LFC on the road - 2006-2007 season
I put my departure off long enough to catch as much of Liverpool’s campaign to the Champions League final as I could, but eventually I had to set off on my seven month trip around the world. This meant I would be in central Europe for the final against AC Milan in Athens, a few hundred miles north of the team in Budapest, Hungary. As soon as I arrived I began scouting locations and decided on a quasi-Irish bar – Beckett’s.
Date: 23/05/07 Game: Champions League Final vs AC Milan
Location: Beckett’s Bar, 1055 Budapest, Bajcsy Zsilinszky ut 72.
In retrospect there was almost an inevitability about the outcome of this game and Milan were to get their revenge for Istanbul. The bar wasn’t bad, big crowd and decent enough atmosphere. Have never seen a more obvious group of hanger-ons though – just before kickoff, a group of lads (locals I think) arrive and each unpacks a new Liverpool shirt, though probably fake, with “Gerrard 8” on the back. After the game, and losing in the European Cup Final, they’re still in fine form, posing for a group photo as a football team and singing YNWA while reading from a lyrics sheet. Give me strength. Disappointing end to the season and the next few days were grim but nothing else to do but try to forget it and move on eastwards.
Date: 23/05/07 Game: Champions League Final vs AC Milan
Location: Beckett’s Bar, 1055 Budapest, Bajcsy Zsilinszky ut 72.
In retrospect there was almost an inevitability about the outcome of this game and Milan were to get their revenge for Istanbul. The bar wasn’t bad, big crowd and decent enough atmosphere. Have never seen a more obvious group of hanger-ons though – just before kickoff, a group of lads (locals I think) arrive and each unpacks a new Liverpool shirt, though probably fake, with “Gerrard 8” on the back. After the game, and losing in the European Cup Final, they’re still in fine form, posing for a group photo as a football team and singing YNWA while reading from a lyrics sheet. Give me strength. Disappointing end to the season and the next few days were grim but nothing else to do but try to forget it and move on eastwards.
Summer transfer window
Probably the most exciting transfer window in years and I miss it all making my way across Siberia, Mongolia and China. Actually thinking about it, that’s probably the best place to be during a transfer window. On the train to Mongolia, got a text to say Rafa had paid £26m for a certain Fernando Torres. It seemed like a big risk and at the time he would have been bottom of my list that included Eto’o, Henry and Tevez. But that’s why I’m in Siberia and Rafa is in Liverpool.
Probably the most exciting transfer window in years and I miss it all making my way across Siberia, Mongolia and China. Actually thinking about it, that’s probably the best place to be during a transfer window. On the train to Mongolia, got a text to say Rafa had paid £26m for a certain Fernando Torres. It seemed like a big risk and at the time he would have been bottom of my list that included Eto’o, Henry and Tevez. But that’s why I’m in Siberia and Rafa is in Liverpool.
