If, like me, you have birthed three boys it’s inevitable that most family days out involve one sports or another… there have been holidays with trips to baseball matches, basketball games, hockey arenas and even a football game in Thailand once. ‘Soccer’ that is, we’re still missing an American Football game.
Yesterday we travelled 3 1/2 North to support the family team – Liverpool – in their glory journey towards Premiership victory. (Or so we hope, anyway).
So anyway…
First… this is us (unauthorised posting of photos coming up)
I’ll be in trouble for this, I hope you appreciate it!
And then we entered the stadium… first impression? how small it is. On tv the perspective is all wrong, but sitting there it felt intimate, like a live performance at the theatre…
Second impression? the noise. A good noise. A common sound, a chorus of voices united for a while for a common purpose, tied together by a shared love. I don’t think it matters that what’s shared is the love for a spherical object and eleven men in red – or whatever other colour – , I love sport when it does that, erasing the differences for a little while. (And yes I know there are things in football that need ‘attention’ shall we say… racism is unacceptable for example… but there is also a lot of good… and last night, it brought a smile to my face.
Liverpool won. Everybody was happy, well the opposition fans weren’t… and the long way back didn’t feel too long.
Also… who knew they pitch got watered??
A good day. A very good day.
while you're ahead... 