I finally ticked off a trip to see the Reds at their home ground - and I can't wait to visit the Hill Dickinson Stadium next
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.(Image: )
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Football has never been my language - I know it only in theory, like a distant cousin's job or how taxes actually work. The height of my involvement was choosing Fernando Torres in FIFA Ultimate Team because of how he looked rather than how he played.
For years, I was content keeping the sport at arm's length, dipping into it only as an excuse to head to the local for a crisp, cold Magners. But when you move to a city like this one, there are some things that become impossible to ignore; music and sport being the most obvious.
Having called Liverpool home for just over six years, it felt time to bite the bullet and attend my first football match. I'd done pretty much everything else there was to do, except watch either the Reds or Blues in action.
When it comes to Anfield I'd taken the tour, abseiled down the side of the ground, confidently yelled the wrong lyrics at Dua Lipa’s summer performance, and made my Apple Pay scream at the official merchandise shop.
Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool applauds the opening goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool applauds the opening goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
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Up until Tuesday, January 13, there was still one must-do on my Liverpool bucket list needing to be ticked off, and that was to see the ball hit the back of the net from The Kop.
After seeing Arne Slot's men take on and win against Barnsley, that must-do can be confidently ticked off thanks to goals from Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Wirtz and Ekitiké. But before all this took place, it was clear, even to my untrained eye, to see what football meant to the slow-moving tide of red scarves and hats that filled the ground to the rafters.
A trophy-themed, larger-than-life flag flowed over the heads of hundreds before the first whistle blew. At first, it felt like a bad version of the primary school parachute game, but as it passed over, and kids jumped with all their might to help carry it long, it became evident this wasn't the case at all. The flag was about the club's pride and its long history that started before anyone in attendance was ever born.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool looses a boot in a challenge with team mate Virgil van Dijk and Mael de Gevigney of Barnsley during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool looses a boot in a challenge with team mate Virgil van Dijk and Mael de Gevigney of Barnsley during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Barnsley on January 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
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Then came the applause on 20 minutes. For a few moments, football ceased to matter entirely as the stands honoured Diogo Jota after his tragic passing last summer. The tribute flattened all hierarchy: veteran supporters, casual plus-ones, sceptical journalists, even rival fans - everyone folded into the same shared emotion.
By this point, the ground seemed to hum as one as the stadium came alive with chants and cheers of Oh When the Reds Go Marching In. I was catching myself missing tactics, overlooking fouls and spending too long watching the crowd instead of the ball, but I didn’t mind - I have no loyalty when it comes to the sport, or any sport, for that matter.
I've made the trek to Widnes to take in some ice hockey, and I’ve ventured to Dublin to see Ireland edge closer to taking home another Six Nations trophy.
Curtis Jones of Liverpool with the ball during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match Liverpool vs Barnsley at Anfield, Liverpool
Curtis Jones of Liverpool with the ball during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match Liverpool vs Barnsley at Anfield, Liverpool(Image: Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)
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All of these occasions, and at Anfield, I was there purely for the experience, and that’s exactly what I got. I’d be in the Hill Dickinson Stadium to watch Everton next time the Blues at home if the opportunity was going. My favourite band is Mumford and Sons, but would I refuse a ticket to see Oasis? Absolutely not.
I was invited, and offered a season ticket holder's seat, just hours before the game started due to a last-minute illness. Now even I know I'd be stupid to pass the opportunity up.
It was an experience, like many others, I won’t forget as my first game - not because I suddenly became the greatest football fan to grace Merseyside, but because I didn't have to.
I went for the atmosphere, the noise, and being brutally honest, because I had a free Monday evening. I still couldn’t tell you who should start next week, why a tackle is sometimes a foul or what the offside rule means in practice. But I left Anfield knowing I'd seen exactly what I came for, and why so many people keep coming back.