He has been a familiar face outside Liverpool FC's ground for years
Joe Lawson, who has been selling badges at Anfield since the 1990s.
Joe Lawson began working as a badge seller in 1995(Image: Daniel Gutmann/Liverpool Echo)
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All you need to know about familiar face outside Anfield
Joe Lawson, 63, has been a familiar face outside the Kop at Anfield for 30 years, having started selling Liverpool FC badges in 1995.
Originally a delivery driver, Joe decided to start his badge-selling business after chatting with stallholders while walking to matches as a fan.
A lifelong supporter, Joe’s passion for the club began in the early 1970s when his father, a Liverpool docker, started taking him to games at age seven.
Joe views his role as being like a "social worker," valuing the opportunity to talk to people from all over the world and learn about their lives.
He enjoys meeting fans from diverse cultures—including China, Thailand, and Australia—who often seek him out specifically when they visit Anfield.
The job has allowed Joe to become friends with his childhood idols, he regularly chats with LFC greats like Bruce Grobbelaar, Phil Thompson and Steve McManaman.
His relationships with customers sometimes extend beyond the stadium, he once acted as a guide for a fan in a wheelchair, traveling with him to Salzburg for a game.
Although he admits the job doesn’t make a lot of money, Joe describes it as "the best job in the world" and finds it difficult to imagine retiring because of the satisfaction it brings him.
Read the full story: I don't make a lot of money, but it's the best job in the world