavender shower and cuddling my Alfie so far I am ok. I’m not expecting it to stay this way and I know that over the next few days I will suffer immensely for just sitting to watch my team.
YNWA 🥰