My Day Back At The Match (After Decades In Australia)

An Ex-Pat Back At Anfield For the first time in 17 Years

The old TTT tradition of My Day at the Match has fallen by the wayside, but over from Australia, Daniel Marshall gives it a dust-off.

By Dan Marshall (TTT graphic designer)

Liverpool vs West Ham
Sunday 24th September, 2023

My day at the match was my first day at the match for seventeen years.

If somebody had told on that evening all those years against Galatasaray, when Crouchy scored an overhead kick in a 3-2 win, that my next trip to Anfield would be in nearly two decades’ time, I would have scoffed.

But a combination of moving to Sydney 22 years ago, two marriages, two kids, two careers and a global pandemic have meant that my return was long overdue.

I’m originally from Southport and first started going to the game thanks to my Man United supporting father who had a huge soft spot for Kenny Dalglish. I first attended a game in Kenny’s debut managerial season – a 1-0 victory thanks to a late Ian Rush strike. For the next few years I was a frequent match-goer and was fortunate enough to witness Dalglish’s all conquering Johnny Barnes-infused team.

I moved to Liverpool in 1996 and got to the game when I could, but by 2001 I was calling Sydney home and attending matches obviously became a little bit difficult.

So when my wife and I planned a return to the UK, to introduce my youngest daughter (aged five) to her UK grandparents I was immediately online checking home fixture dates and attempting to procure a ticket.

This article is for paying subscribers only.