Everton VS Burnley

Matchday 13 took us to Liverpool, but it wasn’t to witness the red side of Merseyside; we were there for the blue. It felt somewhat unusual for us, being supporters of the reds, but it was a necessary part of our challenge. Knowing the complexities of travelling to Liverpool for a midweek game from past experiences, I planned to leave at least three hours before kick-off. With the game starting at 19:45, we hit the road around 15:00. This gave us ample time to account for potential traffic on the M6, and we were fortunate to depart a couple of hours before rush hour, which prevented us from getting stuck in two major traffic jams. Fortunately, we reached Liverpool at around 18:00.

My initial plan was to park in a secure carpark on Stanley Park. However, while driving towards the ground, I noticed free parking on Utting Avenue and decided to take a chance. I was a bit concerned about my car’s registration being linked to attending the Everton game, so I hoped the location would remain discreet. We had a meal and a drink before the game, and given our previous issues with the rucksack, we opted to leave it in the car. It was a leisurely 15-minute walk to the ground, passing the mighty Anfield along the way.

Upon arrival outside the ground, we purchased a matchday program for £4 and a matchday scarf for £12. We strolled around the area, taking a few photos, and then entered the ground through the rather old-fashioned turnstiles. What surprised me was the absence of any security checks; once our tickets were scanned, we simply walked in. Despite the ground’s age, the interior was well-maintained, and I was strangely impressed by the toilets, which had a windowsill serving as a shelf. It was a great feature, finally giving us a place to set our program while using the facilities.

We followed the clear signage to our seats, and the view from our elevated position was quite enjoyable. I’m starting to appreciate being higher up as opposed to a few rows from the pitch. Liam particularly liked the view and was impressed by the cameras just above our heads. The game itself was quite end-to-end, although Everton emerged victorious with a 3-0 win. Unfortunately, we missed the last goal as Liam decided he wanted to leave at the 85th minute to avoid the post-match rush. This turned out to be a wise decision, as the journey home took just under two hours, with no issues at all.

Liam decided to start getting more involved in our challenge and asked me if he could start doing Matchday VLOGs, which I agreed.

So, please check out his very first VLOG of Matchday 13 and also subscribe to the YouTube channel for future VLOG updates.

I’m now looking forward to Matchday 14 in the capital, where we’ll be watching West Ham take on Olympiacos.